AUSTRALIA: The government of Victoria announced an order for a further five six-car Alstom X’Trapolis electric multiple-units on March 3. The first is expected to enter service by the end of 2016.
The government said the order would plug a critical short-term gap in train availability in Melbourne and also protect jobs at Alstom’s Ballarat plant, which would otherwise have had to cease production in five months’ time.
As part of its May budget the state government plans to unveil a long-term rolling stock strategy, which it says will be designed to ‘end ad hoc procurement of trains and give certainty to companies and workers.’
