Shortlist chosen for $1.6bn train program

The state government has shortlisted three consortiums to build and maintain 246 new railcars during the next decade, while choosing Bellevue as the preferred site for the associated manufacturing facility.

Among the three groups selected for the $1.6 billion program is EDI Rail - Bombardier Transportation, which is a joint venture between engineering company Downer and Canada-based train manufacturer Bombardier.

The JV is based in Perth and currently provides maintenance services for the Public Transport Authority’s trains. In 2016, it was awarded a contract to build 10 trains for the PTA.

Alstom Transport Australia, which is the Australian division of a Paris-based infrastructure company, has also been shortlisted, along with a JV between CIMIC Group’s UGL and Spanish railway systems manufacturer CAF, named Momentum West.

Alstom has supplied nearly 50 Citadis trams in Melbourne and Adelaide and is currently part of the ALTRAC consortium, which is building the light rail system for Sydney.

The group is also currently building 22 Metropolis trains for the Sydney Metro – north-west.

CAF has completed a number of projects in Australia, including supplying trams to Sydney’s inner-west rail extension and building new light rail vehicles for Transport for New South Wales.

The government said it would make a final decision early next year, with a key consideration being the ability to manufacture of assemble 50 per cent of the railcars in Western Australia.

The first stage of the project involves the delivery, in 2021, of 102 new railcars (17 six-car sets) to service the new Metronet projects as they come online.

A follow-on order for 144 railcars (24 six-car sets) to replace the ageing A-series railcars will also be included in the tender, with delivery expected between 2023 and 2028.

The government also announced Bellevue as its preferred site for the manufacturing facility, which will be co-located with the PTA’s next railcar depot, where Transperth will carry out maintenance of its broader train fleet.

Bellevue is to the east of Midland, which historically was home to WA's government railway workshops.

The new railcars are part of the state government's Metronet package, which comprises nearly a dozen projects, including the $165 million extension of the Midland passenger line to Bellevue and construction of new stations at Midland and Bellevue.

"The Midland area is entering a very exciting era - projects like the Bellevue Rail Extension, new Midland Station, redevelopment of the historic workshops, and now the return of rail production to the area, are all starting to gain momentum,” Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said.

"The Midland-Bellevue area will be involved in the production of new trains and their ongoing maintenance works, creating sustainable local jobs for local people and supporting ongoing expansion of our vital passenger rail network.

"The successful proponent for the railcar construction contract will have input into the final design of the facilities at Bellevue, and construction work will start in 2019."

* To see the newly-created listing of 139 Major Projects in Western Australia, go to www.businessnews.com.au/index/project. The listing has been created by the research team at Business News and includes Ongoing, Likely and Possible projects across the transport, mining, oil & gas, construction and other sectors.