Tour of Melbourne's new X'Trapolis 2.0 train

[@philipmallis]

CORRECTION: At 08:42 I meant to say "Frankston" and not "Cranbourne", sorry for the confusion!

[@chappo91rulz]

Was just gonna comment and say don't you mean Frankston as Cranbourne will have the HCMTs

[@movenlee9274]

I thought that HCMTs work on Franston line as well

[@thenetheriteminecartzactnm]

Good the X'Trapolis 2.0 will get better suspention and won't be another X'Trampoline like the X'Trapolis 100's.

[@maxischew514]

I'm actually quite surprised on how similar the train is to a HCMT rather then being a facelifted xtrap 100.

[@davidunwin7868]

Yeh, it looks like Alstom just copied Downer/Evolution Rail.

[@mallenwho]

The Xtrap naming comes largely from the chassis and electrical/control infrastructure powering the train, similar to how so many different trams globally are Flexcity models. The similarities to the HCMT are largely in terms of digital displays and systems, and interior furniture. For the former, probably because they are literally using the same systems and you can see the packenham line loaded onto the screens in the video as a demo.

[@jm56585]

feels more like a high capacity vlocity than a xtrap or hcmt imo

[@GamerXe1]

The Xtroplis 100 will always be my favourite train

[@adamiotime]

My biggest issue with the HCMT is the harshness of the lighting - i despise that overly intense cold blue lighting. I would much rather a warmer colour, as well as lighting that dims slightly later in the evening

[@mark_22222]

Wow that certainly is a first world problem. 😂😅

[@xiuwenlee5208]

@@mark_22222 The train is servicing the first world, is it not??

[@JoshwantsmaccasCharts]

I disagree with the harshness but that preference I guess, I very much agree that it should dim a bit at night, it's a bit bright at midnight if I am honest. Should be like what buses do (tho less extreme)

[@bee_anchor]

I agree but unfortunately I would rather ensure the horrible, harsh light at night than the unsafe feeling I would get in dimmer light as a female at night

[@NewFalconerRecords]

Looks good (with a few tweaks I'm sure it'll be great). It always fascinates me though, that no matter how slick the visuals are and how smooth the ride is, the announcements coming through the speakers often still sound like a distorted bee talking through a tin can.

[@demonindenim]

ugh, yeah. i have to cover my ears, it's that loud and harsh every time. and i've noticed that the louder it is, the more inaudible it is.

[@pulsecodemodulated]

The problem with the audio is that it's not just the volume but also the clarity. I was shocked the first time I rode one of the new HCMT's and couldn't understand a word of the announcements, which had all the fidelity of a 1980's Hungry Jacks drive-thru intercom.

[@philipmallis]

You're absolutely right, hopefully the audio on these new trains learns from these lessons

[@Shimmy02]

It seems that they have converted the audio files to a low bitrate codec to save on file space and maybe cost but really it's not practical and sounds horrid onboard. Funny how the older stuff sounds better than the newer stuff. Going backwards Metro!

[@cliffleigh7450]

So they now have air suspension - which was introduced in 1972 on the Hitachi trains! The existing Xtraps were a backwood step and this just brings them up to date.

[@clawz90]

Nice video! I did love driving xtraps specially when they first came out, so much power, so much braking ability, always started running early cause they were so fast!

[@DCCXXjay]

Awesome video as always Phil, totally agree with the display issues! Personally I'm not the biggest fan of the horizontal seats because they make me motion sick, but more capacity is always welcome

[@mitchul]

I have the same issue as with you with the destination displays on this. Although I'm hoping they're at least better than the ones that are on the HCMT. The slow fade between screens on the HCMT drives me mad. I think the seats in the X'Trap 2 are the same that went into those newer generation Vlocity units, just without the arm rest or tray table.

[@shaunclarke94]

The slow fade is absolutely terrible. It effectively adds dead time to the display where you can't read anything from it. Even worse are the trams with the Hanover desto's which take like 5 seconds between page changes so it takes ages to read the full message.

