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Rail News

25 November 2019, Volume 11, Issue 4

over 4 years ago by Rail Personnel

​Dear Readers

I have been bed-ridden for most of the past week with a nasty bout of ‘flu so I apologise for the somewhat abbreviated issue of RailNews.

Happy Thanksgiving to our many clients, candidates and friends in the USA who will be celebrating on Thursday, 28th November.

Regards

Ceri Taylor

Editor

Job of the Week:

Job Title: Head of Construction ( #12666 )

Discipline: Civil

Role: Construction Management

Position Type: Contract

Country: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Languages:

Job Description:

Our client is seeking a highly qualified candidate as Head of Construction to be responsible for the effective management and coordination of project design, construction and building by working closely with the project's key stakeholders to ensure project is delivered and handed over in a timely manner and within the set budget, to enable the client to reach its organizational objectives.

Suitable candidates MUST have experience in UK, Canada or Australian heavy haul markets.

Activities include:

- Manage projects end-to-end management of assigned project by planning and organizing all the various project related activities such as project planning, resource allocation, budget management and issue and risk management, in accordance with project management principles and tools

- Supervise the administration of assigned project and oversee the project team's works in designing and building the rail through on-going coordination with PMC and project team members and contractors.

Requirements

- Mandatory: Bachelors' degree in Civil Engineering or relevant field

- Preferable: Post graduate degree

- Preferable: Project management certification

- Preferable: Rail management certification

- Preferable: A minimum of 5-8 years of relevant experience.

Contact: jackie@railpersonnel.com

More Rail News:

22 Nov 2019. USA. Texas Central enters new agreement for high-speed rail project

The Texas Central has announced that it has signed an early works agreement with train system installation firm Mass. Electric Construction Co. The agreement is set to be signed later this year. Mass. Electric, a subsidiary of Kiewit Corp., will be installing the core system, signalling and communication equipment, as well as critical safety elements for Texas Central. Texas Central estimates the project will create US$36bn in economic benefits across the Lone Star State in the next 25 years and create 10,000 jobs during peak construction with 1,500 permanent jobs when the train is fully operational. The project has been in the works since 2010. The company estimates it will cost US$15bn to build the 240-mile train. The project is backed entirely by private investors, including former Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane Jr., who was appointed as chairman in December 2017, and US$300m in loans from two Japanese entities.

Source: WFFA.com

22 Nov 2019. Australia. Alstom win contract for Sydney Metro extension

The Northwest Rapid Transit Consortium (NRT) has reached contractual close for the extension to the existing NRT Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract on the Sydney Metro. The contract, which was awarded in 2014, has been extended to deliver a seamless customer experience on the new metro, with NRT to operate and maintain the full metro line from Rouse Hill to Bankstown - in total 66 kms of rail and 31 metro stations by 2024.Alstom has signed a contract with NRT to supply the rolling stock and signalling system for the next stage of Sydney Metro, Sydney Metro City and Southwest. Under the contract, valued at approx. €350 million, Alstom will be responsible for the project management, design, supply, manufacturing, testing and commissioning of 23 six-car fully-automated Metropolis trains and the Urbalis 400 Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system. The contract also includes an option to purchase further trains if required.

Source: Alstom

21 Nov 2019. Canada. Canadian Pacific to buy Central Maine and Quebec Railway

Canadian Pacific Railway has announced that it is buying Maine-based Central Maine & Quebec Railway by year’s end. Central Maine & Quebec owns 480 miles (770 kms) of rail, mostly in Maine and Quebec. The deal provides Canadian Pacific with access to a port at Searsport, Maine, and, through Eastern Maine Railway Company New Brunswick Southern Railway, access to a port in Saint John, New Brunswick. The rail line includes a stretch through Lac Megantic, Quebec, where an unattended oil train derailed and exploded in July 2013. An affiliate of Fortress Investment Group bought the assets and formed Central Maine and Quebec in 2014. Under the deal, Fortress would retain a tank car depot in Milo, Maine, and a contract for a 12-mile branch line at Long Ridge Energy Terminal in Ohio.

Source: Associated Press

21 Nov 2019. Canada. Talks continue to end strike at Canadian National Railway

Talks to end a strike by thousands of workers at Canadian National Railway, the country’s biggest railroad have continued as industrial plants slowed output of products cut off from their markets. About 3,000 unionized workers, including conductors and yardmen, hit picket lines on Tuesday after talks with management failed to resolve contract issues amid softening demand for freight service. Negotiations in Montreal were “ongoing,” Teamsters union spokesman Christopher Monette said. The union’s concerns centre on fatigue, safety and ensuring that workers’ breaks are not reduced. In a letter to employees on CN denied union arguments that the “strike was about safety. CN reiterated its desire for an arbitrator to settle the dispute, a step that the union has rejected.

Source: Reuters

21 Nov 2019. Qatar. Doha Metro Gold Line trial service starts

Qatar Rail has commenced the preview service for the Doha Metro Gold Line The east-west Gold (Historic) Line extends from Ras Bu Aboud to Al Aziziya. Eleven stations run along the Gold Line. To cover a wider range and serve more neighbourhoods and areas around the Gold Line stations, new routes will be allocated to the Metrolink service, which is a shuttle bus service to transport passengers from neighbouring areas to and from the metro stations. These include: Ras Bu Aboud, National Museum of Qatar, Souq Waqif, Msheireb (Interchange station), Bin Mahmoud, Al Sadd, Joaan, Al Sudan, Al Waab, Sport City and Al Aziziyah.

