Timing is everything...so it probably didn't help Mark Carne on his way to a parliamentary committee to run into delays en route!
But timing is on the side of Crossrail 2 , apparently..it will be four years ahead of schedule....
Colas Rail expansion plans continue with the acquisition of Class 60 locomotives...
Is there a possibility that a line could be opened from Radstock.....? Time will tell....
Plus a round up of other railway press and feature articles extolling Japan's high speed rail network, and China's ambitious plans for Xinjiang..
Click on the links for the full stories....
Headlines
A Colas Rail track machine viewed from a train
en route to London Marylebone
It’s been about 60 years since steam locomotives ran as part of the UK’s regular scheduled rail service, but steam trains still hold a special place in the hearts of many. But for some enthiusiasts, the best steam train is a new one.
Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/in-depth/analysis/raising-steam/1018733.article#ixzz34Ga9QlRU
Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/in-depth/analysis/raising-steam/1018733.article#ixzz34Ga9QlRU
Government consults on the future of rail services in the north.
Routes across the region will benefit from extensive electrification and upgrades over the next 5 years as part of the government’s £1 billion investment in the northern network, paving the way for up to 700 extra trains every day and 44 million additional passengers a year.
That will mean better journeys, improved connections and more modern trains for passengers and business commuters, travelling between the key strategic cities of Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Manchester and Newcastle and onwards to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
To support this transformation and ensure that both franchises are best placed to meet the demands of passengers, the Department for Transport has today (9 June 2014) launched a consultation into the future of rail services across the region.
Rail Minister Stephen Hammond said:
Rail travel across the north will be transformed over the next 5 years thanks to £1 billion of government investment. That means more seats, improved connections and better journeys for millions of passengers travelling across this region.Both the TPE and the Northern franchises are set to be awarded by February 2016. The consultation will look at how the new franchises can:
To make sure we make the most of this investment and deliver a railway that is truly world class and boosts our economy it is vital that we hear the views of the people who use these services. This is further proof of our commitment to put passengers at the heart of our railways.
- make best use of the significant capacity improvements planned for the network to tackle crowding and meet future passenger demand
- provide faster and more frequent services to scores of destinations across the region
- improve rolling stock, including proposals to replace Pacer trains across the Northern franchise
- deliver a more efficient network that meets customer needs and drives forward the economy
- improve customer services and passenger satisfaction
The TPE and Northern franchises carried more than 110 million passengers last year across one of the most diverse rail networks in the country. The franchises provide a range of services covering inter-urban, commuter and rural services. Rail travel across the region has seen significant growth in the past decade with demand growing by 66% between 2002 and 2012.
In order to meet this demand Network Rail are carrying a massive upgrade of the network, including the £600 million Northern Hub project, North-West Electrification and Trans-Pennine Electrification project which will make rail journeys faster, greener and more reliable.
The consultation will run until 18 August 2014.
Rail franchising: Northern and Transpennine Express
and an Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) notice submitted for publication on 5 June 2014. These steps mark the start of the formal competitions to find new operators to run passenger rail services in the 2 key rail franchises in the north of England.
There have been great improvements in the railways nationally and regionally since privatisation. We have seen record growth in passenger numbers, achieved much higher levels of passenger satisfaction and one of the best safety records in Europe. This growth has been particularly strong in the north of England with both franchises experiencing greater numbers of passengers than predicted when the franchises were last let. We want to continue to build on this and to deliver excellent railway services for passengers across the region; providing value for money for both passengers and taxpayers.
The public consultation invites views from the public and from stakeholders on the improvements to service levels and facilities that passengers may wish to see, in order to provide a railway that supports the growth in passenger numbers we expect to see and delivers the wider economic benefits it is capable of. This government has committed to a major programme of investment in the rail infrastructure in the north of England. The projects currently underway, such as the £600 million ‘Northern Hub’ schemes, will allow substantial increases in capacity, improved journey opportunities and cleaner and more efficient operation through route electrification. We will be seeking to deliver these benefits through the TransPennine Express and Northern franchises, while also securing significant efficiency improvements to ensure the taxpayer benefits, and we welcome views on the best way to achieve this.
We want to ensure that the Northern and TransPennine Express franchises we deliver best serve the needs of the people that will use them. To that end we are working closely with Rail North, a new body bringing together the local transport authorities across the whole of the north of England, in the development of them. This consultation is being carried out jointly with Rail North and aims to capture the views of the wide range of stakeholders in the region.
We are confident that our developing partnership with Rail North will help to bring a stronger local focus to the two franchises. Through this, and the skills, investment and innovation brought by the successful bidders, we can deliver a top class railway for the north of England.
Chinese High-Speed Railway Test Promises Fast Access To Xinjiang, Growth, And Stability.(International; Business Times)
French train strike set to cause travel chaos.(The Local)
Guide to EUROSTAR TRAINS | LONDON to PARIS from ..(seat61.com)
10/06/2014
Today Alstom introduced the Coradia Liner V200, its latest, innovative main-line train, at the European Mobility Exhibition for Public Transport at the Parc des Expositions in Paris.
Designed to renew the pleasure of travelling on major European lines as well as to replace the Intercity rolling stock currently being used on French "Main lines"1, the Coradia Liner is a concentration of the technology created during of over 30 years’ experience in high-speed rail.
Electric or dual-mode (electric and thermal), equipped with ERTMS technology2 and consistent with European standards, the Coradia Liner can run on all conventional rail networks. It can reach speeds of 200 km/h and accommodate up to 900 passengers3.
