Another day of HS2 led news stories. On one hand the consoling and encouraging words from Patrick McLoughlin and David Higgins..and Cheshire East Council. On the other hand, Warrington isn't so sure..and neither is blogger "daveydave".
But in China, the network is growing...and will continue to grow.. but the film "Last Train Home" does rather show the human cost of the necessity forced on families to earn a living miles away from home...and growing children.
Concern is mounting in the US over the use of the railway to transport crude oil. Meanwhile, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx outlines a transportation vision concentrating on overcoming the infrastructure deficit......
Headlines...
Minister hears concerns over high-speed rail
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Controlling cost of HS2 is vital, new chairman says - Telegraph
Cheshire East Council backs high-speed rail link
New HS2 assessment promised for March | Railnews | Today's news for Tomorrow's railway
High Speed 2 plans offer Warrington 'all pain and no gain' - council leader
daveydave: UK Highspeed Rail
China to Produce Hybrid High-Speed Trains -- Beijing Review
China: High-Speed Rail Network To Be Doubled
China's 120mph railway arriving in Laos - Telegraph
Zeitgeist Films :: Last Train Home
Cities Grapple With Oil-Train Safety
Rail Europe Selling New Direct High Speed Trains Between France and Spain
Railways Africa
Talk of high-speed rail between Springfield and Boston heats up
Full details here....
International Railway Journal
HITACHI announced on January 14 that its onboard ETCS equipment has been fully certified by a notified body in accordance with the European Control Command and Signalling Technical Specification for Interoperability (CCS TSI).
SOUTHEASTERN Pennsylvania Transit Authority (Septa) has awarded ABB a contract to supply a second Enviline energy storage and recovery system for Philadelphia's Market – Frankford line.
ANOTHER European-loading-gauge freight service began running between mainlinad Europe and Britain on January 13, when DB Schenker Rail UK launched a new regular intermodal working from Valencia, Spain, to Barking in East London.
DB Networks and local authorities in Bavaria are set to begin planning work for the electrification the 147km line from Munich East to Mühldorf ..
MILAN public transport company ATM has awarded Italian construction company Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti (CMC) a contract to reconstruct the Milan-Desio-Seregno suburban tram line, which was closed in October 2011.
CN safety officer: Newer tank cars 'fared better' in last week's derailment
Federal bill includes funds for L.A.'s Purple Line, Regional Connector projects
Progressive Railroading accepts nominations for 'Rising Stars' 2014
North Dakota governor addresses crude-by-rail safety with BNSF, Trinity
Senate transportation committee endorses Miller's STB nomination
Genesee & Wyoming logged traffic gains in December, fourth quarter
VIA Rail posts holiday-season ridership gain
US Department of Transportation
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx Outlines Transportation Vision Focused on Overcoming Infrastructure Deficit
Proposes Efficient, Coordinated Transportation Plan that Supports America’s 21st Century Needs
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx today outlined his top priorities for the Department of Transportation, highlighting America’s infrastructure deficit and identifying ways for the Department to use innovation and improved planning to stretch transportation dollars as effectively and efficiently as possible. Secretary Foxx also discussed his vision for multimodal transportation providing greater economic “ladders of opportunity” to all Americans and reiterated the Department’s commitment to safety.Proposes Efficient, Coordinated Transportation Plan that Supports America’s 21st Century Needs
“If we’re going to tackle our backlog of repairing and rebuilding, then there’s another part of the equation we have to tackle, too – and that’s cost,” Secretary Foxx said. “But what if we could make that funding equal more projects – and better ones? “
With the Highway Trust Fund set to run out of money as early as August, Secretary Foxx announced today the Department will begin posting monthly on its website exactly how much money the Highway Trust Fund has left, and update that number every month until the fund can sustain itself or until it runs out. While the Department has long provided this figure to Capitol Hill, Secretary Foxx said providing it to the public would increase transparency and accountability.
In a speech before the Transportation Research Board’s Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, Secretary Foxx touted the Department’s Every Day Counts initiative and other cost-saving best practices as examples of how transportation dollars could be spent more effectively, citing a study from McKinsey & Company that found nations can “obtain the same amount of infrastructure for 40 percent less” just by adopting best practices. He also encouraged representatives from various modes of transportation to work together in a reflection of how travelers use the system, rather than acting as individual silos, proposing the first national transportation plan in more than 70 years.
“We need a plan that takes our roads and rails and ports and links them together,” said Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Linking them together remakes the finest, most elaborate system of transportation that the world has ever known into its 21st century incarnation.”
The vision outlined by Secretary Foxx builds on significant progress the Department has made under the Obama Administration. The Department has constructed or improved 6,500 miles of rail corridors, and under the Recovery Act helped improve nearly 42,000 miles of roads, over 2,700 bridges, and helped purchase or rehabilitate over 12,220 transit vehicles. Additionally, the Department has implemented an across-the-board effort to streamline its approval process and cut Government red tape. The Department has expedited the review and permitting of 50 major projects, including bridges, transit projects, railways, waterways, roads, and renewable energy. In just one example, Federal agencies recently approved the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project in New York, saving up to three years on the timeline of a multi-billion project that will help put Americans back to work.
