Dear Readers
We are pleased to be supporting InnoTrans Asia 2027 which will take place from 7-9 September 2027 at Singapore EXPO.
InnoTrans Asia is the latest addition to the world’s leading trade fair for transport technology. Taking place from 7-9 September 2027 at Singapore EXPO, this inaugural event is set to become the central hub for the Asian transport sector, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers from Asia and the rest of the world.
For more information, visit: https://www.innotrans-asia.com/
We have 3x exciting Jobs of the Week this week.
In Jakarta, Indonesia, we are looking for a Project Manager (Ticketing and Payment) and in Bangalore, India we are looking for a Chief Contracts Expert. And we are looking for a Contracts Manager to work in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Best Regards
Rail Personnel
Rail News
3 March 2026. Australia. Newcastle – Sydney high-speed railway moves into development phase
The High-Speed Rail Authority announced on March 3 that it was inviting tenders for consultants and technical advisers to assist with the development of plans for the proposed Central Coast High Speed Rail project in New South Wales. The federal government had given the go-ahead for a two-year ‘development phase’ on February 24, with the aim of having the design for the Sydney – Newcastle route ready for a start of construction within two years. It also announced an A$229·6m funding package, bringing the total allocation for the project to A$659·6m.
Source: Railway Gazette
3 March 2026. Australia. Sydney Metro West completes major tunnelling
Sydney Metro West has reached a significant milestone, with its twin tunnels from Westmead to Hunter Street now fully excavated. The achievement follows a 34-month, continuous tunnelling program, with tunnel boring machine Jessie completing its breakthrough into the future Hunter Street Station. The milestone marks the completion of Sydney Metro’s wider tunnelling program across four major projects, including Sydney Metro Northwest, City, Western Sydney Airport and West. In total, 128 kilometres of new metro tunnels have been constructed, with 19 tunnel boring machines excavating approximately 14.7 million tonnes of material.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
Passengers who rely on assistance when travelling with Northern Trains should see improvements to the service over time, after the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) secured commitments from the operator to ensure staff receive disability awareness training and to provide a £550,000 additional package of measures. Northern Trains is currently working on resolving the concerns about their failure to provide disability awareness training for front-line staff, highlighted by the regulator’s investigation, with most of these improvements expected to be completed by the end of March 2026.
Source: Rail UK
3 March 2026. United States. US DOT Announces $686 Million Fund to Upgrade Rail Stations
The United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) has announced the availability of approximately 686 million USD in competitive grant funding to support upgrades to rail transit stations across the country. The funding will be distributed through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). It is intended to modernise some of the nation’s oldest and busiest rail stations and improve access for families and passengers with disabilities.
Source: Railway News
3 March 2026. Canada. Hitachi Rail Invests C$30 Million in New Toronto HQ and Global CBTC Centre
Hitachi Rail has announced a major C$30 million investment to establish a new state‑of‑the‑art Canadian headquarters in Toronto, strengthening its position as a global leader in advanced rail signalling technology. The new facility—set to open in summer 2026—will house the company’s Global Communications‑Based Train Control (CBTC) Competence Centre, serving as the engineering heart of Hitachi Rail’s worldwide CBTC innovation. This latest investment builds on Hitachi Rail’s earlier C$100 million commitment to develop SelTrac™ G9, the next‑generation CBTC system designed from the ground up in Canada.
Source: Rail Technology Magazine
A timetable recast on February 25 has brought to an end the separation of national operator Korail’s KTX and Supreme Railways’ SRT services at the Seoul end of the main north-south high-speed rail axis. Until the change, each operator had used a separate terminus in Seoul; Korail trains ran to and from Seoul station, while Supreme Railways used Suseo in the southeast of the conurbation. Since February 25, one return train per day from each operator has been using the alternative station in the capital: SR’s 11.00 train from Busan runs to Seoul station, returning at 14.19, while Korail runs its 10.33 KTX service from Busan to Suseo, returning south at 13.55.
