Dear Readers
The Informa Connect Academy has announced an additional online intake for the ETCS Masterclass running from 26 October to 4 December 2026.
ETCS is rapidly becoming a global standard for modern train control on mainline railways. With major programmes progressing across Australia and around the world, the demand for professionals who genuinely understand ETCS continues to grow.
Over six weeks, attendees will work through the ETCS principles, architecture, ETCS Levels and their working principles, interoperability challenges, migration strategies and practical implementation, using real project examples and live interactive discussions. Whether you are new to signalling or already working on ETCS projects, the programme is designed to give you knowledge you can immediately apply.
Download Course Brochure | Register Now
Certified Competency in ETCS
Also, there is an opportunity to achieve Certified Competency in ETCS following the Masterclass. It's an excellent way to formally recognise the knowledge you've gained and demonstrate your competency to employers, clients and the wider rail industry.
Certification Benefits
• Official Recognition – Gain formal recognition of your ETCS knowledge.
• Career Advancement – Differentiate yourself in a rapidly evolving rail industry.
• Validated Competency – Demonstrate your practical understanding of ETCS to employers and clients.
We have 3 exciting Jobs of the Week this week. In India, we are looking for a Chief Track Construction Manager and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, we are looking for a Program Manager and a Chief Engineer, Rail Rolling Stock Maintenance.
Best Regards
Rail Personnel
Rail News
6 August 2026. Australia. Rail industry welcomes new Public Transport Minister
The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has welcomed the appointment of Vicki Ward as Victoria’s new Minister for Public Transport, saying the appointment comes at an important time for the state’s transport sector. ARA Chief Executive Officer, Caroline Wilkie, said the industry looked forward to working with the new minister to progress major rail projects, including the Suburban Rail Loop and Melbourne Airport Rail.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
5 August 2026. Indonesia. Indonesia plans railway expansion to strengthen national connectivity
The Government of Indonesia is advancing plans to expand its national railway network as part of efforts to support economic growth, improve connectivity, and encourage greater use of public transport. The government aims to increase the country’s railway network from approximately 6,900 km across Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi to 10,500 km by 2030 and 14,000 km by 2045, extending rail services to Kalimantan and Papua.
Source: Southeast Asia Infrastructure
AECOM, the trusted global infrastructure leader, has been appointed by Transport for London (TfL) to deliver a feasibility study for the depots and sidings required to facilitate the Bakerloo Line Upgrade (BLU). This marks one of the next steps of feasibility, planning and optioneering to enable the introduction of new rolling stock on the Bakerloo line, replacing the existing fleet that was first brought into service in 1972 – the oldest in daily passenger operation across the UK – and supports long-term improvements in reliability and passenger experience on the line.
Source: Rail UK
The Government of Thailand has announced plans to extend its Thai Chinese high-speed railway to Nong Khai on the Lao border have moved the Laos-China Railway a step closer to integration with Thailand’s rail network. The Thai government plans to invite bids in December 2026 for eight civil works contracts covering the 357.12-km second phase between Nakhon Ratchasima and Nong Khai. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 and be completed by 2031.
Source: Southeast Asia Infrastructure
4 August 2026. United Kingdom. Shell-Shocked: Tortoise Rescued from Tracks at Runcorn Station
Customers travelling on the West Coast Main Line experienced brief delays last week after services were paused in order to save an adventurous tortoise. The reptile, which is reported to be 50 years old, was found making its way along the line running through Runcorn station. Once passengers reported the trespassing tortoise, Avanti West Coast station staff worked swiftly with Network Rail in order to mount a safe rescue operation and, following a 10-minute pause in services, train journeys were able to resume.
Source: Railway-News
3 August 2026. Australia. Gold Coast transport plan expanded
The Queensland Government has announced two new metro-style public transport routes and a series of road upgrades aimed at improving east-west connections across the Gold Coast ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The new GC Surfer services will operate between Nerang and Broadbeach, and Robina and Miami, linking heavy rail and light rail services while improving access to major sporting venues, education precincts and tourist destinations.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
ScotRail has set a record for passenger journeys in a single week with more than 2.1 million made between Sunday 26 July and Saturday 1 August. The surge is the busiest week since the train operator was returned to public ownership in April 2022, with more people choosing ScotRail to travel to events and for business, retail, and leisure. It comes hard on the heels of figures released four weeks ago which confirmed more than seven million passenger journeys were recorded in June, a 6% increase on the same period in 2025.
