International & UK Railway News 30th November 2012

On This Day In History

30/11/1934     

On 30 November 1934, running a light test train, 4472 Flying

Scotsman became the first steam locomotive to be officially

recorded at 100 mph (160.9 km/h).

 

Flying Scotsman on static display at Railfest 2012 - Britain's biggest ever gathering of rail record breakers, 2 - 10 June 2012
Latest News on Flying Scotsman's restoration here....



International Railway Journal


THE Export-Import Bank of the United States has signed a $US 425m credit agreement with Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) and its subsidiary Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty (LKZ) to finance the supply of around 200 GE Evolution Series ES44ACi diesel locomotives.

AFTER several months of uncertainty, an agreement has finally been reached between Austria's infrastructure manager and open-access operators over access to two new lines which can only be used by rolling stock equipped with ETCS..

EMD officially opened its new locomotive assembly plant at Sete Lagoas in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais on November 29.

EUROPEAN Investment Bank vice-president Mrs Magdalena Álavarez Arza and Mr William Vásconez, undersecretary for public finances for the Ecuadorian Ministry of Finance signed a $US 260m loan agreement in Luxembourg on November 29 which will finance the construction of the first metro line in Ecuador's capital city Quito.



www.progressiverailroading.com US Railroad News

AAR: More mixed results for U.S. traffic in 47th week

Metrolinx unveils next wave of 'Big Move' projects

Norfolk Southern completes upgrades to Virginia export coal facility

CTA to reopen Lawrence Red Line Station

Western Carolina Railway Service to launch Aiken Railway in South Carolina

Iowa DOT to host hearings on Chicago-Council Bluffs-Omaha passenger-rail study

Ohio, Washington commissions OK crossing upgrades

Rail supplier updates from GE, Bombardier, Alstom, Kelso and Ex-Im Bank (Nov. 30)


United States High Speed Rail Association

CONFERENCE STARTS MONDAY!

The high speed rail conference of the year starts Monday! There's still time to get tickets, but they are going fast. This is the conference you don't want to miss! An incredible line up of top speakers, every major engineering and construction firm, high speed rail experts from around the world, and business and political leaders will all be there. The top leadership of the California High Speed Rail Authority - both Dan Richard, Chairman and Jeff Morales, CEO will speak at the conference! Senior executives from MTA, Caltrans, MTI, and many more will be participating. Decision makers, bidding team leaders, financing and legal experts, and other officials will all be participating. You should too! Register now Sign up for one of the Transportation Tours included free with your conference registration. Tours take place Wednesday Dec. 5, and include the LA Metro Red Line; Transit Oriented Development Projects; and LA Metro Rail Operations Center. Space is limited, so sign up today. Tours are open to conference attendees. Be part of the action next week. Register Now!

www.railway-technology.com Updates

Trensurb awards Porto Alegre Metro trains contract to FrotaPoa consortium in Brazil Trensurb, the metro rail operator in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, has awarded a €94m contract to the FrotaPoa consortium, comprising Alstom and CAF Brazil, to provide 15 trains. 
      
Bombardier to build automated people mover system at Dubai Airport
Bombardier Transportation has won an AED392m ($107m) contract from Al Jaber L.E.G.T. Engineering and Contracting (ALEC) to design and build an automated people mover (APM) system at Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 
      
Siemens to acquire Invensys Rail for £1.7bn
Siemens has agreed to buy Invensys Rail, the rail automation business of UK-based Invensys, for £1.7bn to expand its presence in the global rail automation market. 
      
Alstom Signaling to install new cab signal system on Port Jervis line in US
MTA Metro-North Railroad has begun work on a $67m project to install a new cab signal system on the Port Jervis Line in New York, US, in a bid to increase safety and control train speeds.




SIEMENS

Press Release

Siemens strengthens core activities

Acquisition of Invensys Rail - Divestment of baggage handling, postal and parcel sorting activities.

Munich, Germany, 2012-Nov-28

Siemens has entered into an agreement to acquire Invensys Rail, the rail automation business of Invensys for approximately €2.2 billion (£1.742 billion). At the same time, the company plans to divest its baggage handling, postal and parcel sorting activities. Both planned transactions are part of the recently launched "Siemens 2014" company program, which amongst others, is aimed at strengthening the company's core activities. With revenues of approximately £800 million, Invensys Rail is a leading software based rail signaling and control company. The acquisition will expand Siemens' presence in the growing global rail automation market. "Today's moves are important measures to focus our core activities. We are exiting a non-core business with limited synergy potential while strengthening a resilient and high return business by combining two organizations with similar cultures and attractive synergy potential. The combined business will ensure profitable growth opportunities worldwide for the Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector," said Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens Infrastructure & Cities. The transaction is subject to Invensys shareholder approval and regulatory clearances.

The planned divestment of the baggage handling, postal and parcel sorting activities will further focus the activities of the Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector. While the company is one of the leading players in postal automation, parcel and baggage handling systems with a global presence and an installed base around the world, there are few synergies with other Siemens Divisions due to the high mechanical content. It is a highly specialized niche business, dominated by mid-sized companies. The mid-single-digit profit margin business with revenue of approximately €900 million and around 3,600 employees shall be sold.
 

Invensys Rail shall be integrated into Siemens' Rail Automation business in the Mobility and Logistics Division of the Infrastructure & Cities Sector. "With the addition of Invensys Rail we are in an excellent position to offer best-in-class solutions and technology to rail operators worldwide. The combination of two excellent organizations will create a truly global player in the Rail Automation business," said Sami Atiya, CEO of Siemens' Mobility and Logistics Division.

