Since 2009 all V/Line carriage sets have had exterior doors leading into the passenger saloon have had an external locking mechanism, following the completion of the rollout of power operated doors to all N, Z and S type carriages.

Rollout

In November 2005 carriage set N19 was the first N set to get fitted with power doors as a trial. These new doors have been fitted to the three cars in N19 - ACN57, BRN56 & BN55 at Newport Workshops. This set, which went into the shops as FN19 has had BZN275 permanently removed, with BZN275 going into the spare carriage pool, and FN19 becoming a three car N Set again.

N456 arriving at Newport

The system was later rolled out to other ACN, BRN and BN carriages; in addition to ‘loose’ ACZ, BCZ, BTN and BZN carriages.

Carriage BCZ259 back in service at Southern Cross, now with power doors

As well as to the BS carriages that made up carriage set SN7.

Power door indicator lights inside a BS carriage

March 24 2009 marked the last train to run with manual doors - carriage set N15.

System components

The power operated door system was retrofitted to manually operated swing doors, and consists of a number of components.

An exterior light that indicates to passenger when the doors are unlocked (green).

Original style 'Door unlocked when light on / push door to open' sticker on an N set

An internal door status light to indicates to passenger when the doors are unlocked (green) or locked (red).

What do you mean, a green light does not waive my need for personal responsibility?

A door closing motor inside the vestibule ceiling, connected to the door via a metal rod, along with an emergency door release.

Sticker with the incorrect code BZN257 inside BCZ257

Key switches inside the carriage that allow the conductor to unlock or close the doors, along with local/train lamps that indicate whether the doors have proved shut.

Power door switches inside a BS carriage

Additional jumper connections at the end of each carriage to transmit the additional electrical circuits through the train.

East end connections of a power door equipped N set

A ‘Power assisted doors’ notice on the exterior of the carriage set.

'Power assisted doors' notice on carriage set FN19

And a manually operated ‘Pull to open’ / ‘Door out of order’ sign to inform passengers if a given door has been manually isolated.

'Pull to open' sign on the door of a power door fitted N set

'Door out of order' notice on a power door fitted N set

The exterior door lamps initially fitted to carriage set N19 were of a different style to those eventually fitted to the reminder of the fleet, but they were eventually retrofitted.

First version of the N set power door system, as fitted to set FN19

The original ‘Door unlocked when light on / push door to open’ stickers were replaced by a larger version in the 2017, due to passengers confusing the door indicator light for a push button that would open the door.

'When light is green / Push door to open' stickers on an N set carriage

Operation

  1. Conductor operates key switch to unlock doors on the required side of the train
  2. Internal and external door indicator lights turn green
  3. Passengers can now manually open the doors
  4. Conductor operates key switch to lock doors
  5. Door tone sounds and green indicator lights extinguish, while motors push the doors shut
  6. Once doors are proved shut, the conductor’s indicator lights turn green