Dear Readers
The New Zealand Rail Conference has been rescheduled from the 22nd-23rd November 2021 to the new dates of 15th-16th February 2022. The dinner will be held on the evening of Day One, 15 February. The venue for the rescheduled NZ Rail Conference will remain the same – The Hilton, Auckland. The event will also remain available to be viewed virtually through the event app. To register, please visit: https://www.informa.com.au/event/conference/transport-logistics/new-zealand-rail/
This week's Job of the Week is in Doha, Qatar and is for a Maintenance Director.
Regards
Rail Personnel
This Week’s Highlights
5 November 2021. UK. Siemens Mobility wins Carstairs Junction signalling contract
Siemens Mobility Limited has been awarded a contract worth £50 million by Network Rail to deliver the next stages of the signalling element of the Carstairs remodelling project.
Source: Rail UK
5 November 2021. Canada. Canadian National buys battery locomotive
Canadian National’s Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad has purchased a Wabtec FLXdrive battery-electric freight locomotive, with financial support from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Marine & Rail Freight Movers grant programme.
Source: Railway Gazette International
2 November 2021. Australia. Cross River Rail train contract tendered
The Queensland government has called tenders for the supply of 65 electric multiple-units to expand Brisbane’s suburban fleet and operate the Cross River Rail link which is now under construction for opening in 2025.
Source: Railway Gazette International
Job of the Week
Maintenance Director, Doha, Qatar
Job ID#: 13358
Discipline: Mechanical
Position Type: Contract
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client has a contract to maintain ther Doha Metro System-Phase I. The scope includes rolling stock, power, signaling, communications, automatic fare collection, platform edge doors, tunnel ventilation and other systems necessary to ensure the proper operation of the Doha Metro system.
They are looking for a Maintenance Director to be:
- The official representative of the Contractor to the Employer
- responsible for all aspects of the performance of the System Maintenance Contract;
- ensure that the Works are executed and completed in a timely and effective manner;
- have overall authority to manage and administer the Contract on behalf of the Consortium;
- bear the accountability of the safety, reliability and availability of Systems, Rolling Stock and Trackwork
assets installed and constructed for Doha Metro;
- be responsible of the enhancement/establishment and management of maintenance strategy, organization
in order to ensure the reliability and availability of the systems;
- bear the accountability of the safety and the performance of the maintenance organization;
Main Functions of the Maintenance director
- to manage all the maintenance staff in the execution & completion of the Maintenance Works;
- to act as the point of contact for all communications with the Employer and the Engineer;
- to effect and authorize actions necessary to fulfil the System Maintenance Contract requirements;
- to attempt to resolve points of clarification or misunderstanding;
- to deal with correspondence with the Employer and the Engineer;
- to maintain a cooperative and effective relationship with the Employer and the Engineer;
- to call and chair regular internal meetings with subsystems;
- to ensure that reliable maintenance services of the systems, Rolling Stocks and Track work assets will be
provided to meet the operational objectives of Doha Metro
- to ensure the delivery of operational objectives of Doha Metro to customers and to achieve the business
objectives and performance targets of the organization.
Job Requirements
To be considered you must
- Possess relevant university degrees or equivalent qualifications appropriate to
their individual duties. (i.e. bachelor"s degree relevant to the nature of the contract mechanical, Electrical, etc.)
- Over 20 years experience in maintenance projects and project management.
- Preferably Rail System Maintenance
- Preferably at least 10 years in Metro System.
- Background of overall of business management
- Rolling Stock, Tracks, Energy (power) experience.
Contact: Jackie Hendry (jackie@railpersonnel.com)
Rail News
5 November 2021. UK. Siemens Mobility wins Carstairs Junction signalling contract
Siemens Mobility Limited has been awarded a contract worth £50 million by Network Rail to deliver the next stages of the signalling element of the Carstairs remodelling project. As a major junction on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), where the lines from London Euston and Edinburgh to Glasgow Central merge, the remodelling will improve reliability, operational resilience and flexibility, and encourage more passengers and freight operators to use the railway in Scotland. Siemens Mobility will be installing its Trackguard WTS signalling system, which will enable line speed to be increased through the junction and a temporary speed restriction on the WCML to be removed. This is the first time this solution will have been used in Scotland.