Invensys Rail has a strong footprint and a well established reputation with customers in the UK, Spain, the U.S. and Australia which will extend Siemens' Rail Automation existing presence in countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland as well as China and India. In recent years, Invensys Rail has also successfully expanded its business into fast-growing emerging regions. The combined Invensys Rail and Siemens product portfolio will offer a full range of automation and optimization products, solutions and services, covering all customer segments.
The growth outlook of the global rail automation market is driven by increasing urbanization and the demand for enhanced mobility including new and extended mass transit and commuter systems. Overall the rail sector benefits also from trends such as energy efficiency, environmental factors, liberalization, deregulation and low-cost transportation requirements.
Significant synergy potential is expected from the combination of territories and technologies together with cost savings in procurement, portfolio, engineering and SG&A. Synergies of over €100 million are expected, to be fully achieved by 2018.

In its last fiscal year ending March 2012, Invensys Rail generated revenues of £775 million and operating profit before interest and taxes of £116 million, representing a 15% margin. Order intake (excluding framework agreements) was £991 million, including major awards in new countries such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey. As of March 2012, Invensys Rail's total order book was £1,202 million and it currently employs around 3,200 employees.

Siemens provides integrated mobility solutions and already has a significant and established rail automation business with revenues of €1.4 billion, employing around 6,500 employees. Invensys Rail shall be integrated into this business, which is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Siemens and Invensys Rail managers will form the new management team and Invensys Rail's local expertise and relationships will be retained. The new constellation will combine the regional strengths of both organizations for the benefit of its customers.

The transaction is subject to Invensys shareholder approval which is expected to be voted on at a General Meeting planned for December 2012. Furthermore, consent by Invensys' lenders, the UK pension regulator and anti-trust authorities is required. Overall Siemens will not take on any significant pension liabilities with the transaction. Siemens expects the transaction to close in the second quarter of calendar year 2013.




Crossrail

Press Release.

London’s newest ‘eastender’ begins tunnelling journey

Elizabeth becomes third tunnelling machine underway as work starts on Crossrail’s longest tunnel section.

Boats and barges to be used to deliver tunnel segments and remove excavated material from east London site

Crossrail moved a significant step forward today as London’s newest ‘eastender’ – 1,000 tonne tunnelling machine Elizabeth – began the 8.3km tunnelling journey to create the eastern section of the new rail line between Docklands and central London.

Elizabeth and sister tunnelling machine Victoria were lowered 40 metres underground into a shaft at Limmo Peninsula, next to Canning Town station last month. With the machines in place, Elizabeth has now begun the journey to create 8.3km (5.16 miles) of eastern tunnels from Docklands to Farringdon – Crossrail’s longest tunnel section. Victoria will also begin work on the eastern tunnels later this year.
As the 150 metre long tunnelling machines advance forwards, precast concrete segments are put in place to form concrete rings to line the tunnels. Elizabeth has now placed the first of 110,000 concrete segments that will line the eastern tunnels.

All of the concrete segments are being manufactured at a new facility in Chatham in Kent where up to 50 new jobs have been created. The concrete segments are then delivered by barge from Chatham to the east London site, helping prevent thousands of lorry journeys through Kent and the capital. Ships will also being used to transport excavated material from the eastern tunnelling work to Wallasea Island in Essex where it be used to create a new 1,500 acre RSPB nature reserve.

The eastern section of Crossrail will see Elizabeth and Victoria tunnel beneath the River Lea towards the new station box at Canary Wharf where work is already underway to prepare for their arrival and to allow the machines to easily enter the station next year. Both tunnelling machines will then receive maintenance while in the large station box, before continuing their journeys towards Whitechapel, Liverpool Street and Farringdon. Elizabeth and Victoria are due to arrive at Farringdon in late 2014.

Crossrail Minister Stephen Hammond said: "The start of tunnelling in east London marks another major milestone in the construction of Crossrail. It yet again shows the engineering expertise involved in delivering this huge infrastructure project for the Capital, set to boost the economy and generate thousands of new jobs. I look forward to following the progress of Elizabeth and Victoria, the two tunnel boring machines, on their journey towards Farringdon."

Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail’s Chief Executive said: “With the start of work on Crossrail’s eastern tunnels we are seeing the biggest construction project in Europe now tunnelling on both sides of the capital. This is a significant step towards the huge transport improvements Crossrail will deliver, creating much needed additional capacity and faster new links with London’s major employment areas. By using boats and barges to deliver and remove materials from these tunnels, this will keep thousands of lorries off the road in east London.”
A range of contractors and more than 500 workers are currently involved in the delivery of Crossrail’s eastern section, continuing the important benefits the construction project is delivering to the economy in London and the UK.

Across the whole Crossrail project, eight tunnelling machines will construct 21 kilometres (13 miles) of twin tunnels under London. The Crossrail route will pass through 37 stations and run 118 km (73 miles) from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.
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Further news sources...

Shedmaster Railway News

Read how creating any new train is a challenge, but when that train needs to traverse the highest route in the world, there are also vital safety elements to consider. The Tangula Express is such a train.....

World Heritage & Railway News
christianwolmar.co.uk - Dear Richard Brown, You have the unenviable task of trying to sort out the franchising issue and make sense of system that simply is not sensible.......


Railway Engineering News
RUSSIA: The first series-produced EP20 passenger locomotive was handed over to Russian Railways by manufacturer Transmashholding at a ceremony near Rostov on November 30.