Downer EDI Limited officially opened its $38 million upgraded Cardiff Service Delivery Centre this week, which aims to improve availability and reliability for Sydney’s trains.
The business has operated the Cardiff facility, west of Newcastle, for over 20 years, manufacturing and maintaining rolling stock for its New South Wales Customers, including Sydney Trains.
The facility’s refurbishment includes establishment of a purpose-built eight-car train lift and bogie exchange workshop – the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, according to Downer.
Further investment in the workshop includes wheel presses, axle and wheel lathes, automated bogie rotators and paint booths, bearing wash and other overhaul technology and equipment.
According to Downer, the upgrade will enable a 50 per cent reduction to time taken to overhaul critical assets and will provide enhanced asset management services on all of the Sydney Trains fleets managed by the business, including the Waratah, Millennium and Waratah Series 2.
During construction, over 100 jobs were created and 30 ongoing heavy rail maintenance jobs have been established in the facility.
Downer Executive General Manager of Rolling Stock Services Michael Miller said that the upgrade represented a significant uplift to Downer’s capacity to deliver improved asset management solutions to its customers.
“The completion of the bogie workshop at Cardiff will deliver overhaul and maintenance services immediately for the Waratah fleet ensuring minimal downtime for NSW commuters,” he said.
“Our expectation is that the Cardiff investment will result in further improvements to all Downer-managed rolling stock fleets. There will be improved reliability for these critical assets which are already recognised as world-class trains.”
Downer said upgraded service centre has the capacity to refurbish 2,340 Bogies and 24,030 wheelsets per year.
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