Dear Readers
With Christmas looming it’s time to find the perfect gift for the rail enthusiast in your life and the latest book from leading transport historian Christian Wolmer may be just the thing.
In Cathedrals of Steam: How London’s Great Stations Were Built — and How They Transformed the City, Wolmar tells the dramatic and compelling story of how these great cathedrals of steam were built by competing private railway companies between 1836 and 1900.
He reveals their immediate impact on the capital and explores the evolution of the stations and the city up to the present day. The creation of those stations shaped the city, and nearly all survive today. Wolmar’s history will delight train spotters but is also fascinating for the passengers who often pass through these great transport temples without a second thought. (Source: Financial Times)
Cathedrals of Steam: How London’s Great Stations Were Built — and How They Transformed the City is available as an eBook or in hardback.
We have 3x exciting Jobs of the Week this week. In South Korea, we are looking for a Chief Designer (Industrial Design); in Saudi Arabia, we are looking for a Director Rail Systems and in India, we are looking for a Project Director.
Regards
Ceri Taylor
Editor
This Week’s Headlines
5 Dec 2020. UK. Government to cut £1bn from rail budget
The government has cut £1bn from the rail infrastructure budget following the Chancellor's Spending Review.
Source: BBC
5 Dec 2020. Iran. Export shipment arrives in Afghanistan via new railway
The first shipment of Iranian exports has arrived in Afghanistan via a new railroad that links Iran’s eastern city of Khaf to Herat.
Source: Caspian News
5 Dec 2020. India. Tender invited for Delhi-Amritsar high-speed rail corridor
The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited has invited tenders for the final alignment design and other-related infrastructural work for the 459 km long Delhi-Amritsar high-speed rail corridor.
Source: NDTV
5 Dec 2020. China. Ambitious rail line to link city clusters within five years
The National Development and Reform Commission has announced that China will start construction of 10,000 kms of intercity and urban railway over the next five years in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Delta and Greater Bay area.
Source: CTGN
4 Dec 2020. Germany. 200th Bombardier TRAXX locomotive delivered to Railpool
Bombardier has delivered its 200th TRAXX locomotive to Railpool, the rail vehicle leasing company.
Source: Global Railway Review
Jobs of the Week
Chief Designer (Industrial design), Uiwang-city, South Korea
Job ID#: 13141
Discipline: Rolling Stock
Position Type: Contract
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is a global heavy industry company covering a wide range of business sectors, from railway through to defense, plant, machinery and the environment.
Their Railway Division supplies various types of vehicles including EMUs, high speed trains, LRVs, DMUs, locomotives, passenger coaches and freight trains, not only domestically but also to 35 countries across the world.
Their Railway R&D Center plans to establish an in-house design team to create a unique brand and innovative designs for all our rail vehicle business and are looking for an experienced chief designer (industrial design) a to join the team in Uiwang-city, South Korea.
Roles & Responsibilities :
- Lead entire industrial design development from bid to implementation design via suppliers (service agencies).
- Co-ordination of both internal engineers and external clients to achieve final design confirmation.
- Communicates (Reporting) with senior management, Creation and presentation of proposals to clients.
- Develop value propositions and identify opportunities with a strategy for rail vehicle design.
- Planning and communicating the vision of the company.
- Fostering the capabilities of the team members to an international level.
- Mentoring of Junior designers and Assistant Designers on assigned tasks.
- Brand generation and application.
Job Requirements
- Bachelor's degree minimum and/ or high level experience in the field of industrial design within the railway industry or automotive industry. (Minimum 15 years rail vehicle design experience with evidence of exceptional ability, preferred)
- Ability to engage and build positive relationships with customer, employees and suppliers (service agencies).
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, problem solving and solution building skills.
- Experience of cross-functional knowledge with regards to vehicle integration and material selection for Manufacture & Assembly.
- Sensitivity to CMF and future trends in design and aesthetic preferences across different market segments.
Contact: Jackie Hendry (jackie@railpersonnel.com)
Director Rail Systems, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
Job ID#: 13123
Discipline: Civil
Position Type: Contract
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is seeking a Director Rail Systems to assist with activities on a project in Saudi Arabia.
