First look at upcoming trams to be made at Dandenong

A life-sized mock-up of the upcoming Melbourne G-class trams, to be built by Alstom, was on display at an event at Tullamarine on Monday morning.

Transport minister Gabrielle Williams visited the unveiling of the model, which is being used for testing and evaluation before production ramps up.

Testing on the network is scheduled for 2025 before the vehicles begin serving passengers on Routes 57, 59 and 82.

“This is the biggest investment in locally made trams in Australia’s history and today is an important step towards finalising the design before production gets underway in Dandenong,” said Williams in a statement on Monday

The $1.85 billion contract to build 100 trams was announced in April last year. The contract with Bombardier Transportation Australia (now owned by Alstom) requires at least 65 per cent Australian content to be used.

The G-class will replace the A and Z-class high-floor trams, and accommodate 150 passengers each. 

According to the Victorian government, they will feature on-board energy storage to reduce power use and network costs, as well as regenerative braking, and consume 30 to 40 per cent less energy per passenger compared to an E Class tram. 

Picture: credit @KieranJRooney/X

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