2005 – March – Jehan – 150 Years of Passenger Car Development

David Jehan BE (Hons), MBT, MIEAust., CPEng. Business Development ManagerPassenger Services, Southern RegionEDI Rail Passenger car design in Australia has evolved from the small wooden four wheel 'dog boxes' of the past to the air conditioned stainless steel trains we now see in various parts of the country. This paper briefly covers the innovation of Australian passenger car'design as it has progressed over time. Australia has had a very unique network of state based rail systems that have developed differently over the years due to various factors including climate, terrain, rail gauge, loading gauge and politics. The last decade have seen a great uniformity develop in the freight sector of the rail system, which has been primarily driven by the private sector. However, the development of the passenger sector, particularly suburban passenger vehicles, continues to be unique to the state in which it operates.