Australia’s Victoria Government has exercised an option to procure 18 additional Bombardier VLocity trains.
The order was placed under an agreement originally signed in 2018. The three-carriage trains will help local public transport operator V/Line to improve rail services in Victoria’s regional network.
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All 18 trains will be locally manufactured at the Dandenong facility with around 69% local content.
Bombardier Australia and New Zealand president Wendy McMillan said: “These 18 new award-winning VLocity trains build on the already strong bond between regional Victoria and Bombardier. We are proud to deliver these locally built, world-class trains for V/Line.”
As agreed, Bombardier will deliver 12 broad-gauge trains for Victoria’s busiest regional lines and six standard-gauge trains for the North East line.
The broad-gauge trains will feature a modified drivers’ cab, dedicated storage areas for bicycles and other accessibility improvements.
The standard-gauge trains replace the ageing vehicles on the North East line, starting from next year. They will feature built-in USB chargers, shared tables, dedicated storage spaces for luggage and bikes, as well as catering and food facilities.
Victoria Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said: “Not only are we building great trains for Victorians – we’re doing it right here in Dandenong, providing jobs for 100 Victorians in construction, and creating work for hundreds more across the supply chain.
“We’re delivering the world-class regional trains Victorians deserve – with modern amenities to make people’s journeys around our state more reliable, accessible and enjoyable.”
Earlier this month, Bombardier secured a contract to upgrade the communication systems on the Movia metro trainsets for Singapore’s Downtown Mass Rapid Transit line (DTL).
