International & UK Railway News 30th July 2013

Total Rail

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European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Full steam ahead for the Kazakh railway sector

US$ 24.8 million loan to private leasing provider Olzha

Author(s):	Svitlana Pyrkalo
Date:	30 July 2013

The EBRD is providing the private Kazakh rail company JSC Olzha with a US$ 24.8 million (€19.2 million equivalent) loan to support the development and growth of the company.

Olzha, a joint stock company, is providing operating leases for freight wagons to corporate clients in Kazakhstan and beyond, mainly for the transportation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and oil products. Olzha has been active in the market for the last 18 years. As freight owners increasingly favour leasing over ownership of railroad cars, demand for Olzha’s services is expected to increase significantly. This will be fuelled further by an increase in oil and gas production in Kazakhstan in the years ahead.

Kazakhstan has one of the world’s largest railway networks. With its vast territory and lack of a significant water transport alternative, railways play a key role in the national transport sector, accounting for some 60 per cent of all freight movement.

Thomas Maier, EBRD Managing Director for Infrastructure, said: “This is our first private sector transaction in the railway sector in Kazakhstan and it makes us very proud to support the future growth and development of a local company with strong potential such as Olzha. Especially at a time when access to finance remains scarce, the EBRD can really make a difference when it comes to funding the real economy.”

Bolat Dyuisekin, General Director of Olzha, added: “The EBRD loan will enable the company to expand its fleet and strengthen its position in the market. Also, as part of this engagement with the Bank, the company will implement a programme to align health and safety practices with the relevant international standards. This will give the company a competitive advantage.”

Since the beginning of its operations in Kazakhstan 20 years ago, the EBRD has invested close to US$ 6.3 billion in the country’s economy, with more than half of the Bank’s projects supporting the private sector.



Future Rail
The latest issue of Future Rail has arrived! Read your free copy now >> Level crossings remais a pressing safety issue for the industry. In this issue we explore new technologies that could help save lives by making traditional crossing techniques obsolete.

We also introduce the nominees for the Future Rail Innovation in Safety Awards 2013, find out how German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is keeping an eye on illegal graffitists with unmanned drones, and ask how behavioural science was used in the redevelopment of London Bridge station to make it more passenger-friendly.

Moreover, we take a look at significantly under-used stations in the UK and the business case for their closure, and investigate if metal-rich particles found in the air on underground networks could be harmful to staff and passengers.



International Railway Journal

BUENOS AIRES metro authority Sbase has announced that it is acquiring 73 series 6000 vehicles from Madrid Metro for use on Line B, following the opening of the 2km western extension of the line from Los Incas to Juan Manuel de Rosas on July 26.

OKLAHOMA Department of Transportation and the United States Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) have launched the Tulsa-Oklahoma City Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan to evaluate the feasibility of launching passenger services between the state's two largest cities.

TRANSPORT authorities in Saxony-Anhalt have published preliminary information for the tendering of regional services on non-electrified lines..

CORSICAN Railways (CFC) has awarded French National Railways (SNCF) subsidiary SNCF Partnerships a three-year contract to provide staff training and technical assistance on the island's 232km metre-gauge network.

CAF announced its first half figures on July 29, which show net profits for the first half reached €50m, 6.4% over net sales.


CAF

2013/07/29

CAF POSTS €50 M NET PROFIT AFTER TAX FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2013

The backlog as of 30 June, 2013 amounted to €4,9338 M. of the current backlog, more than 85% relates to international market projects.

 CONSOLIDATED GROUP PERFORMANCE

 The Net Turnover as of 30 June, 2013 amounted to €780.9 M, which is less than the figure at the end of the first half of 2012, which amounted to €935.7 M.

 As of 30 June, 2013, the EBITDA Margin amounted to €120.4 M, approximately representing an 8% increase on the figure at the end of June 2012.

 The Net Profit for the year, after Corporate Tax, as of the 30 June, 2013, amounted to €50 M, representing 6.4% over net sales.

