Supporting the next generation of transport professionals

21/06/2024

Working in partnership with the Young Transport Professionals, Downer is pleased to host the next generation of transport professionals across our rail sites.

“This is the best one yet!” said Malcolm Lam, President of the Young Transport Professionals (YTP).

A group of YTP participants recently visited Downer’s Auburn Maintenance Centre in Sydney’s west, having previously been to our Pakenham East Depot and Newport Rail Facility, both in Victoria.

“While the YTP is predominately Melbourne based, it is thanks to the close ongoing partnership with stakeholders such as Downer, the network is able to grow interstate in NSW & QLD,” Malcolm continued.

When YTP visits our rail sites they can learn more about our flagship projects before undertaking a tour to see what the daily operations and maintenance of these fleets entails. 

The visits aren’t just one way with our Rail & Transit Systems being excited to host the next generation of transport professionals, sharing with them aspects of rollingstock asset management through our Downer built and maintained fleets. 

The tours

Auburn Maintenance Centre 

The Downer team was excited to host 18 Young Transport Professionals in June 2024. The team provided some background on the fleets that Downer built and now maintains across New South Wales, including Australia’s largest—the Waratah fleet.

The Waratah fleet includes 119 8-car sets which serve Australia’s largest passenger network. The trains were assembled at our Cardiff Rail Facility and are now maintained at our Auburn Maintenance Centre (AMC) in Sydney’s west.

Our maintenance practices at AMC include a balanced 60 day regime for the Waratah fleet with 109 being made available every day for passengers. The NSW team also maintain the Millennium fleet at AMC providing 33 every day.

AMC also has the Electronic Test Facility where the team update the external and internal display systems, which more famously created the Tay Tay Express and the Tilly Express.

Finally, the group was able to see our Integrated Operations Centre where the Downer team remotely monitor the fleet while in service. 

You can read more about the Waratah fleet here and here.

Pakenham East Depot

In May, a group of Young Transport Professionals from Victoria visited our home of Melbourne’s Bigger, Better Trains, High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMT). 

The group were lucky enough to be onsite on a day with both the first and final trains there.

The HCMTs are the largest single order of trains in Victoria’s history and are known for their increased accessibility, reliability and comfort. The Pakenham East Depot team completed testing and commissioning of the fleet and will continue the long-term maintenance of the fleet for 30 years. 

Newport

In 2023, the group visited Newport seeing the manufacturing process of a HCMT. Each HCMT train was assembled in three weeks across eight stations which included brake piping, door installation, pantograph installation, seat and bogie fittings, and more. The team at Newport also manufactured the bogies and wheelsets for the HCMTs. 

More about Young Transport Professionals

The diverse member base has 2,000 members including frontline staff to consultants, just to name a few. Their vision is to bring community together, connecting industry leaders to the emerging transport professional.

You can learn more about the TYP through their LinkedIn.