page_title: Hitachi (Australian train)
section_title: Retirement
hierarchical_section_title: Hitachi (Australian train) / Retirement
caption_attribution_description: English: Interior of a Hitachi M car.
context_page_description: The Hitachi was an electric multiple unit that operated on the Melbourne suburban railway network between 1972 and 2014. Electrical equipment was supplied by Commonwealth Engineering to designs by Hitachi of Japan, leading to their official name today, though no actual Hitachi-supplied components were used in their construction. They were the last suburban trains in Melbourne with no air conditioning, and with windows that could be opened. A total of 355 carriages were built between 1972 and 1981, including a replacement carriage for one written off while the fleet was still being delivered.
context_section_description: New X'Trapolis and Siemens trains were progressively introduced from 2002 to replace the aging Hitachi fleet. The X'Trapolis and Siemens trains have features such as push button operated doors and air conditioning, the lack of the latter feature making the Hitachis unpopular with Melbourne commuters.  The last Hitachi was withdrawn from service in 2014, with withdrawn carriages having been either scrapped, sold to private buyers across Australia, stored, or acquired by railway museums and preservation groups. Three Hitachi motor carriages were lifted and fixed to the roof of Easey's Restaurant in Collingwood.
  The final six 6-carriage trains were to be withdrawn after the 2006 Commonwealth Games, but instead received a minor refurbishment and were retained until April 2014, due to a high increase in patronage. A report in February 2007, by which time 31 trains in the Siemens fleet were out of service due to safety concerns, said the Victorian Government was negotiating to lease one 6-carriage set from rail preservation group Elecrail, and repurchase another 3 carriages from a private seller to supplement the fleet. An additional three 3-car Hitachi trains were purchased back from Australian businessman Mr Horne in April 2007 to provide spare parts for the fleet. The Elecrail set re-entered service in December 2007.
  In September 2008, Transport Safety Victoria withdrew the remaining trains from service due to concerns over corrosion around the doors and floor. A series of tests were to be carried out before the trains were sent to Ballarat North Workshops for repair work. It was decided to proceed with the repairs as the trains were required under a new timetable for November 2008, costing approximately $2 million.
  In April 2014, a farewell tour for the Hitachi was held, organised by Elecrail, in cooperation with Metro. The tour encompassed the Craigieburn, South Morang and Sunbury lines. During this event, Public Transport Victoria confirmed that the Hitachi had seen the last of revenue service in Melbourne, with one set likely to be preserved, and the remainder scrapped.
  During 2015, the remaining seven Hitachi sets had been put into storage at Newport Workshops. In 2018, one of the remaining Hitachi units was moved to North Bendigo Workshops for long-term storage. The remaining Hitachi units that did not transfer to North Bendigo still sit in Newport Workshops as of December 1st 2019.
caption: Interior of an Hitachi carriage, refurbished during the 1990s
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