Hitachi (Australian train)

Hitachi
A Metro Trains refurbished Hitachi crosses Merri Creek
Refurbished Hitachi interior
In service	December 1972–September 2008 November 2008–April 2014
Manufacturer	Commonwealth Engineering (electrics), Bayswater (bodies), Martin & King Somerton ('M' car fitout), Newport Workshops (fitout and Trailers)
Replaced	Swing Door cars, Tait cars
Constructed	1972–1981
Scrapped	2003–2014
Number built	118 (3 car sets)
Number in service	0
Number preserved	48 (3 car sets)
Formation	M-T-T-M D-M, later M-T-M M-T-M
Fleet numbers	273–300 (Motors), 1901–2017 (Trailers), 1–237 (Former Motor Numbers), 301-368 (Former Driving Trailers)
Capacity	536 seated (6 car)
Operator(s)	Historically Victorian Railways and successors, MTA, PTC, M>Train, Connex and Metro Trains Melbourne
Depot(s)	Newport Workshops (late 2015)
Line(s) served	All Melbourne suburban
Specifications
Car body construction	Fluted stainless steel
Car length	23,406 mm (76 ft 9.5 in) over couplers
Width	2,972 mm (9 ft 9.0 in)
Height	3,759 mm (12 ft 4.0 in), not including pantograph
Floor height	1,194 mm (3 ft 11.0 in)
Articulated sections	Open gangway
Maximum speed	113 km/h (70 mph)
Weight	41 tonnes (40 long tons; 45 short tons)
Traction system	4 x Hitachi HS 834 Springbourne (150 hp or 110 kW) per M car
Power output	450 kW (600 hp) per M car 1,790 kW (2,400 hp) per 6 car set
Acceleration	0.85 m/s2 (2.8 ft/s2)
Electric system(s)	1.5 kV DC Overhead line
Current collection method	Stone-Faiveley ‘V’-type pantograph (original builds) Metropolitan-Vickers 'Diamond'-type pantograph (used as replacements)
Coupling system	Janney coupler
Track gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)

Hitachi electric multiple unit trains operated on the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia between 1972 and 2014. Electrical equipment was supplied by Commonwealth Engineering to designs by Hitachi of Japan, leading to their official name today, though no actual Hitachi-supplied components were used in their construction. Hitachi trains have been also known as Martin & King or Stainless Steel trains officially. They were colloquially referred to as ghosties by many Victorian youth, due to their ageing appearance and scarcity when in use. They were the last suburban trains in Melbourne with no air conditioning, and with windows that could be opened.

The single-deck Hitachi trains operated as ‘M-T-M-M-T-M’ sets of six carriages (two coupled sets of three carriages arranged with two motorised carriages on either end of a motorless ‘trailer’ carriage).

Based on a successful trial of longer Harris trailer cars built between 1967 and 1971, the Hitachi train used carriages 22.86 m (75.0 ft) long, up from the standard 17.98 m (59.0 ft) length of the earlier suburban cars. The revised carriage design enabled a six car Hitachi train to seat 560 passengers, up from 540 for a seven car Harris train. The maximum load for a Hitachi was 1,500 passengers, 300 more than a Harris.

As delivered, Hitachi trains were composed of three types of carriage, M (motor carriages including a driver's cabin at one end), T (trailer carriages with no motors), and D (a trailer carriage with a small driver's cabin). These cars were arranged in sets of M-T-T-M and M-D, which could be arranged together to create a six car set. All but one of the #68 D carriages produced were later converted into T carriages. (The exception being D #353 was involved in a collision at Pakenham, that also resulted in the scrapping of Guard's Van Z 286) The first M and D carriages delivered were provided with nose doors at the front of the cab. These were later removed from the early carriages, and the feature was omitted from later sets.