Case Study: Regional Rail Project
Brief
Regional Rail is a $2.8 billion NSW Government project committed to replacing the ageing regional and intercity rail fleet. Transport for NSW is replacing the old fleet with a fleet of modern trains that will improve the reliability of regional train services.
The project will also provide a new train maintenance facility located in Dubbo, in Central – West Orana, The facility, which has been named the Mindyarra Maintenance Centre, will be critical to the commissioning and maintenance of the new fleet of 29 bi-mode trains.
The new regional fleet will progressively replace the existing XPT, XPLORER and Endeavour trains from 2023.
The Regional Rail Project is providing local jobs and business opportunities, contributing to economic development in regional New South Wales.
Approach
Dubbo Train Maintenance Facility
Infrastructure Skills Advisory is supporting Transport for NSW on the Regional Rail project with ongoing strategic advisory, policy and procurement advice, and associated delivery phase services.
Infrastructure Skills Advisory used socio-economic and industry profiling tools to profile different locations in regional NSW as part of the multi-criteria analysis leading to selection of Dubbo for the train maintenance facility.
Dubbo was selected among other factors:
- Availability of relevant skills for delivery of the train maintenance facility
- Availability of local supply chains
- A much larger Aboriginal population than any other regional centre in NSW
- Growth opportunities for trade skills
- Pipeline of future projects to provide ongoing employment opportunities
- Disadvantage factors
- Aboriginal unemployment – five times higher than overall unemployment in the area
- Youth unemployment – almost three times higher than overall unemployment in the area
The findings of the socio-economic and industry profile, and the subsequent selection of Dubbo as the location for the train maintenance facility, will provide:
- approximately 200 jobs during peak construction
- approximately 50 long term jobs when the train maintenance facility opens
- local supply opportunities during construction, and for the maintenance of the new fleet
Jobs, Skills and Industry Participation Strategy
A key initiative was the development of the Jobs, Skills and Industry Participation (JSIP) objectives which articulate the priorities for the project and how they will be achieved, through a collaborative delivery model.
JSIP is supported by the Regional Rail JSIP Advisory Group, and Aboriginal Working Group. The different groups bring together different government departments, Aboriginal stakeholders and representatives of other infrastructure projects to inform, advise and support the delivery of Jobs, Skills and Industry Participation objectives.
Outcomes
Infrastructure Skills Advisory is supporting the creation of regional jobs that value local diversity, developing the skills base of the region and providing opportunities for regional NSW businesses.
