International & UK Railway News Friday 29th March 2013

Siemens

For the first time Siemens is to automate mainline routes in Tunisia.

Siemens is to equip Lines D and E of the mass rapid transit system in Metropolitan Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, with train control and operations control systems. As member of a consortium with the French company Colas Rail and the local Somatra construction company, Siemens has received the relevant order from the state project company Réseau Ferroviaire Rapide (RFR). "The contract with RFR is of strategic importance to Siemens. With this order, Siemens has succeeded in breaking into the market of the Tunisian rail industry," said Jürgen Brandes, CEO of the Siemens Rail Automation Business Unit. Out of a total volume of 145 million euros for the entire consortium. Commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2016.

The transit system in Metropolitan Tunis is over 20 years old and is currently being upgraded and extended. By 2016, the system should comprise a total of five lines with a total length of 86 kilometers. Siemens will equip the existing Line D, which runs between Tunis and Gobaa, as well as Line E to Sidi Hassine, with the latest train protection technology. To increase passenger capacity and the safety of railway operations, Siemens will install the European Train Control System "Trainguard 100 for ETCS Level 1", 28 on-board units, three Simis W electronic interlockings, the Vicos operations control system and the UGSK 3 track vacancy detection system. The contract also includes the equipping of the operations control center and the training of personnel in the use of the new technology. The consortium partners are supplying the telecommunication systems and a system for data recording.
 

The metropolitan area of Tunis has a population of more than two million, making it one of the largest cities in North Africa. According to the UNESCO report of 2012, the population there will increase by more than half a million by the year 2025. As the population grows, so will the demand for mobility and for an extensive transportation system. For this reason, the Tunisian government announced in 2011 that it would be investing about 500 million euros in the expansion of the mobility infrastructure as part of an aid program.



Shedmaster Railway News

News from USHSR;  a TCCD direct high speed service linking Eskisehir and Konya was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on March 23; and  from SINGAPORE , railwaygazette.com reports that the  Land Transport Authority confirmed on March 28 the purchase of 15 three-car Movia trainsets from the consortium of Bombardier Transportation and Changchun Bombardier Railway Vehicles Co....


World Heritage & Railway News

North Yorkshire Moors Railway (nymr.co.uk) ......
On Saturday 23^rd March daily running begins once more on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and in 2013 not only will the railway be celebrating its 40^th Anniversary but trains will be running 7 days a week between Pickering and Whitby until Sunday 3^rd November.
The railway will be encouraging residents in Pickering, Levisham, Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby to join in the 40^th anniversary celebrations by taking advantage of half price travel on Fridays and Sundays throughout 2013.
For anyone that lives in the YO18, YO21 or YO22 postcodes, they can travel for half price when they buy any adult day rover ticket. All they need to do is show their proof of address at one of the NYMR’s booking offices on Friday’s and Sunday’s throughout our 40^th Anniversary year.




Railway Herald - Railtours (for week starting 1st April 2013)

Monday 1st April 2013

The Easter Highlander: Day 4 (Pathfinder Tours)

• DRS Class 37 (Pair) Dumbarton - Carlisle - Appleby - S&C - Hellifield - Chesterfield (sd) - Derby (sd) - Birmingham New Street (sd) - Kidderminster (sd) - Worcester Shrub Hill (sd) - Cheltenham Spa (sd) - Bristol Parkway (sd) - Bristol Temple Meads (sd) - Weston-Super-Mare - Taunton - Exeter St. Davids

Shrewsbury And The Welsh Borders (West Coast Railway Company)

• WCR 47 x 2 or 37 x 2 Bridlington (pu) - Beverley (pu) - Cottingham (pu) - Brough (pu) - Howden (pu) - Selby (pu) - Crewe
• WCR Steam Crewe - Chester - Wrexham General - Gobowen - Shrewsbury (break/rev) - Shrewsbury - Whitchurch -Nantwich - Crewe
• WCR 47 x 2 Crewe - Selby (sd) - Howden (sd) - Brough (sd) - Cottingham (sd) - Beverley (sd) - Bridlington

Wednesday 3rd April 2013

The Yorkshire Coast Express (including Keighley And York Options) (Compass Tours)

• WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Crewe (pu) - Winsford (pu) - Hartford (pu) - Warrington Bank Quay (pu) - Wigan North Western (pu) - Preston (pu) - Lancaster (pu) - Carnforth (pu) -
• WCR Steam tba Carnforth - Long Preston (pu) - Skipton (pu) - Keighley (pu) - Shipley (pu) - York (sd) - Scarborough (break/rev) Scarborough - York (pu) - Shipley (sd) - Keighley (sd) - Skipton (sd) - Long Preston (sd) - Carnforth (sd) -
• WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Carnforth - Lancaster (sd) - Preston (sd) - Wigan North Western (sd) - Warrington Bank Quay (sd) - Hartford (sd) - Winsford (sd) - Crewe

Friday 5th April 2013

The Lochalsh Highlander (Compass Tours)

• WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Ayr (pu) - Prestwick Town (pu) - Troon (pu) - Irvine (pu) - Kilwinning (pu) - Paisley Gilmour Street (pu) - Coatbridge Central (pu) - Cumbernauld (pu) - Stirling (pu) - Dunblane (pu) - Perth (pu) - Aviemore - Inverness - Dingwall - Kyle of Lochalsh (break/rev) & return

Saturday 6th April 2013

The Eidyn Burgh Scot (Pathfinder Tours)

• D9009 Crewe (pu) - Warrington Bank Quay (pu) - Manchester Victoria (pu) - Huddersfield (pu) - Leeds (pu) - York (pu) - Durham - Newcastle upon Tyne - Berwick upon Tweed - Edinburgh Waverley
• D9009 Edinburgh Waverey - Carstairs - Beattock - Carlisle - Hexham - Durham - York - Wakefield Kirkgate (sd) - Huddersfield (sd) - Manchester Victoria (sd) - Warrington Bank Quay (sd) - Crewe

Additional Tour Information

20/1: Re-routed on the return via Tyne Valley, Durham and York to Wakefield Kirkgate and then to Huddersfield as per original route back to Crewe via Standedge and Manchester Victoria. Change due to insufficient DBS drivers knowing route over S&C.

Added 12:01 on Sunday 20th January 2013

 

Cumbrian Mountain & Coast Statesman (Statesman Rail)

• WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Hereford (pu) - Ledbury (pu) - Great Malvern (pu) - Worcester Foregate Street (pu) - Droitwich Spa (pu) - Kidderminster (pu) - Stourbridge Junction (pu) - Rowley Regis (pu) - Tame Bridge Parkway (pu) - Walsall (pu) - Cannock (pu) - Rugeley Town (pu) - Stafford - Crewe - Blackburn - Hellifield - S&C - Carlisle (break/rev) Carlisle - Maryport - Workington - Ravenglass - Ulverston - Grange over Sands - Carnforth - Preston - Crewe - Stafford - Rugeley Town (sd) - Cannock (sd) - Walsall (sd) - Tame Bridge Parkway (sd) - Rowley Regis (sd) - Stourbridge Junction (sd) - Kidderminster (sd) - Droitwich Spa (sd) - Worcester Foregate Street (sd) - Great Malvern (sd) - Ledbury (sd) - Hereford

The Marylebone Flyer (Vintage Trains)

• 5043 Birmingham Moor Street - Solihull - Leamingtoin Spa - Banbury - Bicester - Princes Risborough - High Wycombe - London Marylebone (break/rev) & return

Additional Tour Information

3/1: scheduled non stop outward. Set down at Banbury only on return

Added 11:35 on Thursday 3rd January 2013

Sunday 7th April 2013

The Atlantic Coast Express (Railway Touring Company)

• 34067 London Waterloo (pu) - Wimbledon - Surbiton - Weybridge - Woking (pu) - Basingstoke (pu) - Salisbury (pu) - Yeovil Junction - Crewkerne - Axminster - Honiton - Exeter Central - Exeter St. Davids
• 30777 and 34067 Exeter St. Davids - Exeter Central
• 30777 Exeter Central - Honiton - Yeovil Junction - Salisbury (sd) - Basingstoke (sd) - Woking (sd) - Weybridge - Surbiton - Wimbledon - London Waterloo

 

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