Alstom to supply New Zealand’s first BEMU fleet

$US 634.5m contract to supply and maintain 18 BEMUs for Wellington commuter network.

Photo Credit: Alstom

THE Greater Wellington Regional Council in New Zealand has awarded Alstom a contract worth $NZ 1.065bn ($US 634.5m) to supply 18 five-car Adessia Stream BEMUs and maintain the new fleet for 35 years.

Ordered under the Lower North Island Rail Integrated Mobility (LNIRIM) programme, the first BEMUs for New Zealand will enable emissions-free operation on non-electrified sections of the Wairarapa and Manawatu lines of the Wellington commuter network, including the 9km Remutaka Tunnel. The 1067mm-gauge Wellington network is electrified at 1.5kV dc.

Built at Alstom’s Savli facility in India, the new fleet will replace trains hauled by diesel locomotives that are due to be withdrawn in 2028 and 2029. Each BEMU will accommodate up to 475 passengers and will have a maximum speed of 120km/h.

The new trains will be equipped with toilets. Other onboard amenities will include space for wheelchairs, bicycles, pushchairs and luggage, as well as vending machines for food and drink and water dispensers.

Maintenance will be undertaken by Alstom at a new facility in Masterton, purpose-built for the new fleet by Greater Wellington Regional Council. Alstom says that it will deploy a number of systems in New Zealand for the first time, including its HealthHub condition-based predictive maintenance system and a connected driver advisory system.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with the New Zealand government, through the Ministry of Transport, New Zealand Transport Agency, Greater Wellington and Horizons regional councils, alongside Transdev and KiwiRail, to bring Alstom rolling stock and maintenance expertise to New Zealand for the first time,” says Pascal Dupond, managing director of Alstom Australia and New Zealand.

“The contract will see us bringing our zero-emissions rail technology to the Asia-Pacific region for the first time and I look forward to even greater expansion and partnership in the region,” says Ling Fang, president of the Asia-Pacific region at Alstom.

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