It is the role of this client to be the system integrator, the design authority, the technical advisor and guardian of quality. System integration responsibility covers the management of functional requirements and ensure the proper flow down of such to each Contract's Works Information. The Director of Rail Systems (DoRS) holds Technical Authority for all forms of Rail Systems. This DoRS role leads the management of the Railway Systems elements of the Backbone designs undertaken by Backbone Engineering Consultant and subsequent contractor design and delivery. The DoRS provides technical oversight of activities relating to rail systems engineering related disciplines. The DoRS reports to the Executive Director.
Key Accountabilities & Activities:
* Leadership of the Rail Systems function. Establish and develop the teams and monitor his/her performance against objectives. The Director Rail Systems is responsible for the management of rail systems discipline Design Managers for Signalling, E&P, Telecoms and systems assurance.
* DoRS is responsible for ensuring rail systems and associated railway infrastructure are delivered and configured to deliver a rail systems performance which meets the railway service requirements mandated to the client for the Backbone and NIC transportation services including High Speed passenger rail, Group Mass Transit and Freight Services.
* Providing visible leadership and demonstrable commitment to system engineering principles demonstrating by the processes put in place;
* The Director Rail Systems will interface and assist other discipline managers in compilation of Design submissions, Requirements compliance matrices, programme updates, updates to Programme integrated design registers and in the assurance process execution.
* Keeping the Executive Director informed of technical issues arising from Rail Systems works.
Job Requirements
* Bachelor of Civil / Systems Engineering, or equivalent qualification.
* Over 20 years of Rail Systems experience.
* Over 5 years of Rail Systems experience gained in the Gulf Region.
* At least 3 years senior executive experience earned with major companies or leading a major consultant's site supervision projects function.
* Demonstrated track record of the delivery or supervision of complex and high-value rail systems projects.
* Demonstrated commercial acumen through business experience (either through ownership or P&L ownership as an executive). .
* Experience leading and managing high performing individuals and teams.
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to effectively interact with a diverse group of individuals.
* Strong-reporting skills.
Contact: Jackie Hendry (jackie@railpersonnel.com)
Project Director, Allahabad, India
Job ID#: 13156
Discipline: Civil
Position Type: Contract
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client has the contract to provide project management consultancy services for its Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor Project for the Mughalsarai - New Bhaupur Section of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (417km of Civil, Electrical, Signalling, Telecoms). The Scope of Services includes:
- Design review for Civil and Systems contract including drawings and specifications
- Superintendence of contractor"s performance under the contract
- Progress monitoring
- Technical & quality control
- Work site safety
- Evaluation of construction
- Certification for completion of works by DB works contractors & duties related to taking over & defects liability period.
They are looking for a Project Director to replace the person leaving the project to be based in Allahabad in India.
Contract period 2.5 years
The Project Director is responsible for:
- Overall controlling, monitoring and implementation of the project. He will exercise supervisory
control over all Dy. Team Leaders and will issue necessary instructions for efficient and economized execution of all works under his charge.
- Coordinate Consultant's Inputs during Preliminary and Definitive/Detailed Design and Drawings
- Approval to Definitive/Detailed Design and Drawings.
- Approval to DB Contractor"s Work Programme
- Handover of the site to the DB Contractor
- Checking and verification of the Contractor"s Bond, Guarantees and Insurance Policies
- Review and Approval of the Contractor"s Site Installations
- Monitoring Supervision of Works/Inspection of Works by Key Experts and Non-Key Experts
- Assisting the Consultant"s Team, The Employer and DB Contractor in interpretation of Contract
Clauses
- Monitoring the Contractor"s Progress
- Ensuring that works comply established Quality Control and Quality Assurance Standards and
Procedures
Job Requirements
Essential:B.Tech Civil and M.Tech /MBA
- More Than 20 years experience with more than 15 years with railway projects
- Experience in Similar Position/Similar role more Than 5 Years
- International Experience in Railways & Metro Railway Projects with Modern Technology/Railway and Metro projects to consider to count for 10 years with at least 2 relevant railway projects
Contact: Varun Pershad (varun@railpersonnel.com)
Rail News
5 Dec 2020. UK. Government to cut £1bn from rail budget
The government has cut £1bn from the rail infrastructure budget following the Chancellor's Spending Review. Rishi Sunak had previously promised record infrastructure investment as part of the government's "levelling up" agenda. Until now, Network Rail's "enhancement" budget for the five year period from 2019-24 had been set at £10.4bn. But, this week rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said that the budget would now be £9.4bn. That has put a question mark over some long-planned improvements to rail infrastructure. The rail industry has raised concerns that the budget could be cut by as much as 10% overall if the government tries to claw back some funding that it was unable to spend this year, partly because of the pandemic. News of the budget cuts comes as the future of the franchise system, under which the railways have been run since privatisation, looks set to be replaced by a system of concessions, tightening the grip of government over the industry.
