Bendigo Workshops
| Company type | Railway maintenance facility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport maintenance |
| Founded | November 1917 |
| Headquarters | Bendigo , Australia |
Area served | Victoria, Australia |
| Products | Locomotive and rolling stock maintenance, locomotive manufacturing (historical) |
Number of employees | 720 (1966) |
Bendigo Workshops is a railway maintenance facility located in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, positioned to the north of the city near where the Yungera and Deniliquin rail lines intersect. Spanning 10.3 hectares, the complex consists of 31 buildings, featuring a principal workshop covering 10,000 square meters and an extensive network of six kilometres of track.
History
Victorian Railways inaugurated the workshops in November 1917, motivated in part by political demands for decentralisation and rising local unemployment due to the downturn in mining activities. Initially dedicated to repair and upkeep tasks, the facility produced thirteen steam locomotives between 1919 and 1922—comprising eight DD class units and five A2 class models.
Starting from the 1950s, the workshops undertook the dismantling of numerous steam locomotives, at times averaging one scrapped engine every two to three weeks after diesel trains were introduced in 1968. The site was also home to VR’s first brass foundry before it relocated to Newport during the 1960s. In 1965, production of VLX louvred vans reached a pace of approximately one unit per week. The facility also manufactured springs, stainless steel footwarmers, and pantographs for electric trains, employing about 720 workers by 1966. By the 1980s, it had expanded its operations to include refurbishment of Melbourne’s suburban electric multiple units.
Following the restructuring of Victorian Railways in the 1980s and its subsequent division, management shifted first to the State Transport Authority and later to the Public Transport Corporation. The workshops ceased operations amid privatisation efforts, leading to a reduction of 262 jobs. In February 1996, A Goninan & Co (which later became UGL Rail) assumed control of the site.
In October 1999, Great Northern Rail Services acquired ownership of the workshops; however, A Goninan & Co continued as tenants until February 2001. A redevelopment project costing $6.5 million was finalized in 2004, financed by VicTrack ($4 million), the State Government Regional Infrastructure Development Fund ($2 million), and City of Greater Bendigo ($500,000). Empire Rubber, a division of Nylex, became the primary occupant producing rubber components for vehicles until it ceased operations in 2007.
Since 2009, Southern Shorthaul Railroad has leased the premises for servicing locomotives and rolling stock on behalf of clients such as Aurizon, GrainCorp, Metro Trains Melbourne, Pacific National, Qube Holdings, Rail First Asset Management, and V/Line. Notably, two BRM class locomotives were built at Bendigo Workshops in 2012.