Crossrail has reached another important milestone .... but, as over the last two months, today's news is dominated by the successful reopening of the railway to the south west via Dawlish.
For two months over 300 engineers have worked tirelessly around the clock to restore this stretch of railway line so essential for the economy of the south west.
Andy Thompson (www.steamtu.be) was there to capture the moment normal service was resumed.....
"In the early morning of the 4th of April; the first trains to run along the sea-wall at Dawlish since the lines closure due to the winter storms ran. Just before 6am, the first stopping train pulled into Dawlish station and the station full of the local great and good and half the countries media welcomed it. It wasn't too long before trains started to run in both directions, a Virgin Cross-Country and a 43, First Great Western were two I 'spotted'.
The cost to the region has been huge and the timing, just before Easter couldn't have been better for the regions hard-hit tourism sector. The only question left now is the one of the future. Are we to see anything of the diversion routes, and if so... when?"
Read on....
Headlines
Dawlish's storm-damaged railway line reopens.(BBC News)
Includes.....
"Two months of Dawlish railway repairs in two minutes (Video)"
Dawlish railway reopens in time for Easter holidays as Network Rail's 'orange army' wins its war with the elements.
Mark Carne, chief executive, Network Rail, said: “Our army of engineers has done an amazing job of putting back together a railway that was ravaged by the elements. They have overcome every obstacle thrown at them, winning many battles along the way to restore this critical piece of the network, ahead of schedule, and in time for the Easter holidays.
“The biggest thanks must be reserved for passengers and local communities and businesses who have been hugely supportive and patient over the past two months as we worked flat-out to rebuild this vital rail link.
“Our focus now moves to the medium and long-term looking at what can be done at Dawlish to make the current coastal route more resilient and, by the autumn, understand what the best viable relief route might be.”
Network Rail’s army of 300-strong engineers, known locally as the ‘orange army’, has battled for over two months to overcome every obstacle thrown at it by Mother Nature; work that has included:
“The biggest thanks must be reserved for passengers and local communities and businesses who have been hugely supportive and patient over the past two months as we worked flat-out to rebuild this vital rail link.
“Our focus now moves to the medium and long-term looking at what can be done at Dawlish to make the current coastal route more resilient and, by the autumn, understand what the best viable relief route might be.”
Network Rail’s army of 300-strong engineers, known locally as the ‘orange army’, has battled for over two months to overcome every obstacle thrown at it by Mother Nature; work that has included:
- Building a temporary sea wall from 18 welded shipping containers to protect homes and engineers as they worked to repair a 100m breach at Riviera Terrace, Dawlish, following storms on 4 and 14 February
- Rebuilt and fortified the breach with more than 6000 tonnes of concrete and 150 tonnes of steel
- Removed 25,000 tonnes of collapsed cliff at Woodlands Avenue, Teignmouth, following a landslip on 4 March, using high pressure water canon, fire hoses, helicopter-borne water bombs, specialist roped access team and ‘spider’ excavators
- Repaired dozens of other sites along a four mile stretch of coastal railway, clearing hundred of tonnes of debris and repairing over 600m of parapet wall
- Rebuilt half of Dawlish station with a new platform, new canopy and repainting throughout with the finishing touches provided by TV gardener, Toby Buckland, and members of the ‘Friends of Dawlish station’
- Installed over 13 miles of new cables, designed and installed a new temporary signalling system and replaced over 700m of track and ballast
David Cameron, Prime Minister, said: “This is a great day for the hard-working people of Dawlish, and for businesses and commuters across the South West whose lives have been turned upside down by the devastating loss of their train line. Back in February when I visited the town to see the damage for myself, I promised to do everything I could to get this vital artery back up and running as quickly as possible. I am delighted to say that promise has been delivered today. A promise which says that the South West is well and truly open for business.
“The impact of the extreme weather shows the importance of making our railways strong enough to weather any storm. That is why we announced a £31 million package of improvements and asked Network Rail to examine every option to ensure the resilience of this route, all part of our long-term economic plan to boost business and create more jobs in the region.”
Andy Crowley from AMCOrail, one of Network Rail’s key contractors, said: "It has been an incredible eight weeks. Everyone has pulled together and come up with so many innovative engineering solutions to solve some of the tremendous obstacles we've had to overcome. No-one will forget the great sense of family and belonging that has been built up over the last two months. The support from both the community and local businesses has been overwhelming."
Mark Hopwood, managing director for First Great Western, said: "The reopening of the railway line is good news for the South West and for our passengers. The railway plays a vital role in the prosperity of the region, and we are grateful to the hard work Network Rail and their teams have put in to get this line up and running as quickly a possible.
