Dear Readers
Those of you who read this column regularly will know that I am a great fan of Michael Portillo, who, for many of years, has graced our television screens with rail journeys at home and all around the globe
I’m delighted to learn that his 12th series of Great British Railway Journeys will be shown on BBC Two in the Spring.
As a sweetener to this I would suggest you read this article, published In The Telegraph, this week.
If Mr Portillo is planning on retiring, I certainly wouldn’t mind his job!
Jobs of the Week this week are in India. We are looking for a Senior Traction & Power Supply Expert to work in Mumbai and a Chief Contract Administration Expert and Chief Quality Expert to work in New Delhi.
Regards
Ceri Taylor
Editor
This Week’s Headlines
22 Feb 2021. Australia. Report calls for investment in faster rail
A report calls for investment in faster rail services across Australia to connect CBDs to neighbouring regional centres, but says high speed rail isn’t the immediate answer
Source: Government News
21 Feb 2021. UK. ROUK purchase ex-Heathrow Express Class 360/2 trains
Rail Operations UK Limited (ROUK) have agreed with Heathrow Airport Limited to purchase five Class 360/2, along with spares.
Source: Rail Advent
17 Feb 2021. Czech Republic. Škoda wins three contracts for German cities
The cities of Brandenburg an der Havel, Cottbus and Frankfurt an der Oder, in the state of Brandenburg, have awarded a joint contract to Škoda Transportation for the supply of up to 45 new low-floor ForCity Plus LRVs.
Source: International Railway Journal
19 Feb 2021. USA. Metra to acquire seven new locomotives
The board of Chicago commuter operator Metra has approved a plan to procure seven low-emission shunting locomotives, including its first zero-emission electric locomotives.
Source: Railway Gazette
18 Feb 2021. UK. GBRf extend contract with GRS Rail Services
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has signed a five-year deal with GRS Rail Services, a joint venture between Tarmac and aggregates trading company GRS, in an extension to its existing contract.
Source: GB Railfreight
Jobs of the Week:
Senior Traction and Power Supply Expert/Indian Candidates/Rail and Metro Candidates, Mumbai, India
Job ID#: 13193
Discipline: Power Supply & Distribution
Position Type: Permanent
Language: English
Job Description:
This position is for the Mumbai Metro Line 4 project
Full Time Candidate
Mumbai Metro Line-4
Job Requirements
Job Title: Senior Traction and Power Supply Expert/OHE/Power Supply
Educational Qualification: BE Electrical/Electronics
Overall Experience: 15 Plus Years/More than 15 years/ 15 plus years
Experience in Metro Rail 5 plus years or more than 5 years into OHE(25kva works) Overhead Electrification
Contact: Varun Pershad (varun@railpersonnel.com)
Chief Contract Administration Expert New Delhi, India
Job ID#: 13195
Discipline: Contracts
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is looking for a Chief Contract Administration Expert to join their team in India on the Western Dedicated Freight Rail Project. The railway has a total length of 1,500 kilometers and the corridor is expected to be fully operational in 2023. The Western DFC will connect Delhi, the capital of the nation, with Mumbai, the second largest city. The project is part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Initiative jointly promoted by Japan and India. It has been approved as the Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan project and is being carried out under the Special Terms for Economic Partnership (STEP) scheme in which the use of technologies owned by Japanese companies is highly promoted. When fully opened, WDFC will be able to cut down the transportation time from three days to one day.
Our client along with five other engineering firms are in charge of procurement of equipment such as power systems and trains, and construction supervision in the first phase of the project.
Total 14 man months Immediately required.
Job Requirements
* Academic Qualification：Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineer
* General Work Experience：more than 35 years
* Experience in Same/Similar：more than 27 years
* Overseas Project Experience：more than 9 years "Work Experience/developing country"：more than 9 years
* English Language: Yes
* less than 60 years old will be preferable
Contact: David Hyland (davidh@railpersonnel.com)
Chief Quality Expert, New Delhi, India
Job ID#: 13196
Discipline: Quality
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is looking for a Chief Quality Expert to join their team in India on the Western Dedicated Freight Rail Project. The railway has a total length of 1,500 kilometers and the corridor is expected to be fully operational in 2023. The Western DFC will connect Delhi, the capital of the nation, with Mumbai, the second largest city. The project is part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Initiative jointly promoted by Japan and India. It has been approved as the Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan project and is being carried out under the Special Terms for Economic Partnership (STEP) scheme in which the use of technologies owned by Japanese companies is highly promoted. When fully opened, WDFC will be able to cut down the transportation time from three days to one day.
