Former coal‑mine at Teralba chosen for new state‑run train factory

The New South Wales government has picked a former coal-mine site at Teralba, Lake Macquarie, as the location for a new state-owned train manufacturing plant. The decision follows a preliminary review that found the site larger and more adaptable than the Broadmeadow locomotive depot, allowing it to host manufacturing, assembly, commissioning and on-site dynamic testing, with room to expand later. Premier Chris Minns, who in July announced a $12 billion Future Fleet Program to revive local train-building, said the project will bring back work that had moved overseas. The plant will start by producing the Tangara replacement fleet and is slated to handle future replacement programmes for the Millennium, OSCAR and Waratah fleets through the 2040s and the 2050s. Construction activity could create as many as 780 jobs, while around 550 permanent positions are expected across the factory and its supply chain once operating. Bob Hawes, chief executive of Business Hunter, called the announcement "fantastic" and praised the region's deep experience in rail manufacturing. The Hunter's rail legacy includes Goninan's Tangara builds at Broadmeadow in the late 1980s-1990s and the later Millennium fleet at Cardiff. The government is carrying out detailed site investigations and due-diligence work with the owners, Macquarie Coal and its part-owner Glencore, before moving to design and procurement. No firm completion date has been set, and Broadmeadow remains a backup option while the Teralba plans are refined.

Context

The Hunter area has historically supplied a large share of Sydney's train stock, and the state's investment aims to restore that capability and create a long-term employment hub on reclaimed mining land.