Rollingstock manufacturers have been invited to develop proposals for Victoria’s next generation of trams and regional trains.
Public transport minister Melissa Horne said on September 22 a pair of new rollingstock programs would prioritise accessibility, local content and energy efficiency to move the state’s regional and urban commuters.
“We’re doing the vital design work needed to deliver new trains and trams that are reliable, accessible and meet the changing needs of Victorian passengers,” Horne said.
Victoria wants its next fleet of regional trains to be fully accessible, energy efficient and capable of carrying more passengers. The new trains will enable V/Line to phase out its classic fleet over time.
The state said it wants the next batch of trams to include onboard energy storage, reducing the need for power upgrades across Melbourne’s already stretched overhead network.
Like the regional train plan, the tram program also comes with the goal of eliminating older trams so more of Melbourne’s fleet features low-floor accessibility.
The existing low-floor fleet in Melbourne consists of the C-Class fleet delivered by Alstom from 2001, the D-Class fleet delivered by Siemens from 2002, and the E-Class fleet being delivered by Bombardier on a contract which began in 2013. Together that makes up about 180 trams, with more E-Class being added under a current contract.
The roughly 320 other trams on the network – the W-Class, the Z-Class, the A-Class and the B-Class – are high-floor, meaning they don’t align with the government’s accessibility standards.
The government hasn’t specified which classes will be targeted for retirement, but aside from the 12 heritage W-Class trams, the Z-Class trams are the oldest, being built from 1975.
Horne said both the regional train and the tram program would be developed with the view of limiting the infrastructure upgrades needed to cater for new rollingstock.
She said the development process with a range of manufacturers is hoped to provide the state government with well-informed proposals to choose the best new trains and trams to meet Victoria’s needs.
The state’s Department of Transport said this ‘interactive’ design process would allow manufacturers to adapt their train and tram models for the Victorian network.