The Government of Victoria, Australia, has opened a state-of-the-art biowash facility for regional trains, as work continues on a major upgrade of the South Dynon train maintenance facility.
The Minister for Public and Active Transport, Gabrielle Williams, visited South Dynon to see the new biowash operating and inspect progress on Stage 2 of the AUD 322 million (USD 210 million) facility upgrade, which will be completed in 2026.
Stage 2 of the South Dynon train maintenance facility upgrade will include a new wastewater treatment plant, upgraded train wash and refueling facilities, track reconfiguration, and new staffing and security infrastructure. An under-floor wheel lathe is also being installed at the Alstom-operated facility to maintain the wheels of V/Line trains.
Stage 1 of the upgrade was completed in early 2024 and included improving maintenance roads, upgrading power to the site, new CCTV and lighting to make it safer and new tracks for more efficient train movements.
The biowash facility is one of two across the regional network and is a critical part of maintenance operations at South Dynon to enable V/Line trains to return to service sooner to run passenger services.
Previously, trains requiring biowashing shared the standard train wash at the South Dynon facility. The new standalone biowash will reduce the time taken to biowash a three-carriage unit, with capacity to wash five trains a day.
Biowash facilities are used to clean trains after animal strikes occur, with V/Line experiencing a higher-than-normal number of animal strikes in recent months, resulting in more trains needing to be bio-washed and in some cases, requiring maintenance due to damage.
The South Dynon train maintenance facility was purpose built in 1961 to service the state’s trains and is being upgraded to meet growing demand, as more VLocity trains from this fleet come into service.
The Victorian Budget 2025/26 is investing almost AUD 180 million (USD 117.5 million) in V/Line maintenance over the next 12 months.
The government investment will fund maintenance across the network and allow V/Line to continue its programmes of major periodic maintenance to ensure the ongoing upkeep of the network so it can deliver safe and reliable services.
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