"Over the past two months we've put on thousands of extra buses and drafted in volunteers from FirstGroup companies across the UK to keep people moving. Throughout it all, our customers have been extremely patient and I would like to thank them for their support.”
Andy Cooper, managing director for CrossCountry, said: “Reopening the railway through Dawlish is a magnificent achievement and we are indebted to the ‘orange army’ for all they have done. We are also grateful to our customers for their patience and understanding over the last two months while the repair work took place.”
“All our services will be running as of today and we are already taking bookings for journeys from all over the country to destinations in Devon and Cornwall for Easter and summer and will do all we can to ensure people across the country know the region is again fully open for business.”
With the most critical phase of the restoration now completed and the line reopened, engineers will now move to the less critical phase that includes:
- Fully restoring the signalling and electronic equipment – currently a normal service is running with some minor retiming owing to a temporary signalling solution being in place
- Removing the shipping container temporary sea wall
- Rebuilding Brunel’s original sea-wall at the breach site using original stone and craftsmen repairing
- Restoring the public footpath on the seaward side of the sea wall so the much loved coastal path from Dawlish to Teignmouth can reopen
- Rebuilding the ‘lost road’ at Riviera Terrace so residents cut off by the breach can fully return to their homes again
Tom Kirkham, Network Rail’s on-site engineer said: “The only reason we have been able to open the railway today is due to the monumental efforts of all the people who have worked night and day to meet the deadline.
“It has been a genuine team effort, from the guys installing the container breakwater during howling storms, the roped access teams scaling the cliffs to the track workers pushing all the way to cross the finishing line.
“We have had incredible support from outside groups, including the fire & rescue service, the police and the army all who have each contributed enormously. The local community’s support of the ‘orange army’ has been immense as has their patience and understanding. Dawlish, welcome back to your railway!”
Notes:
Further images of the damage and repairs at Dawlish can be found on the Network Rail media centre.While work continues to full restore train services after the collapse of the sea wall at Dawlish and flooding of the Somerset levels, some services may be slightly retimed until the end of April. Please check before travelling at www.nationalrail.co.uk.
The beach walkways and footbridges from Boat Cove to Coastguards will also be reopend from Friday, although some walkways and beach access will still be restricted.
The main contractors forming the ‘orange army’ were (are):
- Network Rail Infrastructure Projects (Western) – overall project lead
- Network Rail Plymouth delivery unit – track repairs and resignalling
- AMCOrail – principal contractor, main breach and Woodlands Ave landslip
- BAM Nuttall – principal contractor, Dawlish Warren to Dawlish
- Dyer & Butler – principal contractor, Smugglers Lane to Teignmouth
- Sisk – Dalwish station repairs
- Amey – signalling design
- AmeyColas – track renewals at Woodlands Avenue landslip
- TGP – design and consulting engineers
Others involved included: Teignmouth Marine Services, GT Jones, Sibelco, MJ Church, CANs Geotechnical, Hanson Concrete & Pre-cast, Chris Sedgeman Scaffolding, Total Rail Solutions, Professional Concrete Services, Lee Brothers, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, the British Army, the Royal Marines; Aerial Technics and Lobster TV.
The repairs have cost around £35m.
Besides restoring the railway, the orange army has also made contributions by partnering with four outside catering vans to help raise cash for The Snooky Trust, Cancer Research, Bridge House, Help for Heroes and redrUK. Around £10,000 has been raised from the sale of food to railway workers on the construction sites.
Repaired track ready for trains (Network Rail Photo)
Timeline of events:
- 4/5 February: Seawall at Riviera Terrace collapsed, creating an 80m-wide crater on the railway and leaving the railway track hanging. Rail services between Exeter and Plymouth suspended
- 6 February: Orange Army mobilised to clear debris from the main breach
- 8 February: Steel containers installed to serve as temporary breakwater and spraycrete machines deployed
- 11 February: Prime Minster visited to see the damage first-hand
- 14/15 February: Second storm hit and caused further damage to the seawall, which became 100m wide. Secondary breaches and more landslips were found along the 3.7 mile stretch of railway
- 17 February: First pour of concrete into main breach and more steel containers installed
- 24 February: First set of pre-cast concrete foundation laid
- 4 March: 25,000 tonnes landslip at Teignmouth
- 17 March: Controlled landslip at Teignmouth began, first using high-powered hydrant from local fire services
- 19 March: Rail task force set up to review the long-term strategy for the coastal route
- 21 March: China Clay’s high-powered water cannons installed at Teignmouth to accelerate controlled landslip
- 27 March: Track and ballast installed with repairs to train station completed
- 29 March: First train – engineering ballast train – to travel over the breach area
- 4 April: Rail services restored
The rail taskforce is led by Network Rail and includes the Department for Transport, the Environment Agency, First Great Western, Arriva Cross Country, Freight Operators, Peninsula Rail Officers Group, Heart of South West LEP, Plymouth City Council, Devon County Council, Cornwall County Council, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP, Torbay Council and Somerset County Council.
