Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced today the replacement of the entire regional train fleet and the construction of a brand new rail maintenance facility in regional NSW.
In a big boost for regional jobs, the fleet replacement program will deliver unprecedented levels of comfort and service for regional rail customers.
Mr Barilaro said an Expression of Interest will soon be issued for the design, construction and maintenance of the new trains and a new maintenance facility, with Dubbo earmarked as the preferred maintenance location.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce this entire new regional fleet will be serviced in regional NSW,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Dubbo has been identified as our preferred location for a brand new maintenance facility to support the new fleet.
“This will be a game-changer for the people of regional NSW, delivering more convenient timetabling and reduced congestion for regional and rural passengers.
“Importantly, the new maintenance facility will also deliver long-term skilled jobs, including apprentices and traineeships for the Orana region.
“This announcement signals the depth of our commitment to rural and regional communities by ensuring that services that deliver for country areas are supported by country jobs,” he said.
The procurement program will not just replace the XPT trains, but the Endeavour and XPLORER trains as well.
The project will include the use of private financing to facilitate the delivery of the new trains and maintenance facility.
Under the Expression of Interest and subsequent tender process, the NSW Government will seek to deliver innovation, increased customer comfort, and greater energy efficiency for regional customers.
A thorough tender evaluation process will be conducted next year, ahead of the contract being awarded in early 2019.
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said the modernisation of the entire regional fleet would significantly improve regional public transport.
Not only will 60 XPT passenger cars (plus 19 diesel locomotives) be replaced, but so too will 23 XPLORER and 28 Endeavour passenger cars.
“Modernising the entire regional fleet allows the opportunity to incorporate benefits that were not available in 1982, when the first XPT rolled onto our tracks,” Mr Constance said.
“When the NSW Government promised to deliver new trains to replace the ageing XPT fleet, we also committed to looking at the feasibility of replacing Endeavour and XPLORER trains.
“The result of those considerations has been a decision to replace all three sets, in favour of more modern rolling stock,” he said.
Member for Dubbo Troy Grant said the construction of a brand new rail maintenance facility would be a massive boost for the Dubbo region.
“Today’s announcement is pivotal in turning Dubbo into a regional economic powerhouse and will provide better services, not only for Dubbo locals, but for visitors from far and wide,” he said.
The new trains will be operated by NSW TrainLink, the NSW Government owned regional rail and coach service provider.
The new maintenance facility is earmarked for a site accessed off White Street in Dubbo. It was selected as the preferred location after a comprehensive analysis of potential sites against criteria that included operational, engineering, environmental and construction considerations.
Work will commence in the coming weeks towards obtaining the necessary Planning Approvals for this new facility and it is hoped that the new facility will be built ahead of the new trains expected in the early 2020’s.
About Transport for NSW
Transport for NSW is the lead agency of the NSW Transport cluster. Our role is to lead the development of a safe, efficient, integrated transport system that keeps people and goods moving, connects communities and shapes the future of our cities, centres and regions.
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