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February 26, 2014

International & UK Railway News Wednesday 26th February 2014

 Total Railway News
 
 


Money, or finances if you prefer, dominate today's news items from the railway world.


Its either about making better use of it (HS2 or not?), or how it has been lost (refer the Dawlish flooding etc), or how much it is going to cost ( $30 billion for Colorado high speed rail/£104 million for Glasgow Queen Street station revamp/£170 million for lost earnings as a result of the recent floods), or how much is to be given...well , the Severn Valley Railway, and in particular the Hagley Hall locomotive restoration group are not going to turn down a significant award. And then there are the prospects of higher parking charges for Yorkshire commuters....


Still, the formation of a new franchising executive at the Department for Transport should put minds at rest....


Read On.....




 


Headlines...

 
Letter: There are bigger priorities than proposed high-speed rail link.(Shropshire Star)

 


Transport minister visits Botley railway landslip site.(BBC News)




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Guard records statement, says train was not checked.(Hindustan Times)

 
DCD ROLLING STOCK RECAPITALISATION.(RailwaysAfrica)

 
African Railway News (RailwaysAfrica)

 
Malaysia Singapore High Speed Rail Plan to Drive Malaysia to a High Income Nation. (The Establishment Post)

 

 

 

 




A timelapse video showing the construction of the Manor Lakes Boulevard road over rail bridge. (Victoria, Australia)
 
 

 
This video demonstrates how to touch in and out using your Oyster card on the Tube, London Overground, DLR and most National Rail services in London to ensure you pay the right fare. It also includes an example of how to touch in and out when changing lines.
 
 
 
CER - The Voice of European Railways
 
European Parliament paves the way for the future of a healthy European railway sector
 
The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) welcomes the outcome of today´s European Parliament vote on all aspects of the Fourth Railway Package. The text approved by Parliament today represents a welcome improvement on the Commission’s initial proposals.
 
In particular, the European Parliament voted on governance and market opening, on the revision of the regulation on public service obligations (PSO) and on the so-called technical pillar consisting of three legislative acts revising the processes of safety certification, vehicle authorisation and giving new power and competences to the European Railway Agency.
 
CER Chairman Christian Kern commented: “I am very happy to see that the intense dialogue between the Members of the European Parliament and CER has resulted in reasonable legislative solutions. I want to thank all MEPs who dedicated their attention to these dossiers. It is beyond all question that we have to ensure non-discriminatory access to the network and we have to strengthen regulatory rights. Based on that general understanding we can achieve railway reforms in favour of our customers and the European tax payers. With good will from each side it should be possible to reach consent easily.”
 
Voting on the technical pillar, the Parliament confirmed the view of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) on the regulation establishing the European Railway Agency, on the directive on rail safety and on rail interoperability.
 
Regarding the PSO Regulation (revising Regulation (EC) 1370/2007), today´s vote confirmed the positive decision reached by the TRAN Committee last December.
 
On the revision of Directive 2012/34/EC on governance and market opening, the European Parliament introduced vital improvement compared to the Commission proposal. On governance, the amendments tabled by MEPs Frigo (S&D, IT), Ertug (S&D, DE), Pargneaux (S&D, FR), Zeribi (Greens/EFA, FR), Reul (EPP, DE) et al. were supported by a very large majority of Members guaranteeing more flexibility for Member States when it comes to choosing the model of governance for their respective infrastructure managers.
 
Welcoming today´s result, CER Executive Director Libor Lochman said: “The Parliament´s efforts will enable the Single European Railway Area to develop efficiently, thereby benefitting the European economy and all European citizens. The urgent need now is for legislators to move swiftly forward with the approval of a final text on the Technical Pillar. We look forward to the Transport Council on 14 March and hope that informal trialogues will start soon after”.
 
More information on the Fourth Railway Package is available on the CER website.
 
 
Rail Safety Seminar Speakers and Topics Announced

RAIL SAFETY EXPO NEWS
The 2014 Expo will feature exhibits from some of the best companies in the industry. Platinum Level Sponsors: Progressive Railroading magazine, RailWorks, L.B. Foster, and TUV Rheinland Mobility. Gold Level Sponsors: Beena Vision, Harsco Rail and rMetrix (a dFuzion, Inc. product). Silver Level Sponsors: NASA/C3RS and United Rail. A special "Thank You" to these companies for their support of the Rail Safety Seminar and our mission of "Improving Rail Safety Through Education".
 

We hope that you will take this opportunity to visit the seminar web site and learn more about the Rail Safety 2014 in Orlando.
CLICK HERE to learn more.

