Transport Minister Peter Batchelor announces Dandenong’s Bombardier will build 14 new VLocity fast train carriages if Labor is re-elected to government.
By Shaun Inguanzo
FOURTEEN new fast train carriages will be built in Dandenong to expand the VLocity service by 1400 seats if Labor is re-elected to government this month.
Transport Minister Peter Batchelor announced the $65 million ‘principle agreement’ between the State Government and Dandenong-based carriage manufacturer Bombardier this week.
The deal is tipped to increase Bombardier’s employee numbers – a boon for employment in Dandenong, Mr Batchelor said.
He said the 14 new carriages would act as intermediate carriages to be pulled by the engine carriages.
There would also be a contract to purchase two new stand-alone VLocity trains, the Minister said.
“When this new deal is finalised a number of jobs at Bombardier’s Dandenong plant will be secured and our country rail capacity even further improved,” Mr Batchelor said.
“This will see a significant boost in seating capacity and service flexibility.”
The VLocity trains currently operate in multiples of two carriages, but the intermediate carriages will also allow odd-number configurations to suit passenger number requirements.
Mr Batchelor said negotiations with Bombardier would see the two new stand-alone trains delivered by the end of next year and the intermediate carriages rolled out from mid-2008.
The announcement rides on the back of Mr Batchelor’s public transport plan to slash VLine fares by up to 20 per cent if Labor is re-elected.
“We’ve boosted services by more than 400 per week. If we’re re-elected we will cut VLine fares by 20 per cent, and now we are adding more seats to our regional train fleet,” he said.
