Kiwirail currently carries out maintenance on locomotives, wagons, and passenger cars at various KiwiRail locations in the South Island. The need to upgrade, rehabilitate, and replace existing Dunedin mechanical facilities has been prompted by the procurement of the new South Island Loco fleet, changes to the fleet type and size, interim facility constraints brought on by aging structures, and historical layout concerns.

The design has been staged across three main vertical building and infrastructure design packages, at the crux of which is a technologically advanced and innovative circa 5000m2 mechanical workshop – complete with heavy lift loco jacks, gantry cranes, jib cranes, traverser and electric shunt engines. The project also includes an 1600m2 shared office space for an estimated 170 staff, along with infrastructure and services buildings.

TSA have been working on the project since 2021, providing full Project Management services to take the redevelopment from inception right through to completion. The project features several separable portions, many of which are to be administered concurrently with staged CPU’s and commissioning dates.  Whilst the design of several separable portions is ongoing, Calder Stewart (the successful MBC) now have possession of the site and construction of the unique mechanical facility began in July 2022. The project is scheduled for completion in 2024.