Source: Rail UK
3 August 2026. Australia. Sydney Metro Unveils New Trains for Western Sydney Airport Line
Sydney Metro has officially unveiled the first train for the Western Sydney Airport line at the Orchard Hills Stabling and Maintenance Facility (SMF). The brand-new three-car train is capable of moving 645 passengers at a time, and is the first of 12 trains set to connect Western Sydney communities with the new airport and Bradfield City Centre via the 23-kilometre railway line.
Source: Railway-News
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced details of the third phase of the Cross Island Line (CRL), alongside new information about the fleet of trains that will operate on the future MRT line. The latest phase of the project will extend the Cross Island Line by approximately 10 kilometres westwards from Jurong Lake District to Gul Circle, adding four underground stations and introducing a second depot to support operations.
Source: Railway-News
The first of Taiwan High Speed Rail’s next-generation N700ST trains has left Japan, marking a major milestone in one of Asia’s most significant rolling stock programmes.
The Hitachi Toshiba Supreme Consortium (HTSC), led by Hitachi and Toshiba, has announced the completion and shipment of the first N700ST trainset destined for Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC). The shipment, comprising a single 12-car trainset, forms part of a wider order for 12 trainsets (144 vehicles) placed by THSRC in May 2023. Built at Hitachi’s Kasado Works in Japan, the fleet is scheduled to enter passenger service by the end of 2028.
31 July 2026. China. Chongqing’s Yangtze River tunnel completed
An 11.9 km tunnel has been completed to carry the Chongqing – Xiamen high speed rail corridor under the Yangtze River in the centre of the Chongqing conurbation. Celebrations were held on July 24 to mark the formal completion of the Caiyuanba Yangtze River Railway Tunnel, which passes under two districts in the heart of the metropolis. According to local media, it is the first high speed line to pass under the river.
Source: Railway Gazette
Jobs of the Week
Chief Track Construction Manager, Surat, India
Job ID#: 15459
Discipline: Permanent Way
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is seeking a Chief Track Construction Manager for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project. The track structure primarily involves the J-Slab track system, used in Japan and Taiwan.
Project: Project Management Consultancy Services for Track, Rolling Stock, Depot, Inspection & Maintenance cars and Training Simulator Packages for Mumbai Ahmadabad High Speed Rail Project (PMC-TRS)
Position: Chief Track Construction Manager
Duration: August 2026 - April 2029
Work Location: Surat Head Office, India
Overview of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway:
India's first bullet train project, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad
High-Speed Rail Railway, will span 508 km, connecting Maharashtra and Gujarat with a speed of 320 km/h. Starting from Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, the train will stop at 10 cities, including Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad, completing the journey in just 2 hours 7 minutes with limited stops.
The project employs the J-Slab ballast less track system based on Japanese Shinkansen technology, marking its first use in India. Mechanized construction uses advanced machinery designed to Japanese standards, such as Rail Feeder Cars and Flash Butt Welding Machines. JICC as General Consultant has provided the detailed design and drawing of major HSR track components like RC Track Bed, Track slab arrangement etc. for the contract.
Work on track construction has already commenced in Gujarat under package T-2 & T-3. Both the track works contracts in Gujarat are awarded to Indian companies with over 80 percent of the work within the Gujarat section finished
Key Responsibilities:
- Oversee project management consultancy for track construction.
- Review and approve construction or design documents and drawings submitted by the contractor.
- Provide the Engineer's response to construction plans and programs and issue notices to the contractor as needed.
- Participate in and verify factory acceptance tests, first article inspections, and installation tests, providing instructions to the contractor based on findings.
- Ensure consistency in track construction across the track packages.
Job Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree holder of Engineering, Science, Technology or Agriculture or Diploma of Technical College/Institute
- Total experience of 13 years or more or
- Minimum 2 years of experience with Shinkansen/High-Speed Rail in relevant field (experience with Japanese or Taiwanese Shinkansen is preferable)
Contact: David Hyland (davidh@railpersonnel.com)
Program Manager, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Job ID#: 15447
Discipline: Civil
Language: English, Arabic
Job Description:
Our client is seeking a Program Manager to oversee the planning, execution, and control of a Metro portfolio, ensuring alignment with company strategies. Ensure the project is executed with high quality from start to finish. Provide strategic advice, monitor performance, and coordinate with partners to maintain compliant, efficient, and results-driven delivery. Ensure program management components align with the company's strategic objectives, governance frameworks, quality standards, approved budgets, and operational excellence standards.
