Dear Readers
We are pleased to be supporting Global Rail 2025 which will take place from 30th September to 2nd October at the ADNEC Centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Hosted by Etihad Rail, Global Rail returns to Abu Dhabi as the MENA region’s most influential platform for transport innovation and connectivity.
In a time of fast-moving innovation, shifting supply chains, and rising decarbonisation pressure, rail’s role as the backbone of future mobility has never been more critical.
Whether you build, invest, operate, or regulate transport infrastructure, Global Rail brings together the entire ecosystem, under one roof, to share innovations, spark cross-border collaboration, and unlock high-value partnerships.
Join leading operators from the Middle East and Asia, including Etihad Rail, Hafeet Rail, Qatar Rail, Keolis, East Japan Railways, and ADT, and be part of the global movement shaping the next era of connected, sustainable transport.
For more information and to register to attend, visit: https://www.grtiec.com/visit/plan-your-visit?actioncode=RailPersonnel&utm_source=media-partner&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=
We have 2x exciting Jobs of the Week this week. In Thailand, we are looking for a Testing and Commissioning Manager and, in the Philippines, we are looking for a Systems Integration Manager.
Best Regards
Rail Personnel
Rail News
9 September 2025. United States: Hitachi Rail inaugurates digital factory in Maryland, US
The facility will manufacture railcars for metropolitan areas such as Washington DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Hitachi Rail has inaugurated its new digital factory in Hagerstown, Maryland, US, marking a “strategic investment” in North America by the Hitachi Group. The $100m facility, which spans 307,000ft², is intended to produce railcars for various metropolitan areas, including Washington DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. It already has orders totalling more than 600 railcars from these regions.
Source: Railway Technology
9 September 2025. New Zealand. Alstom secures €538m contract for battery trains in New Zealand
The trains will be manufactured at Alstom's Savli facility in India to replace the current diesel locomotive-hauled trains. Alstom has secured a €538m (NZ$1.065bn) contract from the Greater Wellington Regional Council in New Zealand for the provision of 18 Adessia Stream B battery-electric multiple unit (BEMU) trains, along with a 35-year FlexCare Perform fleet maintenance service. This contract marks the introduction of the first BEMU commuter trains in the country, which will facilitate emission-free operations on non-electrified sections.
Source: Railway Technology
9 September 2025. Canada. Work Begins on Scarborough Centre Station for Subway Extension
Construction has begun on Scarborough Centre Station, the first of three new stops for the Scarborough Subway Extension in Toronto, Ontario. The project is part of Ontario’s broader transportation plan to expand rapid transit across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The Scarborough Subway Extension will extend Toronto Transit Commission’s Line 2 by 7.8 kilometres from Kennedy Station to Sheppard Avenue and McCowan Road. Once complete, it is expected to serve about 105,000 daily trips and place 38,000 people.
Source: Railway News
9 September 2025. Ireland. DART+ Coastal commuter rail project approved
Procurement of design and build contractors for the DART+ Coastal North project to extend Dublin’s electric suburban services north from Malahide to Drogheda is to get underway, following the granting of planning approval during August. The planned infrastructure improvements include: 37 km of electrification and resignalling of the railway between Malahide and Drogheda; reconstruction of the existing track layout and associated infrastructure in the vicinity of Drogheda, Malahide, Clongriffin and Howth Junction and Donaghmede stations.
Source: Railway Gazette International
Alstom has announced it will be opening its Glasgow Traincare Centre to the public to celebrate the historic depot’s 150th anniversary. Located around two miles south-east of Glasgow Central railway station, the Alstom facility is currently the main base of the iconic Caledonian Sleeper service, where it is maintained and cleaned by over 100 staff who provide a round-the-clock service. Polmadie Depot typically welcomes 17 trains per day, including Avanti West Coast’s fleet of Alstom-built Class 390 Pendolinos.
