- New external design for locally built six-car C-series train revealed for the first time
- New train made up of at least 50 per cent local content
- 246 new C-series railcars to be locally built and manufactured at the METRONET Bellevue Railcar Manufacturing and Maintenance Facility
In a massive milestone for local railcar manufacturing in Western Australia, the first fully completed, locally manufactured C-series train is now ready for testing on the network.
The new 143-metre train is fitted out with close to 400 seats, and for the first time, the new design for the C-series has been revealed.
The fully completed rail car set will be the first locally built and manufactured C-series train to enter operations later this year on the Joondalup and Mandurah Lines.
Two C-series train sets are already undergoing detailed diagnostic testing on the network but still require seating and handrails to be installed, as well as the external design applied.
More than 15 Western Australian businesses are working with Alstom to provide components for the railcars including:
- bogie frames (Hofmann Engineering);
- fuel tanks and battery boxes for the C-series from their Forrestfield Fabrication Facility (Aerison);
- pantographs (mounts on the roof of the train that connect with the overhead line) (Austbreck);
- passenger seats (McConnell);
- piping (Parker Hannifin); and
- metallic components (Unique Metal).
- Once operational, the six-car C-series train will manage more than 103,000 daily passenger boardings safely, reliably, and smoothly.
When the first new C-series train enters operation later this year, it will be the first locally manufactured and built train to join the rail network in more than 30 years.
The decision to bring railcar manufacturing back to WA is about creating employment opportunities and helping drive new capabilities within the State for the rail industry.
Over the duration of the 10-year contract with Alstom, 246 new C-series railcars and six new Australind railcars will be built, while more than 130 workers will be directly employed at the METRONET Bellevue Railcar Manufacturing and Maintenance Facility.
The new C-series trains will help meet growing rail network demand in the future with a significant expansion underway through METRONET.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"By the end of the year, Western Australians will be riding on brand new, locally built trains on our network.
"My Government is proud to put local manufacturing first and this marks a major milestone in our commitment to bring rail manufacturing back to WA.
"As we continue to build new rail across our suburbs through METRONET, our new locally built C-series train will help to ensure a safe, smooth, and reliable ride for Western Australians."
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"This is a massive achievement for local train manufacturing in Western Australia.
"The idea of bringing rail car manufacturing back to Western Australia is something our Government committed to many years ago, and to see the first fully completed C-series is something all Western Australians should be proud of.
"This new train will be the very first to enter operations later this year, and will also be the first locally built train to enter our network since the 1990s, with the B-Series brought in from Queensland and deployed directly on the network.
"Over the next 10 years we will see 246 brand new, locally built, C-series railcars which will significantly increase passenger carrying capacity for the rapidly growing rail network."
