Connex

36 degrees too hot for us: Connex | theage.com.au

Just a little quick note, just want to say thank you to Connex's service which helped me to travel easily in Melbourne for the last two yeas. I know sometimes there were delays but I still love Connex.  I don't want to complain anyway. Travelling in 'Dan Undah" has been so easy with Connex.   Thank you :)

Connex yesterday released its analysis of why the January rail meltdown occurred.

"Melbourne's train network is not designed to operate at its best in extreme heat," the operator said in a statement.

"Most of our trains have air-conditioning systems that don't operate optimally beyond about 35 degrees, leading to cancellations."

Over the past 154 years, Melbourne averaged 10 days a year above 35 degrees. But in January, eight days were hotter than 35 degrees.

And, for the first time since records began, the temperature rose above 43 degrees for three consecutive days.

During those three days, Connex cancelled 24 per cent of services. Adelaide had almost identical temperatures but operator TransAdelaide, which runs the same style of trains as many in Melbourne, cancelled 7 per cent of services.

Connex is bidding for the contract to run the train network for the Government for at least the next eight years.

It blamed "the extraordinary heatwave" and its own drivers for the mass cancellations.

Just under 5 per cent of 55,139 scheduled services failed to run in January.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said the Government wanted Connex to take the blame for the rail failure.

"Public Transport Minister Kosky knows full well that the fundamental problem is not the operator, but Labor's failure to maintain Melbourne's rail network and its trains," he said.

A spokesman for Ms Kosky said January's heatwave had placed massive stress on the train system — and pointed out that Melbourne was not alone in experiencing difficulties coping with climate issues.

Extreme temperatures had also affected train services in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth, the spokesman said. "At the same time London's train network was shut down by extreme cold and snow."