Concept art of a G-class tram in service. Image: Alstom
Victorian Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams was given a first-hand preview of the first full-scale mockup of a new G-class tram on Monday (23 October).
Based on Alstom’s successful Flexity 2 design, 100 new G-class trams are being manufactured by Alstom in Dandenong using at least 65 per cent Australian content. The manufacturing, supply chain and construction phases of the project are supporting up to 1900 local jobs.
The $1.85 billion project includes maintenance of the new trams by Alstom for a period of 15 years and the construction of a new maintenance and stabling facility on the old Victoria University site in Maidstone.
“We’re getting on with delivering modern and more accessible trams to Melbourne’s west, replacing our longest-serving high-floor trams while supporting hundreds of skilled jobs,” Ms Williams said.
“This is the biggest investment in locally made trams in Australia’s history and today is an important step towards finalising the design before production gets underway in Dandenong.”
The G-class is a 25-metre long three-section articulated tram that can carry up to 150 passengers and has a low-floor design to improve accessibility.
The new trams are designed to use less electric power than the current E1 and E2-class trams by utilising onboard battery power storage, which will be recharged by regenerative braking. This will reduce power demands at peak times and reduce overall power demands by about 30 per cent.
After testing and validation, the first of the new fleet will replace existing A and Z-class trams on Routes 57, 59 and 82 in Melbourne’s west.
The mockup unveiled yesterday will allow passengers, tram drivers, and technical and accessibility groups to inspect the interior layout, including the driver’s cab, to provide feedback on the design.