Source: Rail UK
5 November 2021. Canada. Canadian National buys battery locomotive
Canadian National’s Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad has purchased a Wabtec FLXdrive battery-electric freight locomotive, with financial support from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Marine & Rail Freight Movers grant programme. Wabtec’s FLXdrive battery loco is designed to work in multiple with conventional diesel locos to provide an energy storage capability, providing the train with a power boost where needed and enabling the diesel engines to be switched off or idled in yards or other sensitive areas.
Source: Railway Gazette International
2 November 2021. Australia. Cross River Rail train contract tendered
The Queensland government has called tenders for the supply of 65 electric multiple-units to expand Brisbane’s suburban fleet and operate the Cross River Rail link which is now under construction for opening in 2025. Bids are due by early 2022, with the winning bidder expected to be announced in mid-year, state Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk explained, adding that the order would form the major part of an A$7·1bn investment in the rail sector.
Source: Railway Gazette International
2 November 2021. Tanzania. Malaysian-built locomotives ready for delivery to Tanzania
The first batch of H10 Series diesel locomotives developed by Malaysian company SMH Rail for the African freight market is now ready to be handed over to Tanzania Railways Corp, the company announced on November 1. ‘We are proud to handover the first batch of the H10 Series locomotives to our partner Tanzania Railways Corp and are confident that these locomotives will bring positive enhancements to the African rail cargo industry’, said Chairman & Managing Director PK Nara. ‘SMH Rail shares this achievement with everyone involved in this project especially our partners and local SMEs for their immense efforts towards the successful completion and delivery of these locomotives.
Source: Railway Gazette International
2 November 2021. Scotland. New electric battery train makes first journey during Glasgow COP26
While world leaders meet at the UN climate conference in Glasgow, an emission-free battery train crossed the iconic Forth Bridge in the UK for the first time. Developed by Vivarail, two existing diesel trains were converted to reduce emissions. The eyes of the world are on Scotland, as world leaders gather to accelerate action to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement at the COP26, which takes place from 1 to 13 November. A good time to showcase a new battery-powered train, which can reduce emissions on non-electrified parts of the railway network.
Source: Railtech.com
2 November 2021. United States. Gubernatorial visit marks progress on New York’s $11bn East Side Access programme
Governor of New York State Kathy Hochul was among the first dignitaries to travel by rail into Long Island Rail Road’s deep-level platforms being built beneath New York’s Grand Central Terminal, arriving on a special train on October 31. Expected to open for revenue service in December 2022, the deep-level hub is being built 15 storeys below the historic main concourse at GCT, as part of New York MTA’s long-running East Side Access programme, now costed at $11bn. The LIRR station at Grand Central terminal has eight platform faces in two adjacent twin-deck caverns.
Source: Metro Report International
2 November 2021. Australia. Western Sydney Airport metro line shortlist announced
Three consortia have been shortlisted for the Stations, Systems, Trains, Operations & Maintenance contract package for the Western Sydney Airport automated metro project. This is the third major contract for the project, and includes the construction of the six stations and their surroundings, the stabling and maintenance depot, rail infrastructure and systems and operation of the future line. The shortlisted bidders announced on October 28 are:
•Bradfield Metro: John Laing, Keolis Downer, FCC Construction Australia and Hitachi Rail STS Australia;
•Parklife Metro: Plenary Origination, Webuild, RATP Developpement, Siemens Mobility, Siemens Project Ventures;
•WestGo: Pacific Partnerships, Acciona Concesiones, DIF Management Australia, CPB Contractors, Acciona Construction Australia, UGL Engineering, ComfortDelGro Transit, UGL Rail Services and Coleman Rail.