Our client along with five other engineering firms are in charge of procurement of equipment such as power systems and trains, and construction supervision in the first phase of the project.
Total 5 man months Immediately required.
Job Requirements
* Academic Qualification：Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineer
* General Work Experience：more than 17 years
* Experience in Same/Similar：more than 11 years
* Overseas Project Experience：more than 8 years "Work Experience/developing country"：more than 3 years
* English Language: Yes
* less than 60 years old will be preferable
Contact: David Hyland (davidh@railpersonnel.com)
Rail News
22 Feb 2021. Australia. Report calls for investment in faster rail
A report calls for investment in faster rail services across Australia to connect CBDs to neighbouring regional centres but says high speed rail isn’t the immediate answer. The report commissioned by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) says investment in rail in Australia has fallen behind road funding, resulting in gridlocked roads, slow train journeys and lack of support for an expected exodus of people from urban areas. It’s also left an Australia lagging compared to other countries around the world that are investing in rail, like the UK, France, Germany and Japan. But the ARA says the future of the rail system needs to do more than just be fast – it also needs to be frequent, reliable, comfortable and safe. Faster rail can be achieved upgrading existing lines, while fast and high speed rail require new rolling stock and the construction of dedicated tracks.
Source: Government News
21 Feb 2021. UK. ROUK purchase ex-Heathrow Express Class 360/2 trains
Rail Operations UK Limited (ROUK) have agreed with Heathrow Airport Limited to purchase five Class 360/2, along with spares. ROUK see these Class 360/2 play a role in changing rail freight logistics across the UK in the years to come. Heathrow Express, owned by Heathrow Airport Limited, operated these units on the Heathrow Airport to London Paddington “Heathrow Connect” service. In 2018, Transport for London (TfL) Rail became the operators of the five Class 360s from Heathrow Connect, but replaced these with Class 345s from July 2020, with the last one withdrawn in September 2020. Since December 2020, all five trains were stored at Old Oak Common TMD.
Source: Rail Advent
19 Feb 2021. Czech Republic. Škoda wins three contracts for German cities
The cities of Brandenburg an der Havel, Cottbus and Frankfurt an der Oder, in the state of Brandenburg, have awarded a joint contract to Škoda Transportation for the supply of up to 45 new low-floor ForCity Plus LRVs. The contract includes a base order of 24 70% low-floor LRVs worth Korunas 3bn ($US 139.7m), as well as options for an additional 21 vehicles. The LRVs will replace existing high-floor trams in the three cities which are coming to the end of their service life. Frankfurt will receive 13 vehicles, Cottbus seven, and Brandenburg four. Additionally, Cottbus has an option for 13 further LRVs, and Brandenburg has an option for eight more. The uni-directional, three-section vehicles are equipped with air-conditioning, passenger information systems, driver assistance cameras and multi-functional spaces for wheelchairs, prams or bicycles. The vehicles will be supplied in two different widths to accommodate for the unique requirements of the three cities.
Source: International Railway Journal
19 Feb 2021. USA. Metra to acquire seven new locomotives
The board of Chicago commuter operator Metra has approved a plan to procure seven low-emission shunting locomotives, including its first zero-emission electric locomotives. The six diesel locos would be required to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier IV emissions standards, the highest currently in effect. The seventh loco would be used to assess whether zero-emission electric locos can meet the demands of real-world operating conditions and Chicago’s weather, with the outcome then influencing future procurements. The fleet will replace locos that entered serve between 50 and 82 years ago.
Source: Railway Gazette
18 Feb 2021. UK. GBRf extend contract with GRS Rail Services
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has signed a five-year deal with GRS Rail Services, a joint venture between Tarmac and aggregates trading company GRS, in an extension to its existing contract. The new GRS Rail Services contract builds on a partnership between the two businesses that begun in 2016, primarily supplying rail haulage services between the UK’s largest granite quarry, Mountsorrel Quarry in Leicestershire, operated by Tarmac, and a major aggregates supply depot at Wellingborough, Northamptonshire operated by GRS. The Wellingborough depot was developed between Network Rail, GB Railfreight, Tarmac and GRS to support major infrastructure projects. This partnership will allow for the operation of services from the Peak District to terminals at Wellingborough, Luton, Northampton and Peterborough, as well as the redevelopment of Wellingborough Aggregates Depot.