Source: BBC
5 Dec 2020. Iran. Export shipment arrives in Afghanistan via new railway
The first shipment of Iranian exports has arrived in Afghanistan via a new railroad that links Iran’s eastern city of Khaf to Herat. The shipment was dispatched on a trial basis to detect possible problems on that route. The construction of the railway began in April 2007 with at a cost of US$75m and was due to finish in 2009, but due to some complications, it was delayed. It will be officially inaugurated in the coming days by the presidents of both countries. The 130km long railway connects the city of Herat in Western Afghanistan to Iran’s rail network. It will connect Afghanistan to Asian and European countries through Iran. Freight traffic is predicted to be around two million tonnes a year. The operation of a passenger service via this railway is also being considered. According to initial studies, passenger traffic could reach 321,000 passengers in a year.
Source: Caspian News
5 Dec 2020. India. Tender invited for Delhi-Amritsar high-speed rail corridor
The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has invited tenders for the final alignment design including aerial LiDAR survey and other-related infrastructural work for the 459 km long Delhi-Amritsar high-speed rail corridor. The NHSRCL is entrusted with the responsibility for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the upcoming high-speed rail corridor. The Delhi-Amritsar high-speed rail corridor will connect Ludhiana en route and aims to significantly reduce the travel time between the national capital and Amritsar. NHSRCL is yet to provide specifications about the corridor and all the stations that the corridor will cover.
Source: NDTV
5 Dec 2020. China. Ambitious rail line to link city clusters within five years
The National Development and Reform Commission has announced that China will start construction of 10,000 kms of intercity and urban railway over the next five years in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Delta and Greater Bay area. Officials said that once the rail line is completed in 2025, travel time between cities will be reduced to one to two hours. The major work in the next five years is to fill the gap by extending the high-speed railway network to cities that are short of or haven't had access to the high-speed railway. The three city clusters are the most economically vibrant regions in China. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is composed of 16 cities, including two municipalities, Beijing and Tianjin, and 13 cities in Hebei Province and one in Henan Province. The Yangtze River Delta city cluster includes municipality Shanghai and 40 other cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. And the Greater Bay area includes nine cities in south China's Guangdong Province as well as Hong Kong and Macau.
Source: CTGN
4 Dec 2020. Germany. 200th Bombardier TRAXX locomotive delivered to Railpool
Bombardier has delivered its 200th TRAXX locomotive to Railpool, the rail vehicle leasing company. The newly delivered TRAXX MS2E locomotive is homologated for cross-border traffic in seven European countries (Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary). This locomotive was part of an order for 10 locomotives placed in December 2018. More than 2,300 TRAXX locomotives have been sold in the last 20 years. Together, the locomotives in operation achieve an annual mileage of 300 million kilometres – as such, the locomotives effectively drove around the earth 7,500 times during this period. They are also authorised to operate in 20 countries around the world.
Source: Global Railway Review
3 Dec 2020. Italy. European rail alliance launches four-year skills project
An alliance of rail industry organisations has officially launched a four-year programme to develop a long-term strategy to address skill shortages in the sector. Led by the University of Genoa, the Skill Training Alliance for the Future European Rail system (Staffer), is a group of 32 organisations including businesses, education and training institutions and professional associations. The group will develop a long-term strategy to identify current and future skills shortages in the rail industry, and related training and educational curricula to address these needs. The programme will run until the end of October 2024. Staffer also aims to improve career opportunities in the sector through pan-European mobility programmes and work-based internships. The implementation of Staffer’s goals will be monitored by its contracting authority, the Educational, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
Source: International Railway Journal
3 Dec 2020. Canada. Bombardier, Alstom railway deal receives regulatory approvals
Bombardier and Alstom say they have received all the necessary regulatory approvals required to complete the US$8.4bn sale of the Canadian company’s railway division to Alstom. The companies say they now expect the transaction to close on 29 January, 2021.Alstom shareholders voted to approve the deal on 29 October. The sale is expected to make Alstom the second-largest manufacturer of rolling stock, behind China’s CRRC. Alstom has committed to establish its North American headquarters in Montreal, which will oversee 13,000 employees, set up a research centre and improve production at the Bombardier Transport plant in La Pocatiere, where the order book is almost empty.