Source: Gulf Times

21 Nov 2019. South Korea. Seoul Metro introduces more trains for Line 2

The Seoul Metro has started to introduce a second batch of new trains on Line 2 as part of the replacement of the entire fleet of 460 cars operating on the Korean’s capital’s busiest line. The first 10-car train from a batch of 10 trains being supplied by Hyundai Rotem is now operating on Line 2, and Seoul Metro has received another five trains which are being commissioned. All 10 trains will enter service during the first quarter of 2020. The new trains have a smart real-time information system, which automatically alerts engineers and train controllers about malfunctions. This is the second batch of new trains to be delivered for Line 2 following the entry into service last year of 20 trains supplied by Dawonsys, Korea. Seoul Metro is currently in the second phase of a seven-year plan to replace a total of 610 cars on lines 2 and 3. The third phase of the plan will begin in March 2020, with the delivery of another 46 cars for Line 2 to be followed by 150 cars for Line 3 by March 2022.

Source: International Railway Journal

20 Nov 2019. UK. Virgin Trains throw’s a party to say farewell to Britain’s railways

A host of familiar faces from the 1990s to present day joined train staff on board a Virgin Trains service operating a “final journey” from 1997 to 2019. Virgin Trains has run services on the West Coast Main Line since March 1997 but the franchise is being handed to First Trenitalia on 8 December 2019. Almost 500 million journeys have been made with Virgin Trains, which is owned by Sir Richard’s Virgin Group (51%) and Stagecoach (49%). The firm’s bid to continue running trains on the line was disqualified by the Department for Transport (DfT) in a row over pensions. The companies are suing the DfT over its decision. Virgin Trains recorded the highest passenger satisfaction rating of any franchised train operator in Britain in the most recent survey by watchdog Transport Focus. Sir Richard Branson said he regretted the loss of Virgin Trains from UK railways

Source: Aol

20 Nov 2019. India. Nine companies vie for Railways CCTV contract

Nine companies have bid for a Rs 10bn ($US 139.2m) Indian Railways (IR) project to install 100,000 CCTV cameras in stations and onboard trains. The tender was floated two years ago but IR had to scrap it at least five times for various reasons until the specifications were finalised. BEL, ITI, HFCL, and TCIL are public sector undertakings, while Sterlite, Vindhya, Karvy, Matrix and M2M are private companies. However, only five bidders will carry out the work after opening of the financial bids in December. The IP cameras will not only record movements at stations and trains, but will also have facial recognition software, motion detection, quick review and intrusion detection. Images will be scrutinised round-the-clock by security personnel from the Railway Protection Force and Railway Police.

Source: International Railway Journal

20 Nov 2109. Singapore. China wins contract to build Tengah Depot

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded a S$739.5m contract to design and construct the depot to the China Railway 11 Bureau Group Corporation (Singapore Branch).The Tengah Depot will comprise an integrated rail and bus depot, ancillary buildings and a four-storey transport workers' dormitory. Construction of the facility is expected to start next year. When completed, it will become the 10th MRT depot in Singapore. It will support operations on the 24-station Jurong Region Line, which will also open from 2026. The authority also said the China Railway group is an "is an established and experienced construction company that has completed various rail-related projects worldwide”. Major infrastructural projects the group has completed in Singapore include the Tuas Link, Tuas West Road and Tuas Crescent stations on the East-West Line's Tuas West Extension.

Source: Straits Times

20 Nov 2019. Australia. Rail projects benefit from Federal Government cash splash

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced funding to accelerate infrastructure projects including A$157m for Stage 3 of the Gold Coast light rail. This will see the existing light rail extended to Burleigh. As part of the package, the federal and state governments will sign a bi-lateral agreement for the inland rail project which will spark 7200 construction jobs and boost the Queensland economy by A$7bn. Other projects to receive funding are A$90m for the Queensland North Coast mainline upgrade between Beerburrum and Nambour; A$50m towards the $A 95m relocation of Loganlea suburban station as part of Queensland Rail’s proposed Kuraby – Beenleigh capacity improvement project; A$20m towards planning for a dedicated freight line linking the Port of Brisbane with the Inland Rail project – to be matched by a similar contribution from the state, and A$10m for the development of a business case for the Salisbury – Beaudesert passenger rail line.

Source: Courier Mail

19 Nov 2019. France. Free travel is costing SNCF €220m per year

Free or reduced tickets for France's national rail workers and families is costing the SNCF €220m per year, according to the country’s state auditor. In a scathing critique, the Cour des Comptes said the costly perk, which extends beyond workers to parents and grandparents, placed an unacceptable burden on the company and taxpayers and was depriving fare-paying passengers seats on full trains. Current and retired rail workers are entitled to a so-called “ease of movement” advantage, meaning they and their partners and children have access to free or 90 per cent-reduced train tickets. Despite regular calls for the advantage to be scaled back, its cost had risen by 20 per cent since 2011, found the auditor. Current SNCF employees only accounted for 35 per cent of the total cost, it said.

Source: The Telegraph

18 Nov 2019. Switzerland. Alstom to maintain SBB’s digital train control system

Alstom has signed a second ten-year maintenance contract for ETCS equipment belonging to SBB. In the years 2003-2008, Alstom installed ETCS onboard equipment on around 500 vehicle types as part of the first wave of a Swiss federal programme to comply with ETCS. The support contract concluded at the time is now being extended for a further ten years, including a three-year option. The value of the contract comes to over €25m. The contract includes the logistics management for repair and calibration, as well as overhaul of on-board ETCS components, measurement equipment, obsolescence management, technical support, training and on-site assistance.

Source: Alstom