The High Capacity Metro Trains project has received certification from peak body Infrastructure Sustainability Council, with the IS rating scheme the gold standard for evaluating sustainable planning, design, construction and operations of infrastructure in Australia and New Zealand.
The project’s Pakenham depot received IS As Built certification, recognised for its economic, social and environmental benefits and highlighting the sustainability results it is achieving.
The main depot is part of the $2.4 billion project – the largest single investment in rolling stock in Victoria and Melbourne’s first new train design in almost two decades – that also comprises the delivery of 70 high capacity trains and the construction of a light service facility in Calder Park in northeast Melbourne.
A focus on the design and construction of the depot’s buildings, HVAC, hot water, lighting, train wash and other appliances have achieved water savings of 46 per cent and energy savings of 23 per cent.
In addition, 77 per cent of potable water has been replaced with non-potable and recycled water, and biodiversity enhanced by three per cent through local weed control and vegetation.
A recent expansion of the scope of the HCMT project from 65 trains to 70 provided the opportunity for the entire facility to be financed under a certified Green Loan, the international standard based on the proceeds used for clear environmental benefits that are assessed, measured, and reported by the borrower.
The Green Loan complies with the Climate Bond Standards and Green Loan Principles and adds to the host of other sustainable credentials achieved by the project to date, including the purpose-built Pakenham depot receiving IS As Built certification from Infrastructure Sustainability Council.
In an Australian-first initiative, soft plastic waste from the project is being converted into road surfacing products and is used in road projects across Victoria, including the Western Roads Upgrade and M80 Ring Road and Monash Freeway upgrades.