AUSTRALIA: Victoria has confirmed a €270m order for 25 additional Alstom X’trapolis 2.0 EMUs, doubling Melbourne’s programme to 50 six-car trains as the first batch enters service.

Alstom X’trapolis 2.0 train at Flinders Street station in Melbourne
X’trapolis 2.0 train at Flinders Street station in Melbourne. Illustrative photo. Photo: Billy Evans, CC BY 4.0.

Follow-on order doubles the programme

The new contract follows the initial 25-train order placed in 2021. Victoria’s 2026–27 Budget allocated A$674m for 25 additional six-car X’trapolis 2.0 trains for the metropolitan network, turning the original procurement into a 50-train programme.

The first X’trapolis 2.0 from the initial batch entered passenger service in May, while further trains continue to be delivered. Alstom said the first order was worth €300m and that the fleet would be rolled out progressively over the coming years.

A separate delivery timetable for the newly ordered second batch has not been published on Victoria’s current X’trapolis 2.0 project page. The confirmed change at this stage is therefore the expansion of the order itself, while production and introduction of the first 25 trains are already underway.

Don’t miss…MTA Vacuum Train Fire at Astor Place Injures 14 People

Fifty trains support the Comeng replacement

Victoria says the X’trapolis 2.0 fleet is being introduced to enable the gradual retirement of Melbourne’s entire long-serving Comeng fleet. The new trains are initially being deployed on the Upfield, Craigieburn and Frankston lines.

Each X’trapolis 2.0 can carry up to 1,225 passengers and provides 20 dedicated wheelchair spaces, together with pram, bicycle and mixed-use areas. Wide doorways, semi-automated boarding ramps, tactile signage and assistive hearing technology are among the accessibility features.

The trains are derived from Alstom’s Adessia commuter platform and were developed with Victoria’s Department of Transport & Planning. Production is taking place in Victoria, with at least 60% local content required.

By exercising the follow-on option, Victoria has moved the programme from a single 25-train procurement to a 50-train fleet renewal. The second batch now has a confirmed order, while its detailed delivery schedule remains to be announced.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…RITES develops standard-gauge locomotive for Australia