Alstom to modernise Milan-Desio-Seregno suburban tram
French transport group Alstom has received a €40m contract from an Italian construction company Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti (CMC) to supply sub-systems to modernise the Milan-Desio-Seregno suburban tram. UK Government plans new college to train HS2 rail project engineers
The UK Government has outlined plans to set up a new college to train the next generation engineers to work on the construction of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project.
Implenia contracted to construct Semmering base tunnel in Austria
The Austrian Federal Railways (OBB) has awarded a €623m contract ATF consortium to construct the main central section of the planned 27.3km Semmering base tunnel (SBT).
Indian Central Railway converts Kalyan-Thane line from DC to AC
The Central Railway (CR) of India has converted the electrical systems between the Kalyan and Thane railway stations from 1,500V direct current (DC) to 25KV alternating current (AC).
French transport group Alstom has received a €40m contract from an Italian construction company Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti (CMC) to supply sub-systems to modernise the Milan-Desio-Seregno suburban tram. UK Government plans new college to train HS2 rail project engineers
The UK Government has outlined plans to set up a new college to train the next generation engineers to work on the construction of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project.
Implenia contracted to construct Semmering base tunnel in Austria
The Austrian Federal Railways (OBB) has awarded a €623m contract ATF consortium to construct the main central section of the planned 27.3km Semmering base tunnel (SBT).
Indian Central Railway converts Kalyan-Thane line from DC to AC
The Central Railway (CR) of India has converted the electrical systems between the Kalyan and Thane railway stations from 1,500V direct current (DC) to 25KV alternating current (AC).
CER - The Voice of European Railways
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Today, the European Parliament adopted in plenary the public procurement legislative package as agreed with the Council before the summer break. The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) welcomes the text voted on the Directive on procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services (replacing Directive 2004/17/EC – the so-called “Utilities” Directive) as it is a step forward in enhancing the flexibility of existing rules.
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For railway undertakings and infrastructure managers, the adoption of this package of directives is an important matter as many CER members are public undertakings. That means that the Public Procurement ‘Utilities’ Directive is to be applied in the railway sector by all state-owned undertakings.
CER welcomes the revision of these directives since they are intended to simplify and clarify the texts with a view to reducing unnecessary administrative and legal costs. CER therefore thanks the co-legislators for their efforts made to strike an agreement. Such a compromise brings further legal clarity and takes into consideration the special characteristics of the utilities sectors.
CER Executive Director Libor Lochman said: “We are happy that the railway sector´s main issues of concern have been taken into account by the EU Institutions. However, we regret that the Directive does not completely ensure a level playing field between private and public undertakings, a necessary pillar for the execution of public rail transport services. Nevertheless, we are sure that this important piece of legislation will contribute to the further development of a competitive railway market in the EU.”
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Other Rail News....
Brétigny-sur-Orge report recommendations to be adopted.(Global Rail News)
Alstom delivers the first train to SuperVia
15/01/2014
A year after signing the contract, Alstom delivered the first of the ten trains ordered by SuperVia dealership in Rio de Janeiro. The new composition is in the testing phase and will start to operate in March.
The trains have innovative design, air-conditioning, internal passage between the cars, the system will not allow the opening of doors during travel, closed circuit camera, LED panels and will be able to carry up to 2,600 passengers per train.
The 80 new cars will be delivered by September 2014 and will modernize the entire transport system of Rio de Janeiro. The aim is to carry more comfortably the amount of 600 thousand passengers SuperVia carries daily.
The trains have innovative design, air-conditioning, internal passage between the cars, the system will not allow the opening of doors during travel, closed circuit camera, LED panels and will be able to carry up to 2,600 passengers per train.
The 80 new cars will be delivered by September 2014 and will modernize the entire transport system of Rio de Janeiro. The aim is to carry more comfortably the amount of 600 thousand passengers SuperVia carries daily.
Pictures here....
"Vareo": Premiere for a future oriented generation of vehicles “Alstom Coradia LINT” in the diesel-powered network in Cologne
15/01/2014
DB Regio NRW is bringing 56 new trains on to the rails
DB Regio NRW presented the first new train for the diesel-powered rail network in Cologne this Wednesday. Under the brand name “vareo” the local public transportation company of Deutsche Bahn will gradually bring 56 new trains of the type Coradia LINT on to the rails.
More.......
High Speed Rail Summit - Washington DC 2014 (USHSR)
DB Regio NRW presented the first new train for the diesel-powered rail network in Cologne this Wednesday. Under the brand name “vareo” the local public transportation company of Deutsche Bahn will gradually bring 56 new trains of the type Coradia LINT on to the rails.
More.......
High Speed Rail Summit - Washington DC 2014 (USHSR)
Tracklaying completed on trans-Kazakhstan rail link (Railway Gazette)
Winter in Russia: making tracks in Siberian snow (Telegraph)
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