Delivery

This project is on a scale not seen before in Australia and represents the largest single rolling stock order by any Australian rail operator - 626 carriages.

The project is international in scale and Reliance Rail has responded with a delivery strategy that combines award-winning Australian rolling stock design from Downer EDI Rail, with the best global suppliers in rail car manufacturing, including Hitachi, Japan; Changchun Railway Vehicles Co (CRC), China; and Knorr Bremse, Germany; EKE, Finland and OneSteel, Australia.

Rail car manufacturing in Australia integrates imported major sub-system components, such as the traction, braking and train operating systems, with locally produced components and sub-assemblies, including the crew cabs.

Reliance Rail will leverage the systems integration expertise of its contractor Downer EDI Rail in the final train assembly, testing and commissioning which will take place at Cardiff in NSW.

Design

The detailed design of the Waratah train was finalised in June 2009 by the Downer EDI Rail - Hitachi Joint Venture.

The joint venture combines Hitachi’s global reputation for train reliability and safety, with the local expertise of Downer EDI Rail. Downer EDI Rail has manufactured more than 850 passenger rail vehicles for the Sydney, Perth and Brisbane rail networks in recent years.

Downer EDI Rail, which designed the Millennium Train for RailCorp, undertook the design of Sydney’s new train primarily out of its Granville head office in NSW. Approximately 100 new jobs were created for the train design and associated project management and procurement activities undertaken mostly in Sydney.

Manufacture

A large component of the train manufacturing process is taking place in NSW. The stainless steel carriage bodies will be partially manufactured by CRC, located in Changchun in the north-east province of Jilin in the People’s Republic of China, and sent by sea to Newcastle.

Final manufacture, assembly, fit-out and commissioning of the Waratah trains, including the manufacture and assembly of the trains crew cabs, is taking place at Downer EDI Rail’s Cardiff manufacturing facility near Newcastle.

Downer EDI Rail has enlisted the following suppliers to provide the major sub-systems for the new fleet:

• CRC - body shell and partial fit out
• Thales Australia - communications and surveillance
• EKE Electronics - Train Information Systems
• Sigma Coachair group - climate control
• Hitachi - traction
• Knorr Bremse - brakes and doors
• Voith Turbo - couplers
• Hubner gmbh - inter-car gangways
• Miryung / BNG - stainless steel
• Sydac - simulators

Maintenance

The new Waratah fleet will be supported by Downer EDI Rail under a minimum 30-year contract with Reliance Rail. A state-of the-art, purpose built maintenance facility has been constructed for the fleet at Auburn in Sydney’s western suburbs as part of the PPP Project.