The first of five Queensland Rail regional locomotives to be upgraded as part of a $21 million investment by the State Government is being tested on tracks and getting ready for service.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey said the locomotive, which hauled regional trains including the Spirit of the Outback and Westlander, had been upgraded from the inside out, featuring a brand-new energy efficient engine and modern components.

“It’s great to see the return of the first Queensland Rail regional locomotive overhauled by Ipswich-based Caterpillar company, Progress Rail,” Mr Bailey said.

“For more than 40 years, these locomotives have connected communities to and from the west, and thanks to these works they will continue to do so safely and reliably for up to 20 more years.

“Not only are these works delivering important safety and environmental improvements, they’re also supporting up to 48 jobs at Progress Rail’s Redbank workshop, providing a welcome boost to the local economy.”

Member for Bundamba Lance McCallum said the overhaul was part of the Palaszczuk Government’s continued commitment to bring train maintenance and building back to Queensland.

“Our $1 billion guaranteed pipeline of train building work is supporting good local jobs across the state, including right here in Redbank,” Mr McCallum said.

“Our local community has been a driving force in the state’s rail industry since the 1950s, and today we’re supporting some of our most iconic tourism trains with state-of-the-art upgrades.

“It’s all about Queensland trains, built by Queenslanders, for Queenslanders.”

Queensland Rail Executive General Manager of Regional Operations Louise Collins said the overhauled locomotive commenced its testing period on the network in December, travelling between Redbank and Helidon.

“Locomotive 2901 has successfully been repowered and modernised with enhanced safety features, improved reliability and upgrades to driver amenities,” Ms Collins said.

“The new engine configuration will reduce fuel requirements by between 10 and 20 per cent, and exhaust emissions and oil consumption will also decrease.

“The upgrade has proved to be a great win for our onboard crew, customers and the environment, and we’re looking forward to seeing the remaining four locomotives follow suit and progress into their testing phases.”