Train manufacturing jobs returning to the Hunter under Tangara upgrade program [VIDEO]

20 March 2026

newy.com.au – Train manufacturing jobs are set to return to the Hunter, with the Minns Labor Government announcing two new production lines will be established at the Cardiff rail facility as part of a $447 million program to extend the life of Sydney’s Tangara fleet.

The government said the expansion would create about 100 jobs and 20 apprenticeships in the Hunter, almost 40 years after the original Tangara trains were built in Newcastle. It said the additional lines at Cardiff, alongside three existing lines at Auburn and Flemington, would lift the pace of upgrades from 12 trains a year to 20.

The Tangara Life Extension program covers 55 eight-carriage trains and is designed to keep them in service for more than another decade. Works include replacing internal cladding and the computer operating system, installing more accessible emergency help points and emergency door releases, adding passenger visual displays, and upgrading the passenger address system and CCTV.

The government said the Hunter positions would lift the total workforce on the program to 320, with 200 people, including apprentices, already working on the project at Auburn and Flemington. It said the investment would also help develop the workforce needed for the new Tangara fleet, with procurement due to begin by 2027 under the Future Fleet Program’s 50 per cent local manufacturing target.

The life extension program forms part of the government’s response to the Independent Rail Review and is aimed at improving rail reliability by refurbishing some of the network’s oldest rolling stock. Four Tangara trains are already undergoing upgrades, with the first train now on the network completing dynamic testing before returning to service.

Transport Minister John Graham said the move would restore rail manufacturing work to the region where the Tangara fleet was first built.

“I lived in Newcastle when it was a proud train building city. We’re now bringing train manufacturing jobs back to the Hunter, the home of the original Tangara fleet,” Mr Graham said.

“This investment accelerates the life extension of our Tangara fleet while creating real jobs and skills development in the Hunter region.”

Hunter Minister Yasmin Catley said the announcement would deliver both industrial work and training opportunities to the region.

“The people of Newcastle built these trains more than 35 years ago, and it’s only right that the Hunter is once again at the heart of this work. We’re truly a proud train manufacturing town,” Ms Catley said.

Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said the upgrades were the most comprehensive refurbishment of their kind undertaken by the operator.

“Our teams in Sydney and soon, in the Hunter are carrying out critical system upgrades, modernising on-board technologies and improving safety and accessibility features to bring these trains in line with contemporary standards,” Mr Longland said.