Downer Rail is a business unit within the Downer Group. As well as manufacturing and maintaining railway rolling stock it holds maintenance contracts to maintain rail infrastructure. The head office is located in North Ryde.
History
The EDI Rail division was formed in March 2001 following the merger of Evans Deakin Industries and Downer Group to form Downer EDi. In July 2007 the division was renamed Downer Rail and in 2018 it merged with Downer's Infrastructure Services division to form Transport and Infrastructure.. The history of Downer Rail began in 1867 when Walkers Limited opened a branch in Maryborough. In 1980 Walkers Limited was sold to Evans Deakin Industries and included in the merger with Downer EDi. Evans Deakin operated the former Clyde Engineering plants at Kelso and Somerton and Walkers Limited, Maryborough plant. It had recently reopened the former Cardiff Locomotive Workshops to build CityRailM sets. In 2008 Locomotive Demand Power was established as a subsidiary to lease locomotives. In November 2009 Downer Rail became a tram operator through its 49% shareholding in Keolis Downer that operates the Yarra Trams franchise in Melbourne. In July 2014, Keolis Downer commenced operating the light rail line on the Gold Coast. In March 2015, Keolis Downer purchased bus operator Australian Transit Enterprises which operates the Hornibrook Bus Lines, Link SA, Path Transit and SouthLink operations with 930 buses.
Products
Downer Rail has manufactured items of rolling stock at its factories in Cardiff, Somerton, Maryborough and Port Augusta. As the ex-licence holder for Electro-Motive Diesel products it has also been involved in the procurement and maintenance of over 150 American built EMD SD70 series locomotives for BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals Group's Pilbara operations.
Sydney Trains M sets - 141 carriages built at Cardiff
Sydney Trains A sets - 626 carriages built at Cardiff
Sydney Trains B sets - 192 carriages, or 24 8-car sets, were delivered throughout 2017 and 2018. The sets were manufactured by CRRC in China. A further 17 8-car sets were ordered in February 2019 and will be delivered from the second half of 2020.
QR Diesel Tilt Train - 6 power cars and 32 carriages built at Maryborough
Services
Locomotive leasing
Locomotive Demand Power is a subsidiary offering locomotives for lease. As at January 2014 thirteen standard gauge GT46s and six narrow gauge GT42s had been built at Cardiff and Maryborough respectively with nine of the former leased to Aurizon.