The group will be steering the strategic review on the viability of three long-term options – retaining the coastal route; building a second line and re-routing the main line. Forecast sea level rises, passenger demand, the impact on communities and environmental, social and economic factors will be considered as part of the process, as well as examining engineering options to strengthen the sea wall. The group will also be informed by findings from a study which will examine five potential relief routes outside the coastal route.
Crossrail tunnelling marathon three quarters complete following Whitechapel breakthrough
· Thousand tonne boring machine Victoria breaks through into Whitechapel station as train tunnels reach 75% complete mark
· Over 19 miles (32 kilometres) of tunnelling completed and more than 2.5 million tonnes of earth removed
· Crossrail is being delivered on time and on budget
Crossrail’s train tunnels are three quarters complete following the breakthrough of Victoria, one of the project’s huge boring machines, into Whitechapel station.
(Crossrail Picture)
The 150 metre long machine is named after Queen Victoria and began her journey at Limmo Peninsula in east London at the end of 2012. She broke into the huge underground space at Whitechapel where work is taking place 35 metres below the surface to create over a kilometre of new platform and passenger tunnels for the new Crossrail station.
During the second half of 2014, whilst tunnelling will continue, the project’s focus will begin to shift to the substantial job of fitting out the stations and tunnels.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "With three quarters of tunnelling complete, we're tantalisingly close to finishing what is without doubt a monumental feat of engineering. It's quite remarkable what the Crossrail team has achieved so far and we now look forward to the next exciting stage of the project - the fitting out of the Crossrail stations of the future."
Rail Minister Stephen Hammond said: “Crossrail is set to transform rail travel across the South East when it opens in 2018, improving journeys for thousands of passengers and securing long-term economic benefits across the region and beyond. This is a major milestone in the Crossrail project, and I am delighted with the progress that is being made.”
Crossrail Chief Executive Andrew Wolstenholme said: “Our tunnelling marathon deep beneath the streets of the capital is continuing apace with the construction of the new rail tunnels now three quarters complete. Over the past two years, our huge machines have built more than 19 miles of tunnels and removed more than two million tonnes of earth.”
Three of Crossrail’s boring machines have already retired, with a further five still in use.
· In the west, the tunnels between the Royal Oak Portal and Farringdon are complete.
· In the east, Victoria and Elizabeth have reached Whitechapel; Ellie is heading towards Stepney Green and Jessica is being prepared to complete Crossrail’s shortest tunnel drive between Limmo Peninsula and Victoria Dock.
· On the south east section of the route, Sophia has finished her drive and Mary is heading under the Thames.
When Crossrail opens in 2018, it will increase London's rail-based transport network capacity by 10 per cent and dramatically cut journey times across the city, bringing an extra 1.5 million people to within 45 minutes of central London.
Other news...
Major HS2 high speed rail debate set for Commons on April 28 (Birmingham Mail)
HS2 Petitioning: Forms and a Guide.(StopHS2)
HS2 Petitioning: Forms and a Guide.(StopHS2)
Japanese operator agrees HS2 contract.(Railnews)
Australia urged to have renewable high speed rail line by 2030(reneweconomy.com.au)
Die Karwendelbahn - Von Innsbruck nach München .(Eisenbahn- Romantik on YouTube)
'Sensational support' for project to build steam loco 2007 Prince of Wales using Tata Steel from Scunthorpe.(Scunthorpe Telegraph)
The Rail Safety Summit 28th April 2014. The Royal College of Physicians, London.
We are thrilled to announce that Mel Ewell, Chief Executive, Amey has kindly agreed to be our keynote speaker at this year's Rail Safety Summit.
“Safety is not a statistic, it’s a culture. We must personally lead the safety culture of this industry through driving the appropriate behaviours and actions.” Mel Ewell, Chief Executive, Amey
The Rail Industry is striving to constantly improve its safety record. One way this is can be achieved is through innovative and versatile design solutions that can be implemented by any company working in rail today.
Siemens
Deutsche Bahn and Siemens present new ICE 3 in Berlin – German Transport Minister in attendance
Siemens Press Pictures
Berlin, 2014-Apr-02
- New trains operating smoothly since December 2013
- Siemens delivered eight ICE 3 trains to Deutsche Bahn by the end of March
The new trains have gone into operation on the Cologne-Frankfurt (Main)-Stuttgart route successively since the end of December 2013. "This has enabled us to substantially reduce vehicle bottlenecks which have been occurring for years due to the tenfold increase in the frequency of axle tests which was introduced in 2009," said Grube. "For our customers, this means more reliability and greater punctuality."