Roles & Responsibilities:
* Ensure Gold Line Metro rail design projects' objectives are aligned with the company's strategy, Dubai Strategic Plan, and Rail Network Plan 2032, with a focus on design standards, asset lifecycle, and infrastructure integration.
* Ensure consistency between program objectives and Dubai's wider urban development frameworks and approved transport and infrastructure masterplan.
* Ensure Gold Line Metro projects comply with the governance framework and corporate and technical standards.
* Lead strategic committees for Gold Line Metro projects and coordinate corporate partnerships, memberships, and participation in external forums/agreements; follow up on outputs and performance commitments.
Operations
* Review and track design submissions, contractor mobilization, and work design progress to support delivery milestones.
* Conduct review and provide preliminary approvals on vendor and contractor deliverables to ensure alignment with program requirements, rail design standards and agreed specifications.
* Monitor lifecycle and performance including milestones, budgets, resource utilization, risk/challenge analysis and deliverables; prepare progress and completion reports and highlight deviations and recovery actions to the CEO.
* Provide oversight of value engineering reviews at key stages, reviewing comprehensive reports with recommendations for cost reduction, service improvement, and operational resilience.
* Oversee and align multidisciplinary rail design, review, and approval process covering architectural, structural, civil, MEP, accessibility, and signage elements including amendments and updates to ensure compliance.
Process Improvement
Champion digital transformation and predictive project control by integrating advanced tools
(e.g., BIM, GIS, AI-enabled project tracking) into design and commercial governance.
* Review performance reports and statistical data to identify challenges and propose actionable
solutions.
* Assist in dissemination of pioneering practices and lessons learned from projects in rail.
* Guide the benchmarking of rail design performance against global best practices and lead
continuous-improvement initiatives.
* Provide recommendations on AI initiatives (including Proof of Concepts and use-case
validation); ensure compliance with corporate documents.
* Promote a culture of innovation and motivate departments to adopt cutting-edge solutions.
* Support capacity-building sessions and awareness initiatives to strengthen program and
project delivery capabilities.
Job Requirements:
Preferred:
* Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture, or Project Management; Master's degree in Construction Management or Infrastructure Planning
* 12+ years of experience in related functional area with at least 5 years of experience in program management in related functional area and 5 years of experience with government agencies
* Professional Certificates Recognized in Agile Project management
* Arabic speaking
Contact: Jackie Hendry (jackie@railpersonnel.com)
Chief Engineer, Rail Rolling Stock Maintenance, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Job ID#: 15425
Discipline: Rolling Stock
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is seeking a Chief Engineer, Rail Rolling Stock Maintenance to lead planning, oversight, and compliance of Dubai Metro rolling stock maintenance and delivery programs. Ensure safety, performance, and integration with the client's standards. Govern contractor execution, testing, and lifecycle optimization to sustain reliable service.
Roles and Responsibilities:
* Develop rolling stock maintenance strategies with KPIs and optimization initiatives aligned to operational and strategic objectives.
* Support the preparation of functional requirements and technical specifications for rolling stock and associated procurements.
* Provide technical expertise in tender evaluations, apply value engineering principles, and oversee contractor performance on projects.
* Supervise all technical systems related to rolling stock and mass transit maintenance, ensuring system sustainability and integration with internal and external platforms.
* Maintain risk register, oversee hazard mitigation measures, verify safety cases, and manage variations/claims related to rolling stock and associated systems.
Operations
* Monitor rolling stock maintenance contracts to ensure quality, compliance, and timely execution of preventive and corrective maintenance programs.
* Review and evaluate contractor submissions related to design, installation, and maintenance of subsystems including HVAC, propulsion, brakes, TCMS, and doors.
* Coordinate cross-functional interfaces involving signaling, SCADA, power, depot, and communications to ensure seamless implementation and serviceability.
* Lead and supervise Factory and Site Acceptance Testing activities; oversee commissioning, technical inspections, and quality assurance for assets.
Job Requirements:
Education:
- Bachelor's degree/master's degree in engineering (Required)
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or rail systems engineering; master's degree in transportation Engineering or maintenance management (Preferred)
Experience:
- 3+ years in case of master's degree (5+ years in case of bachelor's degree) (Required)
- 6-8 years of experience (Preferred)
Contact: Jackie Hendry (jackie@railpersonnel.com)
