Dear Readers
The 6th International Conference – HSR Asia 2023 will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur from 31st October to 1st November 2023. This prestigious event will bring together decision makers, policy makers, practitioners, rail operators, government, industry experts and researchers from around the world to explore and discuss the latest advancements, challenges and opportunities in the high speed rail and other rail transport systems in the Asia Pacific region. The 2 day conference will track the rapid development of growth and network expansion of high-speed rail systems and will offer insights and analysis of the Asia Pacific rail market, covering the current situation, expected new developments, key trends, advanced rail solutions including AI technology and opportunities.
For more information and to register to attend, visit: https://stratcomsevents.com/hsrasia23/
We have 2x exciting Jobs of the Week. In Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, we are looking for an Engineering Project Manager, High Speed Rail and in New Delhi, India, we are looking for an Application Engineer.
Best Regards
Rail News
28 September 2023. United Kingdom. Colas Rail trials HVO fuel for a loco, crane and tampers
Colas Rail is trialling the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil as a more sustainable alternative to diesel for fuelling a Class 56 freight locomotive, four tampers and a Kirow crane. HVO is produced from cooking oils and animal fats, which Colas Rail says can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%. The company estimates that its HVO trials will save around 123 tonnes of carbon by the end of 2023 compared to using traditional diesel.
Source: Rail Business UK
27 September 2023. Egypt. Siemens delivers first of 176 Desiro electric trains in Egypt
Siemens Mobility has delivered a Desiro High-Capacity train to Alexandria – the very first of 176 trains for Egypt. These fully electric trains boast a 70 per cent reduction in carbon emissions. according to the rolling stock manufacturer. They will be put to use on three new train lines to be built in the country, also by Siemens. In May 2022, Siemens Mobility concluded an agreement with the Egyptian National Authority for Tunnels (NAT), an entity operating under the Ministry of Transport in Egypt, alongside consortium partners Orascom Construction and The Arab Contractors.
Source: RailTech.com
27 September 2023. United Kingdom. GB Railfreight opens £5.75m maintenance hub in Peterborough
GB Railfreight has opened its state-of-the-art Maintenance Hub.Located alongside the East Coast Mainline, the £5.75m facility, represents one of the most substantial investments in the rail freight sector this year. Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper MP, attended the opening ceremony alongside John Smith, GBRf’s Chief Executive Officer. The Hub, which is larger than six-Olympic swimming pools was completed in just 10 months and brings back into use a derelict plot of land. The facility will be key to unlocking GBRf’s ambitious growth plans as it aims to run c.80 intermodal services a day by 2025.
Source: Rail UK
27 September 2023. China. Chinese metro system grows, implements autonomous trains
The latest phase of the city metro train lines has opened in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. Eight lines of the 300km+ metro system are now in use, with eight more either in the planning or construction phases. This week’s opening was the third phase of Line 1, a 10.6km extension from Fenghe Senlin Gongyuan to Xianyang Xi Railway Station. It takes the full length of Line 1 to more than 42km, serving 30 stations. The line first ran its customer service in 2013.
Source: Railway Technology
26 September 2023. New Zealand. Tracklaying Complete in Auckland’s First City Rail Link Tunnel
City Rail Link Ltd has announced that tracklaying is now complete inside the first of Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL) tunnels. 3.45-kilometres of track has been laid in the underground tunnel connecting Waitematā (Britomart) and Maungawhau stations as part of Auckland’s newest railway line. Installation of the track began in August 2022, as CRL’s tunnel boring machine (TBM) neared the end of the tunnel. This work was carried out by CRL Ltd’s main contractor, Link Alliance and railway infrastructure company, Martinus New Zealand.
Source: Railway-News
The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded 1.4 billion USD to 70 projects across the US to improve rail safety, strengthen supply chains and enhance passenger and freight rail services. This is the largest amount awarded to date for rail safety and supply chain upgrades through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) programme, which has grown significantly thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Source: Railway-News
25 September 2023. Indonesia. High Speed Indonesian high speed line to be branded Whoosh
The Jakarta - Bandung high speed railway is to be branded as ‘Whoosh’. Announcing the brand on September 21, the Ministry of Transportation explained that Whoosh comes from the sound of fast trains, and means Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Handal (‘Time saving Time, Optimal Operation, Reliable System’). This month a limited free trial service began operating on the 142 km line designed for 350 km/h operation, ahead of the start of commercial operations which is now planned for October 1.
