www.parliament.uk

03 January 2014

The resilience of UK transport infrastructure and services during periods of adverse winter weather has improved, but more must be done to strengthen the sector’s winter preparedness, says the cross party Transport Select Committee.

Launching the report on transport preparations for winter weather, Louise Ellman MP, Chair of Transport Committee, said:
“Transport is vital to economic growth. A lack of preparedness for winter weather has a direct impact on the movement of people and goods and on the economy as a whole.”

“Disruption to transport is not just caused by snow. We saw recently the impact of severe storms and flooding on transport services. At Gatwick, thousands of passengers were stranded over the Christmas period due to a power failure during stormy weather. The Civil Aviation Authority must get to the bottom of what went wrong and how airports across the country can avoid similar situations in the future.”

“We recognise that some progress has been made by Government and transport providers to improve public information and passenger welfare during severe weather. In particular, pro-active decision-making by rail and aviation operators to reduce or cancel services ahead of a major event has reduced disruption.”

“Nevertheless, we believe there remains considerable scope for further improvement across the transport sector:

It is vital that passengers receive up to date information of changes and disruption whenever possible
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) should set out how it will evaluate the impact of the new airport licence conditions on passenger welfare, by Spring 2015. The CAA must also ensure that best practice on the provision of information and on passenger welfare is shared across all UK airports
The Highways Agency should review the barriers to providing comprehensive real-time information to drivers; identify technological and other solutions for doing so, particularly during periods of disruption; and develop a strategy to implement these solutions across the strategic road network
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) should ensure that train operating companies develop more robust procedures to identify how long a period of disruption is likely to last and to communicate this clearly to passengers

“The availability of salt for gritting roads has improved with the establishment of the strategic salt reserve. However, more should be done to keep pavements clear of ice and snow. A national advertising campaign should highlight that the public can clear snow and ice from outside their homes without fear of legal action and should consider doing so.”

“Embedding a culture of continuous review and improvement must remain a priority for Government and transport operators to ensure that all modes and networks are made more robust year after year and that the sector is well placed to address further issues and changing patterns of weather.”

“The transport sector must work closely with the Met Office and other forecasters to understand the challenges posed by different types of severe weather. A year or two of mild winter weather should never breed complacency or lead to a false sense of security.”

Siemens

ICE trains for Deutsche Bahn approved for Germany

Munich, 2013-Dec-23

German Federal Railway Authority approves trains' deployment in Germany
Four new ICE trains delivered to Deutsche Bahn
Approval process for operation in France and Belgium still underway

The new ICE trainsets from Siemens for Deutsche Bahn (DB) have been approved for immediate deployment in Germany. The German Federal Railway Authority (EBA) approved the trains' operation – also in multiple-unit or so-called double-traction mode – on DB's rail network. Two trains were delivered in November for test purposes. Siemens has now supplied DB with two more ICE trains of the Velaro D type for deployment in Germany, with four additional trains to follow in the spring of 2014. "With the approval to operate these trains in Germany now granted, we've reached an important milestone in this project," said Jochen Eickholt, CEO of Siemens' Rail Systems Division. As agreed with DB, the remaining eight of the 16 ICE trains originally ordered are reserved for test runs in Belgium and France in preparation for implementing cross-border operation and obtaining the requisite authorizations.

Since 2008, DB has ordered from Siemens a total of 16 advanced high-speed trains, worth more than €500 million, for deployment in Germany, Belgium and France. Following their approval by the EBA, the new ICE trains can now go into operation on Germany's rail network. The approval process for their cross-border deployment to Belgium and France is still underway. The regulations regarding train control systems – for example, those regarding the correct interpretation of route signals – vary in Europe from country to country. The related complexity is the main reason for the delivery delays.
"We're cooperating with Deutsche Bahn, the French operator SNCF, the German Federal Railway Authority and the corresponding French and Belgian authorities to obtain approval – which has not yet been granted – for the trains' cross-border deployment. However, we're also dependent in this connection on a number of suppliers. In order to accelerate these processes in the future, we have to achieve harmonization with respect to technology and approval in Europe as quickly as possible," stated Eickholt.

The Velaro D is a further development of the current ICE 3 trains, several of which have already been deployed in cross-border operation between Germany, France and Belgium since 2007. Each new train comprises eight individual cars and can accommodate up to 460 passengers – 30 more than its predecessor. With an output of 8,000 kilowatts (about 11,000 hp), the train can achieve speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour (km/h). Like earlier models, the new ICE has traction motors that are mounted under the floor and distributed over the length of the train, enabling particularly rapid acceleration. The climate-friendly electric brake system feeds braking energy directly back into the power supply system.

