Alstom will deliver signalling and 23 more driverless trains for the Sydney Metro City and Southwest project, after the Northwest Rapid Transit (NRT) consortium’s public private partnership was extended to the new line last week.
The state on November 22 announced it had approved Sydney Metro’s decision to exercise a pre-agreed extension to the existing NRT PPP, which was awarded in 2014 for the operation of trains and signalling along the Sydney Metro Northwest line, which opened earlier this year.
The extension means the consortium will operate along the entire 66-kilometre line between Rouse Hill and Bankstown, once the Sydney Metro City and Southwest portion opens between Chatswood and Bankstown in 2024.
Alstom’s portion of the news, worth around $570 million, makes it responsible for the project management, design, supply, manufacturing, testing and commissioning of 23 six-car fully-automated Metropolis trains, along with its Urbalis 400 Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system.
Alstom will build the 23 new trains at its manufacturing centre in Sri City, India, as it did with the 22 Metropolis trains operating on Sydney Metro Northwest.
The contract also includes an option to purchase more trains if required.
“Sydney Metro has been a game changer for the travelling public of Sydney and Alstom is delighted to continue to be a part of this iconic project,” Alstom’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand Mark Coxon said. “It strengthens Alstom’s position as the market leader for the supply of railway technologies in Australia.”
The extension news came as Sydney Metro Northwest reached more than 11 million customer journeys, in just its first five months of operation.
NSW transport minister Andrew Constance said expected operational issues in the first few months of operation were becoming less frequent, with 99 per cent of train services delivered in September and October.
“Like all new railways right around the world, there has been a period of bedding in and we apologise to our customers for the small number of issues that have occurred,” he said.
“Performance has been improving on a month-to-month basis as we settle in the new service and integrate metro rail with the community and Sydney’s wider public transport system.”