The funding will go towards the manufacture of 20 new trains and the infrastructure needed to build them. Another $A 1m will be used to develop a business case to replace coaches used on the Westlander, Inland and Spirit of the Outback services. The government will also consider an option to build another 45 trains to meet demand.
The budget also allocates $A 255m to improve accessibility for passengers with limited mobility on new Bombardier New Generation Rolling Stock (NGR) EMUs, as well as an upgrade to ETCS Level 2.
To help revitalise rail manufacturing in Rockhampton, the budget also provides funding to secure land for a rail maintenance, manufacturing and logistics centre that could support local suppliers manufacturing components for Queensland-built trains.
Other projects included in the budget are:
- an additional $A 1.5bn for Cross River Rail in 2020-21, with $A 3.2bn allocated in future
- Stage 3 of the Gold Coast Light Rail, which will receive $A 709.9m, and
- $A 550.8m towards Stage 1 of the North Coast Line Beerburrum - Nambour rail upgrade, with another $A 150m to upgrade stations.
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