Alstom has taken over and commenced operations at Bellevue Metronet railcar facility in Perth, Western Australia (WA), after the completion of its construction.
The opening of the site marks the return of railcar manufacturing to WA. The site will be used for manufacturing, testing, commissioning, and maintaining 41 six-car electric (EMU) and two three-car diesel (DMU) trains.
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This project will be executed as part of the $968m (A$1.25bn) railcar contract that has been secured by Alstom.
Alstom will also maintain the EMU trains for 20 years and provide maintenance support services for the DMU trains.
Work on these new 43 railcars will begin later this year, with the first train expected to enter services next year.
Alstom has committed to involving local contractors, suppliers, and equipment vendors for nearly half of the vehicles’ content.
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By GlobalDataAlstom Australia and New Zealand managing director Mark Coxon said: “Over the coming weeks, we will begin ramping up the production of these new trains in line with our commitment to deliver the latest rolling stock and maintenance technologies and develop the next generation of local, world-class railway manufacturing professionals.”
The company, in partnership with local TAFE and training organisations, will offer fast-tracked training and skills development programmes.
As part of the project, the latest railway technologies and manufacturing methods will be transferred to WA.
The new energy-efficient C-Series trains will be designed to support future upgrades.
Each train will hold the capacity to carry nearly 1,200 passengers and feature three double passenger doors a car for an improved flow of commuters.
In a statement, Alstom said: “The new trains will be maintained at PTA’s Nowergup depot and will utilise Alstom’s innovative HealthHub predictive maintenance tools that will optimise the performance and reliability of the trains throughout their lifecycle.”
Last week, Alstom signed a contract exceeding $335.54m (€275m) to supply 60 Flexity light rail vehicles to the Toronto Transit Commission in Canada.
In a separate development, the Government of New South Wales has appointed Bechtel as its integration and delivery partner for the Sydney Metro West project.
As a driverless metro rail line, the Sydney Metro West will link Greater Parramatta and the Sydney Central Business District, reducing travel time to nearly 20 minutes.