The contract is expected to be awarded at the end of 2022, with the aim of the 23 km line between St Marys and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis being operational when Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) airport opens. This is expected to be in late 2026 at the earliest.
Source: Metro Report International
29 October 2021. Taiwan. Taipei metro verification & validation contract awarded
The city of Taipei has appointed Ricardo to provide independent verification & validation services for Phase 2 of the Line 7/Light Green driverless medium-capacity metro project. Rolling stock and railway systems for the line are being supplied by consortium of Alstom and CTCI under contracts awarded in 2018 and 2020. Under the £2·3m contract announced on October 27 Ricardo will assess whether the electrical and mechanical systems on Phase 2, including rolling stock, communications and power supplies and the interfaces with civil and track works, meet the required functionality, quality and operational safety standards.
Source: Metro Report International
28 October 2021. Germany. DB Cargo to develop fully automated shunting by 2024
DB Cargo has contracted Railergy to fully automate the activities of shunting locomotives in its train formation facilities. This is to further boost single wagonload traffic throughout Germany. DB Cargo AG operates single wagonload traffic throughout Germany. Single wagon transport is characterised by the coupling and uncoupling of individual wagons or groups of wagons at hubs (train formation facilities) within Germany. In order to make this more efficient, process automation is a key solution, it states. It has planned several measures which, when combined, will make rail freight transport more competitive. One important element of the strategy is to fully automate the activities of shunting locomotives in the train formation facilities (ZBA) of DB Cargo.
Source: Railtech.com
28 October 2021. UK. Stadler and Houghton International to deliver fleet renewal maintenance program for Tyne & Wear Metro
Swiss train manufacturer Stadler has signed a contract with electro mechanical repair specialist Houghton International to extend maintenance support for the Tyne and Wear Metro until October 2023. Houghton International will work with Stadler to deliver an accelerated maintenance plan, increasing contracted volumes to extend the life of the current fleet of trains until the transition to a new fleet of trains from 2023. The scope of the agreement covers both planned maintenance and emergency repairs and encompasses assets including traction motors, motor alternator sets and compressor motors.
Source: Rail UK
28 October 2021. Australia. Major contract awarded and new plans revealed for North East Link
The $11.1 billion Public Private Partnership contract for Victoria’s North East Link Project has been awarded, alongside news that the tunnels will be 1.9km longer than originally planned, which will allow for more parklands, with the tunnelling package alone set to create 8,000 jobs. The Spark consortium has signed the PPP contract, subject to financial close, that locks in a 25-year deal to build, operate and maintain the tunnels, with tolls to go back to the state. The North East Link project will deliver a longer tunnel to Watsonia, a new tree-lined boulevard for Greensborough Road and more than 50 MCGs of new, revived and reconnected parklands.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
27 October 2021. Spain. 5G enables facial recognition at Malaga station
Facial recognition gives access to areas in a train station, and maintenance workers have a real-time digital model of elements directly on their phone. These are some of the possibilities of 5G, which Vodafone and Adif have concluded a project about at the Málaga main train station in Spain. Imagine this: you’re at a large station for the first time, and want to go to the nearest bathroom or ticket information desk. Instead of searching and looking at all the signs, you can open an app, select the facility you want to go to, and an arrow on year screen guides you directly to the right place. Meanwhile, another application guides maintenance workers in the same way, and in a digital model of station elements they can find real-time information about their status. Entering a facility that is restricted for passengers can be done just by showing their face.
Source: Railtech.com
26 October 2021. The Netherlands. Thalys presents new design in Amsterdam
Thalys presented its newly designed train in Amsterdam and various other stations in the Netherlands and Belgium on Tuesday. The train offers 28 extra seats, 15 percent more luggage space, room for bikes and a new bar area. RailTech travelled in the renewed train to Brussels and talked to Thalys CEO Bertrand Gosselin and NS International director Heike Luiten. On Tuesday morning around 10:00 a.m., a large number of people gathered at Amsterdam Central Station. Media, but also customers, partners and train lovers, have been invited to the festive inauguration of the renewed Thalys train. The new Thalys set off for Brussels at 10.15 a.m., because trains must, of course, run punctually according to the timetable.
