THE much-vaunted X’Trapolis train has been taken off the Frankston line tracks just months after its introduction.
The former Coalition Napthine government announced the arrival of the faster, roomier train amid much fanfare at Frankston train station in late October last year, just weeks before November’s state election.
At the time, the X’Trapolis train was spruiked by Liberals as “a taste of more good things down the track for commuters on the Frankston line”.
Less than four months later, Metro Trains confirmed the X’trapolis train has been hauled off the Frankston line when asked by The Times.
“The X’Trapolis train that normally runs on the Frankston line is currently undergoing maintenance, and will be returned to the line around 9 March,” Metro spokeswoman Larisa Tait said.
“That particular train has been modified in order to run on the Frankston line, which means that we’re unable to simply replace it with another X’Trapolis train.”
X’Trapolis trains have been running elsewhere on Melbourne’s rail network since 2002. Metro Trains advised the Frankston line X’Trapolis train was taken out of service last Monday (16 February).
The rail operator said no train services had been affected since Siemens and Comeng trains have run in its place.
Labor slammed the roll-out of the X’Trapolis train on the Frankston line when in opposition last October. Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke, then a candidate, called the launch “a political stunt”.
“There are safety concerns about the speed of the X’Trapolis train not being co-ordinated with level crossings, incomplete signalling works and gaps between the platform and carriage at certain stations,” he said at the time.