[@mitchul]

@@shaunclarke94 Yeah those Hanover ones on the trams are terrible. I'm fairly certain the Hanover software allows the user to speed up the changing of the pages.

[@shaunclarke94]

@@mitchul of course it does. There's plenty of flexibility and options but they haven't touched it ever since it was deployed.

[@LouKodge]

I just love your videos Phillip, watched every one since the first, All very watchable, informative and VERY well researched.

[@philipmallis]

Thanks so much, glad you like them!

[@hawthornvalley]

At 6:18 the panel with all the icons on the display, I noticed that the carriage numbers - which are similar to the HCMT carriages - were 8011, 8012, 8014, 8015 8017 & 8018. It looks like they have made provision to extend to 8 carriages by the addition of 8013 & 8016, like the HCMT can be extended to 10 carriages.

[@ThisIsARubbishName]

That's like the fourth person who I follow who got to have a look! Nice. The seats...I could take or leave. They're alright for short trips, but not from the end of the line! And I'm happy they're supplying jobs for the Ballarat community. E: ooh yeah, the front PID. Needs work.

[@geesedonthonk5301]

great video! Really glad to see the thought that's gone into the accessibility of the trains.

[@felixzhu1618]

It is good to see these new trains in Melbourne that replace the old ones. Also to mentioned these also look pretty like the Perth train C series, which are also coming soon. The seat layout, seat design and internal passage information display is almost the same.

[@marnijay2486]

Thanks for the peek into the future Philip. Gosh it would be interesting to learn what feedback they get from all of you previewers. Great video as always. 👍

[@nevmcc3884]

🎉🎉I'm glad somebody is doing what you do. Please come to Brisbane and critique our "metro" bus

[@adrianjackson1586]

Excellent summary. And thanks for getting some pics of my bike, I totally forgot!

[@philipmallis]

Thank you, and nice to see you there too!

[@andrewmcphee8965]

Very interesting, seems like a step forward, thanks Philip.

[@alexdelaney1975]

Overall sounds like a big upgrade! However, I'm concerned about those seats if the similar on the high capacity VLocity is anything to go by.

[@carboyau]

Doors between carriages are fire doors and will be open during normal operation.

[@philipmallis]

Ah that makes sense, thanks very much for claryfying!

[@gribbler1695]

Implying that they are triggered to close when fire is detected.

[@carboyau]

@@gribbler1695 Yes. They will activate in response to significant smoke, but can be pulled open by anyone fleeing and will simply auto close behind you to reduce spread.

[@sleepythespian1455]

When I first saw the X’Trapolis 200 mockup, I thought it’d have the door layout from the Siemens Nexus, but then I saw the 3rd door.

[@mce_AU]

Good work Philip in spite of the GoPro saga. Hopefully some of the feedback people are providing will be actioned.

[@Techno-Universal]

Very recently the first production unit rolled out of the Alstom assembly facility in Ballarat and was transferred to the Newport workshops! We’ll most likely see it running empty across the network over the next few months as it undergoes testing while also carrying out driver training! :)

[@SpellBinder2]

I also got lucky to visit this beautiful train. Hoping to see it soon in action.

[@Kcritchett87]

It looks like transperth’s C-series train, which is already on our Perth network. The seats and PID’s look a lot alike. Plus it’s in the same family as the c-series.

[@ແມ໋ດຢູ່ລາວ]

I wonder why they didn’t take inspiration from Copenhagen’s S-Tog city train for the in carriage bicycle zone? The Danes use a nifty spring-clasp thingy that does a good job of holding bikes upright & perpendicular from the carriage wall. This design holds a lot of bikes and works well. I can only assume there isn’t enough width in these new Victorian trains to permit such an option.

[@JackStavris]

The seats look like the first refresh of the Vlocity, which are very hard and thin compared to their original design. Honestly I'd prefer HCMT style seats or even current X'Trap seats, both are softer than those refresh Vlocity seats. I like the interoir displays though, they look identical to the HCMT ones which are really good, especially when you arrive at a station and it tells you what door to use, good for if you're not familliar with a station you might need to get off at or if there's a last minute platform change. Also I hope that they fix the horn...sorry I mean whistle. The current X'Trap whistle, and as a result the HCMT one too is super obnoxious. I think going to a multi-tone one like the old Commeng one or even a Vlocity style one would be better. I don't need the ear rape when the train departs.

