Thursday, 18 December 2025
Member for Williamstown, Melissa Horne visited the Newport Railway Museum to celebrate the addition of a new Comeng simulator cab, a historic piece that will eventually allow participants to see what it was like to drive the trains that travelled through Melbourne in the 1980s and 1990s.
In 1991, the special electronic train simulator was specially commissioned by the Public Transport Corporation and built by Gemco Rail to help instruct new train drivers on how to operate the Comeng fleet.
The simulator was fitted with the exact same cab windows and doors, external stainless-steel sides and fiberglass front panel, was painted the classic green and yellow colours of the time and given the carriage number (555M) in the same style as the Comeng fleet.
Years later, the Comeng train simulator was decommissioned and instead became a guardhouse for security staff at one of the key sites for Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel Project.
The cab was stripped of its inner workings and turned into a small workspace.
Now that the West Gate Tunnel Project is nearing completion, that guardhouse is no longer required.
Premier Jacinta Allan’s Facebook page invited the public to put forward suggestions for how it could be put to good use, and many people suggested that it should go to Newport Railway Museum.
Newport Railway Museum indicated their interest and with the assistance of VicTrack and West Gate Tunnel Project, the Comeng cab has now been delivered to the Newport Railway Museum site.
The Newport Railway Museum will work to restore the cab to a working simulator to be used by visitors.
Quotes attributable to Member for Williamstown Melissa Horne
‘This is a fantastic addition to a much loved institution in Newport. With the passionate work by volunteers, they have worked so hard to secure this unique historic piece that they will restore.
Ends.
Media contact: melissa.horne@parliament.vic.gov.au
