Work has officially begun on the first Tangara train to be refurbished at Newcastle's Cardiff Maintenance Centre, marking an important step in rebuilding the Hunter as one of Australia's leading train manufacturing hubs.
Almost 40 years after they were manufactured in Newcastle, the first of 18 Tangaras to be refurbished in the Cardiff facility has rolled into the workshop and work to extend its life by 10-15 years is now underway.
The refurbishment program will employ 100 skilled workers and 20 apprentices at Cardiff, helping rebuild the workforce and manufacturing capability needed to support the Minns Labor Government's $12 billion commitment to bring large-scale train manufacturing back to the Hunter again, after 12 years of offshoring by the former Liberal-National Government.
Announced on Saturday, this investment will deliver a new state-owned train manufacturing facility in the Hunter, operated by a private manufacturer, which will deliver at least a 30-year pipeline of new trains.
Two potential sites have been identified for the Hunter facility - a former coal mine at Teralba and the Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot near where the original Tangara fleet was manufactured.
Site selection will be subject to due diligence and stakeholder consultation.
The site is expected to employ up to 780 workers in construction and 550 ongoing jobs in the facility and supply chains and anchor more than 30 years of train manufacturing in the Hunter.
Following construction of the new Tangara fleet, the pipeline will continue with the replacement of the Millennium and OSCAR fleets in the 2040s, before the Waratah fleet in the 2050s.
It also delivers on the Minns Labor Government's election commitments to set a target of a minimum 50 per cent local content for rolling stock contracts, and to begin procurement of the new Tangara fleet by the end of the first term in office.
The Tangara refurbishment program provides the bridge between today's workforce and tomorrow's manufacturing pipeline, ensuring skills, apprenticeships and capability continue to grow in the Hunter.
The existing $447 million Tangara Life Extension Program includes replacing internal cladding, computer operating systems, installing more accessible emergency help points, emergency door release, passenger visual displays, upgrading to the passenger address system and CCTV.
Across five 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 set to return to service imminently.
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:
"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."
Minister for Transport John Graham said:
"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:
"This spectacular milestone is the first part of our plan to build and maintain trains in the Hunter again.
"The Hunter built the original Tangaras. Almost 40 years later, we're working on them again - and this time, we're building a pipeline of work that will last for generations.
"We have the skills, the workers and the industrial muscle, and we have a government willing to back the Hunter."
Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said:
"Seeing work begin on the first Tangara refurbishment is a major milestone for the Hunter and the start of an exciting new chapter for rail manufacturing in NSW.
"The Minns Labor Government is proud to invest in local staff, apprentices and businesses so more of this work can be delivered in our own state.
"This investment is all about backing homegrown talent, and ensuring the Hunter continues to play a leading role in NSW's rail network."
Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement Courtney Houssos said:
"For too long, billions of dollars in transport contracts were sent overseas. We are turning that around by creating jobs, strengthening local industry and rebuilding our sovereign manufacturing capability right here in NSW.
"The Hunter has the workforce, the skills and the proud manufacturing history to lead this revival. With a long-term pipeline of work, the future is incredibly bright for local manufacturers, local suppliers and the next generation of skilled workers.
"Manufacturers have consistently told us they need certainty to invest and grow. By committing to decades of train construction and a minimum 50 per cent local content target, we are giving industry the confidence to build capability, take on apprentices and create secure, long-term jobs."
Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery said:
"Our region has a strong and proud tradition of manufacturing trains. I'm pleased to see this refurbishment work being carried out right here in Cardiff, creating local jobs and economic opportunities locally."