Source: Railtech.com
20 October 2021. Norway. Norway stops further competitive tendering of passenger rail
The new Norwegian government is making radical changes to the railway policy. They say no to tendering, splitting and privatisation of the railway, and plan to stop the ongoing tendering of railway sections in Norway. Norway will review the structure of the railway with a view to a ‘more comprehensive and clear organisation’. Concretely, the plans mean that Norway will stop further competitive tendering of passenger traffic on the railway. This also goes for the planned competitive tendering of tasks within operation and maintenance related to the railway’s infrastructure. However, the railway’s competitiveness in freight transport must be strengthened. The new government was appointed on 14 October 2021, and is a coalition of the Labor Party and the Center Party.
Source: Railtech.com
15 October 2021. Australia. New resource to boost gender diversity in rail
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has released its Gender Diversity Resource Guide, containing materials to help rail organisations establish new measures supporting gender diversity in the industry. ARA Chief Executive Officer, Caroline Wilkie, said, “The ARA Gender Diversity Resource Guide provides easy access to resources for anyone seeking to attract, retain and advance women in their organisations.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
15 October 2021. Japan. Refurbished EMU to offer tourist-oriented Osaka – Kyoto service
Kinki Nippon Railway (Kintetsu) has announced plans to refurbish a withdrawn four-car Series 12200 EMU ahead of the launch of a new service to be marketed as the Ayoyoshi Limited Express. The railway plans to introduce the service on April 29 next year, targeting the anticipated post-pandemic return to Japan of foreign visitors, and will link Osaka-Namba, Kintetsu-Nara and Kyoto. The train will make an initial morning run from Osaka (departing 09.30) via Nara to Kyoto (arrive 10.50), then two return trips between Kyoto and Kintetsu-Nara, before returning in the late afternoon from Kyoto via Nara to Osaka-Namba (arrive 16.40).
Source: Railway Gazette International
12 October 2021. UK. Hitachi Rail awarded contract to design digital signalling solution to improve reliability and safety for Gloucester area
Hitachi Rail and Linbrooke have been awarded a contract by Network Rail to design digital signalling technology specifically for the Gloucester area. This digital signalling solution will be a significant upgrade, replacing the current switch panel that was installed in the 1960s. The introduction of digital Signalling Command Control (SCC) system gives the operator complete picture of the network and automated updates. This will enable Network Rail to respond more effectively to any issues or incidents, reducing passenger disruption and improving management of rail traffic.
Source: Rail UK
12 October 2021. New Zealand. KiwiRail orders 57 Stadler diesel locomotives
KiwiRail has selected Stadler to supply its next generation of main-line diesel locomotives, placing a framework contract with an NZ$403m firm order for an initial 57 to be deployed on freight and passenger services on the South Island’s ‘challenging’ routes. Announcing the order on October 11, Stadler said the ‘state of the art’ narrow-bodied monocoque Co-Co locomotives would be customised to the national railway’s requirements, while incorporating ‘service proven’ components and systems.
Source: Railway Gazette International
11 October 2021. Germany. Hamburg starts trial with Automatic Train Operation on the S-Bahn
Last Monday, a trial started in Hamburg with four automatic trains on the S-Bahn. These trains are equipped with Automatic Train Operation (ATO) and will run the coming days on the S21 line between Berliner Tor and Bergedorf/Aumühle stations. The train is fully automated but there is a train driver on board as a supervisor. Shunting will be done without on-board personnel. The project partners DB, Siemens Mobility, and the City of Hamburg have invested a total of 60 million euros in the digital S-Bahn Hamburg, which is part of DB’s Digital Rail Germany project.
Source: Railtech.com
