Media release: Government’s commitment to local rail manufacturing a win for the state

The NSW Government’s announcement today that it will spend almost $450 million extending the life of our current Tangara train fleet while preparing to build the next generation of Tangaras locally is a win for commuters, workers and the local community broadly.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW Secretary, Alex Claassens, said any commitment to improving our public transport and building our local manufacturing capabilities is welcomed.

“Improving the accessibility and quality of our Tangara fleet is an important move and a big win for commuters,” Mr Claassens said.

“The previous NSW Government were obsessed with buying off the shelf transport without properly consulting with workers first and the result was cost blow outs and inferior products.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the Minns Government deliver on its commitment to building future train fleets here in NSW. We’ve seen too many examples lately of what can go wrong when you don’t prioritise local transport manufacturing,” Mr Claassens said.

“The debacle around the New Intercity Fleet was the perfect example of why we need to build our transport here. It’s great to see the NSW Government taking action to ensure we don’t make those same mistakes again.”