NewsAurecon appointed in dual Technical Advisor roles for NSW Future Fleet Program

The Future Fleet Program will, for the first time in NSW, see double-deck suburban passenger train replacements built locally. Spanning a 30-year horizon through to 2050, the program will progressively replace ageing rolling stock across the Sydney Trains network, starting with the iconic Tangara fleet and extending in later horizons to include the Millennium, Oscar and Waratah fleets.

Aurecon's appointment builds on directly transferable expertise gained through key technical advisory roles on comparable programs in other Australian states, including the METRONET Railcar Procurement Program in Western Australia and the Queensland Train Manufacturing Program in Queensland.

Aurecon Managing Director, Transport Scott Smith said the appointment underscores the company’s depth of capability in major rail procurement.

“Aurecon has long been at the forefront of complex rail procurement programs across Australia. Our appointment to this dual advisory role on the Future Fleet Program reflects our proven expertise, our commitment to supporting local industry, and our ability to bring integrated, end-to-end advisory capability across both rolling stock and infrastructure.”

As Rolling Stock Technical Advisor for Horizon 1 – the replacement of 55 eight-car Tangara sets – Aurecon, in Joint Venture with Hatch, is providing advice across three key packages:

• Technical specifications: Aurecon is leading development of all rolling stock technical specifications, while managing the systems engineering process to ensure cohesion across all rolling stock packages. Safety assurance, sustainability, circular economy principles and human factors requirements are integrated throughout.
• Shadow manufacturing and local supply chain strategy: Appointed as Engineering Manager for Transport for NSW, Aurecon is acting as a shadow manufacturer, advising on the size, layout and operational requirements of a potential production facility, and providing strategic guidance on local supply chain sustainability, commercial risk and procurement models to make NSW manufacturing a viable, long-term outcome.
• Fleet maintenance: Aurecon is developing a comprehensive maintenance framework for the new fleet, including a maintenance concept definition, fleet maintenance strategy, and asset management and handover strategy. The team is also evaluating existing Sydney Trains facilities for their suitability to support future maintenance operations.

As Infrastructure Technical Advisor, in Joint Venture with AECOM, Aurecon is defining all ground-side assets and systems needed to support the introduction of the new fleet across three workstreams:

• Production facility: assessing approximately 20 potential sites. The team is working closely with cost estimators to build a picture of facility requirements, identify key cost risks including environmental and geological factors, and ensure the design is future-proofed, flexible and built to a zero-carbon standard.
• Stabling and maintenance facilities: Working directly with Sydney Trains, the long-term maintainer of the Future Fleet, Aurecon is assessing existing network facilities for their suitability, identifying required upgrades and new assets, and translating outputs into designs and cost estimates that capture capital and operating costs through to 2050.
• Power and systems integration: Assessing network-wide power requirements arising from the new fleet, including upgrades to substations, power feeders and overhead wiring, while carefully managing civil, electrical and signalling interfaces between the new trains and the existing network.

With a 50% local content target, the Future Fleet Program will ensure Australian and NSW-based businesses and workers are engaged in designing, building and maintaining the fleet. Over the life of the program, the initiative is expected to create thousands of jobs and stimulate significant economic growth.