1. 4th August 2004, Zimbabwe. Crash injures 70

Two commuter trains crashed at the main station in Harare yesterday, injuring 70 people, three seriously. Deputy Transport Minister Andrew Langa said: "Two commuter trains using the same track as they approached the railway station collided into each other. The one which was behind did now slow down for the one in front. At this stage we are attributing this to human error." Rail has become an important mode of transport for workers from Harare's townships to reach jobs in central Harare, especially as Zimbabwe's foreign exchange crisis has forced up the price of fuel. However the media has reported that chronic underfunding and government officials have said the country's rail network needs extensive upgrading.
Source: CNN

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2. 4th August 2004, India. Singapore. Freight deal signed

Neptune Orient Lines' (NOL) liner division APL has announced it has established a joint venture with the Container Corporation of India to build and operate a container rail freight station and container yard near New Delhi. The 120,000-TEU capacity facility and container yard will be located at Dadri, 40 km north-east of New Delhi and will open later this year. Among the services to be offered at the new facility are cargo consolidation, warehousing, documentation, repairs and valued-added logistics services.
Source: Business Times

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3. 4th August 2004, Thailand. Chinese firm may invest in rail project

Citic Group, one of China’s largest state-owned enterprises, is looking to invest more than Bt200 billion in extending Bangkok’s subway system and building an elevated rail link with the city’s new airport. Dr Boon Vanasin, chairman of Rajthani Group, which is helping coordinate the giant investment plan, has introduced the chief executive of Citic International Contracting to Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit and other senior officials. Boon said Citic would be a major investor in the proposed projects, while his own firm and other Thai construction companies would participate.
Source: The Nation

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4. 3rd August 2004, Australia. Train safety rules changed

Melbourne rail operator Connex has been forced to implement new safety procedures after two trains with suspect brakes were put back into service. The Rail Tram and Bus Union threatened to strike over what it said were "grossly unsafe actions" by Connex's maintenance provider Alstom which downgraded the faults on both locomotives. The union's state secretary, Marc Marotta, said the trains were unsafe and drivers would have been held responsible had an accident occurred. Connex have agreed to adopt new rules to ensure faulty trains were not reclassified and kept in use. Under the change, a Connex manager will now oversee the management of all faults, rather than Alstom personnel.
Source: The Australian

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5. 3rd August 2004, United Kingdom. Fare dodging fines to double

Instant fines for fare-dodgers on the railways are set to double. The government estimates that £210 million each year is lost to the rail industry because of people not paying their fares. Under the current penalty system introduced in 1994, fare dodgers are liable to pay a £10 pound fine. Under the new plans, this penalty will be raised to £20. Publishing a consultation paper, Transport Minister David Jamieson said: "It's obvious that the current penalty of £10 is not enough to deter the persistent fare-dodgers who repeatedly avoid payment in the belief that they can easily afford the fine when they are caught." Consultation on the new plans will last for 12 weeks and if approved, the new fine system will start in 2005.
Source: Reuters

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6. 3rd August 2004, Hong Kong. Railway corporations seek finance

The MTR Corporation and Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KRC), which aim to hammer out final details of their planned merger by month's end, are reportedly seeking a combined HK$10 billion in financing. KCRC wants to arrange HK$5 billion in funding through a five-year revolving credit line and seven- and 10-year term loans. The company asked about 20 banks to submit preliminary proposals by last week. MTRC is also seeking several loans that bankers said could total at least HK$5 billion. Neither company has been available for comment.
Source: The Standard

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7. 3rd August 2004, Australia. Wanted - technology to check train speed

New South Wales RailCorp is looking for technology to monitor train speed and help prevent tragedies such as last year's Waterfall derailment. RailCorp has sought details from companies on systems or components that will help provide protection against the "consequences of trains exceeding speed limits". The tender document says the aim of the study is to identify available technologies and investigate whether they could be used in Sydney region rail system. RailCorp is interested in technologies such as trackside-to-train data exchange, on-train controls, speed determining/movement detection and GPS.
Source: The Australian

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8. 3rd August 2004, United Kingdom. Storms cause rail chaos

Severe storms have caused major disruption on London’s rail and underground network. The tube's Central line between North Acton and Northolt was suspended after 7in (18cm) of flash flooding hit Acton. A lightning strike in Lewisham, south-east London, damaged fuses to signals, causing delays to trains in and out of Charing Cross and London Bridge mainline stations and Waterloo Station was closed due to flooding.
Source: The Guardian

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9. 2nd August 2004, Russia. Funding for Chechnyan railways to be increased

By 2006, the Russian Railways joint-stock venture is going to increase funding for the reconstruction of the railways in Chechnya to 1 billion rubles. The project will be implemented in three stages. Reconstruction of railway stations and creation of infrastructure in the vicinity of railway facilities will be undertaken during the first stage. At the second stage the route from Grozny to Moscow is to be restored. Whilst the final stage in 2006 will see the opening the line between Baku and Mineralnye Vody, along with the opening of the Sleptsovskaya-Gudermes suburban line and completion of electrification and reconstruction of communication facilities between Prokhladnaya and Khasavyurt.
Source: Novosti

