In the space of just two years, rail manufacturing has returned to Western Australia, almost three decades after the last locally made trains rolled on the tracks.
The new C-Series railcars will be delivered over an eight-year period as part of a contract that global rolling stock manufacturer Alstom has secured with the Public Transport Authority of WA (PTA).
Under the contract, Alstom is responsible for the design, supply, manufacturing, testing and commissioning of 41 six-car electric (EMU) and two three-car diesel (DMU) trains, plus 20 years maintenance of the EMU trains and maintenance support services for the DMU trains.
The new railcars will run along the Joondalup and Mandurah lines, two of the busiest services on the Perth network: and looking towards the future, there is a possibility for additional lines as the WA Government carries out its plans to overhaul the METRONET public transport rail system.
The forecast is that by 2029, there will be 246 new C-series railcars locally built at Bellevue to service Perth’s growing train network.
The first six-car Set completed high-voltage testing recently and will now move to the Nowergup Depot in September. Here the Set will undergo extensive dynamic validation testing period which is the last step before revenue service carrying its 103,000 daily passengers.
Alstom’s Project Director for the METRONET railcar procurement project, Fabrice Ponti, tells Rail Express that it has been quite a remarkable achievement to get to this stage.
“When the contract was signed in 2019, there was no rail industry in WA. Two and a half years later, the first train is assembled and under tests,” he said.
“This milestones is a fantastic testament to the partnership approach developed between Alstom, the PTA and the state, working collaboratively to realise the WA Government’s vision to return railway manufacturing back to the state.”
Indeed, Alstom has a proven ability to localise its operations right across the globe, including Australia.
“Alstom has the expertise and experience to setup a new manufacturing facility, through extensive transfer of technology from its existing sites and centers of excellence all around the world,” Ponti said.
“When we started in WA, we began building our team from scratch. There are currently 120 colleagues. In parallel, the Government delivered the infrastructure for the project, a magnificent, modern, world-class facility in Perth at Bellevue, which was handed over to us in May 2021.
“We then fitted out and equipped the site with the jigs and tools needed, implemented our processes to the latest global standards and international best practices”.
The site is now fully operational and will be for the duration of the project.
The production employees are equipped with iPads, which they use on the job for production processes, record progress, report problems and access documentation.
This technology enables staff to apply Alstom’s AOS – Advanced Operations System – which connects all the functions around the shopfloor, whether they are part of the supply chains, industrial quality or methods teams.
“Alstom is operating in the digital world and this is well and truly implemented in Bellevue,” Ponti said.
The other important aspect of the contract is that the railcars will have at least 50 per cent WA local content, in a commitment to supporting local jobs, and boosting the state’s rolling stock supply chain, jobs, and skills development.
“This means building the trains locally and involving local suppliers that make and deliver components of the trains,” Ponti said.
The local components, materials and services are varied and many, large and small, such as bogie frames, battery boxes, passenger seats, air conditioning systems, and a whole range of metallic parts.
In the process, Alstom is also supporting the further development of the skillsets of the local supply chain.
“By using local suppliers, we help increase their range of competencies and qualifications, as the Rail Industry works with specific standards and requirements,” Ponti said.
“There was a significant piece of work around assessing the supply chain base in WA and the technical capabilities of the various suppliers.
“We then support these local companies throughout the duration of product development and production in order to ensure they deliver the product that we need.”
Ponti said training of the employees within the project has always been a priority.
“From the very beginning, even before we had a component or anything really in Bellevue, we set up a virtual reality room on site,” he said.
This was so employees could start being trained for their specific roles in this 3D environment.
“We developed a competency matrix which covers every single staff working on the project,” Ponti said.
“It is used to define the extensive training period that every new employee goes through, from general training about the company to task-specific trainings like gluing, torque tightening or cable crimping. The competency of every team member makes the quality of the product in the end.”
Attracting trainees and apprentices is another priority.
“As part of our local employment initiative, we are also working with the North Metropolitan TAFE, East Perth, on a pre-employment program for Indigenous people,” Ponti said.
“They will serve their apprenticeship on the project, with the view to continue their career with Alstom after they complete their apprenticeship.
“We expect eight to 10 Aboriginal apprentices by the end of 2022.”
The first C-Series trains are expected to roll into passenger service in late 2023.