SYDNEY Rail chief executive Howard Collins was a keen spectator yesterday as Downer Rail unveiled a $38-million upgrade of its Cardiff service centre.
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The building works and equipment installation took 15 months to complete and includes a giant set of hydraulic lifts that raises an entire eight-car train 1.2 metres in the air to allow easier access for maintenance crews.
“Lifting the entire train at once is much quicker than doing it a carriage at a time, which was what happened previously,” Mr Collins said.
Other new facilities include wheel presses, axle and wheel lathes, automated bogie rotaters – another “easy access” innovation – spray painting booths and other specialist overhaul technology and equipment.
Downer Rail chief executive Michael Miller said Downer had operated at the Cardiff facility, which he said was built by NSW railways in 1928, for more than 20 years.
He said the Cardiff centre maintained Millenium trains, which were built at Cardiff, and Waratah trains, which were assembled at Cardiff after most of the construction was done in China.
Downer’s latest contract, the Waratah 2 trains, will also be maintained at Cardiff after being fully built in China.
Mr Miller said the upgrade created about 30 jobs, taking Downer’s Cardiff workforce to 120. This number did not include subcontractors or locomotive repair workers in another section of the workshop operated by Caterpillar subsidiary Progress Rail.
Mr Miller and Sydney Rail’s Howard Collins said the Cardiff facility was important in keeping Sydney trains running as smoothly as possible.
Mr Miller said Downer’s contract meant that 65 of 72 Waratah trains, 33 of 35 Millennium trains and 22 of 24 Waratah 2 trains had to be available for service every day. The trains had to be extremely reliable and well-maintained to do this, and the upgrade substantially cut the amount of maintenance time.
He said the Cardiff facility could refurbish 2340 bogies and 24,030 wheel sets a year, and although it was only working 1.5 shifts a day, five days a week, if it won more work it could operate around the clock.
The chief executive of the Australasian Railway Association, Danny Broad, was another enthusiastic spectator yesterday, saying the upgrade meant faster and safer maintenance.
“Long-term maintenance contracts like these means great security over the years for the workforce,” Mr Broad said. “As the fleets grow, the maintenance will grow.”
Citing Cardiff and UGL’s Broadmeadow yards, Mr Broad said it was important to maintain industrial capacity, with an estimated $100 billion rail infrastructure and rolling stock either planned or needed in the next 15 years.
Asked about the state of the local rail building industry, Mr Broad said a lot depended on whether or not governments insist on local contact.
He said Victoria had mandated substantial local content in its latest passenger train contract, although the NSW government had “taken a different approach” by not specifying local content in the Waratah 2 build, meaning the job went to China with its cheaper labour costs.
FURTHER READING
Ian Kirkwood
Reporting journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1987. Editorial writer, general reporter, industrial relations, industry and coal.
Reporting journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1987. Editorial writer, general reporter, industrial relations, industry and coal.