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10. 2nd August 2004, Poland. Rail Polska to acquire two more companies

Rail Polska (RP), a private rail carrier which competes with PKP Cargo, is preparing to buy two transport companies. Since last year, the firm bought two other companies, Kolex from Oswiecim and Wroclaw based Zec-Trans. By the end of 2005 RP aims to control 10% of the rail cargo market. At the moment the company has 12 locomotives and over 200 wagons. RP deputy president Janusz Wellman believes that by the end of next year Rail Polska will catch up with the four largest private national carriers. He does not exclude the possibility of gaining an investment fund as a partner in the future. So far all investments are financed from the company's own equity and loans.
Source: Warsaw Business Journal

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11. 2nd August 2004, United Kingdom. Fight for tram system expansion

Residents of Manchester are protesting against the decision by transport secretary, Alistair Darling, to shelve plans for the expansion of the city's tram system. He is no longer offering the £520 million promised for plans to create three new lines, serving Oldham, Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne, Wythenshawe and Manchester airport, saying the scheme is too expensive. Greater Manchester's Labour MPs have begun mustering support and planning a campaign to convince ministers that it would be madness not to complete the tram network, a project that will create 6,300 new jobs and generate more than £1 billion in extra income each year.
Source: The Guardian

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12. 2nd August 2004, United Kingdom. Job cuts at Network Rail

Network Rail will announce plans this week to cut 900 jobs in middle management in a move that could trigger industrial action. The company has called unions to meetings to outline the cuts, which are the second round of job losses in the space of a few months. Earlier this year Network Rail cut 600 managerial jobs. The new round of redundancies follows a decision to centralise power at the organisation. The organisation said that although there would be a few losses in safety roles overall safety standards would be unaffected and no frontline staff will be made redundant. Unions are expected to try to fight any compulsory redundancies.
Source: The Times

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13. 1st August 2004, China. Wuhan planning to build 7 rail lines

Wuhan, the most important industrial city on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, is planning to construct seven new rail lines by 2050. The lines will consist of six subways and one light rail road with a total length of 28.87 km, of which the initial phase of the Huangpu-Zhongguan elevated highway, the city's first light rail, has been finished and put into operation. Liu Yuhua, board chairman of Wuhan City Track Transport Company said the entire construction will cost 100 billion yuan (US$12.1 billion), most of which will be met by fundraising. Extension of the light rail line, the No 2 subway, which will connect Hankou and Wuchang, and the No 4 subway, which will link up Wuchang and Hanyang, will begin soon and be completed by 2010.
Source: China Daily

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14. 1st August 2004, United Kingdom. Row over train leases

A row has broken out between three of the major high street banks and the Government over accusations that the banks are profiteering from the £1 billion-a-year train leasing market. The banks, Abbey National, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland, deny that they are making excess profits and are angry at the suggestion that the Government may interfere in negotiations between private sector companies. The DfT officials told the heads of the rail leasing divisions at the banks that contracts they have with train operating companies were not operating efficiently. The banks were told that the DfT now intends to issue guidance to train operating companies and the banks when renegotiating leases on trains.
Source: The Telegraph

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15. 1st August 2004, Dubai. Six bidders shortlisted for light rail project

According to sources in the construction industry, six potential bidders for the Dh14.3 billion Light Rail Project have been shortlisted from more than 50 bidders for the civil content of the project. They include four contracting joint ventures and two stand-alone bidders and include Bilfinger Taisei/Besix, Boygues/Vinci/Hochtief/CCIC, Consorcio Dutco Balfour Beatty/RoyalBam-Interbeton/Parsons Transportation, and Obayashi/Yapi Merkezi. Out of the Dh14.3 billion capital cost, Dh5.5 billion will be for civil engineering work and a fleet of 99 five-car trains will be maintained at a depot in the Al Quoz industrial area. The noise-free and environmentally friendly metro system, the first phase of which is to be ready by 2009, will have two lines.
Source: Khaleej Times

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16. 31st July 2004, Denmark. Rail safety inspectorate moved

Responsibility for safety inspections have been moved from Jernbanetilsynet to Trafikstyrelsen, while investigations into accidents is being done by Havarikommissionen for Civil Luftfart og Jernbane. The rail administration has also been renamed from Banestyrelsen to Banedanmark, while Jernbanetilsynet is being abolished. Trafikstyrelsen sets rules for safety and approves track, trains and operations.
Source: Eriks Rail News

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17. 31st July 2004, Singapore. Dramatic rise in profit for SMRT

The SMRT Corp's net profit for the first quarter ended June 2004 almost trebled to S$20.1 million compared with the Sars-stricken period a year ago. Finance executive vice-president Patrick Lau noted that train fares haven't been raised for two years despite increases in GST, he said SMRT may have a case for a fare increase in 2005, but it's still too early to decide. This financial year SMRT expects to spend about S$170-180 million on capital, with S$50 million to be used to upgrade current MRT stations. SMRT is also looking for business overseas, and has made moves into Jakarta and China. Mr Lau said most of its efforts overseas comprise rail consultation work.
Source: The Business Times

