Railway Digest Magazine January 2025 Back Issue

The UGL C44ESACi Locomotive
Pacific National worked with UGL and Wabtec, the successor to GE’s locomotive business, to develop a new locomotive that matched the specification of the successful C44ACI locomotive but by using the GEVO-12 engine, were able to meet the USA Tier 2 emission requirements. The result was the 94 class, and PN has ordered 50 units. Peter Clark profiles this latest edition to Australian railways' motive power fleets.

Mariyungs commence passenger operations
The Hyundai Rotem-built Mariyung (D Set) trains have been on delivery since December 2019, and undergoing testing since January 2020. However, as has been widely reported, they were delayed from entering service as planned during 2020/21 due to a prolonged industrial dispute regarding safety concerns tabled by the Rail, Tram & Bus Union. Finally, the issues were resolved, the modifications made, and on Tuesday 3 December 2024, amid much fanfare, the first of the trains entered regular service, as Owen Roberts and Chris Walters report.

The Australian Electric Multiple Unit Fleets
Australia has six electrified railways which operate approximately 833 Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains. This train group has become the most common type of train in Australia. In the 106 years since 1919, 9,461 EMU cars have entered service on Australian railways, and there are currently contracts for 1,396 EMU cars. John Beckhaus provides an update of the situation on Australia’s suburban and interurban railways.


South Australian Railways 702
The 700 Class locomotives stand out in Australian railway development not just for their mechanical achievements but for the cultural shift they represented—a shift towards modernisation, efficiency, and adaptability that brought the South Australian Railways well into the 20th century. Kayden Akisan profiles 702, the last survivor of the 700, 710 and 740 class Mikados.