Source: Rail UK
8 September 2025. Malaysia. CRRC’s ETS3 EMU Units Launched from Kuala Lumpur Station
CRRC’s new ETS3 EMU units have officially been released from the production line, departing from Kuala Lumpur Central Station during a ceremony on 23 August. The new units have now entered service in Malaysia following a ceremony held at the station. The ceremony was attended by several representatives, all of whom gathered to witness the official launch of the unit developed and manufactured by CRRC.
Source: Railway News
8 September 2025. Scotland. Scottish Government invests in electrification
In a major step towards modernising Scotland’s Railway, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop has announced a £342 million investment to electrify key rail lines across Fife and the Borders, alongside the procurement of 69 brand-new, more reliable trains. The announcement, made in response to a written question in the Scottish Parliament, marks the beginning of a transformative phase for Scotland’s rail infrastructure. Ms Hyslop also visited North Queensferry to witness progress on electrification works on the Lothian side.
Source: Railway Technology Magazine
8 September 2025. Malaysia. King of Malaysia joins inaugural ride on ETS3 trainset
The first of 10 ETS3 trainsets being supplied by CRRC Zhuzhou for national railway KTMB’s long-distance services on the west coast corridor entered revenue service on August 30, after King of Malaysia Ibrahim ibni Iskandar joined an inaugural trip one week before. The trainsets designated Class 94 were ordered for the west coast corridor in 2020, as the third generation of electric trainset developed by CRRC for KTMB. The first two ETS3 sets were manufactured by CRRC.
Source: Railway Gazette International
7 September 2025. Mongolia. Mongolian locomotive converted to battery hybrid traction
The national railway has produced a diesel-battery hybrid locomotive by rebuilding one section of a 2TE116 diesel loco. The project took about a year and was undertaken by engineers from Mongolia Railways’ locomotive department in collaboration with Chinese specialists from Dalian Lanbo Machinery Manufacturing. The six-axle locomotive was originally manufactured by the Luhansk factory in the then USSR in 1984. It has now been fitted with two 400 kW diesel engines and two 440 kW batteries.
Source: Railway Gazette International
Job of the Week
Systems Integration Manager, Manila, Philippines
Job ID#: 15212
Discipline: Test and Commissioning
Position Type: Contract
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is looking for a Systems Integration Manager to be based in Manila to work on the North-South Railway.
Responsibilities are
1. Review & Assurance
a. Review pre-test documentation, procedures, and test reports to confirm systems readiness, compliance with project requirements, and alignment with safety/regulatory standards.
b. Validate that test documentation demonstrates full coverage of contractual, technical, and interface requirements.
2. Testing & Integration Management
a. Plan, manage, and oversee static and dynamic integration tests across CP106 and CP107.
b. Coordinate multi-system integration activities (Signalling, Telecoms, Rolling Stock, Power Supply System, PSD, and other E&M subsystems) to ensure seamless functionality.
c. Chair system-wide Go/No-Go gate reviews on behalf of the E&M and Rolling Stock Project Manager, ensuring readiness criteria and risk assessments are met.
3. Non-Conformance & Corrective Action
a. Lead investigations into failed or non-conforming tests, coordinating root cause analysis and driving corrective and preventive measures.
b. Track and report the closure of non-conformances to ensure no residual risks are carried forward.
4. Traceability & Compliance
a. Verify that all tests and outcomes are traceable to project design, functional, and safety requirements.
b. Ensure compliance with international standards (e.g., EN 50126/28/29, IEC 62278/79, NFPA-130) and contractual obligations.
5. Interface Validation
a. Ensure all interface requirements are fully validated during Testing & Commissioning, in close coordination with the System Interface Manager.
b. Monitor cross-package dependencies (Civil, Trackwork, E&M, Rolling Stock) to prevent integration gaps.
