The Victorian Government is to build 65 new trains in the state, a decision it says will help create more than a thousand jobs, offsetting partially the loss of skilled manufacturing jobs from the winding down of automotive manufacturing in Victoria.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced that the Evolution Rail consortium, comprising Downer Rail, CRRC, and Plenary, are the preferred consortium to build the new High Capacity Metro Trains.
“The state’s largest single order of new trains will be built in Victoria, for Victoria,” he said.
“This brings enormous benefits to our state, creating 1100 local jobs and cementing Victoria’s reputation as the nation’s hub for high-skilled manufacturing and a global hub for train building.”
He said partnerships with Toyota, Chisholm Institute and Swinburne University will help transition automotive manufacturing workers on to the project.
To build the trains, Downer’s Newport manufacturing facility will undergo a $16 million upgrade, CRRC will establish a new regional headquarters in Melbourne, and Australia’s only bogie manufacturer will be established.
The first high capacity train will be delivered and in testing by November 2018, with all 65 trains rolling out as a dedicated fleet in time for the opening of the new Metro Tunnel in 2026.
Nine new six-car trains will also be ordered from Alstom to meet demand on the network prior to the roll-out of the new Metro trains, securing work at Alstom’s Ballarat workshop until at least 2019, with 114 carriages ordered.
Bombardier in Dandenong is currently delivering Victoria’s VLocity Regional Trains and Melbourne’s E-Class trams, with more than $811 million invested in new VLocity and E-Class orders since 2015, and the option for further contract extensions in the future.
The Government is also developing a business case for a Next Generation Regional Train, a major diesel train contract expected to go to market by 2018 to deliver hundreds of new regional carriages for the V/Line network.
The investment is part of Victoria’s 10-year Rolling Stock Strategy, with more than $3 billion already invested in a long-term order book of new and upgraded trains and trams since the start of 2015.
[Photo: Victorian Government]
Transport and infrastructure will be a major topic of discussion at the Australian Engineering Conference 2016 in Brisbane on November 23-25.