The home of Melbourne’s high capacity trains is taking shape, with the first locally sourced steel structures now in place and support to boost the Mount Waverley economy.

The Pakenham East site, which is almost as large as 60 MCGs, will eventually house maintenance facilities for the fleet of new trains, a stabling yard for 30 trains, and a high-tech driver-training simulator.

More than 80 per cent of the earthworks have now been completed at the depot, with over 20 kilometres of rail track to be laid throughout the depot.

The High Capacity Metro Trains Project will create around 1,100 jobs and using 60 per cent local content, meaning work across Melbourne and regional Victoria. The new train depot consists of 87 per cent local content.

Hundreds of workers are already on site building the depot, with that number peaking at 400 next year. A further 100 long-term jobs will be required on the site to maintain the trains.

The Andrews Labor Government today announced that this record investment will bring benefits to Mount Waverley based business Fire Protection Technologies, to design and deliver fire detection systems for Melbourne’s bigger and better trains.

This contract supports the local economy with $850,000 worth of Victorian local content. Fire Protection Technologies will also train the site workers during the installation period.

Fire Protection Technologies is an Australian owned company that has a proven track record, with 18 years’ experience delivering fire protection systems and training. It has delivered previous systems for transport projects in Melbourne and Sydney.

The company’s headquarters is based in Mount Waverley with facilities in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Auckland.

The bigger, better trains will progressively enter service from mid-2019 on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines and will eventually run through the Metro Tunnel to Sunbury.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Metropolitan Shaun Leane

“I’m pleased that we are getting on with the job of providing bigger trains, built in Victoria and we are supporting Fire Protection Technologies bring more economic benefits to our community.”

“Under this Labor Government we are investing to build a better transport system in Victoria – using local content, supporting local economies.”