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Rail News

1 July 2019, Volume 7, Issue 1

over 4 years ago by Rail Personnel

​Dear Readers,

Following up on the story a couple of weeks ago about a stolen bridge in Russia, I received an email from Mr V. Anand (Retired General Manager, Indian Railways) telling me that this was certainly not a unique occurrence.

The 114km long Bhavnagar-Mahuva Narrow Gauge Railway in the State of Gujarat, India, was abandoned in 1987.

The assets, including the steel bridges were disposed of by auction. But when the contractor went to dismantle and take away the bridges, he found that three bridges had disappeared!!

Jobs of the Week are located in Vietnam and India.

Our client is seeking a suitably qualified and experienced Trackwork Design Engineer to work on the New MRT Line-1 in Ho Chi Minh City.

In India we are looking for a Project Manager for the RVNL Project in Ranchi, India.

For further information and other opportunities worldwide, visit our website at www.railpersonnel.com.

Regards

Ceri Taylor

Editor

ceri@railpersonnel.com

This Week's Headlines:

26 Jun 2019. Norway. Funding secured for Oslo metro Fornebu Line

Plans to extend the Oslo metro network to the Fornebu peninsula have reached a milestone with the signing of an agreement securing financing for the project.

Source: International Railway Journal

28 Jun 2019. Norway. Major contract signing awarded to Implenia and Acciona

The joint venture of Implenia and Acciona have signed a E650m contract for the project Sandbukta - Moss - Sastad.

Source: Acciona

28 Jun 2019. Australia. Bombardier wins order to supply 12 EMUs for Adelaide,

Bombardier Transportation has received a contract variation from the Government of South Australia for 12 three-car A-City electric multiple unit (EMU) trains.

Source: Bombardier Transportation

27 Jun 2019. The Netherlands. Rail firm confirms compensation for Holocaust victims

The state-run rail company Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) has said it will pay tens of millions of euros in compensation to Holocaust victims and their families.

Source: BBC

27 Jun 2019. Cameroon. Rail link advancing for bauxite project

The Cameroon government has completed an independent feasibility study on a rail extension that would provide part of the link between Canyon Resources Minim Martap Bauxite Project and the Kribi deep water port.

Source: Proactive Investors

Jobs of the Week:

Job Title: Trackwork Design Engineer ( #12626 )

Discipline: Permanent Way; Design

Role: Design

Position Type: Contract

Country: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Languages: English

Job Description:

Our client is seeking a suitably qualified and experienced Trackwork Design Engineer to work on the New MRT Line-1 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Reporting directly to the Trackwork Manager, the Trackwork Design Engineer will develop an intimate knowledge and understanding of contractual requirements related to rail system design, material, equipment, installation, testing and commissioning.

Responsibilities include:

- Interface and coordination with other disciplines within the Project team

- Reviewing trackwork-related submittals, including shop drawings, product submittal, test reports, Method Statement, Inspection Test Plan and other related documentation.

Requirements

- Successfully handled and completed multiple projects

- Highly developed analytical and problem solving skills

- Familiarity with conceptual design, detailed design, technical document and construction support

- Work experience on track design of viaduct sections and tunnel sections for concrete slab track

- Have a total of 10 years experience with at least eight (8) year’s experience as Trackwork Engineer with site experience

- Certificate of Graduation of Engineering

- Certificate of English (such as TOEFL or IELTS or relevant internationally recognised English Certificates) if mother language is not English.

Contact: sarasj@railpersonnel.com

Job Title: Project Manager for RVNL Project ( #12644 )

Discipline: Signalling; Project Manager

Role: Project Management

Position Type: Permanent

Country: Patratu, India

Languages: English

Job Description:

Our client is seeking a Project Manager for the RVNL Project in Ranchi, India.

Project Name: Project Management Consultancy for construction of road bed, important, major & minor bridges, rubs, platforms, buildings, supply of ballast, supply and installation of track (excluding supply of rails and track sleepers), Provision of OHE, signalling and Telecommunication works from Tori (excluding) Km 185.30 to Patratu (including) km 120.83 Total 64.4km Package-5, in connection with Sonnangar - Patratu 3rd line Project in the state of Jharkhand India.

Site Location: Patratu (60km from Ranchi).

Requirements

- Have worked in railway projects

- Have handled 500+ cr projects

- Have completed non interlocking and commissioning of railway projects.

Contact: varun@railpersonnel.com

More Rail News:

26 Jun 2019. Norway. Funding secured for Oslo metro Fornebu Line

Plans to extend the Oslo metro network to the Fornebu peninsula have reached a milestone with the signing of an agreement securing financing for the project. The draft agreement was signed by representatives of the Norwegian government, Akershus County Council, the municipality of Oslo and the municipalities of Berum, Skedsmo and Oppegard. Under the deal the state will cover 50% of the cost of constructing the 8.2km underground line from Majorstuen in Oslo city centre to Fornebu Senter, which has an estimated price tag of Krone 16.2bn ($US 1.9bn). The project includes the construction of six new stations: Skoyen, Vekero, Lysaker, Fornebuporten, Flytarnet and Fornebu Senter. Construction is scheduled to start in March 2020 with the line expected to open in 2026 or 2027.

