newy.com.au – Work has officially begun on the first Tangara train to be refurbished at Newcastle’s Cardiff Maintenance Centre, as the NSW Government moves to rebuild train manufacturing skills and jobs in the Hunter.
The first of 18 Tangaras to be refurbished at Cardiff has rolled into the workshop almost 40 years after the fleet was originally manufactured in Newcastle. The work is designed to extend the train’s life by 10 to 15 years and forms part of the existing $447 million Tangara Life Extension Program.
The Cardiff program is expected to employ 100 skilled workers and 20 apprentices, with the government presenting the work as a bridge between current maintenance and refurbishment jobs and a longer-term plan to return large-scale train manufacturing to the Hunter.
That plan includes a $12 billion commitment to establish a new state-owned train manufacturing facility in the region, to be operated by a private manufacturer. The government says the facility would support at least a 30-year pipeline of new trains.
Two possible sites have been identified: a former coal mine at Teralba and the Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot, near where the original Tangara fleet was manufactured. The final site selection will be subject to due diligence and stakeholder consultation.
The government says the new facility is expected to employ up to 780 workers during construction and support 550 ongoing jobs in the facility and supply chains. After construction of the new Tangara fleet, the pipeline is expected to continue with replacement of the Millennium and OSCAR fleets in the 2040s, followed by the Waratah fleet in the 2050s.
Across production lines at Auburn, Flemington and Cardiff, 55 eight-car Tangara trains will be refurbished over the next three years. The first refurbished Tangara train is expected to return to service imminently.
The life extension work includes replacing internal cladding and computer operating systems, installing more accessible emergency help points, emergency door release systems and passenger visual displays, and upgrades to the passenger address system and CCTV.
Premier Chris Minns said the work marked a shift in the state’s approach to train manufacturing.
“For too long, New South Wales got out of the business of building trains. We lost thousands of skilled jobs, manufacturing capability and the opportunity to keep billions of dollars of investment here at home. We’re changing that.
“The Hunter has a proud history of building the trains that kept New South Wales moving. Our job is to make sure it has the opportunity to do it again, and not just for one project, but for generations to come.”
Transport Minister John Graham said the arrival of the first train at Cardiff was a significant moment for the local workforce.
“It’s fantastic to see the first old Tangara train roll into the sheds at Cardiff, 40 years after it rolled out of Broadmeadow and began serving the travelling public.
“The Hunter has a rich history of building trains, and this refurbishment work is the perfect way to ramp up the workforce as we bring train manufacturing back where it belongs.
“We know mining and manufacturing jobs have been hit hard in this community and that’s put pressure on families. That’s why we’re committed to building trains in the Hunter again, so more of the jobs and investment stays here in NSW.”
Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said the refurbishment marked the beginning of a broader plan to build and maintain trains in the region again, while Roads and Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison said the project would support local staff, apprentices and businesses.
Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement Minister Courtney Houssos said the government’s minimum 50 per cent local content target for rolling stock contracts was intended to give industry confidence to invest, take on apprentices and create long-term jobs.
Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery said the region had a strong history of manufacturing trains and welcomed the refurbishment work being carried out at Cardiff.
