Transport for NSW has announced that a new Regional Rail Fleet of diesel-electric passenger trains are to be the first in Australia to use bi-mode technology when they hit the tracks in 2023.
The Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole said the trains would transform passenger rail travel in regional NSW and were expected to save about $2 million annually in diesel fuel costs.
“We are leading the charge for more efficient and sustainable regional rail travel, with our new fleet being built with diesel-electric bi-mode technology,” Mr Toole said.
“This means when our trains enter electrified parts of NSW’s rail network they can connect to overhead power,” he said.
Mr Toole said the new 29-train fleet would be charged and maintained at a new facility to be built in Dubbo.
“NSW’s electrified network reaches as far as Broadmeadow in the north, Lithgow in the west, Kiama in the south and Macarthur in the south west.”
Mr Toole said the new fleet would also have low emission diesel engines for travel along non-electrified sections of the rail network.