The state government has selected French company Alstom as preferred proponent to build and maintain its new fleet of railcars, ahead of two competing groups, including the Downer Bombardier joint venture that currently maintains Perth’s railcars.
The announcement follows the McGowan government’s election commitment to bring railcar manufacturing back to WA to stimulate the local economy and create jobs.
Alstom will build 246 new C-series railcars, six cars to replace the existing Australind service, and a manufacturing and assembly plant in Bellevue near Midland, where railcar maintenance will be carried out for the next 30 years.
Construction on the first stage of the Bellevue plant is expected to start next year and be completed in 2021.
Construction of the following stages, including the new railcar depot and diesel facility will continue in 2023.
Since the Midland railway workshops were closed in 1994, new trains added to the network were predominantly built in Queensland, with only two per cent of the work completed locally.
Under the policy taken to the 2017 election, 50 per cent of the railcars will be made in Western Australia to create more than 200 direct and long-term jobs and hundreds of additional indirect jobs.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said on Sunday the project will deliver the largest order of railcars in the state’s history.
“The tender process has confirmed that it is more cost-effective to build railcars locally,” she said.
When pressed on this question, a spokesperson for the minister told Business News that once the contract is finalised, a cost per railcar comparison will be released.
Ms Saffioti said the project will have a large impact on West Australian suppliers, particularly as contract negotiations are being finalised with Alstom to maximise local content.
“Just like we promised at the election, we have set a target of at least 50 per cent local content to generate as much local economic activity as possible,” she said.
Budgeted at $1.6 billion over ten years, the project will deliver 102 railcars for the Metronet rail expansion and 144 to replace the ageing A-series.