Source: Design Engineering
2 Dec 2020. USA. SEPTA to install high-tech scanners that inspect overhead wires
South-eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is the first commuter rail operator in North America that is preparing to deploy new wire scanner technology, which will monitor its network of overhead wires on the Regional Rail. SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said new wire scanners will be acquired and installed on top of SEPTA work trains early next year. “These are essentially small cameras and they’re going to be able to inspect the overhead wires — and these are the overhead wires that power the whole Regional Rail system,” he explained. “So we’re talking over 262-track miles. “These cameras, they perform a detailed inspection and status of the wires throughout the system.” Busch said the wire-inspection scanners will help to quickly identify trouble spots. The transit agency and its tech partner, Strukton Rail from Bethesda, Maryland, were recently awarded a US$170,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration to install and test the technology.
2 Dec 2020. Sweden. Railcare awarded Scandinavian iron ore haulage contract
Mining company Kaunis Iron has awarded Railcare a long-term contract to transport iron ore from the terminal at Pitkäjärvi in Sweden to the Norwegian port of Narvik. The SKr740m contract runs for 10 years from 16 November 2021, and will see Railcare operate two trains per day, seven days a week and transport approximately 2·3 million tonnes per annum. The deal follows on from the current contract which has seen Railcare operate the services since 2018. Kaunis Iron owns the helix-dump wagons that are used, while the main line and shunting locomotives are provided by Railcare. As well as train operations, the contractor is responsible for planning and shunting at the Pitkäjärvi terminal where the ore is transferred from lorry to train.
Source: Railway Gazette
2 Dec 2020. India. Railways gets environmental clearance for High Speed Rail corridor
Indian Railways has been given all the requisite forestry, wildlife, and coast regulation clearances in Maharashtra and Gujarat for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor. The Railway Board Chairman and CEO, V.K. Yadav said that Railways have also acquired 67% of the land which is required for the project. Indian Railways has floated tenders for the project, which will cover 325 km viaduct and five stations. The trains are expected to run at the speed of 350 km per hour covering the 508 km stretch in just about 2 hours.
Source: Jagran Josh
1 Dec 2020. USA. Amtrak awarded Metrolink operating contract
The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink) has renewed its contract with Amtrak for regional/commuter rail operations services, beginning 1 January 2021 and expiring 30 June 2025. Amtrak will also provide and manage engineers and conductors. Amtrak beat four other bidders to win the contract. Serving the greater Los Angeles region, Metrolink is the nation’s third-largest commuter rail system with 407 unduplicated and 538 total route-miles. Before the pandemic it was carrying 690 million passenger-km/year. Amtrak is the incumbent operator, having taken over from Connex in June 2010.
Source: Railway Age
1 Dec 2020. UK. Government agrees £825m loan to finish Crossrail
The government has agreed a £825m loan to finance the completion Crossrail train link. Writing on Twitter, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that the loan was a “fair dal for taxpayers across the UK”. The loan takes the total cost of the project, which has been plagued by difficulties over its lifespan, to £18.6bn.The new funding comes weeks after Transport for London’s commissioner Andy Byford wrote to the government asking for immediate emergency financing to keep the project on track. Without an extra £80m, Byford said that Crossrail risked having to be “mothballed”. However, Transport for London officials said that the cost to complete Crossrail was now expected to exceed the £2.2bn in extra funding agreed with the government in 2018.
Source: City A.M.
1 Dec 2020. UK. CAF selects Teleste’s on-board systems for Docklands Light Railway
Teleste will deliver its on-board systems to CAF’s trains for London’s Docklands Light Railway (DLR). According to the contract between Teleste and CAF, the deliveries will take place in 2021-2023, and they will cover passenger information, public address and CCTV systems as well as ultrawide TFT displays of the newest type to 43 5-car driverless light metro trains, the first of which will enter commercial service in 2023. With its annual passenger count reaching 122 million, DLR is the busiest light rail network in the UK. The new trains will add capacity to the network by up to 30% Additionally, the trains will offer passengers an improved travel experience by increasing the availability of real-time travel information, which is one of the key functionalities enabled by Teleste’s passenger information system.
