Explained: Why Maryborough’s train factory is in battle to win city’s contract

When it was announced that the State Government had made a $600 million commitment to building trains in Maryborough, for many the logical conclusion was that they would be built at the city’s existing factory at Downer.

When it was announced that the State Government had made a $600 million commitment to building trains in Maryborough, for many the logical conclusion was that they would be built at the city’s existing factory at Downer.

But while the existing Maryborough factory has worked on plenty of contracts for the State Government in its time, it’s far from a given that it will win the next contract that comes to the Heritage City.

As Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders explained, by law the train contract had to be put to tender.

The list of manufacturers in the running to build Queensland’s next passenger train fleet at a purpose-built factory in Maryborough have been narrowed down to three.

Train manufacturers, Alstom, CAF and Downer Rail have been short-listed to manufacture the first 20 trains in the next phase of the Rollingstockstock Expansion Program following an extensive Expression of Interest process run by the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

The EOI Evaluation Panel was chaired by TMR and included members from TMR, Queensland Rail, Queensland Treasury, the Department of Regional Development and Manufacturing and Water in addition to an independent panel member and a probity specialist.

Mr Saunders said the winner of the contract would lease the factory to manufacture the trains.

“It’s all got to be transparent,” he said.

If Downer were to win the contract, the new factory would provide the space to build the new trains.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the project was vital to Queensland’s economic recovery.

“We made a $600 million election commitment for 20 new six-car trains to be manufactured in Queensland, and we are now a step closer to delivering,” he said.

“Plus there is a further option for an additional 45 additional trains to be built down the track.”

The new trains would be the first in nearly a decade to be built from the ground up in Queensland.

Rolling stock design, manufacturing and assembly capability exists across Australia, including at Downer’s facility in Maryborough.