More than 800 of Victoria’s retired or soon to be retired trains and trams are looking for a new home. Retired rollingstock is currently kept at the Newport rail yards where it is “taking up valuable space that could be put to better use”, according to the Victorian government.
The state government, last month, began the Expression of Interest process to repurpose retired rollingstock once it was no longer needed by transport operators.
As part of the EOI, VicTrack is looking for an innovative and experienced commercial provider to develop a business model to deal with the retired rollingstock. This will include managing the ongoing pipeline of older rollingstock coming off the network in the future as the government rolls out new trains and trams.
“We’re open to all ideas about how these carriages, locomotives and trams can be repurposed and I’m looking forward to seeing the results of the EOI process,” minister for public transport Melissa Horne said.
“We’re building new trains and trams to get people where they need to go. As we retire our older trains and trams, we need to make sure we have a plan to ensure they are put to the best possible use.”
Newport is considered an important strategic part of the rail network, and the state government is looking to put the space at the Newport rail yeards to better use as part of its growing investment in public transport infrastructure.
The provider has the option to partner with the government or to operate a standalone commercial venture and may use part of Newport for its operations.