Transport for NSW is moving ahead with the replacement of the entire regional train fleet, including the XPTs that service Dubbo.
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The project includes the construction of a brand new rail maintenance facility in regional NSW, with Dubbo identified as the preferred location.
In the two months since Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Transport for NSW officials visited the earmarked site accessed off White Street, progress has been made.
Transport for NSW reports procurement of new regional trains is underway with “a good level of market interest”.
“Expressions of interest closed in September 2017 and applicants who are shortlisted will be invited to tender later this year, with the aim of awarding a contract in early 2019,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.
“The new trains will come into service progressively, with the first trains anticipated to be delivered in the early 2020s.
“The preferred maintenance facility location of Dubbo is subject to planning approval and we will seek feedback from stakeholders and the community about this site during a public display period in 2018.”
The proposed new maintenance facility would be a big win for the Dubbo economy, the government with the government anticipating it would bring up to 100 jobs to the city.
Mr Barilaro said in August Dubbo was a standout location for the maintenance facility and the best choice to serve the broader regional network.
He highlighted Dubbo’s advantage of being “central”, allowing flexibility, and said other centres did not compare.
The first XPT rolled on to the tracks in 1982.