Dear Readers
The MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition 2024 is the leading event for sustainable urban mobility solutions in the MENA region, taking place in Dubai from 28 February to 1 March 2024.
A partnership between UITP and RTA, the MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition is the premiere and most attended public transport event held in the region since 2007. Its world-class conference sessions and innovative exhibitors from across the globe bring together over 2,000 sector experts representing all transport modes, industry, authorities and operators.
By attending the congress, you'll have a unique opportunity to connect with peers, stay up-to-date with the latest trends, and shape the future of sustainable urban mobility. You'll also learn about the latest technologies and solutions that are available to implement public transportation innovations and achieve a more livable urban environment.
For more information and to register to attend, visit: https://www.menatransport.org/website/3387/
Our Job of the Week this week is in Sydney where we are looking for a Systems Engineer to work for a leading international supplier of communication and information systems for control centres with safety-critical tasks. Candidates must have an appropriate Australian or New Zealand permanent work visa/citizenship.
And we are looking for Australia based candidates with strong Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) experience for work in Melbourne – if interested, send your CV to renee@railpersonnel.com
Best Regards
Rail Personnel
Rail News
Work is well underway to improve passenger and freight journeys between Manchester and Liverpool over the world’s first railway viaduct. Network Rail is investing £3.8 million to overhaul Sankey viaduct in Newton-le-Willows which opened in 1830. Although not as well-known, long or iconic as Ribblehead in North Yorkshire, Sankey is hugely significant as the first major railway viaduct in the world, and birthplace of the modern railway. Also known as ‘Nine Arches’ viaduct, it was designed by railway pioneer George Stephenson to bridge the 160-metre gap over the Sankey valley and built between 1828-1830.
Source: Rail UK
13 September 2023. New Zealand. Wellington train operating contract extended
Greater Wellington Regional Council has extended Transdev’s contract to operate local passenger trains under the Metlink brand until July 3 2031. Transdev has operated the services since 2016, carrying more than 1·3 million passengers/year on 2 000 services/week. It runs 3·22 million train-km/year on a 154 km network of five lines serving 49 stations. The contract extension agreed on August 28 was subject to the operator meeting safety, punctuality and reliability performance indicators during the three years to July 31 and receiving at least one bonus payment for meeting Customer Satisfaction thresholds.
Source: Railway Gazette
12 September 2023. Asia. Railway planned as part of India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor
Ambitions to develop an India – Middle East – Europe economic corridor with sea transport from India to the Gulf region and a railway linking Middle Eastern countries with each other and to Europe were announced at the G20 summit in New Delhi. IMEC is envisaged as two separate corridors, with an east corridor connecting India to the Gulf and a northern corridor connecting the Gulf to Europe. A memorandum of understanding on principles to work to together to establish the IMEC was signed on September 9 by the governments of Saudi Arabia, the European Union, India, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy and the USA.
Source: Railway Gazette
12 September 2023. Italy. Torino trams begin entering service
The first of 70 trams which Hitachi Rail’s Napoli plant is supplying to Torino transport operator GTT entered service on September 11, following an official unveiling by the mayor the previous week. The trams have been ordered under a May 2020 framework agreement. A €63·4m first firm order covering 30 trams was funded by the Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport as part of the ‘rail cure’ programme to enhance transport in large cities, while a second tranche of 40 trams was jointly funded by the ministry, city and operator.
Source: Metro Report International
12 September 2023. United Kingdom. Network Rail Invests £1 Million in Glasgow’s Rail Infrastructure
Network Rail has announced that it is investing more than 1 million GBP in improving rail infrastructure around Glasgow, Scotland. This work will replace ageing tracks between Dalmuir and Yoker, with construction set to begin on 22 September. The scope of this project includes upgrading the tracks through the 127-year-old Dalmuir Twin Tunnels, which take the railway underneath the Forth & Clyde Canal.
Source: Railway-News
11 September 2023. Australia. Cross River Rail underground stations reach milestone
Cross River Rail’s new underground stations have reached a major milestone at the project’s Woolloongabba site, where the first of almost 100 escalators have been installed. The two escalators in the Woolloongabba station cavern are the first of 95 escalators that will progressively arrive to be installed in Cross River Rail’s underground stations, including Woolloongabba (24 escalators in total), Albert Street (29), Roma Street (28) and Boggo Road (14). The installation of the escalators, which are each 12m long and weigh 17.5t, heralds the next phase of construction as the project moves from excavation and bulk civil works to the mechanical and electrical fit out of the stations themselves.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
The European Union and the United States are teaming up to support the development of a new greenfield rail line expansion between Zambia and Angola by launching feasibility studies. The countries committed to this at the G20 Summit in India last Saturday. It is part of developing the Trans-African Corridor connecting southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and northwestern Zambia to regional and global trade markets via the Port of Lobito in Angola.
Source: RailTech.com
11 September 2023. Mexico. Articulated Tram for Mexico City Rolls Off CRRC Production Line
CRRC ZELC Europe has produced the first new articulated light rail train for the Tren Ligero tram line in Mexico City. This unit rolled off the production line on 9 September 2023 and is the first of nine new units set to enhance capacity on the line, increasing frequency to 4-minute intervals. The 13-kilometre Tren Ligero line is part of Mexico City’s Servicio de Transportes Eléctricos (STE), serving the south suburbs of the metropolis. Each new vehicle for the line will have the capacity to carry 483 passengers.
Source: Railway-News
Job of the Week
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)
