Nine hundred bogie frames will be built at the manufacturer’s Bendigo workshop for the $2.3 billion high capacity metro trains project.

The bogie frames will connect the axles and wheels to carriages for 65 new metropolitan trains, to enter service from mid-2019. 

“Bogie frames haven’t been built in Bendigo since the 1980s,” Minister for Public Transport and Member for Bendigo East, Jacinta Allan, said.

“We’re building world class trains and trams and we’re building them right here in Victoria.”

The state government claims the project is the “largest order of new trains in Victoria’s history”.

Most of the materials – 87 per cent – will be sourced from Victoria.

“By investing in jobs right here in Bendigo, we ensure the community continues to grow and thrive for future generations,” Member for Bendigo West, Maree Edwards, said.

The project will see Hofmann Engineering working with organisations such as CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles, one of the world’s leading rolling stock manufacturers and part of the Evolution Rail consortium that will design and build Victoria’s new trains.

Other consortium members include the Downer Group and the Plenary Group.

Minister for Industry and Employment Wade Noonan said the project would give Hofmann Engineering an opportunity to drive a new wave of local manufacturing.

“We see a long term future in Victoria's rolling stock industry, and that's why we're building our trains and trams right here,” he said.

From Bendigo, the bogie frames will be sent to Downer’s Newport railyard, where the train fleet will be built, for additional components such as wheels, suspension, motors and gearboxes. 

The bogies will then be attached to carriages and taken to the Pakenham East Depot for testing and commissioning. 

The new trains will be rolled out along the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines.

They will eventually run to Sunbury through the Metro Tunnel, which has yet to be built.

Passenger capacity per train will increase by about 20 per cent, to at least 1380 passengers. 

The project will create 1100 full time jobs statewide.