Victoria is seeing significant job benefits from the Regional Rail Revival program, which is creating positions for skilled technicians and electricians, as well as a number of trainees.
Six highly-skilled signalling technicians recently assembled seven location boxes at V/Line’s signalling and maintenance depot in Wendouree. The signalling equipment, worth more than $1 million, is for level crossing upgrades between Sale and Bairnsdale as part of work on the $530 million Gippsland Line Upgrade.
Work will begin later in the year to assemble the location boxes needed for 12 level crossing upgrades as part of the $114 million Warrnambool Line Upgrade.
“This is all part of our massive pipeline of investment that is not only building a public transport system to get Victorians home safer and sooner, but also boosting local economies and creating jobs,” Victorian Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan said.
“Building signalling equipment in Ballarat for the Gippsland line and other parts of Victoria is just one example of how we’re making sure regions benefit from initiatives such as Regional Rail Revival.”
The work involves technical wiring, cable installation and testing to prepare the level crossing location cases, before they are installed at level crossings.
Local electricians are also engaged where necessary, boosting opportunities for local suppliers.
The V/Line depot in Wendouree was established to centralise signalling work for level crossing upgrades across the regional rail network, under programs such as the Regional Rail Revival and the Safer Country Crossings Program upgrades and has created six permanent signalling technician jobs.
V/Line has employed two A-Grade electricians to cater for the growth in work at the Wendouree depot and they are both training to become signalling technicians over the next two years to deliver this essential work.
The $1.75 billion Regional Rail Revival is a joint initiative of the Australian and Victorian governments, which will upgrade every regional line in Victoria and create more than 1000 jobs.
It will develop industry skills and grow local economies through the government’s Local Jobs First – Victorian Industry Participation Policy, and at least 10 per cent of the program’s workforce will be trainees, apprentices and cadets.
