Former mine site at Teralba to be new train manufacturing hub

The NSW Government has announced that a former mine site at Teralba is the preferred location for the new state-owned facility that will build the next generation of NSW passenger trains.

The government says the announcement is a step towards rebuilding local manufacturing in the Hunter, with the Future Fleet Program expected to support up to 780 jobs during construction and around 550 ongoing jobs across the facility and supply chains.

Following a preliminary assessment of the Glencore-owned land at Teralba and the NSW Government-owned Broadmeadow site, planning for the new state-owned production facility will now progress at Teralba, subject to further investigations, planning and land acquisition arrangements. Work undertaken by the government found Teralba offers a larger and more flexible site that could accommodate train manufacturing, assembly, commissioning and onsite dynamic testing, while also providing capacity for future expansion.

The Teralba site aligns with NSW Government-led planning for the Macquarie Coal Complex Transformation Precinct, which is being progressed with Lake Macquarie City Council and Glencore through a State Significant Rezoning process.

Broadmeadow remains an alternative option at this stage, while detailed investigations, due diligence and acquisition activities continue at Teralba.

The Hunter facility will guarantee more than 30 years of train manufacturing in NSW, starting with the new Tangara replacement fleet before future replacement programs for the Millennium and OSCAR fleets in the 2040s and the Waratah fleet in the 2050s.

This announcement follows the EOI opening last month for manufacturing firms to design and build the next fleet of NSW passenger trains here in the Hunter.

“For more than a century, workers in the Hunter proudly built the trains that carried millions of people around Sydney,” said NSW Premier Chris Minns. “Then those jobs were sent overseas. We’re bringing them back, because we believe NSW should build more of the things we need right here at home.

“This means good, secure jobs for workers in the Hunter, more opportunities for young people to learn a trade, and more business for local manufacturers. And for Sydney commuters, it means new trains built for our network, with local workers and expertise to help keep them running for decades to come.”

“The Teralba site is in a great location, has enough space for manufacturing and testing, the potential to become a bigger industrial hub and would make great use of a former mine site,” said Minister for Transport John Graham. “The Hunter has the industrial heritage, skilled workforce and supply chain strengths to help make this facility a success and deliver lasting benefits for the region.”

Image credit: iStock.com/mikulas1