Kangy Angy rail facility advertises 90 jobs as push to turn area into a ‘hub’ begins
The first of 90 jobs are going at the Kangy Angy rail maintenance facility. It comes amid calls to turn the area into a commercial `rail hub’ similar to what was planned at Warnervale airport.
Central Coast
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The rail maintenance facility at Kangy Angy should be used as a catalyst to attract other railway related businesses and establish the area as a commercial hub similar to what was planned at Warnervale airport.
That is the thrust of a notice of motion to Central Coast Council’s next meeting by councillors Greg Best, Bruce McLachlan, Rebecca Gale and Troy Marquart.
It comes as the first of about 90 full-time jobs are being advertised for the new rail maintenance facility with recruitment for other roles expected to begin later in the year.
The councillors’ notice of motion seeks for council to “leverage from this project through the establishment of a Local Rail Hub Business Network not unlike the vision Wyong Council staff had for the job-generating proposed airport hub at Warnervale”.
In an accompanying note, the councillors said despite high local unemployment council stridently opposed the facility at Kangy Angy.
“It is not surprising that we were not invited to the recent opening of this facility, however, if we can now put behind ourselves this unfortunate chapter and genuinely reach out to our state counterparts and the business community with a view to developing a specialist rail repair and service hub not unlike the vision that staff held in Wyong Council around the airport hub,” the note read.
Terrigal State Liberal MP Adam Crouch said the purpose-built 50ha facility featured 6km of electric rail lines, seven tracks at its widest point, a new rail bridge, access roads, offices and amenities
“The team of 90 staff will be responsible for servicing, maintaining, repairing and washing the $2.3 billion New Intercity Fleet at Kangy Angy,” Mr Crouch said.
“UGL Rail has been appointed to operate the maintenance facility and jobs in engineering, supply chain, supervision, planning, quality, and asset management are currently being recruited.
“Recruitment for other roles will begin in late 2020 and beyond, including stores people, trade qualified maintainers and non-trade qualified maintainers.”
Mr Crouch said the first New Intercity Fleet train would travel to the maintenance facility later this year.
“I am proud that train customers on the Central Coast and Newcastle Line will be the first in NSW to benefit from the New Intercity Fleet,” Mr Crouch said.
“A total of 554 carriages will progressively undergo testing on the rail network before moving towards passenger services.
“These state-of-the-art trains include two-by-two seating, better accessibility for less mobile customers, digital screens and announcements, charging stations for mobile devices, and dedicated space for luggage, prams, bicycles and wheelchairs.”
UGL Rail has also set up a Facebook group to advertise roles: UGL Central Coast Job Opportunities – New Intercity Fleet.