 

APHTRO conference 2014 booking is opened, please fill and send booking form to:
 
 
For details, and booking form, please visit our website.
 
Agenda, day by day schedule etc. will be circulated in mid April.
 

 
It is strongly recommended booking is made until the end of March to guarantee train reservation.Asia Pacific Heritage & Tourist Rail Organization
 
 

 

 
President Obama, DOT Secretary Foxx Announce $600 Million for Sixth Round of TIGER Funding  

 
ST. PAUL – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will join President Barack Obama today to announce that $600 million will be made available to fund transportation projects across the country under a sixth round of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s highly successful Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) competitive grant program. The announcement will be made at the Union Depot in St. Paul, which received $35 million in the first round of TIGER to renovate the facility and restore tracks. Combined with roughly $480 million in federal funding for the Central Corridor light rail transit line, St. Paul’s Union Depot is proof of the impact that transportation investment can make, leading to job creation, downtown revitalization and economic growth. 

 
“President Obama knows that transportation means opportunity for so many Americans,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “TIGER investments answer the President’s challenge to expand opportunity through a strong transportation system that connects Americans with a better way of life.”  

 
The TIGER 2014 grant program will place an emphasis on projects that support reliable, safe and affordable transportation options that improve connections for both urban and rural communities, making it easier for their residents to reach work, school and other ladders of opportunity. While continuing to support projects of all types, DOT will prioritize applications for capital projects that better connect people to jobs, training and other opportunities, promote neighborhood redevelopment and reconnect neighborhoods divided by physical barriers, such as highways and railroads. 

 
The highly competitive TIGER program, which began as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, offers one of the only federal funding possibilities for large, game-changing multi-modal projects. These federal funds leverage money from private sector partners, states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations and transit agencies. The $474 million 2013 TIGER round alone supported $1.8 billion in overall project investments. 

 
In additional to supporting capital grants, Congress has provided DOT with the flexibility to use up to $35 million of TIGER funds for planning grants, the first time since the 2010 round. In addition to supporting the planning of innovative transportation, these funds can support regional transportation planning, freight and port planning and programmatic mitigation approaches that increase efficiency and improve outcomes for communities and the environment. 

 
Since 2009, the TIGER program has awarded $3.5 billion to 270 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico – including 100 projects to support rural communities. Demand has been overwhelming, and during the previous five rounds, the Department of Transportation received more than 5,300 applications requesting nearly $115 billion for transportation across the country. 
Congress provided the most recent funding as part of the bipartisan Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014, signed by President Obama on January 17, 2017. TIGER applications are due April 28. Click here to learn more about TIGER 2014 and to view DOT’s Notice of Funding Availability.  



MEMBERS of the European parliament today voted to amend several key elements of the Fourth Railway Package during a plenary vote on its six legislative proposals, a move that has drawn criticism from European Commission..

MONGOLIAN State Railways (MTZ) says it expects freight traffic to almost double on its 1815km network by 2020 after volumes reached record levels in 2013.

THE FRENCH region of Rhône-Alpes announced on February 21 that it is forming an association with eight other regions with the aim of taking over the procurement and ownership of rolling stock for regional services..

THE Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Path) has opened the first platform at the new World Trade Center (WTC) Path station..

GREATER Wellington Regional Council has sold 34 redundant class EM emus built by Ganz-Mavag, Hungary, in 1982, to an unnamed buyer in South Africa..

 
 
UK rail passengers dissatisfied with high airport express prices
British rail passengers are dissatisfied with the high prices of airport express trains, according to a UK airport train services survey conducted by consumer research firm 'Which?'. 
       
US DOT issues emergency order for mandatory rail crude oil tests
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has release an emergency order, or safety advisory, making rail crude oil tests mandatory for all shippers from the Bakken, a region stretching through North Dakota and Montana, US. 
       
CTA to begin Blue Line upgrade work in March
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is set to begin the first project for the $492m Your New Blue improvement programme for the Blue Line O'Hare branch in March 2014. 
       
Drake & Scull Rail wins rail project for Dubai International Airport
Drake & Scull International's rail division has been awarded a contract to deliver a new automated passenger mover system (APM) at the Dubai International Airport.
 
 


 
MTA creates chief safety officer post
 
FTA OKs Triangle Transit's light-rail project development
 
Denver's RTD, Chicago's Metra posted ridership gains in 2013
 
CSX tunnel project earns engineering honors
 
Progressive Railroading seeks nominations for Rising Stars 2014
 
Pennsylvania provides $34.4 million for 33 freight-rail, short-line projects
 
Tie purchases, production ramped up in January


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Driverless metro train arrives in Hong Kong - Railway Gazette
 
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