Melbourne’s first refurbished iconic tram is rolling out of the new East Preston Depot, as part of city’s tram fleet improvement, supported by Victorian Government. Up to 14 trams at a time will undergo refurbishment, and trams will also receive a deep clean of the interior and other upgrades including repainting and in some model’s glass or window film replacement.
The project envisages the refurbishment of 90 per cent of Melbourne’s trams, representing around 450 trams and will increase availability, reliability and passenger comfort.
The five-year refurbishment programme includes an overhaul of mechanical components to ensure reliability and structural repairs to remove and protect against corrosion.
The USD 170 million (AUD 230 million) Tram Refurbishment Project is part of the new franchise agreement between the Government and Keolis Downer aimed at giving passengers better value for money, more services, and greater reliability.
The new tram contract sees a USD 22.2 million (AUD 30 million) increase in annual spending on track and infrastructure maintenance to improve reliability, and tougher penalties for the operator not meeting targets.
The project has 65 per cent local content for materials and services, as part of the Victorian Industry Participation Policy.
Melbourne has the world’s largest tram network, running more than 5,000 services a day and transporting more than 200 million passengers annually.
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