Dear Readers
We are delighted to announce our partnership with the Railway Academy, Asia’s top railway and smart mobility-focused training company with credentials of training 3,000+ professionals across the world. The Railway Academy offers employability focused training programs for the railway industry in collaboration with India’s top universities and industry leaders. For more information, visit: https://railwayacademy.org/
We have 3x exciting Jobs of the Week this week. In Taiwan, we are looking for a Senior Planner (must be fluent in Mandarin and English) and in Malaysia we are looking for a Methods Engineer for a rolling stock project. In Sydney, Australia we are looking for a Systems Engineer.
Best Regards
Rail Personnel
Rail News
The Pink Line linking Nonthaburi to Min Buri district in the east of Bangkok will start trial runs from Tuesday before the line opens for public trials next month. A source from the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) said the construction of the monorail with 30 stations between Nonthaburi’s Khae Rai intersection to the north of Bangkok to Min Buri is almost 100% complete. The MRTA source said trial runs will kick off on Tuesday and the concessionaire, the Northern Bangkok Monorail Co Ltd, will carry out free public test runs from September to October. The line should officially start running from November, the source added.
Source: The Nation
15 August 2023. Australia. Testing Underway in Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel
The Government of Victoria has confirmed that testing is now underway within Melbourne’s new Metro Tunnel. In July, the first two High Capacity Metro Trains entered the twin 9-kilometre tunnels at South Yarra and travelled 1.7 kilometres to Anzac Station. Over the coming months, the trains will complete a series of tests between the project’s five stations. Initially, the crew will test fundamentals such as lining the trains up with the platforms. Testing will then gradually increase in complexity, from one train at low speed using minimal power through to multiple trains travelling at greater speeds.
Source: Railway News
15 August 2023. Japan. JR Central to build Series 385 tilting train prototype
Central Japan Railway plans to replace the Series 383 tilting trainsets used on its Shinano ‘wide view’ limited express services operating mainly between Nagoya and Nagano with a fleet of Series 385 trainsets featuring more advanced body tilting controls. The company announced in August that it will build an eight-car prototype for delivery in fiscal year 2026. After about one year of test running, JR Central expects to confirm that its 1 067 mm gauge Series 383 fleet will be replaced by new rolling stock to be introduced into commercial service from fiscal year 2029 onwards.
Source: Railway Gazette International
14 August 2023. United States. Autonomous battery-powered wagons to begin testing in the USA
American rail operator, Genesee & Wyoming (G&W) is planning on piloting the use of autonomous battery-powered wagons on two short lines in Georgia. Using technology from Parallel Systems, the vehicles could be used to transport containers to and from the coastal port of Savannah, moving them inland with the goal of reinvigorating rural railways and removing lorries from the roads. G&W has applied to the Federal Railroad Administration to undertake the trial on its Georgia Central Railway and Heart of Georgia Railroad subsidiaries which covers rail lines from Savannah to Midville and nearly 500 miles of track.
Source: Rail Technology Magazine
14 August 2023. Australia. ARA launches Women in Rail Strategy to push for gender parity
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has established a three-year initiative to improve gender diversity in the rail sector for the period from August 2023 to June 2026. The ARA recorded a 24% female presence in the rail industry in its 2022 gender diversity report survey. Although this percentage has increased from 2016’s figure (17%), the results continued to show a lack of improvement in terms of gender equality throughout the industry.
Source: Railway Technology
14 August 2023. Ireland. Irish Rail awards €28m train charging contract to Alstom
Ireland’s national railway operator Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) has announced a new contract with French rail firm Alstom for train-charging infrastructure at Drogheda, with a contract value of €28m ($30.5m). The project, funded by the National Transport Authority as part of the DART+ Programme, will oversee the electrification of three lines at Drogheda as well as supporting infrastructure at a new sub-station at Marsh Road.
Source: Railway Technology
11 August 2023. France. SNCF aiming to power trains through wind energy after buying wind farm
SNCF Energie, a subsidiary of SNCF Voyageurs, and Voltalia, an international player in renewable energy, have signed a new long-term electricity sales contract for the entire output of a 37.4-megawatt wind farm. The CPPA will see SNCF Energie acquire the entire production from the Rives Charentaises wind farm, which is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. The wind farm, which consists of 17 wind turbines, is expected to have an annual production of around 78 gigawatt-hours. This will account for 1.4% of SNCF Voyageurs' traction electricity consumption. SNCF Voyageurs aims to have 1,100 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity from CPPAs by 2027-2028, representing 20% of its electrical needs for train traction.
Source: Rail Technology Magazine
11 August 2023. Germany. Siemens Mobility to Deliver 28 Mireo Trains for Digital Node Stuttgart
Siemens Mobility has been awarded a contract to deliver 28 three-car electric Mireo regional trains to Baden-Württemberg for the Digital Rail Germany (DSD) Digital Node Stuttgart pilot project. The trains will be equipped with the latest digital equipment, including automatic European Train Control System (ETCS) and Level 2 (GoA 2) Automatic Train Operation (ATO). The Mireo units will be capable of operating on steep grades and will also be approved for use throughout Austria.
Source: Railway News
11 August 2023. United States. Texas Central and Amtrak Evaluate Texas High-Speed Rail Project
Texas Central Partners and Amtrak have announced that they are exploring opportunities to advance planning and analysis work for the proposed Dallas-Houston 205mph high-speed rail project. The approximately 240-mile route would provide a travel time of less than 90 minutes between the two major metropolitan areas. It would also complement additional new and improved corridors and long-distance services in the southern region.
