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X'Trapolis 2.0 - modern trains for a modern Melbourne

The Victorian Government is investing $986 million in 25 state-of-the-art X’Trapolis 2.0 trains and major upgrades to the Craigieburn Train Maintenance Facility in Melbourne’s north.

The new X’Trapolis 2.0 trains will provide more reliable journeys, better passenger information, and improved accessibility, energy efficiency and comfort.

They will enable the gradual retirement of our longest-serving Comeng trains on the Craigieburn, Upfield and Frankston lines.

The new trains are being built right here in regional Victoria and will include a minimum of 60 per cent local content. This will support up to 750 local jobs across the supply chain and up to 150 in the local Ballarat area.

These new trains are being built by the local arm of international train and tram manufacturer Alstom, and will be the next phase of renewal for Melbourne’s train fleet, following the rollout of our new High Capacity Metro Trains.

XTrapoli 2.0 train exterior

Passenger benefits

With new features and innovations, the trains will make travelling more comfortable and improve accessibility for passengers.

These benefits include:

  • Space for about 1,225 passengers
  • Wider doors to make boarding and alighting easier, helping maintain on-time running
  • Advanced air suspension systems, enabling a smoother ride
  • Advanced passenger information systems that provide more detail about the journey in real-time
  • A more energy-efficient design configured for Melbourne’s rail network
  • New interior designs to improve accessibility for hearing-, vision- and mobility-impaired passengers, including 20 wheelchair spaces
  • Enhanced accessibility features:
    • more mobility spaces
    • semi-automated boarding ramps
    • hearing loops
    • continuous walkway throughout the train
    • clearer, more informative passenger displays
  • Designated ‘mixed-use’ onboard spaces for bicycle and pram storage, as well as dedicated wheelchair spaces.

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Designing the train

The Victorian Government and train manufacturer Alstom delivered a life-size physical mock-up of the new X’Trapolis 2.0 train in mid-2023 as part of ongoing targeted engagement work.

A range of Victorians got the chance to influence the look and feel of the new Victorian-made X’Trapolis 2.0 trains from May to July 2023 as part of targeted engagement at Alstom’s facility in Tullamarine.

This included in-depth sessions with technical, passenger and accessibility stakeholders, supported by subject matter experts from Alstom, DTP and MTM.

The conversation summary – accessible below – summarises hundreds of individual pieces of feedback, which have been used to inform the train design.

Design refinements will continue throughout the manufacturing and testing phases of the project.

Stakeholder feedback has so far resulted in 58 design changes based on 641 individual pieces of recorded feedback from the 1,632 visitors that came through the mock up.

These changes will improve passenger and driver experience on the train, making journeys more accessible and more comfortable.

X’Trapolis 2.0 Conversation Summary
PDF 4.34 MB
(opens in a new window)

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Supporting local jobs

X’Trapolis 2.0 trains are being designed and manufactured predominantly in Victoria at Alstom’s Ballarat facility, with at least 60 per cent local content.

This project will provide a huge boost to Victoria’s local rolling stock manufacturing industry, supporting up to 750 local rolling stock manufacturing and supply chain jobs as well as trainee and apprenticeship positions – with a significant number of these based in the Ballarat area.

Building on our experience gained in recent Victorian train projects, we want to ensure our new trains meet contemporary passenger needs and make it easier for the skilled driving and maintenance staff who will operate and maintain them every day.

For more details on job opportunities in Ballarat, visit the Alstom website(opens in a new window).

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Manufacturing and testing

The X’Trapolis 2.0 trains are being made in Victoria at Ballarat, with a minimum of 60 per cent local content, exceeding the Government’s minimum 50 per cent local content requirement.

Alstom recently completed upgrade works at the Ballarat site to bring it up to modern standards, as part of the State Government's $986 million investment in the X'Trapolis 2.0 project.

The Ballarat facility is over 100 years old and has a proud history as a key pillar of the state's rolling stock industry.

Local suppliers are delivering key elements of the new trains such as accessibility ramps, passenger windows, heating and ventilation systems, and couplers that connect the train carriages together.

The new trains will undergo rigorous testing procedures to ensure the safety of passengers.

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Craigieburn Train Maintenance Facility

Metro Trains will operate the X’Trapolis 2.0 train fleet and maintain the new trains at the Craigieburn Train Maintenance Facility.

The Craigieburn facility is being upgraded to house the new six-car trains, with new roof platforms and extended maintenance pits to help workers maintain the roof and undercarriages of the trains safely.

The upgrades will create more space for the new trains and improve train maintenance to make the fleet more reliable and support service improvements and service delivery. Upgrades at the maintenance facility are anticipated to be complete when the new X’Trapolis 2.0 trains start to enter service.

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Virtual tour of the train

More information

For more information on the X’Trapolis 2.0 train project, email: xt2trains@transport.vic.gov.au

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