 Some of the Company’s ongoing projects worthy of mention include the supply of Suburban Units for São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Recife (in Brazil), Trieste (Italy), Montenegro, Auckland (New Zealand) and EuskoTrenbideak; trains for Amtrak in the United States of America and for Saudi Arabia, LRVs for the cities of Granada, Málaga, Stockholm, Houston, Cincinnati, Debrecen, Besançon, Sydney, Fribourg, Tallinn, Cuiaba and Kaohsiung in Taiwan, and metro units for the cities of Rome, Bucharest, Caracas, Sao Paulo, Helsinki and Santiago de Chile.


www.progressiverailroading.com US News

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Sound Transit approves Northgate Extension construction contract

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STB orders BNSF to delay asset revaluation from Berkshire acquisition

Oregon DOT unveils new Talgo train for Amtrak Cascades route

New siding on tap for North Carolina Railroad

www.railway-technology.com Updates..

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French rail operator SNCF has exercised its option with Alstom for the delivery of 40 Euroduplex high-speed trains, as part of a framework agreement signed by both firms in June 2007.
One dead and 40 injured in Swiss train collision
Two trains collided on Monday evening in Western Switzerland, killing a drivers and injuring more than 40 passengers.
Saudi Arabia awards $22bn Riyadh Metro construction contracts
Saudi Arabia's Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) has awarded $22bn in contracts to three consortiums for the design and construction of a new automated metro system in Riyadh.
Crossrail secures additional funding for Woolwich station fit-out project
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport for London (TfL) have given the green light to Crossrail to commence work on Woolwich station, following a £54m funding agreement for the project.



Shedmaster Railway News

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Railway Engineering News

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Commuters to benefit from state-of-the-art electric trains - Press releases - GOV.UK


GOV.UK

Commuters to benefit from state-of-the-art electric trains

Southern signs £180 million deal for additional 116 train carriages with Bombardier.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has welcomed an order for more than 100 new electric train carriages while seeing the first of a British-built fleet being readied for use at a London depot today.
Following an open procurement competition Southern has signed a second contract with Derby-based train builders Bombardier, worth £180 million, for an additional 116 carriages, which will serve some of the capital’s busiest commuter routes from 2015.

Confirmation of the deal came as the Transport Secretary visited the Stewarts Lane Depot in Battersea where the train operator is currently preparing a new fleet of 130 carriages for use on its services from December. A further 40 vehicles will be delivered in the early part of next year.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:

London’s commuters deserve a first class rail network and comfortable modern trains, Southern is delivering that. This second order will also provide a further boost to the thousands of passengers who travel into London every day.

A successful rail network is vital for the economic prosperity of the country and its standing in the global race. The fact that these trains are made in Britain also protects jobs outside of the capital.

The 116 new carriages will initially be used on the Thameslink route allowing the release of existing rolling stock to newly electrified routes across the country.
Southern Managing Director Chris Burchell said:

We are delighted that the order we have signed today will help our industry grow. Southern has a great record in new train introduction and we are pleased to be able to offer our expertise in helping the Department for Transport deliver the benefits of the Thameslink programme.

Meanwhile, Southern is currently testing its new fleet of carriages ahead of their introduction on the network just 2 years after the deal with Bombardier was signed. This will allow up to 10 car trains to run on some of the operator’s busiest Metro routes, including trains via Norbury, Streatham Hill and Hackbridge, boosting capacity by 10%.
Southern Fleet Director Gerry McFadden said:

Getting the trains built, tested and in service within a 2 year time scale is setting a new record for train delivery, but we and Bombardier are determined to provide our passengers with the longer trains they have been promised.

The Commercial Director for Bombardier Transportation UK, Des McKeon, said:

It is great to see the first of Southern’s 130 new carriages being delivered here today. Production of the rest of the order is progressing on time in Derby. We are confident of delivering the rest of the fleet in line with Southern’s requirements and meeting their challenge of getting these units ready for passenger service later this year.

The order underlines the strength of the relationship Bombardier has with Southern and the DfT – a relationship born out of our strong performance on existing contracts. It reinforces the quality of our products and our ability to deliver on time to demanding schedules. It is further evidence of the dedication and skills of our people in the UK.

Paul Francis Managing Director of Porterbrook which financed the 130 carriages being introduced in December, said:

We’re delighted to have been appointed financier for the purchase of these new Electrostar trains which will operate with the other 792 Electrostar vehicles we have on lease with Southern. We reiterate our hope that this is only the start of ongoing investment opportunities in new and existing rolling stock over the coming years as franchises are re-let.