To date, the new train for German operator Deutsche Bahn has covered over 250,000 kilometers in test and licensing runs. Siemens is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-speed trains. Velaro is one of the most reliable trains in all the countries in which it is deployed (26 trains in operation in Spain, 240 in China, eight in Russia, with eight more under construction). Velaro trains have already traveled over 150 million operational kilometers without a significant technical failure. In Spain and Russia, Siemens is also responsible for Velaro maintenance.

Siemens Velaro D (Siemens Press Picture)

Siemens to deliver locomotives to Finland

Berlin, 2013-Dec-20

Finnish State Railways place major order worth more than 300 million Euros
Option for an additional 97 locomotives including maintenance
First order for the Vectron broad gauge version

The Finnish Railways VR Group intends to place an order for 80 electric Vectron locomotives with Siemens worth more than 300 million Euros. This is the largest rolling stock investment ever made by VR Group and the second-largest purchase in Europe this year. The order will include an option for an additional 97 locomotives as well as the maintenance of the locomotives over a period of 10 years. The contracts will be signed in the very near future. The new locomotives designed to operate on broad gauge tracks are scheduled to be delivered one after the other from 2016. The first electric locomotives start operational services in 2017, and the entire fleet will be delivered to Finland by 2026. In both freight and passenger transportation they will also replace the existing Soviet-type locomotives, some of which were built in the 1970s. "For Siemens this marks the largest single contract so far for its latest generation of Vectron locomotives and the first for this type in the broad gauge version", emphasizes Jochen Eickholt, CEO of the Siemens Rail Systems Division. The electric locomotives will be manufactured at the Siemens plant in Munich, Germany, and the bogies at the Siemens plant in Graz, Austria

The new locomotives are designed to operate reliably even under the extreme climatic conditions in Scandinavia during their long service life. Siemens was able to provide clear evidence of their capability during comprehensive test and authorization trips in Sweden and Norway. "The selection was made after a long and careful examination. The electric locomotive manufactured by Siemens is well suited to the challenging conditions in Finland", says VR Group's President and CEO Mikael Aro. The locomotives for VR-Yhtymä Oy will benefit from the valuable experience gained during these tests. In addition, the Vectron fleet has already traveled far more than one million kilometers. Vectron locomotives are operating according to timetable in Germany, Poland and Sweden. The new generation of electric Siemens locomotives is well established in the market. Siemens was already able to sell more than 50 of them to seven international customers so far.

The Vectron locomotives are based on a technical platform. This concept enables Siemens to design and manufacture vehicle variants such as alternating system or multi system locomotives according to customer-specific requirements within a short time. Authorization has already been granted for Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden.

Siemens Vectron locomotive (Siemens Press Picture)

Total Railway News .... Headlines

The rail news today includes ongoing comment on the UK fare rises, with opposing views expressed by a government minister.. and commuters. " Transport poverty" is a phrase we may very well hear more of in coming days and weeks..

And whilst California struggles with legal aspects of high speed rail, and Camden and Nottingham gear up for accepting/rejecting HS2, China continues to grow its high speed network.

And, according to one blogger, it would appear that Brussels has already determined the UK's high speed programme.....

My Progressive Railroading takes a look at the rail car delivery forecast...but how will the use of rail for crude oil transportation.. and legislation to make this safer(?) impact on this?

The following articles deal with these matters.

A 2014 rail-car delivery forecast - Editors' Posts - Forum - Editors' Posts - MyProgressiveRailroading

Britain already has high speed rail

Plans for Derby HS2 route to be revealed next year - Nottingham Post

China extends its visa-free policy and its high speed train network to new cities in Northeast China

California bullet train in limbo after legal setbacks

The world’s longest high-speed railway lines - Railway Technology

The world's 10 deadliest train accidents - Railway Technology

China ends locomotive supply to Uzbekistan - AzerNews

The high stakes of oil by rail - Calgary Herald

The world's longest metro and subway systems - Railway Technology

'The biggest challenge Camden faces in 2014 is HS2', says council leader in ... - Ham&High

UK rail privatisation forcing many into ‘transport poverty’

Transport minister: rail fare rises 'not a kick in the teeth' - Telegraph

These articles are found HERE

www.progressiverailroading.com US News

CP to sell major portion of DM&E line to Genesee & Wyoming

BART's board OKs revised labor agreement

PHMSA issues safety alert on Bakken crude flammability

WMATA schedules hearings on proposed FY2015 budget

AAR: U.S. rail traffic ramped up in 2013's last week

Houston's METRO marks 10 years of light-rail service

BNSF was 'revenue adequate' in 2012, STB rules

Rail supplier news from MP&ES, dFuzion, Axion, Auto Truck and Pandrol (Jan. 3)