XN000022-1981-09-18 — Page 7

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1981

NEW ELECTRIC TRAIN GOES THROUGH TEST RUN

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ONE OF THE NEW TRAINS WHICH WILL RUN ON THE ELECTRIFIED KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY WAS DEMONSTRATED TODAY (FRIDAY) ON THE SECTION BETWEEN RACECOURSE AND SHA TIN STATIONS.

THE ELECTRIC MULTIPLE UNIT (EMU) TRAIN USED IN THE TEST IS ONE OF 16 EMUS WHICH WILL OPERATE ON THE INNER SUBURBAN SERVICE OF THE KCR FROM HUNG HOM TO SHA TIN,

THE EMUS ARE BEING DELIVERED PROGRESSIVELY, AND EIGHT OF THE INNER SUBURBAN SERVICE UNITS HAVE ALREADY ARRIVED IN HONG KONG.

DELIVERY OF THE OUTER SUBURBAN UNITS IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN DECEMBER. THESE TRAINS ARE SIMILAR TO THE INNER SUBURBAN UNITS, BUT HAVE BAGGAGE AND TOILET FACILITIES AND TWO CLASSES OF SEATING BECAUSE OF THE LONGER JOURNEY TIMES INVOLVED ON THE ROUTE BETWEEN HUNG HOM AND LO WU.

THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS ORDERED 45 EMUS FOR KCR FROM METRO-CAMMELL LTD. THE UNITS ARE MANUFACTURED IN BIRMINGHAM TO SPECIFICATIONS DEVELOPED BY TRANSMARK, PWD CONSULTANTS FOR THE ELECTRIFICATION AND MODERNISATION OF THE KCR IN ASSOCIATION WITH KCR.

TODAY'S DEMONSTRATION RUN WAS THE CULMINATION OF AN INTENSIVE ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL TESTING PROGRAMME FOR THE NEW TRAINS.

THE FIRST TESTS ARE MADE ON INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT ASSEMBLIES. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY A TEST OF MAJOR ASSEMBLIES AND A COMBINED TEST, WHEN ALL EQUIPMENT IS CHECKED IN THE FACTORY AS THOUGH IT WAS RUNNING AS A COMPLETE EMU.

WHEN THE EMUS ARRIVE IN HONG KONG, THEY ARE MOUNTED ON BOGIES AT HUNG HOM AND TAKEN TO THE EMÜ DEPOT AT HO TUNG LAU, WHERE ALL ELECTRICAL, PNEUMATIC, BRAKING AND SUSPENSION SYSTÉMS ARE TESTED.

BEFORE THE KCR FORMALLY TAKES OVER AN EMU, EACH UNIT MUST PASS A 400-KILOMETRE TROUBLE-FREE TRIAL RUNNING PERIOD. DURING THESE TRIALS, CHECKS ARE MADE TO ENSURE THAT THE ACCELERATION AND BRAKING PERFORMANCE MEETS THE SPECIFICATIONS UNDER NORMAL AND EMERGENCY CONDITIONS UP TO THE MAXIMUM SPEED OF 120 KPH.

THE EMUS ARE FITTED WITH TWO SAFETY SYSTEMS - THE DRIVER'S SAFETY DEVICE IN CASE THE DRIVER BECOMES INCAPACITATED, AND THE AUTOMATIC WARNING SYSTEM, WHICH GIVES BOTH VISUAL AND AUDIBLE INDICATION IN THE DRIVER'S CAB OF THE STATE OF THE NEXT SIGNAL. IN AN EMERGENCY, THE SYSTEMS AUTOMATICALLY APPLY THE BRAKES AND STOP THE TRAIN.

THE EMUS