New Waratah Series 2 trains arrive at the Port of Newcastle

08/07/2020

New Waratah Series 2 trains arrive at the Port of Newcastle

Downer is pleased to announce that the first two of 17 new Waratah Series 2 trains have arrived at the Port of Newcastle in NSW, marking a successful milestone for the Sydney Growth Trains (SGT) Project.

Downer is delivering the Waratah Series 2 trains for the NSW Government as part of Transport for NSW’s $4.3 billion More Trains, More Services program.

The Chief Executive Officer of Downer, Grant Fenn, said: “Downer is very pleased to continue working with Transport for NSW and our delivery partners to provide safe, reliable and comfortable world-class transport solutions for the commuters of New South Wales.”

The delivery of the new Waratah Series 2 trains to the Port’s ‘direct to rail’ berth enables the passenger trains to be craned off the vessel directly onto rail tracks, making Newcastle the ‘port of choice’ for this type of cargo in NSW.

“Downer values its operations in regional cities and our role in supporting local economies,” Mr Fenn said.

“The SGT Project has built very successful and collaborative relationships in regional hubs like Newcastle and the Port of Newcastle plays a key role in the SGT delivery program,” he said.

The initial order of 24 Waratah Series 2 trains was delivered by Downer in record time. This fleet is now in passenger service and is maintained at the purpose-built Auburn Maintenance Centre.

In February 2019 Transport for NSW ordered an additional 17 Waratah Series 2 trains, bringing the total number of new Waratah Series 2 trains to 41. The trains are needed to support increasing patronage across the network and to provide customers with comfortable and reliable commuter services.

The new Waratah Series 2 trains feature:

  • Double deck cars
  • Priority seating
  • Wheelchair spaces and hearing aid loops
  • Air conditioning with advanced temperature control
  • High definition customer information screens
  • Internal and external CCTV.

After rigorous testing at Downer’s Cardiff Service Delivery Centre and the Auburn Maintenance Centre, the additional trains will progressively come into service from later this year, providing greater comfort and reliability for customers on the suburban network.

For more information visit: https://www.downergroup.com/rail.

 

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