Premier Mark McGowan and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti today officially opened the Bellevue METRONET Railcar Facility, marking WA Day with the return of railcar manufacturing to Western Australia.
A key McGowan Government election commitment, 246 METRONET railcars and six new Australind railcars will be built, tested and maintained at the new Bellevue facility.
More than 200 long-term jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs are anticipated to be created at the facility, which has been manufactured using 8,500 tonnes of locally fabricated steel.
By having the new railcars built in Bellevue, the McGowan Government is returning rail manufacturing to the Midland area for the first time since 1994 when the Midland Railway Workshops were closed by the then Liberal Government.
At least 50 per cent of the contract value will be delivered locally, in line with the McGowan Government's commitment to using local content.
With the facility now handed over to operator Alstom, the first of the McGowan Government's nine current METRONET projects is now complete.
A number of local suppliers have been awarded contracts on the project, supporting local jobs:
- Australian company McConnell, which will establish a dedicated facility in WA to manufacture railcar passenger seats;
- Aerison, a WA company with fabrication facility in Forrestfield, to provide cab structures, battery boxes and fuel tanks;
- Knorr-Bremse, will supply air-conditioning and air supply equipment and brake components from its WA premises;
- Pyrotek, will be supplying insulation and floor panels;
- Austbreck, will be supplying pantographs from its Kewdale facility;
- Hofmann Engineering will be delivering bogie frames from their existing WA premises;
- Vector Lifting, based in Cockburn, delivering bogie turntables and lifting jacks;
- Kulbardi, a WA indigenous company which supplied furniture for the facility;
- Parker Hannifin, which will supply piping from their Welshpool facility;
- Camco, based in Canning Vale, which provides jigs and fixtures for Bellevue;
- Unique Metal, a Wangara sheet metal fabricator which will provide metallic components;
- Dellner, will procure components from WA suppliers and assemble the couplers in Australia;
- Chess Engineering, from Welshpool, which is assembling the fitting stations at the facility.
The $1.25 billion railcar contract, awarded to Alstom, is the biggest order of railcars in WA history and came in $347 million under budget.
Work on the new trains will commence later this year, with the first locally made train anticipated to roll onto the tracks in late 2022.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
"Today is WA Day, a celebration of everything we love about our great State.
"So it's timely that today we return railcar manufacturing to Western Australia.
"We always said that our METRONET trains would be built in WA, by local WA workers. We have delivered on that promise.
"With the opening of the Bellevue METRONET Railcar Facility, we have returned manufacturing to its home in Midland, after the original Midland Railway Workshops were closed by the then Liberal Government in 1994.
"This milestone marks the completion of the first of my Government's nine current METRONET projects, which are continuing to create thousands of local jobs in Western Australia."
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"I remember discussing returning railcar manufacturing to WA when we were in Opposition - I am so proud to stand here as the Minister for Transport and open our new Bellevue METRONET Railcar Facility.
"Over the next 10 years, 246 METRONET C-series railcars and six Australind diesel railcars will be built right here by local workers.
"Our decision to bring back railcar manufacturing to WA will create hundreds of ongoing WA jobs and secure a reliable supply chain of parts and equipment.
"Over 50 per cent of content will be sourced locally, including the seats and battery boxes, supporting local WA businesses.
"More than 200 local workers will be employed in this facility, which will also create traineeships and apprenticeships."
As stated by Midland MLA Michelle Roberts:
"It was a sad day for Midland when the Court Liberal Government closed down the Midland Railway Workshops.
"The McGowan Government committed to returning manufacturing to its home in Midland and today we deliver on this promise.
"This is a great day for Midland and I can't wait to see these locally made trains rolling through our community again."
