More delays to new rail units

Press, 30 April 1982, Page 13

More delays to new rail units

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

One of the biggest headaches the new Railways Corporation has inherited from the old Railways Department is its new Hungarian rail passenger units. There have been considerable delays in bringing them into service and the Hungarian firm building them. Ganz-Mavag, is complaining about crippling costs to itself.

The- Railways Corporation has refused to accept any of the trains for passenger service because of. a series of problems — described as “minor” — which have cropped up during tests at the Wellington railway yards. The trains have already been in New Zealand for more than a year and the cost of the delays is being met by Ganz-Mavag.

The contract with GanzMavag was to build 44 double units at a fixed price of $33 million. Ganz-Mavag won the contract from other tenders, and delays in acceptance have already probably cost it at least $250,000 from its hoped-for profit. Delays occurred overseas and in New Zealand. The General Electric Company in Britain, which was supplying the electric traction, was hit by industrial stoppages and this delayed its part in the order by nearly a year. During that time, Ganz-Mavag had to provide 14 different scheduled delivery dates. Similar delays were incurred in Westinghouse, the Australian firm supplying a number of items, including the driving and braking equipment.

The first batch of 14 double units finally arrived in Wellington last December;

minor faults showed up in tests and will have to be fixed before commissioning. The second batch of 15 arrived earlier in April; the final 15 have still to arrive. It had been hoped that the first batch of units would be commissioned for use in March, but so far the Railways Corporation has agreed only to accept two units, so their future drivers can be trained. Railways Corporation alarm at the delays has led Ganz-Mavag to fly more

Hungarian engineers out to New Zealand. Extra shift

work is expected to speed up the modifications needed. Most of the problems have centred on the heaters in the units; they generate too much heat. It was originally agreed in the contract that each heater should generate 550 watts, but they have been putting out 800 watts. The delays have thrown out of kilter the coloration's plans for modernising and restructuring its passenger service. The Government is alarmed about the cost of maintaining some passenger

services and is keen to have the new units in service so it can then review what services to reduce or close, and where to place the units now filling in until the Hungarian units are ready. There seems tb be no complaint from the corporation about the design or comfort of the units. The corporation is planning to brighten up the image of rail in New Zealand by promotions based on the new units, and to attract new custom to rail.