[@user-fed-yum]

Those seats look super comfy, as long as you don't weigh any more than 45kg!

[@emiliobraulio]

Disappointing if true. The Comengs have both thick seats and airbag suspension. The X’Trapolis 100 has thick seats but springs. The Siemens, HCMT and it looks like the X’Trapolis 2 will have airbag suspension but thin seats.

[@JackStavris]

They are not comfy, they're ripped straight out of the refreshed Vlocity sets and are hard as a rock. The backrest is tall which is deceving, but the bottoms are not padded well and make for an uncomfertable trip, even a short one.

[@kaelwd]

And as a tallish person the "headrest" looks like it would just push my upper back forward and force me to hunch.

[@nickhiscock8948]

The seats also look narrower than other trains in Melbourne

[@Alexander_Dunn]

These seats and windows remind me of the vlocity! Some other aspects also remind me of the HCMT. However I think in order to get a wider aisle it looks like they compromised seat width which I don't think is a good trade off.

[@itechcircle9410]

*comprimised

[@Alexander_Dunn]

@@itechcircle9410 mb, also I think it's actually "compromised"

[@kierannelson2581]

This is what I don't get. If the aisle is wide enough for a pram or wheelchair, why compromise on seat width. I also don't understand the trend of individual seats rather than a bench style seat.

[@Alexander_Dunn]

@@kierannelson2581 exactly.

[@itechcircle9410]

@@Alexander_Dunn Oh ok 😅

[@mark123655]

Interesting on the pasenger sensor. My understanding is Sydneys sensors work by a weight sensor on the suspension.

[@Rheilffordd]

Great video and analysis Phil! It’s great to see how open the manufacturer and Government department were in surveying and consulting with all the user groups and surveying their needs.

[@Gauger1212]

07:02 WOAH Adelaide was used as a good example for something train related 🤯. Heck the BELAIR LINE was used as a good example! (not directly but it is the line with the most bikes and the same train class that he mentioned)

[@ChazSweatshirt]

Thanks for another fab video, Philip! I actually really like the exterior design of these, and the MTM blue looks great with the contrast of the yellow highlights. The fab accessibility features are a big win too! My main worry after seeing this though is how similar internally they are to the HCMTs. I don't really understand the desire for high-backed seats in high capacity trains like these - it feels a bit too cocooned and makes having to sit next to someone feel a bit too... personal, idk. I think the seats you find in a current X'trap, Comeng or Siemens are actually pretty great for short and longer journeys alike, and help open up the carriage a bit - these trains have the widest corridor of any train on the network yet appear more cramped than the current X'trap. And all the seats running parallel along the trains really are too close - reminds me of when there are bunch of urinals too close together and every second one remains squeaky clean lol. But worst of all. Above anything else. Are the door 'buttons'. If they're the same as those on the HCMTs like I fear they are from these pictures, I'd rather not have the train at all. Just give. us. a. button. Not everything needs to be touch sensitive (as we're now learning from the last few years' craze of touch screens and buttons in car interiors). In a perfect world, I'd drag Comeng back from the bottom of the ocean and have a Comeng 2.0, but I guess we can't have everything! Can you tell I love Comeng?

[@philipmallis]

Thanks! I also love the Comeng trains, but I also understand why they need to be phased out. Lots to learn from them as you say.

[@Low760]

Low back seats suck for tall people, I've been been that comfortable in them.

[@pep-167]

@@Low760 yeah but high back seats suck for shorter people

[@demonindenim]

@@pep-167 how so?

[@pep-167]

@@demonindenim like said in the video it feels too enclosed, and i tend to hit the back of my head on the metal on top of the seat

[@Techno-Universal]

The doors between the carriages are most likely fire safety doors like on the HCMTs so they will be open during normal operation but will close in the event of a fire! :)

[@paulmeilak9946]

check out how the Canberra light rail handles bike storage. I have found it quite good to secure a bike during a trip. no strap is needed.