"I'm pleased that the advanced ICE trains are now being put on the tracks. The new trains are strengthening the fleet of Deutsche Bahn and benefiting all rail travelers," noted Dobrindt."We're very pleased that all the trains planned for domestic service have now arrived at Deutsche Bahn. We've thus reached an important milestone for the project," said Eickholt.
The new ICE 3 offers a new level of quality when it comes to service and comfort. For example, passengers can keep informed about the train's progress on the new overhead monitors and dine comfortably in the 16-seat, fully equipped onboard restaurant while traveling through Germany at speeds of up to 300 kilometers an hour. In addition, the Series 407 scores high marks for lower energy consumption and enhanced technical reliability.
In particular, the most advanced ICE train offers numerous improvements for passengers with reduced mobility. The new vehicles are the DB's first long-distance trains to provide a lift for wheelchair users. The wheelchair area is generously dimensioned, and both wheelchair spaces are equipped with a height-adjustable table and service call button. A tactile guidance system including floor strips and tactile seat numbers helps sight-impaired and blind passengers. In addition, grab poles are provided in longer aisle sections, aisle seats have grab handles, and the door steps and inner doors are designed with stronger visible contrasts.
The Series 407 is based on Siemens' Velaro platform. Like its predecessor, the new ICE 3 also has eight cars yet offers more seats: 444, including 111 in first class. Two trains can be coupled into a double unit with a seating capacity of 888. As will be available in all ICE trains by the end of May, the new ICE 3 also provides hotspots for mobile Internet access during travel. On the exterior, the new train differs from its forerunner in that it has a newly designed front end and a front-to-rear raised roof section for improved aerodynamics.
In December 2013, the new ICE 3 was approved for double-unit operation in Germany. Siemens is delivering a total of 17 new ICE 3 trains to DB. Having already handed over eight trains, Siemens has agreed with DB to conduct test runs in France and Belgium with an additional eight trains in order to pave the way for the official approval of cross-border operation to these countries.
ELL to order up to 50 Siemens Vectron locomotives
Berlin, 2014-Mar-31
European Locomotive Leasing (ELL), a provider of full‐service locomotive leasing solutions to freight and passenger operators throughout continental Europe, and Siemens announced signing a framework contract for the order of as many as 50 state‐of‐the‐art Siemens Vectron locomotives. The first locomotives are bindingly ordered and will be delivered immediately. The additional locomotives will be delivered from 2014 through 2016 and allow ELL to satisfy the demand from its expanding customer base.
Graphical illustration of a Siemens Vectron Locomotive
(Siemens Press Picture)
Michael Reichle, CEO of the Siemens Locomotives and Components Business Unit, said: "This order demonstrates in an impressive manner the flexibility of the Vectron platform concept. It enables us to offer the right modular-designed locomotive with border-crossing capability for every traction task and area of application."
The order is for AC locomotives and for multi-system locomotives. The AC units are intended for border-crossing traffic in Austria, Germany and Hungary. The multi-system units can be deployed in border-crossing traffic not only in Austria, Germany and Hungary, but also in Poland, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. In addition to the national train control systems, each locomotive is equipped with ETCS. The locomotive comes with a maximum output rating of 6400 kW and is built for a top speed of 160 km/h. It is already wired to accommodate other train control systems.
The locomotive leasing sector in Europe benefits from highly attractive market dynamics that ELL is well placed to capitalize on. These include rail traffic liberalization and promotion across the continent, the growing prominence of private rail operators more likely to favor leasing rather than owning locomotives, and an improving macroeconomic outlook.
ELL is led by a team of highly experienced rail professionals based in Austria and Germany. The company is supported by KKR, a leading global investment firm that provides long-term capital from its global infrastructure fund.
Swedish rail operator SJ to install JDA PRM solutions
Swedish rail operator SJ is to install JDA Demand and JDA Rail Price Optimizer solutions from JDA Software Group.
Wabtec to supply PTC systems to Alaska Railroad
US-based Wabtec Corporation has signed contracts valued at around $16.6m with Alaska Railroad Corporation for the supply of Positive Train Control (PTC) equipment and services.
UK DfT to fund new stations for Coventry to Nuneaton rail line
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) is investing £4.75m for the construction of two new stations on the Coventry to Nuneaton rail line.
Germany's VMS contracts Alstom for 29 Coradia Continental regional trains
Germany's Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen (VMS) has contracted French train manufacturer Alstom to deliver 29 Coradia Continental electrical trains in a €150m deal.
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