The Courier, Ballarat 10/5/04

Ballarat is at the centre of a locomotion commotion, with 70 new jobs and $12 million generated by ALSTOM’s new state-of-the-art X’Trapolis trains.

Manufacturing and Export Minister Tim Holding congratulated the multinational company on the completion of the project.

The joint Australian-French venture has seen 47 three-car X’Trapolis trains assembled at ALSTOM’s Ballarat Centre.

“Victoria is currently undergoing the largest refurbishment of rolling stock and rail in its history and ALSTOM’s state of the art trainsets form a centrepiece in this renewal,” Mr Holding said.

The project, which delivered 58 trainsets to connex, cost $332 million.