Source: International Railway Journal

28 Jun 2019. Norway. Major contract signing awarded to Implenia and Acciona

The joint venture of Implenia and Acciona have signed the contract for the project Sandbukta - Moss - Sastad (SMS 2A). The E650m contract is awarded by Bane NOR, and is a part of their InterCity plan. The project includes a 10.3km, twin-track line, some of which will run above ground. The new line also requires the JV to build two tunnels, each longer than 2 km (Moss Tunnel and Carlberg Tunnel), two shorter cut-and-cover sections, a tunnel portal and a new train station with 800 m-long platforms and a pedestrian bridge. Implenia and Acciona have come together in a fully integrated joint venture, with a technical lead for Implenia. The joint venture will be named "MossIA ANS", and name and logo will be presented and visible at the project. Construction work begins in October this year and should be completed by May 2025.

Source: Acciona

28 Jun 2019. Australia. Bombardier wins order to supply 12 EMUs for Adelaide

Bombardier Transportation has received a contract variation from the Government of South Australia for 12 three-car A-City electric multiple unit (EMU) trains. This latest order will increase Bombardier's fleet of A-City electric multiple unit trains (EMU) to a total of 34 trains and provide a much-needed capacity increase on Adelaide's suburban rail network. Adelaide's EMUs manufactured locally by Bombardier, were the first electric trains to operate in South Australia Bombardier has been delivering Adelaide DMU's from 2005 and since 2011, from their Dandenong facility in Victoria. These three-car trains, operating on Seaford and Gawler Line, can accommodate 240 seated passengers as well as up to 300 standees, and are equipped to handle Adelaide's hot summers.

Source: Bombardier Transportation

27 Jun 2019. The Netherlands. Rail firm confirms compensation for Holocaust victims

The state-run rail company Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) has said it will pay tens of millions of euros in compensation to Holocaust victims and their families. The company earned millions in today's terms by transporting Jewish families to a Nazi transit camp. Some 107,000 Jews were taken to Westerbork and deported, mainly to deaths camps at Auschwitz and Sobibor. Only 5,000 survived. NS said the deportations were a "black page in the history of the company". It apologised in 2005 for its role in helping the Nazi occupiers in World War Two, but it only set up the commission to decide how much to pay in November 2018. Each survivor will receive E15,000 (US$17,000), while E5-7,000 will go to children and widowed spouses of victims.

Source: BBC

27 Jun 2019. Cameroon. Rail link advancing for bauxite project

The Cameroon government has completed an independent feasibility study on a rail extension that would provide part of the link between Canyon Resources Ltd.'s Minim Martap Bauxite Project and the Kribi deep water port. The government is now calling for tenders to manage an upgrade of the existing rail line and the construction of the Kribi Port extension. Australian company Canyon has also engaged a highly credentialed and experienced Cameroonian rail engineer to liaise with the government and rail operators.

Source: Proactive Investors

27 Jun 2019. Thailand. PTT abandons rail project

PTT Plc has scrapped its plan to become a joint partner with the bidding winner of the 224-billion-baht high-speed railway linking three airports, saying it lacks expertise in such megaprojects. In 2018, PTT announced that it bought bidding documents for the high-speed railway linking Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-tapao airport, but it chose not to submit the documents in November. PTT said in a release that it would seek new business opportunities from the rail project by forming a partnership with the winning bidder, instead of participating in the project's auction directly. The Charoen Pokphand Group (CP)-led consortium was the winner of the high-speed railway linking three airports, a megaproject of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) scheme.

Source: Bangkok Post

25 Jun 2019. Turkey. Tehran-Van passenger train operation resumes

Direct train services between Iran and Turkey have restarted with a passenger train leaving Iranian capital Tehran for Turkey's eastern city of Van. The train has not operated over the past 8 years due to clashes between Turkish forces and the Kurdish militants. The once-weekly train will have a stopover in Iran's northwestern city of Tabriz before crossing the border, the source said, adding it takes around 24 hours for Tehran-Tabriz-Van train to reach its destination. Iran and Turkey have also agreed to launch direct train services between Tehran and Ankara.

Source: Tasnim News Agency

26 Jun 2019. UK. Midlands Rail Hub submits rail upgrade and transformation plan

A GBP2bn package of improvements to transform east-west connections on the UK's Midlands' rail network has been submitted to the government. The Midlands Rail Hub has outlined plans to build 15 pieces of new and improved infrastructure to enable 24 extra passenger trains every hour on the regional network, reduce journey times, make space to shift 4,320 lorries' worth of freight from the road to the railway every day and supercharge the economy by bringing the East and West Midlands closer together. Suggested to be completed in phases between 2024 and 2033, the plans have been submitted to the government by sub-national Transport Body Midlands Connect, in partnership with Network Rail and with the support of 47 partner organisations.

