John Holland and Downer EDI have both been awarded contracts to deliver works on the New Intercity Fleet project in New South Wales.

John Holland was awarded the detailed design and construction contract for a new maintenance facility in Kangy Angy that will service the new trains.

“Infrastructure and property group John Holland will now begin pre-construction activities with major construction expected to start early in 2018.

“The project is expected to generate 300 jobs on the Central Coast, including apprenticeships, during the construction and maintenance term,” Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast Scot MacDonald MLC said.

The new facility will enable the new Intercity trains to seamlessly move onto the network, replacing the old V-sets, to provide a more comfortable and reliable journey for those travelling to Sydney from the South Coast, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Newcastle.

Downer EDI, on the other hand, has secured the contract to deliver station and signal modifications across the suburban and Intercity network.

“Work will get underway early next year and where possible it will be completed as part of the existing rail maintenance schedule and track work weekends so we can minimise the impact on our customers,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.

About the New Intercity Fleet

This project will be replacing the old V-sets with a new fleet of long-distance, intercity trains that will run from Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle, the Blue Mountains and the South Coast.

There will be 512 new trains with features including:

• Two by two seat layout, wider seats with arm rests, and more space
• Charging stations for each seat, digital screens, air conditioning, CCTV and passenger intercoms
• Dedicated space for luggage, prams, bicycles and wheelchairs, plus accessible toilets

RailConnect was awarded the contract to build and maintain the new fleet. The first of the double deck trains is expected to be delivered in 2019, with the rest of the fleet to progressively follow.

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Source: Transport for NSW (1, 2, 3, 4)