[@thelionking219]

They are getting around 25 sets of X’trapolis 2.0 trains on the Upfield, Craigieburn and Frankston Lines by 2026, replacing the Comeng Trains.

[@tonytan6826]

Melbourne loves grey in their buildings and train exteriors. It really puts me off. I prefer the current Xtrapolis blue and yellow

[@countrabricksbuildcraze8916]

Great. Thanks for showing me this I so love to build Melbourne train. Outta Lego for my Lego City. .😊

[@TheHandThatBites]

Nice to see they let you in.

[@pakenhamtrain]

The dynamic displays on the HCMTs don't have a tab along with it being greyed out when a station is being skipped. I'd imagine a small software tweak and it should be the same.

[@fauzirahman3285]

I hope they end up using the destination displays similar to that of the HCMT and the upgraded Siemens, those are much clearer. Also the passenger counters look good. Hoping eventually we have carriage estimations like that in other places. The doors too look nice and wide, and I hope we start going with consistent door positioning for future PSDs.

[@RhodeysRacing]

I hope they sound better than the HCMT's on the move. But, the HCMT's and now these are setting me up to have a negative outlook on where our train fleet is heading. I can look back at Hitachi, Comeng, Xtrap, and even Siemens trips, and remember them in a positive light and can recall some character to each of the trains. My sole trip on a HCMT so far, done solely so that I could then say I had done one, is one I remember in a negative light, and their sterile nature has me preferring trips on other trains if and when possible.

[@ianmontgomery7534]

I am not a regular train user but I quite enjoy trips on the HCMT's.

[@Iron_of_man]

Gives me QLD NGR vibes. Pretty trains with great features, but they have some of the same issues when it comes to comfort for example.

[@hardcorehakon]

Hey can you do a vid on the “F9” freeway, it really peaks my interest, as it looks like it would go past my family home in Montrose.

[@philipmallis]

I'll add it to the list of possible topics, thanks for the suggestion

[@Emily-the_funny_guys]

Awesome to see it dude

[@Well_She]

I’m gonna say it - I think I love the exterior design. Front of the cabin looks kind of like Iron Man’s helmet 😂

[@generationgamers3854]

8:45 the Cranbourne line already has em, I believe instead it’s the Frankston.

[@PaulNoake]

And the fitting out will be done by Alstom here in Ballarat Victoria

[@SMILEVIDEOTRAINS]

I found this very interesting, Thank you

[@shiori510]

The capitalisation on the exterior of the trains is a good idea, the whole display won't have to be changed, which ŵìll delay service. Ìs there many changes to the controls? I'd try slightly different controls for hillside trains, just in case.

[@willdunn8846]

I hope these have a pleasant whistle

[@hush6149]

Personally I still think small sets that have cabs with walkways in the centre (like on older Japanese EMUs) are a good idea. That way you can shorten or extend sets when needed and still go through the entire train... Also they look cool lol

[@Osamabinladen69528]

I kinda feel like Sandringham line is being left out from all the projects such as level crossing removal also there’s no plans for new trains to run on the Sandringham line like HCMT, x,trapilos 2.0 (idk how to spell x,trapilos lol)

[@dylanshadowstar9779]

I imagine in the next few years the Sandringham line will be entirely seimans trains as the comengs is best phased out

[@SirDragonClaw]

There really needs to be signage for scooters too, so frequently I get told I can't have my small scooter on a train even though it's 5 times smaller than a bike... It would be trivial to have dedicated areas for scooters that take up about 25 times less space than a bike since scooters could fold up under seats if some tiny provisions was made for it.

[@PartTwoable]

I think the font on the external displays is fine, the display just needs to be bigger to fill available space. It's bold enough. Surely they could get some better running lights than the circles embedded in the top. This would clear up space for a full width display. Unintegrated lights give me a 1980s car vibe

[@normandiebryant6989]

Do these new XTrapolis trains have doors in the same position as the new HCMTs? I assume that, now we're going to have platform-doors, that all future rolling stock will need standardised door positions and carriage-lengths, or is there a magic solution for this?

