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 at least 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.
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 1225 passengers
- wider doors to make boarding and alighting easier, helping maintain on-time running
- advanced air suspension systems enabling a smoother ride
- improved passenger information that provides more journey information 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 and dedicated wheelchair spaces.
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.
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 the Department of Transport and Planning, Alstom and Metro Trains Melbourne.
A conversation summary – accessible below – summarises the hundreds of individual pieces of feedback 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 1632 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.
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 significantly 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 are also easier for the skilled driving and maintenance staff to operate and maintain them every day.
For more details on job opportunities in Ballarat, visit the Alstom website.
Manufacturing and testing
The X’Trapolis 2.0 trains are being made in Victoria at Ballarat, with at least 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 Victorian 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 are now undergoing a rigorous testing program to ensure the safety of passengers and the reliability of this new fleet. New X’Trapolis 2.0 trains will be testing across the network throughout 2025 ahead of them taking passengers.
Visit the PTV website to see if these tests will affect your journey.
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. New roof platforms and extended maintenance pits will help workers safely maintain the roofs and undercarriages of the trains.
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.
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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