Railways and Tramways of Australia
A Set (Waratah)
Set A14 on a City Circle via Bankstown service between Cabramatta and Carramar, 20 July 2013.
Road numbers:
D6301, D6303–80; D6401, D6403–80; N5301, N5303–78, N5380; N5401, N5403–78, N5480; N5501, N5503–78, N5580; N5601, N5603–78, N5680; T6501, T6503–78, T6580; T6601, T6603–78, T6680
Set numbers:
A1, A3–78, A80
Operator:
Sydney Trains
Gauge:
1435 mm
Year of entry into service:
2011
Number built:
626
Manufacturer:
Reliance Rail; Downer EDI; Changchun Railway Vehicles
Manufacturing location:
Changchun, China; Cardiff, NSW
Weight:
51.0 t (D: driving trailer car, N: motor car); 48.0 t (T: trailer car)
Length:
19.9 m (D: driving trailer car); 19.4 m (N: motor car); 19.5 m (T: Trailer car)
Seats:
101 (D: driving trailer car); 118 (N: motor car); 110 (T: trailer car)
The Waratah trains operate as eight-car sets, with a driving trailer car at each end of the train, two trailer cars in the centre, and four motor cars. As part of the contract for the purchase of the trains, the Waratahs are maintained by Reliance Rail at the purpose-built Auburn Maintenance Centre. They typically operate on the Airport, Inner West, South, Olympic Park, Bankstown, North Shore, Northern and Western lines. The initial order for 626 carriages was the largest rolling stock order ever placed in Australia. They were manufactured in China, with additional work on the air-conditioning equipment and driving cabs carried out at Cardiff in New South Wales. Two spare driving cars form part of the fleet. A further 24 suburban train sets are currently on order, and these will be known as B Set (Waratah Series 2) trains. The waratah is a native flower in New South Wales.