NSW to invest $12bn to rebuild Hunter train manufacturing

The NSW Government has announced a $12 billion investment in a new state-owned train manufacturing facility in the Hunter and a 15‍-‍year rolling stock pipeline aimed at supporting long-term local manufacturing, jobs and supply chains.

Rather than buying trains project by project from overseas, this will provide the long-term certainty needed for industry to invest locally, train apprentices, strengthen local supply chains and rebuild train manufacturing in NSW.

After an extensive search, two potential sites have been identified — a former coal mine at Teralba and the Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot near where the original Tangara fleet was manufactured between 1986 and 1998.

Site selection will be subject to due diligence and stakeholder consultation. In the case of Teralba, it will also be subject to further engagement with Glencore and partners over potential site acquisition.

The new facility is expected to 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.

This investment is part of the long-term plan to rebuild local train manufacturing after 12 years of offshoring transport manufacturing by previous governments. The site is expected to employ up to 780 workers in construction and 550 ongoing jobs in the facility and supply chains.

To begin rebuilding the Hunter train manufacturing workforce, the Minns Labor government has established two production lines of the $447 million Tangara Life Extension program at the Cardiff rail facility, which will employ 100 qualified workers and 20 apprentices.

“The Hunter knows how to build trains. Our job is to make sure it has the opportunity to build them again,” said Premier Chris Minns. “When the government spends billions of dollars on new trains, I want as much of that investment as possible staying here in New South Wales, creating jobs, supporting local businesses and strengthening regional communities.”

“The Liberals sent billions of dollars and thousands of jobs offshore, this is a big step forward in rebuilding our train manufacturing industry so that more wages and jobs go to the people of NSW,” said Minister for Transport John Graham. “The investment in this facility combined with the commitment to local content will give the manufacturing industry the certainty they need to invest in NSW operations.”

“This investment shows just how bright the future is for the Hunter. We are rebuilding an industry that once powered this region and giving it a secure pipeline for decades to come,” said Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement Courtney Houssos. “We know that manufacturing jobs don’t stand alone. For every job in the factory, a further three and a half are created in the supply chain, and we want those jobs in NSW.”

Image credit: iStock.com/mikulas1