Source: Railway Gazette
3 March 2026. Philippines. Japan funds final phase of MRT-3 rehabilitation with P8.2 billion loan
The Philippines has secured a P8.2-billion loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to fund the next phase of the MRT-3 rehabilitation, aimed at reducing delays, cutting waiting times, and improving daily commutes. “For the Filipinos, this means three important things: First, it means fewer delays. Second, it means shorter waiting times. Third, it means a more comfortable and predictable ride to work, to school, and back home to family,” Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go said at the March 3 signing ceremony.
Source: Bilyonaryo.PH
National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited has invited a single tender enquiry from BEML Limited for design, manufacture, supply, testing, commissioning, and comprehensive maintenance of rolling stock and allied works for India’s first bullet train project connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The invitation, issued on February 28, 2026, follows a single-stage two-envelope bidding procedure under Package No. MAHSR-BRS-1. The comprehensive package encompasses the complete lifecycle from design and manufacturing through testing, commissioning, and long-term maintenance of trainsets for the 508-kilometre Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor.
Source: Metro Rail News
2 March 2026. Saudi Arabia. Construction Underway on New Stations for Riyadh Red Line Extension
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has begun constructing two new stations for the Riyadh Metro within King Saud University, as part of the Red Line extension project. The development marks a further stage in the planned expansion of the metro network in the Saudi capital. The Red Line extension is intended to improve links between educational and healthcare facilities and key destinations in Diriyah, including cultural and tourism sites. The RCRC previously awarded the contract for the design and construction of the extension, which will add 8.4 kilometres to the existing Red Line.
Source: Railway News
2 March 2026. Turkey. Turkey's next National Train nears completion
The first ‘National High Speed Train’ with a design speed of 225 km/h has reached 90% completion, Minister of Transport & Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has announced. The eight-car, aluminium-bodied electric multiple-units are being manufactured by state-owned supplier Türasaş, which is now nearing completion of fitting the first train’s interior. A batch of 15 trainsets, including one prototype, is being manufactured by 2028. The first vehicle is planned to be put on the rails later this year ahead of a programme of test running, according to Uraloğlu. The vehicles are to be used to augment the existing 31 high speed trainsets in service on the national network.
Source: Railway Gazette
Job of the Week
Project Manager (Ticketing and Payment), Jakarta, Indonesia
Job ID#: 15359
Discipline: Automatic Fare Collection
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is seeking a Project Manager (Ticketing and Payment) to support their activities in Jakarta, Indonesia. This is a 2-year renewable contract.
The Role
Manages projects until successful completion within time, budget and quality constraints. You will coordinate with internal parties (Technical Solution Manager, Work Package Managers) and external parties (Customer, suppliers, sub-contractors, partners) and support functions (Sales, finance, contract management, etc.)
You will direct the project activities (including those relating to risks & opportunities) to reach completion of the project regarding its technical, industrial, financial, and customer satisfaction aspects.
Responsibilities
- Ensuring a successful transition to the project and contributing to preparing, organizing, and validating the project launch:
1. Establish and update the project requirements baseline in a collaborative work with the Bid Manager and the Capture Leader
2. Establish and update project execution baseline (project structure, work package description, partners and supplier contractual data, management plans, costs, budgets and financial structure, resourced schedule)
3. Establish and update project key decision data (contingencies, strategy, business case)
4. Initialize the project: identify the key project stakeholders, set the project team, organize the project structuring activities, start-up project activities and identify and allocate the source project requirements
5. Manage the financial aspects of the acquisition strategy: "Make or Buy" strategy, suppliers' consultation and negotiation, signing the contract, contract's execution and closure
6. Lead the project launch review and involve all stakeholders: project team, Management Plan, and associated documents (WBS, OBS, schedule, budget allocations), industrial scenario, project charter, and team charter
- Execute, monitor, and control the project:
1. Start the work packages
2. Control the project and ensure the respect of the stakeholders' commitments, while mastering risks and opportunities
3. Control requirements, costs, and schedule during the project life cycle
4. Manage project quality and customer and stakeholders' overall satisfaction
5. Manage legal and contractual requirements, including handling disputes
6. Conduct regular progress review meetings, reporting the project progress to the company's senior management
- Close the project (archiving of documents, closing of the expenditure authorizations) by capitalizing and sharing on enterprise experience
Job Requirements:
- At least 18 years of total work experience.