Source: Global Railway Review

26 Jun 2019. Chile. Systra wins Santiago Metro Line 7 contract

Metro SA has awarded Systra a contract to design the rail systems, workshops and rolling stock of the new, fully automated metro line 7 in Santiago. Running east to west, the future line 7 will be partly parallel with line 1 in order to relieve it of around 10,000 passengers per day. Announced in June 2017, this new project should be commissioned in 2026. The Santiago network should thus consist of 176km of track and 163 stations. Line 7 is the first project in a new phase of expansion for the Santiago metro over the next eight years, confirmed by President Pinera, a phase that will see the construction of three new lines and four line extensions.

Source: Systra

26 Jun 2019. Australia. Arcadis win Sydney Metro City & Southwest design contract

Arcadis, the leading global design and consultancy organisation for natural and built assets, has announced that a A$26 million contract has been awarded to Metron T2M, a joint venture between Arcadis Australia Pacific Pty Ltd and Mott MacDonald Australia Pty Ltd, to help deliver the metro upgrade of the T3 Bankstown Line between Sydenham and Bankstown. Metron T2M will deliver design services for the stations and the railway corridor between Marrickville and Punchbowl. Sydney Metro City & Southwest extends the metro rail 30 kms from the end of Sydney Metro Northwest at Chatswood under Sydney, through new Central Business District (CBD) stations and Southwest to Bankstown. The heritage character of stations along the 122-year-old T3 Bankstown Line will also be retained following community feedback for the Sydenham to Bankstown section of Sydney Metro.

Source: Arcadis N.V.

25 Jun 2019. USA. Virgin Trains USA begins Orlando extension

Virgin Trains USA (formerly Brightline) has broken ground on 170 miles of new track in the intermodal facility located in the South Terminal at the Orlando International Airport as part of the company's Phase 2 expansion into Central Florida. The project encompasses four zones, such as the aforementioned area of the Orlando International Airport and the Virgin Trains Maintenance Facility. The work will put to use 225 million pounds of American steel and include the laying of 490,000 ties and the transportation of 2.35 million tons of granite and limestone via 20,000 railcars. Also, approximately 2 million spikes and bolts will be hammered and put in place over the next 36 months. Virgin Trains currently operates between Miami and West Palm Beach but has plans to eventually add Tampa following the Orlando expansion, which is expected to be finished in 2022.

Source: Railway Age

25 Jun 2019. Spain. High speed train from Madrid to Granada opens

The 122 km high speed line between Antequera and Granada has been formally inaugurated by acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who unveiled a plaque at Antequera Santa Ana station. Construction of the 1 435 mm gauge line connecting the capital of Andalucia with the Cordoba - Malaga high speed line is intended to form part of the Andalucia transversal axis being promoted by the regional government; this would eventually connect Huelva, Sevilla, Antequera, Granada and Almeria. The partly single-track line required the construction of seven tunnels, including one of 3.3 km. The 31 viaducts include the 3.15km Archidona viaduct, which becomes the second longest on the Spanish high speed network.

Source: Railway Gazette

25 Jun 2019. Australia. Queensland government reveals 'rail fail' end date

Almost 1000 days since "rail fail" began and waves of cancellations struck, Brisbane commuters will finally have their full train timetable restored. Transport Minister Mark Bailey announced Queensland Rail will add 430 services and an extra 200,000 seats across the network from Monday, 29 July The public transport crisis was sparked following the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line in October 2016, which uncovered a shortage of train drivers and an unsustainable reliance of overtime. Since October 2016, 172 drivers have completed their training and are now operating across the network, with another 79 currently in training. In addition to reinstating the timetable, another 59 existing services will also be upgraded to full-length trains.

Source: Brisbane Times

24 Jun 2019. UK. Grand Central plans new Blackpool to London rail services

Grand Central has confirmed that its plans to run trains between Blackpool and London from Spring 2020 are firmly on track. The company said it would run up to five new direct train services every day, meaning Blackpool will gain direct services to London on Sundays and later trains from Monday to Saturday. Poulton-le-Fylde and Kirkham and Wesham stations would each get new direct London services seven days a week. All trains would stop at Preston and Nuneaton, with most stopping at Milton Keynes. The services were approved by the Office of Rail and Road in June 2018, though were initially intended to be operated by Great North Western Railway (GNWR). Grand Central and GNWR are both owned by Arriva UK trains which runs three rail franchises and two rail contracts, covering a fifth of the entire UK network. Grand Central currently operates direct trains between towns and cities in Yorkshire and the North East of England and London.

Source: Grand Central

22 Jun 2019. UK. New name and branding for South Yorkshire trains

The new operator of a number of trains that run across South Yorkshire has revealed the name and branding for the service. The current East Midlands Trains service will become East Midlands Railway, shortened to EMR, when Netherlands-owned Abellio takes over in August. Among the promises that secured the company the contract were 80 per cent more peak-time seats on new, faster, more comfortable trains, and a total investment of about GBP600m for stations and trains.

Source: Sheffield Telegraph