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February 08, 2013

International & UK Railway News Friday 8th February 2013

International Railway Journal

A CEREMONY was held in Milan on February 5 to mark the inauguration of the initial phase of the city's first driverless metro line.

BOMBARDIER began dynamic testing of the Traxx F140 AC LM electro-diesel locomotive at its Henningsdorf facility near Berlin during January.

LEASING company Alpha Trains has signed a contract worth nearly €250m with Stadler Pankow to supply a fleet of 28 emus for German regional operator WestfalenBahn.

BULGARIAN track authority National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) has awarded a consortium of Thales Austria and Kapsch CarrierCom a €35m turnkey contract to install ERTMS on the 133km Sofia – Plovdiv line...




www.progressiverailroading.com US News

In January, U.S. railroads originated 1,339,604 carloads, down 6.3 percent, and 1,168,630 containers and trailers, up 5.3 percent compared with January 2012 figures, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Pennsylvania Gov. Corbett proposes gas-tax changes as part of transportation funding plan

WMATA to solicit public input on strategic plan, FY2014 budget

Cold storage facility coming to North Carolina port

Bellerud to manage container terminal business for Tacoma port

Public to review DART study for proposed downtown light-rail line

American port association pegs Hahn, Poe as 'Port Persons of the Year'

Rail supplier updates from Thales, L.B. Foster, Peab and Gannett Fleming (Feb. 8)



US High Speed Rail Association

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
For inquiries or interviews contact:
press@ushsr.com
HIGH SPEED RAIL SUMMIT
Washington, DC, Feb 11th - 13th, 2013
Conference to draw top Government Officials and Business Leaders to Discuss the Future of High Speed Rail in America.
Washington, DC - The US High Speed Rail Association (USHSR) is pleased to announce the High Speed Rail Summit, February 11th - 13th, at the Alion Conference Center in Washington, DC. This three-day conference will bring together the nation's top government officials and many of the world's leading experts to discuss the roll out of high speed rail across America.

Conference attendees will hear from the Obama Administration, members of Congress, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, international high speed rail experts, private rail operators, financial and investment professionals, engineers, construction leaders, real estate development professionals and national transportation advisors.
Confirmed headline speakers for the event include: House Republican leader John Mica, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Congressman James Oberstar, FRA Administrator Joseph C. Szabo, and Amtrak's President & CEO Joseph Boardman.
Confirmed speakers joining the program include: Karen Hedlund, Deputy Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); Rod Diridon, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute; Pat Natale, Executive Director, American Society of Civil Engineers; Ignacio Barron, International Union of Railways (UIC); Felix Leinemann, European Commission; Guillaume Mehlman, President of Alstom USA; Stephen Gardner, Vice President, Amtrak; Harriett Tregoning, Director, DC Office of Planning; Terry Bellamy, DC Department of Transportation Director; Robert Yaro, Regional Plan Association; Armin Kick, Siemens; David Tuchmann, Vice President, Akridge; Doug Firstenberg, Stonebridge Associates; Tom Fleury, Cityline Partners; John Robert Smith, President & CEO, Reconnecting America; Petra Todorovich Messick, Amtrak; Dr. Richard Geddes, Cornell University; Rod Garrett, SOM Architects; Michael Bello, Gensler; Rick Harnish, Executive Director, Midwest High Speed Rail Association; Kevin Brubaker, Environmental Law & Policy Center; John Barna, AECOM; Roy Kienitz, Roy Kienitz, LLC; Robert Puentes, Brookings Institutions; and others.

Conference highlights include Bringing High Speed Rail to America, the opening session with leading advocates for high speed rail in America. Hear about the benefits, opportunities, and challenges of a major new infrastructure project for America. Also the panel will discuss the status of the HSR program, and upcoming projects. HSR in America Update will explore the status of the many high speed rail projects in the works around the country. NEC Future - Planning, Investment, & Development will explore the challenges of the $151 billion upgrade to the nation's busiest rail line connecting DC, New York City and Boston. 21st Century Train Station - DC's Union Station Master Plan will explore the $7 billion major renovation and expansion of DC's rail station and the addition of over 3 million square feet of new mixed-use development over the tracks behind the station. Private Investment & Financing High Speed Rail panel will explore strategies to creatively finance and build high speed rail projects around America, including a $100 billion investment fund for high speed rail. American Industry - Scaling Up & Retooling panel will discuss the challenges and opportunities of creating entirely new industries in America to build the new transportation system, including retooling existing factories and creating millions of American jobs.

"This summit brings together an amazing line-up of top business leaders and government officials who are working to bring high speed rail to America" said Andy Kunz, USHSR President & CEO. "We are excited to be working with the visionaries and leaders pushing for major improvements to the nation's transportation networks."
For more information on the association and to view the agenda for the Summit, visit: http://www.ushsr.com/events/washingtondc2013.html
 
 
 
 
 
US freight railroads to invest $24.5bn in 2013 The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has announced that the US's major freight railroads will invest about $24.5bn in 2013 to build, maintain and upgrade the rail network in the country. 
      
Nanjing SR Puzhen Rail wins metro rail deal in China
Midas Holdings' joint venture company, Nanjing SR Puzhen Rail Transport (NPRT), has received a RMB710m ($114m) contract from Nanjing Metro in China to deliver 26 trains. 
      
Chicago Transit Authority invites bids to replace ageing metro trains
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has unveiled plans to buy up to 846 new rail cars worth $2bn to replace its ageing fleet. 
      