Source: GB Railfreight
17 Feb 2021. Canada. Thales to supply VOBCs for Vancouver SkyTrain fleet expansion
Thales will provide 82 innovative SelTrac™ Vehicle On-Board Controllers (VOBCs) on 41 new trains for the Vancouver, Canada, SkyTrain fleet expansion, which will operate on the Expo and Millennium Lines. The new technology will allow for increased capacity and reliability for passengers. Thales' VOBC technology is an industry-leading, solution for urban rail transportation systems like TransLink's SkyTrain network. VOBCs control propulsion, braking, direction of travel, door operations, enforce speed limits and report identified faults. The VOBC is also a key component of Thales' SelTrac™ Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) system, which is equipped on the Millennium and Expo lines. The latest version of the VOBC technology is in operation on transit networks globally, including in Santiago, Chile, London, England, and Doha, Qatar. In Canada, Thales will deliver this VOBC solution as part of the Toronto Transit Commission's new Finch West expansion project.
Source: Marketscreener
17 Feb 2021. UK. HS2 seeks bids for Washwood Heath depot and control centre
HS2 has begun the search for a specialist contractor to build the high-speed rail project’s central control centre and maintenance depot, which will create around 500 long-term jobs in Birmingham’s Washwood Heath. The contract – worth an estimated £275m – will see the winning bidder work with HS2 Ltd to transform the 30-hectare brown field site into the nerve centre of the HS2 network. The depot will include a 40,000 m2 Rolling Stock Maintenance Building, Carriage Wash, Automatic Vehicle Inspection Building and 14 sidings where trains can be stored overnight. Also on the same site will be the Network Integrated Control Centre, the centre of the network’s state-of-the-art signalling and control systems as well as office buildings for cleaners and drivers. Bidders are expected to be shortlisted for the single-stage design and build contract in the summer with contract award in 2023.
Source: HS2
17 Feb 2021. Australia. New signalling technology for Sunshine Coast rail line
Work is underway to fit the Sunshine Coast rail line with new signalling technology as a part of a A$43m project to roll out European Train Control System (ETCS) level one technology between Caboolture and Gympie North. About 60 workers are involved in the work, which is occurring ahead of major construction on stage one of the jointly funded A$550m Sunshine Coast Rail Duplication project ramping up in the next 12 months. Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister, Mark Bailey, said the project was not only supporting local jobs, it was also gearing the North Coast rail line up for improved services between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane ahead of Cross River Rail opening in 2025. As part of the Cross River Rail project, a new signalling system is also being installed across sections of the inner-city network, using ETCS level two technology.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
16 Feb 2021. UAE. Passenger service starts on Dubai Route 2020 Metro
Alstom has announced that Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has started revenue service of the Dubai Route 2020 Metro. Construction on the line began in 2016 and was carried out by the Alstom-led ExpoLink Consortium, comprising Alstom, ACCIONA and Gülermak. Of the 15km, 11.8km are above ground, the remaining 3.2km below ground. The line also features an interchange with the Red Line, which at 52.1km is the longest driverless metro line in the world. Route 2020 has a total of seven stations, including Jabal Ali Station (Red Line interchange) and the flagship metro station at the World Expo site. Alstom was responsible for the integration of the metro system. Alstom also manufactured 50 Metropolis trains at its site in Katowice, Poland. Each train is 85.5m long and consists of five cars with a capacity of 696. Alstom further delivered the power supply, communication, signalling, automatic ticket control, track works and platform screen doors. In addition, Alstom upgraded elements of the existing metro line, such as the power supply, the signalling systems, communication and track works.
Source: Railway Technology
16 Feb 2021. Egypt. Alstom installs signalling system on Beni Suef-Assuyt rail line
Alstom has installed and commissioned it’s SIL4 signalling Electronic Interlocking System – IXL solution-SmartLock 400 GP – including a support system and SCADA that supervises and controls different subsystems on the Beni Suef-Assuyt rail line. Deirut is one of Egypt’s longest railway sectors, and is connected with Abu Qurqas, El Roda, and the Mallawi stations, which are already in service given over 50km of line which is fully operative with Alstom’s system including contraflow function. Adding to the 45km, the speeds can now reach up to 160kmph with a headway of 220 trains/day. Overall, the length commissioned is 100 km with seven stations, 32 level crossings, and 160-point machines. Alstom has been a partner to
Source: MEP Middle East
15 Feb 2021. Australia. Tasmania’s Heritage rail back on track
The 150th anniversary of rail in Tasmania has been celebrated with the official handover by TasRail of the 2118/ZA6 heritage locomotive to the Tasmanian Transport Museum. Delivered into operation in 1976, the ZA6 was the last English Electric Corporation locomotive built in Australia, the last new locomotive built for Tasmania, the last diesel locomotive built by the company in the world and is now part of the museum’s permanent collection. The section of the rail corridor between Glenorchy and Berriedale greatly increases the visitor experiences the museum can offer and is a significant upgrade from the 450-metre siding their operations were formerly restricted to.