Source: Railway News
Jobs of the Week
Methods Engineer, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Job ID#: 13775
Discipline: Methods Engineer
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client in Malaysia is looking for a Method Engineer to prepare methods statements for mid life refurbishment of rolling stock for Line 1 of the MRT in Kuala Lumpur.
Looking at a 6 month contract based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Job Requirements
* Experience preparing methods statements for mid life refurbishment of rolling stock
Contact: David Hyland (davidh@railpersonnel.com)
Senior Planner, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Job ID#: 13692
Discipline: Programming / Scheduling
Language: Mandarin, English
Job Description:
Our client is a global leader in design, engineering and delivery of facilities for high-tech industries and they are looking for a Senior Planner to work in Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Our client is looking for candidates who are fluent in Mandarin and English and will also consider local Taiwan based candidates and foreigners.
Tasks & Responsibilities:
* Compilation of all necessary information for tenders, monthly reports and presentation;
* Construction planning and liaising with clients, suppliers, building and facility contractors;
* Submission of an optimum tender programme which can meet the client"s requirements/provision of a workable and cost effective Baseline/Master Programme;
* Involvement in the development and control of Project Work Schedule, such as building works, M&E and Process Systems from concept design to construction/installation to testing and commissioning;
* Inputs the activity information into a project scheduling software and use an iterative process of time analysis to obtain an optimum time schedule; *Calculates/Estimates the duration of each major construction activity and the resource requirements; *Determines the optimum sequence of the activities;
* Liaise with other staff & suppliers, visits the site to optimise the planning effort; *Manage design progress, reporting, authorities matrix and similar management tools;
* When on a project, reports to Project Manager.
* System skill required: P6, Project
* Language skills: Chinese and English (bilingual)
Job Requirements
* More than 10 years experience using P6
* Independent and service-oriented way of working as well as teamwork and communication skills.
* Language skills: both English and Chinese.
Contact: Patricia Hsiao (patricia@railpersonnel.com)
Systems Engineer, Sydney, Australia
Job ID#: 13760
Discipline: IT
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is seeking a Systems Engineer to join their team in Sydney.
Our client is the leading international supplier of communication and information systems for control centres with safety-critical tasks. These 'Control Centre Solutions' are developed and distributed by the company in the business segments Air Traffic Management (civil and military air traffic control, air defence) and Public Safety & Transport (police, fire and rescue services, emergency medical services, maritime organisations, and railways).
The company was established in 2004 and delivers and supports communication and information management projects for air traffic management, defence, public safety and public transport organisations across Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the South Pacific Islands. Our client employs around 130 highly skilled specialists in Australia at its premises in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth.
Position Purpose
The position provides ongoing support with communications and information technology solutions for mission critical systems in Public Transport, and Maritime operations.
This is a hands-on role which requires the system engineer to have experience with integrating and managing software systems on database platforms. Knowledge of communications and information technology for mission critical systems as well as current experience in the Australian Railway, and / or Maritime sector are desirable, but not essential.
The Systems Engineer is responsible for implementing technical solutions and is the customers" primary contact for technical requirements and technical issues throughout the entire project lifecycle including ongoing support. The Systems Engineer supports both Project, Service Delivery Managers and Solution Architects in successful project and support execution in line with the company and customer processes.
Main Tasks
* Establish technical knowledge of the company's existing solutions and processes
* Support non-functional requirements analysis and engineering design
* Technical coordination and handling of work packages in test beds and well as customer environments, including installation, integration, and system acceptance
* Testing, defect identification, and supporting root cause analysis of problem tickets raised in the customer environments.
* Creation of technical documentation of systems and interface specifications.
* Configuration of existing and new software modules in various test and production environments.
* Setup, installation and configuration of on site equipment such as radio gateways, interfaces and server equipment, including cabling and rack preparation.
* 3rd Level Support, with on-call duty when required.
* Support the local business development team in pre-sales efforts, assisting with technical presentations, setting up of sandboxes and demo environments, designing solutions, and preparing technical inputs for proposals.
The above list is not exhaustive, the role may evolve to meet overall company objectives.
Job Requirements
Qualifications:
* A relevant bachelor's degree, preferably in Engineering, Software, Information Technology, or a related discipline.
Experience and Skills:
* Systems Engineering experience working in mission-critical environments with a focus on safety desirable.
* Basic understanding in cyber security and cyber attack prevention required.
* Good systems, process, and domain knowledge from within a relevant industry would be ideal.
* Extensive installation, configuration, and operations experience with Linux, Docker, and Apache.
* Experience with the installation and setup of Oracle databases, database scripting, data defect analysis, with focus on Oracle tool set (SQLPLUS and SQL-Developer)
* Comprehensive understanding of virtualisation technologies.
* Experience with cloud hosting and georedundancy solutions (AWS, Azure, GCP)
* Experience with virtual and physical networks (including firewalls, routers, and switches).
* Effective problem-solving skills with a "can-do" attitude.
* Commitment to quality and improvement with a good understanding of Engineering standards.
* Good understanding of VoIP, SIP and RTP technology desirable.
* Experience in requirements management, traceability processes, and test engineering.
* Responsive customer service-oriented approach with a good understanding of SLAs and KPIs, especially around incident, problem and change management.
* Willingness to work directly with end users during test execution and training delivery which may require working remotely at times.
* Ability to work with others and demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with contractors, vendors, clients, consultants, and staff.
Applicants must have an appropriate Australian or New Zealand permanent work visa/citizenship. Formal offer of employment is also subject to standard pre-employment checks including Police background checks and may require the ability to obtain an Australian security clearance when engaged.
Contact: Renee Wade (renee@railpersonnel.com)
