UGL Rail
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport engineering |
| Founded | 1899 |
| Founder | Alfred and Ralph Goninan |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
Area served | Australia, Asia |
| Products | Diesel locomotives, electric multiple units, freight wagons |
Number of employees | 1200 |
| Parent | UGL |
| Website | www |
UGL Rail is an Australian-based rail enterprise focused on the construction, servicing, and overhaul of diesel locomotives, diesel and electric multiple units, as well as freight wagons. Operating as a division of UGL, its headquarters are situated in Melbourne, employing around 1,200 personnel throughout Australia and Asia. The company’s manufacturing plants are positioned in Broadmeadow (Newcastle), Spotswood, and Bassendean. A previously operational facility in Taree was shut down with its machinery disposed of.
History
Established in 1899 by Cornish siblings Alfred and Ralph Goninan initially to serve the coal industry engineering needs, A Goninan & Co Limited transitioned into a publicly listed company by 1905. The firm ventured into the railway industry in 1917 via Commonwealth Steel Products Company based in Waratah, Newcastle, manufacturing wheels and axles locally due to wartime import limitations during World War I. In 1919, the business relocated to owned premises at Broadmeadow and broadened its scope to general engineering including pitheads, boilers, wagons, and substantial castings related to coal mining operations.
In October 1964, ownership of A Goninan & Co transferred to Howard Smith. Later in August 1999, it was acquired by United Group and rebranded as United Goninan. After United Group’s purchase of the Australian branch of Alstom in 2005, the entity was renamed United Group Rail as part of a corporate restructuring strategy.
Factories
Although the principal manufacturing site was at Broadmeadow, the company also took over Comeng’s Bassendean facility in Western Australia. During the 1990s, this plant refurbished numerous Pilbara Alco locomotives incorporating General Electric components and manufactured 17 Westrail P class locomotives along with 60 NR class units.
In 1983, a new factory was launched in Townsville to fulfil a Queensland Railways contract demanding local assembly of the 2600 class locomotives; subsequently, it also produced the 2800 class models.
Following UGL’s acquisition of Alstom’s operations in Australia and New Zealand in 2005, UGL leased Alstom’s Ballarat North workshops until 2012, thereby expanding its production capabilities.
National
- 14 Australian National EL class diesel locomotives
- 120 National Rail NR class diesel locomotives
- 137 UGL Rail C44aci diesel locomotives
New South Wales
- 6 New South Wales 43 class diesel locomotives
- 20 New South Wales 47 class diesel locomotives
- 5 stainless steel power vans
- 150 Sydney Trains S set EMU carriages
- 160 Sydney Trains K set EMU carriages
- 56 Sydney Trains C set EMU carriages
- 455 Sydney Trains T set (Tangara) EMU carriages
- 196 NSW TrainLink H set (Oscar) EMU carriages
- 14 Hunter DMU carriages
- 12 QR National 5000 class diesel locomotives
- 19 QR National 5020 class diesel locomotives
Victoria
- 4 4D EMU carriages
- 22 V/Line Sprinter DMU carriages
Queensland
- 3 Queensland Railways 1150 class diesel locomotives
- 13 Queensland Railways 2600 class diesel locomotives
- 50 Queensland Railways 2800 class diesel locomotives
- 3 UGL Rail PH37ACmai diesel locomotives
Western Australia
- 20 diesel multiple unit carriages of the Western Australia ADL/ADC class
- 17 diesel locomotives of the Westrail P class
- 9 DMU carriages from the Prospector/Avonlink WDA/WDB/WDC classes
- 3 GE C36-7 diesel locomotives, manufactured in 1978 for the Hamersley & Robe River railway
Hong Kong
- Overhaul of 762 MTR Metro Cammell M-stock carriages for MTR operations
- 20 Phase 3 light rail vehicles for Hong Kong Light Rail
- Design and production of 22 Phase 4 light rail vehicles for Hong Kong Light Rail by UGL in partnership with CSR Corporation Limited
Sydney Metro
UGL participates in the Metro Trains Sydney consortium, which was responsible for building and currently operates the Sydney Metro Northwest line.
New Intercity Fleet
As part of the RailConnect NSW consortium alongside Hyundai Rotem and Mitsubishi Electric, UGL contributes to the design, construction, and maintenance of more than 500 NSW TrainLink D set carriages. Deliveries commenced in late 2019, with maintenance activities conducted at the Kangy Angy Maintenance Centre.
UGL Unipart
Since March 1994, UGL Rail has been servicing CityRail's EMU fleet at Maintrain in Auburn, following the closure of previous workshops. In the early 1990s, A Goninan & Co undertook refurbishment of S and V sets under the Citydecker initiative.
From December 2011 onward, UGL Unipart—a joint venture between UGL and Unipart with a 70:30 ownership split—has handled maintenance for most CityRail, Sydney Trains, and NSW TrainLink EMU fleets. Starting in 2018, maintenance responsibilities for NSW TrainLink H sets transitioned from Eveleigh to other depots, with significant work continuing at Maintrain. The maintenance agreement covering approximately 1,050 Sydney Trains carriages, including H and V sets, was extended for an additional two years beginning July 2019.
Country Regional Network
UGL Rail assumed responsibility for maintaining the NSW Country Regional Network in January 2022, taking over from the John Holland Group.
Metro Trains Melbourne
UGL Rail holds a 20% ownership interest in Metro Trains Melbourne, the consortium managing Melbourne’s metropolitan rail network since November 2009.
Adelaide
In July 2020, UGL Rail commenced maintenance operations on Adelaide’s Glenelg tram line as part of the Torrens Connect consortium.