{"id":50681,"date":"2024-05-22T13:54:04","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T03:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railexpress.com.au\/?p=116333"},"modified":"2024-05-22T13:54:04","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T03:54:04","slug":"work-to-resolve-wairarapa-vibration-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=50681","title":{"rendered":"Work to resolve Wairarapa vibration issues"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image: Judah\/stock.adobe.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

KiwiRail<\/a> and Greater Wellington Regional Council are taking a two phased approach to fix carriage vibration issues in the Wairarapa, following the completion of an independent investigation.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

KiwiRail General Manager Metro\u2019s Jon Knight says that with the Wairarapa fire ban now lifted, grinding<\/a> the tracks will be the first phase of work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate how frustrating it has been for Wairarapa locals since we put speed restrictions in place last year to manage these vibration issues, which resulted in longer journey times. Now that we have a good understanding of the factors contributing to the situation, we are moving as quickly as we can to resolve them and lift the speed restrictions north of the Remutaka Tunnel,” he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe vibration in the Wairarapa are caused by issues with how carriage wheels are interacting with the rail. Grinding the new rail with our specialist machine is our first step to fix the problem. We will have our grinder in Wellington to start work on 26 May.”<\/p>\n

Grinding the 40km of track between Featherston and Masterton will be done at night, when passenger trains aren\u2019t running. It will start in the areas where there are vibration issues, and the total distance should take about eight weeks to complete.<\/p>\n

“Grinding is something we have been planning to do for months but, given the amount of sparks grinding generates, the summer fire ban in the Wairarapa made that impossible. With the ban lifted, we can now get our grinder down to Wellington and get the work done,” he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will then be able to re-test for carriage vibrations at a range of train speeds. If this is not enough to resolve the vibration issues, we will move to the second phase and work closely with the Council to have the wheels of their 18 Wairarapa carriages reprofiled. KiwiRail will make our facilities available, if they are needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cKiwiRail is in the middle of a $870 million upgrade of the Wellington rail network, to enable more reliable and frequent trains. $375m is being spent in the Wairarapa alone, including work to prepare it for the council\u2019s new hybrid trains. In the coming years, as work is completed, we will be able to remove more speed restrictions and further reduce journey times for passengers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The investigation into the Wairarapa vibration issues, undertaken by Beca, recommended rail grinding and reprofiling the wheels of the Wairarapa carriages as the key steps to resolve the vibration issues. Reprofiling of the carriage wheels requires each wheel to be placed on the lathe machine and the shape of the wheel changed. Reprofiling of all wheels is currently being planned, but will likely take place over several months. The carriages will have to undergo strict testing to make sure no further issues are introduced.<\/p>\n

Metlink Group Manager Samantha Gain says a plan is in place to ensure a long-term solution for the Wairarapa vibration problems and improve reliability for commuters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe acknowledge our Wairarapa passengers are inconvenienced by the speed restrictions and we\u2019re working hard to improve their services,\u201d Gain said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re confident we can fix the vibration issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe track is new and made of modern materials. Grinding will reduce the risk of track faults in the future, help reduce wear and tear on the Wairarapa carriages, and we hope will reduce the vibrations.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeveral of the Wairarapa carriages\u2019 wheels will have been reprofiled by the time the rail grinding is finished.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will mean further testing can begin straight away and we will quickly know if the remaining carriages need to have their wheels reprofiled, or whether grinding will be enough to lift the speed restrictions. If we do need to continue reprofiling we will do this as fast as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report also found:<\/p>\n