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18. 31st July 2004, Australia. Smart cards planned for Victoria

A card that will help commuters travel on the cheapest fare will regulate access to Victoria's transport network from 2007, Transport Minister Peter Batchelor has announced. He said the new ticketing model, which will be based on the same fare structure, would rule out problems with vandalism and theft from ticket machines. It is expected that inspector numbers will be maintained as the tickets, which have a lifespan of about three to four years, will be checked by hand-held scanners. The card which can be topped up like a pre-paid phone card, will be introduced to regional Victoria and then to the metropolitan network.
Source: The Age

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19. 30th July 2004, USA. US$2 billion for rail link

The Bush administration has agreed to pay New York US$2billion in extra transportation money in exchange for unused tax credits that were part of a US$20 billion Sept. 11 aid package. The plan must now go to Congress for approval. Gov. George Pataki had sought the aid for a proposed direct rail link connecting lower Manhattan to John F. Kennedy Airport, a project expected to cost about $6 billion. "By creating this new rail link, we will provide dramatically improved access to Lower Manhattan and re-attract the tens of thousands of jobs that were lost after Sept. 11," the governor said in a statement.
Source: Times Union

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20. 30th July 2004, Germany. Investment cuts will cause job losses

One employee in 10 in the country’s slumping railway industry could lose his job as a result of cuts in investment by public railways operator Deutsche Bahn, according to the VDB industry federation. VDB head Michael Clausecker said: "In Germany, we have a veritable crisis of investment in the railways industry," adding that companies were losing contracts. Public deficits have taken their toll on Deutsche Bahn, with the government granting €3.5 billion less this year than was earmarked a year ago for the improvement of the national rail work, slated for completion in 2008. Deutsche Bahn has invested €15 billion in the last 15 years on modernisation, thereby reducing the need for new investment.
Source: AFP

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21. 30th July 2004, Poland. KM established as an independent rail carrier

Koleje Mazowieckie (KM) has become the first regional railway company, marked by the signing of a notary deed establishing the company. At present it has two shareholders - PKP Przewozy Regionalne, which has a 49% stake and the Mazowieckie voivodship regional government with 51% of the shares. The carrier has begun operations with an initial capital of just zl.50,000. Polish State Railways (PKP) declared that they will transfer some of their property to the new enterprise, but this will be difficult because the property in question is currently being used as collateral on PKP's massive debts.
Source: Warsaw Business Journal

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22. 30th July 2004, United Kingdom. Revamp for Birmingham New Street

Birmingham New Street Station is to get a £350 million overhaul. Under the plans, the station's platforms and concourse would be redeveloped by 2011. Network Rail and the city council want the West Midlands Local Transport Plan, the Government and the rail industry to fund the scheme. Business leaders and passenger groups in the region have welcomed the proposed changes. Cara Hastings, from Network Rail, says the regeneration will be great for the station and the surrounding areas.
Source: BBC

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23. 29th July 2004, United Kingdom. Network rail workers accept pay deal

Network Rail staff have called off the threat of industrial action after voting to accept a pay and conditions deal. Members of the Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT) supported the offer by nine to one. The improved offer included a 3.5% pay rise and reopening the final salary pension scheme to new members. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "Let us make it quite clear, the Network Rail final salary pension scheme is now open again and can be joined by anyone with five years' qualifying service in the industry." The agreement also includes a 35-hour working week by 2006.
Source: BBC

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24. 29th July 2004, UAE. Rail link possible within three years

A railway system linking the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain could be in place within three years. A European firm has come up with a plan for the proposed project, according to a highly placed GCC General Secretariat official. "The General Secretariat has requested the Islamic Bank for Development to undertake a feasibility study for the building of a railway system to transport passengers and goods among countries with the aim of promoting better trade relations among member countries," said the official. Some key railway routes are already being mapped out in the countries involved.
Source: Gulf News

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25. 29th July 2004, Canada. Funding for 'green' locomotives

Railpower Technologies Corp., a world leader in hybrid locomotive technology, announced that the Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP) has approved $US24.39 million funding for applications involving more than 25 RailPower Green Goat Series hybrid yard locomotives. The applications were submitted by three Class 1 railroads, two regional railroads, and three operators of industrial switcher locomotives. Texas Governor, Rick Perry announced $US 80 million in TERP grants to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. RailPower President and CEO, Jim Maier, said, "Our technology brings very significant operating and fuel cost savings to railroad switching operators, as well as the benefits of very large reductions in NOx, particulate and greenhouse gas emissions and noise."
Source: Stockhouse

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26. 29th July 2004, Venezuela. Governments start rail talks

Representatives of the Venezuelan and Colombian governments have met with the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) officials to make an initial presentation for an international rail corridor between the two countries. The governments have not yet started a feasibility study for the project and are expected to meet next soon to finalise details for the study. A rail link between the two countries was discussed during a recent summit meeting between Presidents Hugo Chávez (Venezuela) and Álvaro Uribe (Colombia). An official from Venezuela's state rail company IAFE previously said that a study was underway to investigate the feasibility of developing the railroad that would link with either Zulia or Táchira state at a cost of US$1.6bn.
Source: BNAmericas

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