Source: Teleste Corporation
1 Dec 2020. Austria. Alstom's hydrogen train completes three months of testing
Alstom's Coradia iLint, the world's first hydrogen fuel cell train, has just completed three months of successful test operation on ÖBB’s (Austrian Federal Railways) regional lines. This comes just after it received official approval from the highest railway authority in the country, the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK). These milestones make Austria the second country in Europe, after Germany, to fully approve of the Coradia iLint as an emission-free alternative to diesel multiple units. During the three months of testing on four demanding routes in southern Lower Austria, Vienna and eastern Styria, ÖBB and its passengers witnessed operability and performance of the new drive technology based on fuel cells - even on steep track sections and under the most varied climatic conditions. Following the successful operation in Austria, the data collected will now be analysed to further perfect the technology.
Source: Alstom
26 Nov 2020. Italy. Alstom to supply Lombardy’s first hydrogen trains
Alstom will supply six hydrogen fuel cell trains, with the option for eight more, to FNM (Ferrovie Nord Milano), the main transport and mobility group in the Italian region of Lombardy, for a total amount of approximately €160m. The first train delivery is expected within 36 months of the date of the order. The new hydrogen trains will be based on Alstom’s Coradia Stream regional train platform, which is dedicated to the European market and already being produced for Italy by Alstom’s main Italian sites. The hydrogen powered Coradia Stream for FNM, will be equipped with the same fuel cell propulsion technology that was introduced to by the Coradia iLint. The Coradia Stream trains for FNM are manufactured by Alstom in Italy. Project development, most of the manufacturing and certification are performed at Alstom’s site in Savigliano. The on-board signalling systems are delivered by the Bologna site.
Source: Alstom
26 Nov 2020. Egypt. Seven stations receive signalling upgrades
Thales has commissioned signalling works for a total of seven new stations across the three major railway lines in Egypt over the last six months stations as part of the Egyptian National Railways Signalling Modernisation project. Upgrades at the Sandanhour, Toukh and Qaha stations on the Cairo-Benha line; Geziret and El Maragha stations on the Asyut-Nagahamadi line; and Kafr el Dawar and Damanhour stations on the Cario-Alexandria line have all been completed. The existing mechanical signalling systems are being replaced with Thales’ Electronic Interlocking System (EIS) across three of the ENR’s most prominent lines; the 159km long Cairo-Alexandria, 48km long Cairo-Benha and 180km long Asyut-Nagahamadi. The signalling modernisation will increase train safety and speed by creating a more efficient railway system. In addition, the project entails new Level crossings, an upgrade of the telecommunications systems and new technical buildings for ENR. This includes the implementation of a centralised control centre, which will allow ENR to monitor and supervise train operation for the whole lines.
Source: Global Railway Review
24 Nov 2020. Egypt. Orascom and Mitsubishi win $800m Cairo metro contract
A joint venture between Egyptian contractor Orascom and the Mitsubishi Corporation has signed a $800m contract with Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels for the first phase of Cairo Metro’s Line 4.The underground line will be the ”main metro line for tourism transportation in Egypt” according to Orascom, and will connect 16 stations over 19km, linking Greater Cairo’s centre to Giza’s pyramids, as well as Besix and Orascom’s Grand Egyptian Museum. Work on the project includes track laying, depot and workshop construction, signalling, power supplies, telecoms and automatic fare collection. The development will be financed by a loan from the Japanese International Corporation Agency.
Source: Global Construction Review
21 Nov 2020. China. Testing commences on 100km monorail train
Test running has started with a prototype 100km/h monorail train being developed by CRRC Qingdao Sifang. The company initially developed an 80km/h vehicle in 2016, which was powered by permanent-magnet motors. The latest vehicle is faster and wider, and is intended to offer a comparable capacity to a Type B metro trainset. Equipped for driverless operation to GoA4, the new-generation trainset also uses a permanent magnet traction package, which is expected to reduce energy consumption by around 20% compared with earlier monorail designs. Designed for a service life of up to 30 years, the vehicles have a body width of 3098mm, comparable to the cross-section of a Type A metro car. Operating on an 850 mm wide guideway beam, the vehicles are carried on two-axle bogies, providing the ability to negotiate curves as tight as 50 m radius and climb gradients of up to 6%. Moving the wheelsets to the outside of the guideway is intended to simplify replacement of the rubber tyres, reducing the whole life maintenance cost of the running gear by a third.
Source: Metro Report International
