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ComfortDelGro will bid to run Melbourne trains from 2027 as part of consortium
ComfortDelGro currently manages more than 360 buses that serve Melbourne's metropolitan routes and operates Australia's largest taxi network with a fleet of over 8,300 vehicles. PHOTO: COMFORTDELGRO
ComfortDelGro will bid to run Melbourne trains from 2027 as part of consortium
SINGAPORE – Home-grown transport operator ComfortDelGro will be bidding to operate and maintain the metro lines in Melbourne, Australia, from 2027 , when the contract of current operator Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) expires.
Announcing this on LinkedIn on May 26 , ComfortDelGro said it will be part of a consortium that includes Australian rail manufacturer UGL, Japan's East Japan Railway and Japanese investment conglomerate Marubeni Corp.
While the tender for the operation and maintenance of the Melbourne metro system has not been called, this consortium was formed ahead of time to prepare for the bidding.
Melbourne's metro network spans 405km and comprises 17 train lines and 222 stations , making it Australia's largest suburban rail system, ComfortDelGro noted.
The company said on LinkedIn that it would bring global expertise, innovation, exceptional service and operational excellence through this partnership.
Citing its decades of experience in managing metro systems in Singapore and serving the communities in Australia, ComfortDelGro said it is looking forward to proposing innovative and sustainable transport solutions to elevate the rail experience for passengers in Melbourne.
At present, Melbourne's metro network is being operated by MTM, a joint venture between Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway, Australian transport company John Holland Group and UGL.
MTM has been operating Melbourne's metro system for close to 16 years to date, from November 2009, but the contract will expire in 2027.
It started running the city's rail network under an eight -year concession contract, which was later extended for seven more years in September 2017 and then subsequently extended for 18 more months till 2027.
ComfortDelGro's plan to bid to operate the rail network in Melbourne comes on the back of the company successfully clinching an 11-year contract to run and maintain Stockholm Metro's three existing lines – awarded in January 2024 – as well as a six-year contract to operate the south sector of Paris' Line 15, which was awarded in July 2023.
The company's first foray overseas as a rail operator was in August 2021, when it bagged a $1.13 billion deal to operate rail services in Auckland, New Zealand.
Earlier in January, ComfortDelGro similarly expressed interest in bidding for an operation and maintenance contract for the Copenhagen metro system in Denmark.
In Melbourne, the company currently manages more than 360 buses that serve the city's metropolitan routes and operates Australia's largest taxi network with a fleet of over 8,300 vehicles.
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