MELBOURNE, VICTORIA – Evolution Rail – a consortium comprising Downer, CRRC and Plenary – has commenced testing of the first of Melbourne’s new 65 High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMT) at Downer’s newly refurbished Newport manufacturing facility.
The seven-car train has been assembled at the Newport manufacturing facility where the first phase of testing will take place. The comprehensive program will include car levelling adjustments for the suspension, water tightness tests, car level electrical tests, and a range of component and sub-system tests.
After this, the train will be hauled to the purpose-built train maintenance facility and depot at Pakenham East for further trials, before commencing mainline network testing in 2019.
Over the next six years, 455 carriages will make their way through the facility at Newport before undergoing testing and safety checks to ensure safety, reliability and efficiency.
“This rigorous testing program will enable us to ensure functionality and safety of the first train, and any learnings can then be applied to future sets as we move through the production cycle. Ensuring the safety of passengers, drivers and the public is of the highest priority,” said Phillip Walker, CEO, Evolution Rail.
“These trains will be bigger and better than any existing fleet on the metropolitan network and include design features that make this more accessible, and comfortable with improved safety features.”
Key features of the HCMT fleet include more allocated space for wheel chairs and mobility devices, improved real-time passenger information, a greater number of hand grabs and hand rails, and enhanced CCTV for increased passenger and driver safety.
The trains are being built using 60 per cent local content, much of which is coming from suppliers right here in Victoria. Overall the project will result in 1,100 jobs including throughout the local supply chain.
With 20 per cent more passenger capacity than any train in the fleet, the new trains will enter service from mid-2019 on Melbourne’s busiest rail corridor, the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines, eventually through the Metro Tunnel to Sunbury.
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For further information please contact:
Nataly Matijevic, Interface Manager, Evolution Rail
+61 412 646 656 nataly.matijevic@evolutionrail.com
About Evolution Rail
The Evolution Rail consortium, that is made up of Downer, CRRC and Plenary, has been contracted by the Victorian Government, via a public private partnership, to deliver the High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMT) Project. The project includes the delivery of 65 trains that will be maintained by Evolution Rail for 35 years.
For more information about the project visit: https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/high-capacity-metro-trains