Luxury At $160km/h

The Age

Wednesday November 17, 2004

Dan Silkstone

THE Brisbane to Cairns tilt train was the pride of Queensland when it opened last year. Built with Australian engineering and technology it travelled at more than 160 km/h and featured luxurious facilities to gladden the heart of the most hardened traveller.

The project was commissioned by the Queensland Government in 1999 at a cost of $139 million and was built by Sydney company Downer EDI.

The train was tipped to be a tourism winner by the Government, but passenger numbers have sagged this year, with cheap airfares blamed for the decline.

The tilt train carriages allow services to travel 25 per cent faster than regular trains, slashing the travel time from Brisbane to Cairn from 32 hours to 25.

Controlled by a computer, the train carriage tilts while rounding bends to counter the centrifugal forces that would otherwise be uncomfortable for passengers.

The technology is a cheaper alternative to other fast trains, such as the French TGV, which require new tracks to be laid, with longer, more gradual, corners and bends. The tilt train works on the tighter bends of standard railway tracks.

Last October, the tilt train service won the "project of the year" award at the industry Project Management Achievement Awards.

HOW THE TILT TRAIN WORKS

The train can travel up to 160 km/h and the tilting mechanism allows it to lean into curves at high speed without jostling passengers.

HYDRAULIC TILTING SYSTEM

Computerised sensors tilt each carriage as it travels through the curves to counterbalance centrifugal forces and give passengers a comfortable ride.

RADIAL STEERING SYSTEM

The train's axles flex, aligning the wheels with the rails, enabling it to travel 30 to 40 per cent faster around curves than conventional trains.

© 2004 The Age

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