[@sswel1]

No car body and door distance are different. Xtrap2 will not be running in the metro tunnel where the platform doors are. MT will only be serviced by HCMTs

[@philipmallis]

Good question! They looked to be in the same spot. Might be worth emailing the project team to ask: [e-mail]

[@rowancucanic]

Unsurprising to see the Werribee line being shafted again

[@footyfan101ful]

I hope these trains come to the Frankston/Sandringham lines.

[@Megahowler82]

They are... The information was wrong.. These are earmarked for Craigieburn, Upfield, Frankston.. they won't be on the Cranbourne line as stated

[@that_kca]

@@Megahowler82 "Craigieburn, Upfield" Why do i expect a reprioritisation of where they go before they even get here

[@philipmallis]

Sorry but I did make a mistake, I meant to say 'Frankston' and not 'Cranbourne'. no plans announced for the Sandringham Line as yet.

[@isthatrubble]

how easily pulled down are the seats at 4:14? so often they are really stiff, which causes its own kind of accessibility issue

[@dannylukic6536]

I personally don't think we need to (or should be overly accommodating to) bicycles on suburban trains. In peak hour they should be banned, and off peak it's almost a matter of irrelevancy. Overall I think these X2s are feature packed but not overly fancy. Decent buy, Melbourne! Great video mate

[@thedeeman2794]

Looks exciting. Shame I wasn’t offered to see the mock up. Most of the design looks great despite the compromises and I can’t wait to see them on the Melbourne network. My only greavence is that they won’t be on the Belgrave and Lilydale line, the first home of the x’trapolis but the north-south corridor desperately needs new equipment and there is nothing stopping the government ordering more of these trains like they did before.

[@Techno-Universal]

6:23 This probably also uses the CCTV microphones to measure the decibel levels in each carriage! :)

[@ethans-dk4bk]

The New Station named East Pakenham has Opened. Can you please make sure you make a video there at the New Station?

[@bryan3550]

Noice! I wonder about the relationship between the roll-out of these gems and the electorates they'll serve... Unfortunately I live in a Safe Seat... 🥴

[@theorangeoof926]

And here we are having them finalised in construction now, now for the testing and then the rollout…

[@betula2137]

This does indeed look nicer than the renders, kind of with a similar face to some of the light rail-style vehicles. But big and blue. Accessibility is always a great mark ahead, and continuing that through to surrounding infrastructure to make it easier further needs to happen too. If Victoria sells any trains second-hand, can we please get them in Tasmania 😶

[@elcasho]

Good review!

[@qfa330]

I see the Transperth C-Series has the same issue with the small desitnation signage on the front of the cab, from the videos that i have seen it doesn't look large like the A and B Series.

[@caleb1016]

I would still prefer if the headlight of the train confined more to its silhouette. Thy just seem haphazardly placed in the bottom corners of the front. Maybe something similar to the HCMTs or even the E2 class trams.

[@Merri-bekRailfan]

This new train looks really promising, although the Comeng will always have more character IMO.

[@funkybanana0138]

This is awesome to see, I'm super curious as to what the whistle/horn will sound like, is it the same as the HCMT trains? As someone who lives near a line with X'traps I'm interested to know what the new sounds will be like!

[@PoketamaVideos]

I hope they keep the doors closed between carriages. One thing coming from Sydney was if someone was being a nuisance or a danger you could go up or downstairs to get away. Here you can be stuck with them.

[@Samuel_kalam]

If the Seimens nexus and Xtrapolis 100 had a baby

[@morantaylor]

Based on the demonstrated line information displays we wont be riding these on the northern group lines until 2080..... I assume the Comengs will continue on :(

[@Gman333Xferrari]

The seats look more comfy than on HCMTs

[@thunderturbine8860]

Excellent video man. Got a question for you, will these trains be operating on the Mernda/Hurstbridge lines? Also? Any idea if Siemens is making another train for Melbourne? I hope they will be

[@paullewis6410]

The seating looks a really squishy especially the sideways seats. I was on the Cranny line yesterday due to Frankston being upgraded and those sideways seats really suck when you're jammed in.