- At least 13 years of previous experience in Railway Systems, including AFC systems in urban railway projects, MRT(Mass Rapid Transit), HSR(High Speed Rail), LRT(Light Rail Transit), Metro Bus, or inter-city Railway.
- At least 2 AFC projects or 1 AFC project lasting a minimum of 7 years in MRT(Mass Rapid Transit), HSR(High Speed Rail), LRT(Light Rail Transit), Metro Bus, or inter-city Railway.
- Degree holder with an Engineering/Computer Science Background.
- Project planning, cost estimation, and budget control, risk and opportunity analysis
- Must have strong organization, time management, communication, and people skills, be able to multitask, and work under pressure
- Process-minded
- Willing to travel
- Good negotiation skills & assertive
- Good command of both written and spoken English
- Fluent Cantonese and Mandarin is an advantage
- A PMP / IPMA holder is preferred
Contact: Henry Cheung (henryc@railpersonnel.com)
Chief Contracts Expert, Bangalore, India
Job ID#: 15331
Discipline: Contracts
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is looking for an experienced contracts manager for the position of Chief Contract Expert for Bangalore Metro.
The person would be responsible for contract management of contracts for the Bangalore Metro Rail Project (Reach-6, Phase-2A and Phase-2B) for the design, manufacture, delivery, testing, commissioning and maintenance of rolling stock and Signalling and Platform Screen Door Systems.
Duration: 1+ year, subject to performance.
Job Requirements:
- Education: Graduate in any branch of Engineering
- Overall Experience: 35 years or more
- Relevant Experience: 15+ years as a Chief Contracts Expert in Rail/Metro projects, including key expert roles in at least two Metro projects.
Contact: Rajni Tewani (rajni@railpersonnel.com)
Contracts Manager, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Job ID#: 15282
Discipline: Contracts
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is seeking a Contract Manager to support their activities in Abu Dhabi.
The Contract Manager is responsible for overseeing and managing all contractual and commercial activities to ensure the successful delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects. The role ensures full compliance with legal, regulatory, and company requirements.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Manage and oversee all contractual and commercial aspects of the client's projects.
- Participate in the development of standardized contract templates and clauses.
- Ensure Projects' compliance with company policies, contractual obligations, applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
- Administer variations, claims, extensions of time, and cost-control measures.
- Provide contractual advice and support to project teams throughout all project phases.
- Coordinate with legal, procurement, and project management teams to resolve contractual issues.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all contract documents, amendments, correspondence, variations, claims, and disputes.
- Proactively manage contract renewals, expirations, and terminations to avoid commercial or operational risk.
- Prepare periodic reports on contract status, including cost reports and budget control, in line with the contract execution plan.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate commercial, operational, and legal risks within the client's contracts.
- Develop and implement risk-management strategies to mitigate potential contract-related risks.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with contractors and suppliers and act as the primary point of contact for all contract-related matters.
Job Requirements:
- Education: Diploma (Mandatory), Bachelor's or Master's (Preferred)
- Degree in commercial management or related qualification
Experience:
- A minimum of 10 years of Relevant Experience.
- Experienced in using FIDIC contracts, preferably
- Experience in Large-scale infrastructure projects
- Experience in handling claims and settlements
- Excellent Communication skills
Our client requires someone with experience in large infrastructure projects, particularly in the railway sector
Contact: Jackie Hendry (jackie@railpersonnel.com)