Source: Mirage News
15 Feb 2021. Mexico. New Toluca rail project added to 2021 agenda
Mexico state is looking to launch this year an estimated 2.3bn-peso (US$115m) tender for the design, construction and operation of a new passenger rail line in state capital Toluca. The publication of the tender call is scheduled for this quarter. Mexico state authorities envision an 8.5km tram-type mass transit system, with 11 stations, two of them intermodal, and a workshop. The 12 undefined units will have capacity to transport 408 passengers each and travel at a top speed of 70km/h. It will require investment from both the public and private sectors, with the builder and operator being awarded a 20-year concession. The tender will be restricted to Mexican groups.
Source: BNAmericas
15 Feb 2021. UK. Babcock Rail takes £5m loss as business shrinks
Babcock Rail suffered a £4.9m pre-tax loss in its last financial year – as it cut 140 jobs.
A fall in revenue, which dropped from £151.6m to £104.7m, combined with a change in the regional split of work led the company to restructure in the period largely prior to the onset of the global pandemic. Newly released financial results show that around 140 jobs were cut during the 12 months to 31 March 2020 and the total restructuring programme resulted in a £9.4m one-off cost. Babcock Rail highlighted a number of significant long-term contracts that currently sit in its order book. Chief among these is its position on the North Alliance train track and systems framework, alongside Arcadis, which could be worth £1bn over 10 years to 2029. The company has also been appointed to Network Rail’s signalling and telecoms framework, running until 2024, which will be worth around £150m to the company.
Source: Construction News
15 Feb 2021. Australia. UGL wins $1.5bn country rail contract with TfNSW
Engineering company UGL has scored a A$1.5bn contract with Transport NSW (TfNSW) to operate and maintain the Country Regional Network (CRN) for the next ten years. ULG, which won the contract via a competitive tender process, takes over from John Holland Rail which holds the current contract that expires at the end of the year. The new contract takes effect from 2022 after a 12-month mobilisation period. The CRN consists of almost 2,400km of freight and passenger rail lines and more than 3,000km of non-operational lines, more than 1,300 level crossings, more than 900 bridges and 1,200 property assets including stations, of which 356 are heritage listed. Almost 1,000 km of the network is dedicated to moving grain to local markets and ports.
Source: Government News
15 Feb 2021. Australia. Work gets rolling on Murray Basin Rail Network
Major sleeper replacement works have started on a critical grain line to help improve the Murray Basin Rail Network as the A$440m, nation-building project ramps back up. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said almost 70,000 new sleepers were being installed between Korong Vale and Sea Lake after the Federal Government announced an additional A$200m for the Murray Basin Freight Rail Network late last year. The State Government last year undertook a review of the original Murray Basin Rail Project business case, prepared in 2015. It was backed by farmers and freight operators, who wanted to see the upgrade works start as soon as possible.
Source: Sunraysia
11 Feb 2021. UK. GMI Construction win Goole manufacturing site contract
Siemens Mobility has awarded the £40m contract to build its new rail manufacturing site at Goole, Yorkshire, to Yorkshire-based GMI Construction Group PLC. In addition to the main facility, GMI will construct the four and a half kilometres of rail track needed for connection to the main railway line. GMI’s commitment to using local suppliers, emphasis on employment skills and education, as well as its outstanding record of project delivery was key to the Leeds-based firm securing the contract. The development of the site will create up to 700 direct jobs, with a further 250 roles created during the construction phase and an additional 1,700 indirect supply chain opportunities. It is part of the first phase of investment in Siemens Mobility’s new £200m train manufacturing plant and rail supply chain village, which has seen contracts worth £50m let to UK companies – the majority of which are based locally in Yorkshire.
Source: Global Railway Review
