Image: Refurbished Tangara Train, Supplied
Last week, the first of 55 refurbished Tangara trains returning to passenger service made its refreshed debut on the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line. The trains, first manufactured almost 40 years ago in Newcastle, will now re-enter timetable service after extensive refurbishment, extending their lifespan by over a decade.
Three more refurbished Tangaras will enter service before the end of Q1 2027 as part of the $447 million Tangara Life Extension program, underway at Auburn and Flemington in Sydney, and a new facility in Cardiff, Hunter Valley. The latter state-owned manufacturing facility is slated to receive $12 billion over 15 years, and employ up to 780 workers in construction and 550 ongoing jobs in the facility and supply chains.
Tangara Train Refurbishments: What’s New?
The refurbishment includes updating interiors and fittings, upgrading the onboard operating system, installing internal destination displays and CCTV, upgrading public address systems including digital voice announcements, installing new safety and accessibility features such as, flip up seating for priority wheelchair spaces, improved passenger emergency help points, and the installation of internal emergency door release system.
“These refurbished Tangaras will look better, feel better, be more accessible and more reliable,” said Minister for Transport John Graham.
“Passengers on the all-important T4 line will spot them straight away. They are refreshed both inside and out and will be more reliable now they have been modernised with the latest security features.”
The Tangara trains make up almost 30% of the Sydney Trains suburban passenger fleet and are in service predominantly on the T4. According to the NSW Government, the improved security features including the installation of internal CCTV will make them less prone to vandalism and reduce the incidence of breakdowns and service interruptions.
“These upgrades mean safer, more accessible and more reliable trains for local passengers, said Member for Heathcote Maryanne Stuart, “from improved CCTV and door systems to new priority wheelchair spaces and modernised interiors.”
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