THE NSW government has been accused of showing "callous disregard" for local manufacturing jobs after it refused to commit to building the state's next generation of trains in Australia.
Premier Mike Baird on Thursday pledged $2.8 billion for around 65 "state-of-the-art" intercity trains to be rolled out by 2024.
He said the initiative would lead to a far more comfortable ride on the rail network.
The government will now look to buy the trains ready-made from either local or international manufacturers.
State Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian, who is also Minister for the Hunter, was asked whether she'd commit to having the trains built in the Hunter region, which has in the past been a rail manufacturing hub.
"What I'll be doing is making a commitment that we'll get the best outcome for our customers and the best outcome for the taxpayer," she replied.
"Of course I'd be delighted if local companies were involved in the process.
"But you know what? If it wasn't for our government, local companies wouldn't even be in the game."
Tim Ayres, from the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, said the Hunter was facing "economic devastation", with 3000 rail workers on the cusp of losing their jobs.
"(This government has) got a callous disregard for the impact of offshoring these jobs in the Hunter Valley," he told reporters.
"They don't understand the devastation that that's going to wreak in regional communities."
He said local manufacturers were more than capable of delivering the trains on time and under budget.
Opposition Leader John Robertson described Ms Berejiklian's comments as a slap in the face for workers who build trains in the Hunter Valley.
"This is a government looking to make announcements to distract from the disarray they find themselves in," he said.
The new trains will carry passengers to the Central Coast, Newcastle, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra.
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