InterCity Express
ICE 156 at Cooroy station
Interior of an ICE
In service	1988–2021
Manufacturer	Walkers
Built at	Maryborough
Constructed	1987–1989
Entered service	1988
Number built	20 carriages
Successor	New Generation Rollingstock
Formation	4-6 carriage sets
Fleet numbers	151-158
Capacity	222 per 5-carriage set +4 wheelchair spaces
Operators	Queensland Rail
Depots	Mayne
Lines served	Sunshine Coast (Roma Street to Gympie North)
Specifications
Train length	95.6 m (313 ft 8 in)
Car length	23.4 m (76 ft 9 in) (EMD) 23.1 m (75 ft 9 in) (EMM/EMT)
Width	2.72 m (8 ft 11 in)
Height	3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
Doors	Manual open, auto-swing close
Wheel diameter	840 mm (33 in)
Maximum speed	120 km/h (75 mph)
Weight	194 t (191 long tons; 214 short tons) 3-carriage set
Traction system	ABB thyristor–phase-fired controller
Traction motors	16 × 135 kW (181 hp) separately excited DC motor
Power output	2.16 MW (2,900 hp)
Electric system(s)	25 kV 50 Hz AC (nominal) from overhead catenary
Current collector(s)	Pantograph
UIC classification	Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′(+2′2′(+2′2′))+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′
Multiple working	Within type With EMU
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)

The InterCity Express (ICE) was a class of electric multiple units manufactured by Walkers, Maryborough for Queensland Rail in 1988/89. They were built to operate the Spirit of Capricorn service on the North Coast line service between Brisbane and Rockhampton. Since being superseded on this service, they were used on Sunshine Coast line services from Brisbane to Gympie North until mid-2021. As of November 2021, all units have been retired from service.

History

To operate the Spirit of Capricorn between Brisbane and Rockhampton on the North Coast line that was in the process of being electrified, in 1987 Queensland Rail ordered 16 electric multiple unit carriages from Walkers.^[1] They were to be eight semi-permanently coupled pairs of a driving motor car (EMD) and a non-driving motor car (EMM) that were planned to operate as four-carriage sets.^[2] Electrical equipment was provided by ASEA (later ABB). In 1988 an additional four trailer cars (EMT) were ordered to allow the sets to be built up to five or six carriages.^[3][4][5]

The first trials were conducted in May 1988, before the first entered service on Sunshine Coast line services from Brisbane to Nambour, operating in multiple with Electric Multiple Units.^[6][7][8] On 5 February 1989, they began to operate through to Gympie North.^[9][10] On 3 July 1989, they began to operate Spirit of Capricorn services to Rockhampton.^[11][12]

In 1998, the faster Electric Tilt Train replaced most Spirit of Capricorn services, with a Saturdays only service continuing. They briefly operated on the Gold Coast line following its extension to Nerang in May 1998 and Robina in November 1998.^[13][14] They were used on the Corinda-Yeerongpilly line from January 2000 after the withdrawal of the Queensland Railways 2000 class rail motor.^[15][16]

In 2001, all were fitted with power operated equipment to close the doors.^[17] With the withdrawal of the remaining Spirit of Capricorn service from May 2003, they ceased operating north of Gympie North.^[18][19]

All were to be eventually replaced by the New Generation Rollingstock with the first withdrawn in January 2019.^[20][21] By February 2020, only units 153 and 157 were at North Ipswich Railway Workshops in storage. As of November 2021, all ICE units have been retired from operations.^[22][23] The future of these units is currently unknown.

Fleet details

Each half-set numbered 151–158, comprised a semi-permanently coupled driving motor car (EMD) and a non-driving motor car (EMM) that could be built up to five or six carriages with the addition of trailer cars (EMT).^[24] In their later years they generally operated as five car sets. In November 1990 an eight car set was operated.^[25]

Named carriages

Driving motor cars 5155 and 5156 were named City of Brisbane and City of Rockhampton to mark the commencement of the Spirit of Capricorn service in July 1989.^[26]