ON JULY 13 Victoria’s state Premier Jeff Kennett announced the award of a 15-year franchise to Melbourne Transport Enterprises to run Hillside Trains. Led by CGEA Transport Asia Pacific Ltd, MTE is to invest A$314m in 29 six-car trains for delivery from 2002 and A$75m in refurbishing 45 older EMUs. Stations will be upgraded with park-and-ride facilities.
The trains will be supplied by MTE partner Alstom Australia, which is to upgrade the signalling and assume responsibility for maintaining the infrastructure and rolling stock. They will be a version of the X’trapolis modular suburban EMU.
Handling 51 million passengers a year on six lines totalling 240 track-km in eastern and northeastern Melbourne, Hillside Trains is the last of the five passenger franchises to be awarded. First to go was Yarra Trams, awarded to a Transfield-led consortium for 12 years on June 18 (RG 7.99 p419).
The other three franchises were awarded to British bus and rail operator National Express Group on June 25. NEG has been granted a 15-year franchise for the Bayside Trains suburban network, 12 years for Swanston Trams and a 10-year concession to run V/Line Passenger services.
NEG has committed to an investment programme totalling A$1bn. It will buy 62 new three-car EMUs from Clyde and Adtranz at a cost of A$400m to replace a third of the Bayside fleet, and spend A$70m on refurbishing the remainder. Swanston Trams will get 59 modern low-floor LRVs for A$175m, and 58 diesel multiple-units capable of 160 km/h costing A$158m will enter service with V/Line Passenger from 2002. A further A$260m will go on network improvements, including electrification from St Albans to Sydenham.
More details of the NEG franchises on our web site: www.railgaz.co.uk n
