Bombardier’s New Generation Rollingstock enter passenger service in Queensland, Australia

Bombardier Transportation and the Qtectic consortium are set to successfully deliver the first three New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) trainsets to the South-East Queensland rail network, in partnership with the Queensland State Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and Queensland Rail (QR).

“These trains are state-of-the-art,” said Andrew Dudgeon, Managing Director of Bombardier Transportation Australia. “Built for Queensland’s commuters, the NGR fleet was locally designed and engineered and will be maintained by a dedicated team of industry professionals. The new fleet will provide a more comfortable and better-connected passenger experience.”

Qtectic Chair, Bill Haughey, applauded the close partnerships on this project, with all parties working tirelessly to bring it to this important milestone.

“We are excited to present the new fleet to the people of Queensland,” said Haughey. “These new trains will provide passengers with a safer and digitally-enabled environment.”

With 70 per cent of Queensland’s future population growth targeted in the South-East region, the NGR project will see a significant 26 per cent capacity increase to the South-East Queensland rail network. Features of the NGR fleet include capacity for 964 passengers per six-carriage train, on-board WIFI, CCTV throughout the train, LCD infotainment displays, toilet modules, twelve allocated spaces for mobility aids and more enhancements to the passenger experience; successfully meeting the growing demands for rail services.

Through this project, Bombardier has created over 2,000 local jobs across the industry and supply chain. There are currently 175 employees at the Wulkuraka Maintenance Facility, with a plan to ramp up to over 200 employees once maintenance activities commence.

The AUD4.4 billion NGR project is being delivered under a Public Private Partnership awarded to Qtectic, comprising Bombardier Transportation, John Laing, ITOCHU and Aberdeen Standard Investments. The project includes the design and delivery of 75 new passenger trains, construction of a new maintenance centre at Wulkuraka, Ipswich and 32 years of fleet maintenance.