Job Requirements:
- Degree qualified
- Minimum 15 years of experience in Systems Integration and Testing, and Commissioning
- Can demonstrate how he or she has been able to recognize Project trouble spots and devise ways and means to overcome them
Contact: David Hyland (davidh@railpersonnel.com)
Testing and Commissioning Manager, Bangkok, Thailand
Job ID#: 15208
Discipline: Testing and Commissioning
Position Type: Contract
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is seeking a Testing and Commissioning Manager (TCM) to be embedded in the BEM engineering team and play a crucial and proactive role in the supervision and oversight of the testing and commissioning activities, including the integrated testing of the infrastructure and sub-systems of the Orange Line East and West sections.
The TCIS shall oversee the complete process of testing and commissioning of the infrastructure and sub-systems between all subcontractors and stakeholders, and shall be responsible and accountable for testing and commissioning, including systems integration testing. The TCM shall lead BEM's engineering team in testing and commissioning and will work closely with BEM's operations and maintenance, and safety and quality departments, among others, to all testing and commissioning is completed on time and the systems have been fully and successfully tested for normal, degraded, and emergency operations.
Key Responsibilities
1. Testing and Commissioning Processes:
- Responsible for the development, implementation, and management of testing and commissioning, and integrated testing commissioning documentation and testing processes, including off-site software integration testing, factory acceptance testing, integrated factory acceptance testing, installation testing, onsite acceptance testing, and on-site integration testing and trial running.
- Responsible for ensuring the successful completion of all testing activities and the timely resolution of defects by the Sub-Contractors and stakeholders.
Responsible for ensuring all testing activities are completed and passed before trial running.
2. Supervision and Management:
- Lead BEM's engineers responsible for testing and commissioning activities.
- Develop and enforce testing plans, protocols, procedures, and schedules, as well as reviewing and approving testing plans, protocols, procedures, and schedules from subcontractors and stakeholders
- Monitor the performance of the testing team, ensuring adherence to safety standards and quality control measures.
3. Coordination and Integration:
- Serve as the primary point of contact between the subcontractors and stakeholders on testing and commissioning activities on the East and West sections.
- Develop, implement, and manage the testing and commissioning activities required from the East Section to facilitate the integration of infrastructure and building engineering systems in the East Section, coordinating with various sub-contractors and stakeholders.
- Ensure all infrastructure, systems, and subsystems in the East and West sections are integrated and function together as a cohesive whole.
4. Planning and Execution:
- Create detailed testing plans, including timelines, resource allocation, and risk assessments.
- Execute test plans for all infrastructure, systems, and subsystems.
- Manage the scheduling and execution of testing and commissioning activities required to start trial operations.
5. Quality Assurance:
- Implement rigorous quality assurance processes to identify and rectify defects in systems and components.
- Conduct regular audits and inspections to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and project specifications.
- Develop corrective action plans for any identified issues and oversee their implementation.
6. Documentation and Reporting:
- Maintain comprehensive records of all testing and commissioning activities, including test results, incident reports, and corrective actions.
- Prepare regular status reports for BEM's management, highlighting progress, challenges, and any deviations from the project schedule.
- Ensure all documentation meets regulatory and project requirements and is stored in an organized and accessible manner
7. Operational Readiness:
- Oversee the testing and commissioning phase, including system integration, to ensure the east and west sections are ready as per the project schedule.
- Coordinate with the operations and maintenance team to ensure a smooth transition from testing and commissioning to trail running and revenue operations.
8. Risk Management:
- Identify potential risks during the testing and commissioning phases and develop mitigation strategies.
Implement contingency plans to address unforeseen issues promptly.
9. Regulatory Compliance:
- Ensure that the testing and commissioning activities comply with relevant regulatory and safety standards, conducting regular audits and assessments.
- Manage the certification process for testing and commissioning activities, ensuring all necessary approvals are obtained from MRTA and/or its consultants to issue the Proof of Safety with respect to testing and commissioning.
Job Requirements:
Relevant experience in the management of test and commissioning activities for rail projects.
Contact: Jackie Hendry (jackie@railpersonnel.com)
