Last ever B-series railcar delivered - METRONET railcars next

• Last of 78 B-series railcar sets about to enter service
• Procurement underway on $1.6 billion project to deliver 246 new C-series railcars
• Target of at least 50 per cent local manufacturing for C-series railcars
• Future railcars to be assembled at new METRONET facility in Bellevue
• METRONET's C-Series project will create hundreds of local jobs

The last B-series train will be launched on the Transperth network next week, exactly 15 years since the first of its type was unveiled.

In June 2004, then Labor Premier Geoff Gallop revealed the first three-car B-series train set, which went into service on the Joondalup Line in September of that year ahead of the opening of Clarkson Station.

Since then, 78 three-car B-series (234 cars) have been brought online, at a cost of more than $760 million.

Built in Maryborough (Queensland) by EDI Rail-Bombardier Transportation Pty Ltd, the more efficient three-car B-series boosted passenger capacity by about 30 per cent compared with Transperth's initial electric two-car A-series model.

The last B-series train is planned to go into service on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines next week, once its final commissioning is complete.

The procurement process for the next generation of C-series METRONET railcars, which will be largely manufactured locally, is already underway.

The $1.6 billion project will see 102 new railcars (17 six-car sets) built to service the new METRONET projects as they come online. A further 144 railcars (24 six-car sets) are being procured to replace the network's ageing A-series trains, the first electric railcars on the Transperth network.

By placing the order for all the railcars at once, the Government expects to achieve a lower unit cost and encourage better development of local industry and securing the local manufacturing workforce for longer.

Delivery of the new railcars, yet to be finalised with the preferred supplier, is expected to start in 2021.

While the final design and features of the railcars will be determined in co-operation with the chosen supplier, the fully accessible C-series are expected to operate for 35 years.

They will have a capacity of about 1,200 passengers, have extra, wider doors for easier boarding, USB charging ports and eco-friendly measures such as LED lighting and regenerative braking.

Assessment of the tenders of the three groups shortlisted to build the next generation of Transperth trains is well advanced, with the contract anticipated to be signed in late 2019.

The requirement for the supplier to assemble 50 per cent of the railcars in Western Australia is a key component of the tender. They will also be expected to maintain the railcars for up to 30 years.

The project also includes construction of a railcar assembly and commissioning facility at Bellevue.