Colas Rail consortium secures Tunis high-speed rail deal
European rail infrastructure services company Colas Rail, in a consortium with Siemens and Tunisian firm Somatra-Get, has won a €145m contract to build the first two lines (D and E) on the RFR high-speed railway network in Tunis, Tunisia.





Shedmaster Railway News      

From railwaygazette.com - CHINA: Nanjing Metro has awarded Nanjing SR Puzhen Rail Transport a contract to supply trainsets for the Ningtian Intercity Rail Line, a route first proposed as metro Line 11..



World Heritage & Railway News

From gwsr.com

DMU services resume this weekend

Limited services resume this weekend to the GWR, a month earlier than they usually would.
Diesel rail car services will run every weekend up to and including March 2nd and 3rd and on Tuesday and Wednesday the 12th/13th and 19th/20th February.
Trains will run from Toddington to Winchcombe including the new extension to Laverton (but not to Cheltenham Race Course whilst winter maintenance work is completed on the line.
See this link for the timetable (colour coded orange) and for the prices.
Enjoy a trip with us and perhaps have some refreshments in our newly refurbished "Flag and Whistle" tea room at Toddington.
 
 
 

 
From railwaygazette.com - UK: The box for the future Crossrail station at Woolwich has been completed by Berkeley Homes. It is to be handed over to Crossrail Ltd in early March...
 
 
 


  • Huge station box at Woolwich complete and will shortly be handed over to Crossrail in preparation for arrival of tunnelling machines
  • Berkeley Homes to hold public open day on Wednesday 27 February
  • Crossrail to support wider regeneration in southeast London
  • With over 400,000 working hours undertaken on the project, the huge station box at Woolwich, which has been built as part of the Crossrail project, has been completed by developer Berkeley Homes at its landmark Royal Arsenal Riverside development. 200 jobs were created to construct the station box.

    The new station box is 256 metres long, 26 metres wide and 18 metres deep – equivalent to the size of 32 Olympic swimming pools. It is so long that the tallest building in Canary Wharf, One Canada Square, could easily be laid on its side within it, and still leave plenty of room for a double decker bus at either end.
    Berkeley Homes has completed the vast station box four months ahead of schedule. The eastern end of the box will be handed over to Crossrail in early March.
    The Woolwich box will act as an important staging post for the two 1,000 tonne tunnelling machines, Sophia and Mary, that are digging twin bore tunnels from Plumstead, underneath the River Thames to North Woolwich.
    When Crossrail opens, up to 12 trains per hour during the peak will link southeast London and the Royal Docks with Canary Wharf, central London and beyond allowing residents to get to and from London’s key employment areas much more quickly and easily and boosting regeneration.
    Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail Chief Executive said: “Berkeley Homes has completed the station box at Woolwich ahead of schedule, allowing Crossrail to get the site ready for the arrival of our thousand tonne tunnelling machine this spring. The benefits of Crossrail for southeast London will be significant – new journey opportunities, reduced journey times, direct access to London’s major employment centres as well as supporting wider regeneration.”
    Karl Whiteman, Divisional Managing Director of Berkeley Homes (Urban Renaissance) Ltd, said: “The early completion of this significant project is a credit to the team, especially with over 400,000 man hours worked without incident and industry recognition for the exemplar sustainability credentials that have been set.”
    To celebrate the completion of the box, Berkeley Homes will be holding an Open Day on Wednesday 27 February, offering a rare opportunity for the public to step inside the cavernous construction before it is handed over to Crossrail.
    In addition, a charity fun run will be held within the box, raising money for Demelza House Children’s Hospice.
    Karl Whiteman continued: “These public events will provide people a rare opportunity to visit what is a significant feat of civil engineering before it is handed over to Crossrail, and will prove a good way to raise money for a very deserving charity local to the project.”
    Berkeley Homes will begin the planned construction of 585 homes on the station box site later this year, of which at least 165 will be affordable homes. Retail and commercial space will also be delivered, again contributing to the significant regeneration of Woolwich.

    -----------------------------------

    Christian Wolmar

    Christian Wolmar

    Announcement madness


    I know this is slightly a hardy perennial, but last night’s trip to Ashford International and back was the pits in terms of the number and vacuousness of the announcements. Both trains were late, and that did not help, but on the outward one, there really were about a dozen in the first 20 minutes, and even when a measure of peace had been obtained as the station had been announcement, for some reason the ‘do not leave your baggage unattended…destroyed’ belted out automatically, even though the same information had been given a few seconds before.

    The train companies claim that they have to do this to comply with Transsec rules or whatever, but that is simply not true. They have just set up these automatic feeds and they actually ruin the pleasure of a train journey. On the way back, waiting at Ashford it was even worse. The train was around a quarter of an hour late, but every time the estimate changed, the automatic voice made a new announcement saying it was 11 or 13 or whatever minutes late – eventually of course it was 20. Even if these were necessary – and they are not – they could be shortened so as not to include ‘Southeastern apologises blah blah blah’ No one takes an automated apology seriously. Then on the train, the apologies multiplied, interspersed with security. And oh, why are there announcements about ‘this is a non smoking station in the interests of safety and comfort’ — all indoor spaces are smokeless and everyone knows that now.

    So come on ATOC, set out some clear guidelines. One short announcement, per station – not the full recital of stations every stop (‘and all stations to Dover Priory..’ would do fine) and think of your customers…. I am used to working in busy newsrooms, or to very tight deadlines, but trying to read a slightly difficult book on the train yesterday was quite impossible.




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