The Premier of NSW, Morris Iemma, has announced a 20 per cent increase in the public private partnership order to provide new, air-conditioned rail carriages for the CityRail network. Expanded to include around 600 carriages, this project will see 72 new eight-carriage trains added to the CityRail fleet, 13 more than the original order that already represented the largest rolling stock acquisition in Australian history. And this is in addition to the 122 Outer Suburban Cars which are currently being tested.

A decision has also been made about single versus double-deck carriages and double-decks proved the best option.

While the manufacturer of the carriages has not yet been determined, the short-list for the 35-year public private partnership contract has been reduced to two Hunter Valley-based consortia: Reliance Rail (Downer EDI Ltd, ABN-Amro, Babcock & Brown Australia) and Star Transit (United Group, Mitsubishi Electric). Final proposals are due in August and it’s expected the successful manufacturer will be announced later in the year.

The contract requires that at least 59 trains be operational by 2012 with the additional 13 coming on track the following year.

The new carriages are part of a wider, multi-million dollar investment to provide for future growth in rail transport.