[@thegreypenguin5097]

6:15 the emergency help point should probably *say* the carriage number

[@Speaker_Network]

Hey phillip. I tried the HCMT trains. And l think that the seats are uncomfortable for long rides. I perfer the older trains. I find the seating on the old trains much more comfortable with the window lowered. So l can rest my arm long on the window seat

[@LY-jm9vu]

It looks like a lot of seating has been removed when compared to existing rolling stock. Is that correct?

[@philipmallis]

I didn't count the seats, but it does seem like there are slightly fewer seats overall. However, the overall capacity of the carriages is higher than the current X'trapolis trains.

[@billhackett6715]

The overhead hangers are not in the centre but over the disabled area and normal seats. This is a problem in current trains and looks like trains are designed without filling them with people. Huge problem for those who are vertically challenged.

[@lobhabbrea]

Cant wait to tag this

[@1troyske]

why does it feel like the western suburbs never gets the new trains, one ideas?

[@DavidChadderton-g7d]

My son will be driving one.

[@peterbrennan2880]

I recall hearing somewhere that these newer trains are driverless capable, and I believe there was a recent industrial action partly around this. Has there been any comments on this function?

[@philipmallis]

Not that I'm aware of, sorry

[@TheVeryTC]

For some reason, these trains just remind me so much of MTR’s SP1950s on the Tuen Ma Line. 🤔

[@matt07a74]

Cool video. Thanks. :)

[@bradleybarnes2241]

Hopefully the announcement chime uses the windows 95 utopia asterisk sound

[@lachlanmillsteed6825]

Looks nice. Hopefully they make the seats a little wider and more comfortable. Would be great if they updated the current X’Trap as it’s looking very tired inside!

[@itechcircle9410]

Yes the X'Trap 100s are at the perfect age for a major refurbishment.

[@adrianjackson1586]

Don’t hold your breath for wider seats. I sat down beside someone and it was very cozy. Because they’ve widened the aisle for accessibility devices, the seats are narrower.

[@captmulch1]

Nice one!

[@markspublictransportvideos8429]

What about Frankston line aren't we getting them anymore or just later on ?

[@jalflight3513]

I think he misspoke when he said "Cranbourne line" because the poster shown reads "...Craigieburn, Upfield and Frankston lines..."

[@philipmallis]

@jalflight3513 is right, sorry I made a mistake - I did mean to say 'Frankston' instead of 'Cranbourne'

[@johnblood3367]

Look great

[@BrettWilliamson]

It's a nice looking train. As a Sydneysider (and I am not looking for the 'who is best' argument here), we admire the Melbourne Tram network and wish we still had ours. But I will say, we don't admire your train network much. The trains aren't as nice as what we have and the destination boards and announcements seem a lot older. This train looks very modern though. I like it.

[@therealsammyvee888]

8:45 I think you meant Frankston instead of Cranbourne.

[@philipmallis]

Yes I did, thanks for pointing it out and sorry for the confusion!

[@therealsammyvee888]

@@philipmallis All good, easy mistake. Glad I could help.

[@jdillon8360]

Good video as always Philip. Anything is better than the awful Siemens trains, but yes those sets don't look the most comfortable. I like the exterior though, the blue, yellow and silver is nice and modern.

[@victorianvlogzooooooo]

do have to get invited to enter this building and is it at tullamarine?

[@philipmallis]

Yes, and yes. I'm not sure if the mockup is there anymore though.

[@katepacker1182]

the two doors on the siemens trains were intentional

[@Qr_snaps]

It reminds me of the new generation rolling stock (NGR)in Queensland

[@SamTowne2002]

that train looks like the mix of X'Trapolis and Siemens train

[@Merri-bekRailfan]

And the first one just got off the production line Today 🎉🎉🎉