Global law firm Ashurst and New Zealand law firm Bell Gully have advised Greater Wellington Regional Council (Greater Wellington) on its contract for the first fleet of battery-electric trains in the Southern Hemisphere.
After a worldwide procurement process, Greater Wellington, New Zealand, has entered into a Design, Build and Maintenance contract with Alstom, a global leader in sustainable rail transportation, as part of the Lower North Island Rail Integrated Mobility (LNIRIM) programme. LNIRIM is a joint programme between the Government, Greater Wellington and Horizons regional councils, NZTA and KiwiRail to acquire a fleet of 18 trains and associated infrastructure for the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines.
Alstom has been awarded a NZ$1,066 million 35-year contract, which includes the construction of 18 five-car Battery Electric Multiple Unit (BEMU) trains for the lower North Island. The fleet is co-funded by Greater Wellington and Horizons regional councils and the Government, and the procurement was managed by Greater Wellington, supported by WSP.
The train fleet will be named 'Tūhono', meaning connect or unite. The trains will replace carriages soon to reach the end of their working lives and is expected to double peak time services on the Manawatū and Wairarapa rail lines from 2030.
Lead partner Alex Guy said: "We are honoured to have been part of the team assisting Greater Wellington with this important project, which will deliver major benefits to the region, contributing towards decarbonisation goals, supporting regional growth and substantially increasing services on the Manawatū and Wairarapa lines."
Bell Gully Projects partner Angela Harford said: "As a team based in Wellington we are delighted to support our long-standing client Greater Wellington with the delivery of new low-emission trains, which is truly market leading transport infrastructure in Aotearoa and will have significant connectivity benefits for our regions."
The Ashurst team was led by Alex Guy, who was assisted by: counsel Lillian Yeung, consultant Kim Broadbent, senior associate Eloise Moore, and associates Matt Smethurst, Prashana Coomarasamy, Jeanina Wu, and Szimonetta Budai (Projects & Energy Transition).
Bell Gully Projects partners Angela Harford and Mathew Brown advised on New Zealand law aspects of the contract and are continuing to support Greater Wellington on wider aspects of the LNIRIM programme, supported by senior associate Philip Zander.
