Dear Readers
We are pleased to be supporting the South African Heavy Haul Association (SAHHA) Conference which will take place from 26th to 29th August 2024 at the Emperors Palace Conference Centre in Johannesburg.
The South African Heavy Haul Association (SAHHA) is the only association that provides a platform for promoting Heavy Haul excellence in South Africa and serves as a channel for sharing global best practices. SAHHA is the chapter of the over 43-year-old International Heavy Haul Association.
SAHHA conferences, hosted every two years, have a reputation of delivering high quality, peer-reviewed technical papers, with solutions that are implementable, in the areas of cutting-edge technology, engineering, operations, infrastructure, rolling stock, and manufacturing. Discussions on strategic issues facing the heavy haul industry is also a main feature in SAHHA conferences.
For more information and to register to attend, visit: https://sahhaconf.co.za/
Also, Jackie Hendry will be attending Asia Pacific Rail next week from 29th to 30th May at BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand. If you are attending and would like to meet with Jackie, please contact her at jackie@railpersonnel.com
Best Regards
Rail Personnel
Rail News
22 May 2024. Egypt. Egypt’s Green Line turns to British Steel
Rails for a major project in North Africa will run all the way from the north of Lincolnshire in England. A new mixed traffic route, connecting the Red Sea coast with the Mediterranean, will run on rails supplied from the slightly less sunny Scunthorpe in England. The manufacturer British Steel has won what it calls a major rail contract to supply Egypt’s new railway development. In total, 9,500 tonnes of track, produced in Scunthorpe, in the North of England, will be delivered for Egypt’s Green Line railway. It will be part of that country’s first fully electrified mainline.
Source: RailTech.com
22 May 2024. Indonesia. Indonesian locomotive maintenance services agreement signed
National railway PT KAI and Progress Rail have signed a six-year maintenance services agreement covering 35 EMD GT38AC diesel locomotives which were delivered in 2022 to haul coal trains in south Sumatra. The MSA covers a major overhaul, parts for all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, and 24/7 technical support at multiple locations. The MSA announced on May 21 is the third that Progress Rail and PT KAI have signed for the 1 067 mm Class CC205 locos.
Source: Railway Gazette
22 May 2024. Israel. Haifa to Nazareth light rail contract signed
The €1bn PPP contract to design, finance, build, operate and maintain the 41 km Nofit Light Rail inter-urban line between Haifa and Nazareth has been signed by the HN - Light Rail Line Ltd consortium and project promoter Trans Israel. The consortium of Alstom and local partners Electra and Minrav had been named preferred bidder in February. Alstom’s share is valued at more than €700m, including the €140m maintenance contract, and includes the track, 1·5 kV DC electrification, signalling, communications, depot equipment and supply of 54 Citadis trams.
Source: Railway Gazette
21 May 2024. United States. Over $2 Billion Announced in Northeast Corridor Fun
The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), providing over 2 billion USD in funding for projects on the Northeast Corridor (NEC). This funding is made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It aims to modernise and enhance the safety, speed and reliability of the critical rail corridor.
Source: Railway-News
21 May 2024. China. Panda-themed tramway opens
The Dujiangyan M-TR Tourist Passenger Line tramway opened on May 15, serving attractions in a city 60 km northwest of Chengdu which is popular with visitors. The 13·8 km main route of the M-TR tramway starts at Bajiao Temple and runs west across the River Jinma and then south to Cultural Tourism City and Mount Qingcheng, where there an interchange with the terminus of the railway from Chengdu. Services are operated using 26 Alstom Citadis 302 trams manufactured by CRRC Chengdu. The 100% low-floor five-section 750 V DC trams are 32 m long with a capacity of 292 passengers and maximum speed of 70 km/h, and incorporate panda themed design elements.
Source: Railway Gazette
The new terminal at Zayed International Airport (AUH) in Abu Dhabi could link up to the UAE’s growing rail network with plans in progress according to the CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports (ADA). Speaking to Airport Technology during a tour of the new Terminal A at AUH, CEO Elena Sorlini said that ADA was planning on improving the transport links to the site. She said: “Connectivity is absolutely key and it is only going to become more and more important when we open connections to Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Source: Railway Technology Magazine
21 May 2024. Australia. ARTC Receives Over $1 Billion from Australian Government
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has announced it has received over 1 billion AUD in funding from the Australian Government. The funding, which includes Commonwealth contributions of roughly 540 million AUD, will assist ARTC in the reinforcement and upgrade of major sections of the country’s 8,500km national rail network.
Source: Railway-News
Thales and its transmission network technology partner Nokia, have been awarded a contract by Transport for London (TfL) to deliver a comprehensive communications renewal to support the safe operations of the Tube network. This renewal will ensure that TfL’s multi-services network (MSN) operates at peak performance, minimising functional risks, journey disruptions and costs for TfL.
Source: Rail UK
