NSW selects former Teralba coal mine as site for state-owned train factory

The New South Wales government has chosen a former coal-mine at Teralba, Lake Macquarie, as the preferred location for a state-owned train-manufacturing facility, according to Premier Chris Minns. The site, owned by Macquarie Coal and partially held by Glencere, beat the Broadmeadow locomotive depot in a preliminary assessment that highlighted its larger footprint, flexibility for manufacturing, assembly, commissioning and on-site dynamic testing, and capacity for future expansion.

Funded through the Future Fleet Program, the plant will initially produce the Tangara replacement fleet and later handle replacement programmes for the Millennium, OSCAR and Waratah fleets through the 2040s and 2050s. The development is expected to support up to 780 jobs during construction and roughly 550 ongoing roles across the factory and its supply chain. Regional business group Business Hunter, led by Bob Hawes, welcomed the announcement as a significant industrial opportunity for the Hunter area, which has a long rail-manufacturing heritage dating back to companies like Goninan. The government will now proceed with detailed site investigations, due-diligence and acquisition steps, while keeping Broadmeadow as an alternative option.