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Railcar Program

A growing public transport network needs more trains to service it.

The WA Railcar Program will deliver 246 new railcars needed for METRONET projects and to replace the ageing A-series trains, and six new diesel railcars to replace the existing Australind service between Perth and Bunbury.

World-class railcar manufacturer Alstom Transport Australia will build the C-series railcars at a new assembly facility to be built in Bellevue with the first of the new trains to be delivered in 2022 in time to service the Yanchep Rail Extension and Thornlie-Cockburn Link.

The new fixed six-car trains will carry approximately 1,200 passengers and have an operational life of 35 years. Some of the features include:

Additional and wider passenger doors to make it easier and quicker to get on and off
A combination of seating styles to allow more seats to fit on each train and make every door fully accessible
Technology including USB charging points, LED lighting and regenerative braking
Floors will no longer be carpeted and will instead be covered in hard-wearing, easy to clean flooring.

The Railcar Program has been identified as a Strategic Project under the WA Jobs Act 2017, which has additional requirements for local job creation. Alstom has confirmed it will reach the 50 per cent local content target for the manufacturing of the new trains, bolstering our local manufacturing industry and maximising WA jobs.

Several contracts have already been awarded to local companies as part of the project, including a $850,000 contract to supply four cranes, the biggest of which will lift 25 tonnes, recently awarded to Bassendean manufacturer Eilbeck. Meanwhile, a $3.8 million contract to deliver lifting jacks, a bogie press and bogie turntables has been awarded to Cockburn company Vector Lifting.

The WA Railcar Program represents the biggest order of railcars in WA's history and has come in $347 million under the original budget of $1.6 billion.

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Bellevue Assembly Facility

As part of the railcar project, a new assembly and commissioning facility is being built at Bellevue.

This is where the 246 new C-series railcars will be built, tested and maintained for decades to come. The facilities will include a 180m-long building with a railcar assembly area, offices, workshops and storage areas, two overhead cranes able to lift 25 tonne each, and a heavy maintenance railroad with a crane capable of lifting 10 tonne and expected to be complete later this year.

Located in an industrial area with easy access to the passenger network, the Bellevue site is an ideal place to assemble and commission the new railcars. Situated at the end of the Midland Line, Bellevue has also been previously identified for a future depot to support rail operations across the PTA network.

Bellevue is the preferred site for a proposed assembly and commissioning facility for the new railcars.

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