Source: Railway Gazette
22 September 2023. Australia. Inland Rail’s Stockinbingal to Parkes construction begins
Inland Rail has celebrated the beginning of major construction works on its Stockinbingal to Parkes section in regional New South Wales. Inland Rail celebrated with a launch event at Forbes Railway Station on 21 September. The Federal Government is taking a staged approach to delivering Inland Rail, with construction between Beveridge in Victoria and Parkes in New South Wales prioritised for completion by 2027.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
Jobs of the Week
Engineering Project Manager, High-Speed Rail Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Job ID#: 13752
Discipline: E&M
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is seeking an Engineering Project Manager - High Speed Rail to be responsible for managing and overseeing all engineering aspects of a high-speed rail project, from initial design to construction completion as well as ensuring that the project is completed on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of stakeholders. The role requires a strong understanding of engineering principles, project management, and experience in
managing large-scale infrastructure projects.
Accountability Areas:
* Conduct and manage pilot studies for new stations, services, conventional Rail Passenger services and freight facilities.
* Manage assigned projects end-to-end by planning and organizing all the various project related activities such as project planning, resource allocation, budget management and issue and risk management, in accordance with project management principles and tools.
* Manage the respective Design Consultants and/or PMC to ensure Engineering deliverables are completed on time
* Supervise the administration of assigned project and oversee the project team's works in designing and building the rail through on-going coordination with PMC and project team members and contractors.
* Work closely with the project's architects, engineers and any appointed specialists or subject matter experts in order to ensure project milestones are timely achieved and project delays are effectively handled, in accordance with the approved project plan and timeline.
* Provide on-going guidance and support on the execution of technical day-to-day operational activities, in line with approved plan and documentation.
* Plan, assess and revise the engineering delivery plan as and when required, in line with the client's business needs and requirements, in order to meet organizational objectives while maintaining quality standards and enabling project delivery in a timely manner.
Job Requirements
* Degree in Civil/Mechanical/Electrical/Electromechanical Engineering or a related field.
* A minimum of 15 years of Relevant Experience.
* A minimum of 2 years experience in High Speed Rail Schemes.
* Implementation experience of at least 1 HSR scheme as Engineering Manager.
Contact: Jackie Hendry (jackie@railpersonnel.com)
Application Engineer, New Delhi, India
Job ID#: 13794
Discipline: Electrical
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is looking for an Application Engineer having 3-5 years of relevant experience. This role is based in New Delhi, India.
Our client is the sister concern of a niche business of Train Control and Management System (TCMS) solution for Mainline and Metro trains. This group offers products complying with international general (EN) and technical (UIC) standards; it includes information systems for passengers, IP surveillance and audio systems, TCN communication, communication infrastructure and on-board control systems.
Role and Responsibilities:
* Sound knowledge in working with PLC programming/controllers preferably using IEC 61131 and HMI for railway applications
* Hands on experience in commissioning/troubleshooting of Train Communication Network (TCN) equipment like WTB Gateway, MVB modules, ETB Switch, etc.
* Programming using Embedded C, C++, Qt using Linux, Functional Block Diagram (FBD)
* Strong digital electronics concepts
* Familiar with communication protocols for field bus systems such as RS485, CAN, Ethernet or similar
* Provide on-site and remote technical support to customers and assist during integration of products to the customers / customer system(s)
* Provide support to customers for troubleshooting, warranty and post warranty claims
* Collect and consolidate customer technical requirements, discuss with engineering team for new projects
* Provide quick response to key customer requests on technical and application support, propose the best technical solution, based on our portfolio in order to fully meet customer goals
* Co-ordinate with overseas technology providers for hardware and software faults
* Organize customer trainings
* Travel to visit customers
Job Requirements
* University degree with major in Electrical / Electronic Engineering or similar
* Experience in HW design (schematics and PCB layout) will be a plus
* Experience in industrial automation will be a strong plus
* Good interpersonal and communication skills, team player
* Fluent in English
* Independent, proactive way of working
Contact: Rajni Tewani (rajni@railpersonnel.com)