The Coradia Liner meets operators’ needs in terms of performance and maintainability whilst offering travellers an unparalleled level of service and comfort. It is designed to be accessible to all thanks to the platform-height double doors and its low floor. The Coradia Liner is 100% consistent with STI PMR4 standards.
Particularly suitable for longer trips, it offers unprecedented comfort with its reclining seats equipped with electrical sockets and reading lights, and its service areas – children’s play area, restaurant/bar & hospitality areas. Particular attention has been paid to acoustic comfort. To improve the fluidity of movement on-board, the hospitality and travel areas are spacious, with wide corridors.
Also designed for operators, the Coradia Liner has a distributed traction system, over the entire train, providing outstanding acceleration and braking, allowing greater coverage of the national territory without increasing travel time. Being lighter, its consumption is 30% less than that of the current Corail and has become the national and European eco-mobility train. Its architecture makes for easy maintenance.
The Coradia Liner V200 design is based on the modular Coradia trains, with the ensuing benefits of over 30 years of operational experience in Europe: more than 3,000 Coradia are currently operating and have travelled more than 4 billion km in Germany (Coradia Lint and Continental), Denmark, Spain, France (Coradia Polyvalent and Coradia Duplex ZTER - 200Km/h), Italy (Coradia Meridian), Luxembourg (Coradia Duplex, the Netherlands (Coradia Lint), Portugal (Tagus Coradia DD) and Sweden (Coradia Duplex X40 - 200km/h).
Six of the eleven Alstom sites in France have participated in the Coradia Liner project: Reichshoffen for the design and assembly, Ornans for the motors, Le Creusot for the bogies, Tarbes for the traction chains, Villeurbanne for the on-board computer system and Saint-Ouen for the design. This project has contributed to the perpetuation of more than 4000 jobs both within Alstom and across the French rail sector.
Designed to renew the pleasure of travelling on major European lines as well as to replace the Intercity rolling stock currently being used on French "Main lines"1, the Coradia Liner is a concentration of the technology created during of over 30 years’ experience in high-speed rail.
Electric or dual-mode (electric and thermal), equipped with ERTMS technology2 and consistent with European standards, the Coradia Liner can run on all conventional rail networks. It can reach speeds of 200 km/h and accommodate up to 900 passengers3.
The Coradia Liner meets operators’ needs in terms of performance and maintainability whilst offering travellers an unparalleled level of service and comfort. It is designed to be accessible to all thanks to the platform-height double doors and its low floor. The Coradia Liner is 100% consistent with STI PMR4 standards.
Particularly suitable for longer trips, it offers unprecedented comfort with its reclining seats equipped with electrical sockets and reading lights, and its service areas – children’s play area, restaurant/bar & hospitality areas. Particular attention has been paid to acoustic comfort. To improve the fluidity of movement on-board, the hospitality and travel areas are spacious, with wide corridors.
Also designed for operators, the Coradia Liner has a distributed traction system, over the entire train, providing outstanding acceleration and braking, allowing greater coverage of the national territory without increasing travel time. Being lighter, its consumption is 30% less than that of the current Corail and has become the national and European eco-mobility train. Its architecture makes for easy maintenance.
The Coradia Liner V200 design is based on the modular Coradia trains, with the ensuing benefits of over 30 years of operational experience in Europe: more than 3,000 Coradia are currently operating and have travelled more than 4 billion km in Germany (Coradia Lint and Continental), Denmark, Spain, France (Coradia Polyvalent and Coradia Duplex ZTER - 200Km/h), Italy (Coradia Meridian), Luxembourg (Coradia Duplex, the Netherlands (Coradia Lint), Portugal (Tagus Coradia DD) and Sweden (Coradia Duplex X40 - 200km/h).
Six of the eleven Alstom sites in France have participated in the Coradia Liner project: Reichshoffen for the design and assembly, Ornans for the motors, Le Creusot for the bogies, Tarbes for the traction chains, Villeurbanne for the on-board computer system and Saint-Ouen for the design. This project has contributed to the perpetuation of more than 4000 jobs both within Alstom and across the French rail sector.
Why Japan's high-speed trains are so good.(The Economist)
railwaygazette.com - JAPAN: East Japan Railway has announced plans to build a 50th station on its busy Yamonote Line circular suburban railway in southern Tokyo.
83rd Year of Operation....
On the 10th of June, 1931, the Soviet Union’s famous Red Arrow train entered service between Moscow and Leningrad for the first time. The train had 12 wooden passenger carriages and zipped between the country's two largest cities at what was at the time a record speed: almost 70 km/h. Since 1965, train departures from St. Petersburg have been accompanied with the playing of "Hymn to a Great City" by Reinhold Glière. When trains depart from Moscow, the trains play "Moscow" by Oleg Gazmanov
USA
Effect of Dynamic Envelope Pavement Markings on Vehicle Driver Behavior at a Highway-Rail Grade Crossing.
The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration has released a report that evaluates the effectiveness of roadway pavement markings placed within trains’ dynamic envelope, which is the region between and immediately adjacent to the tracks at a highway-rail grade crossing.
California High-Speed Rail Hits Six Legal Bumps.(Courthouse Service.com)
Time for Legislature to Say No to Further High Speed Rail Funding.(Fox & Hounds Daily)
www.progressiverailroading.com
Michigan considers budget appropriation for double-stack rail tunnel
BNSF operates first unit train for new TransCold Express service
Amtrak seeks to upgrade Wi-Fi on Northeast Corridor
TriMet tabs Marra to oversee maintenance operations
Evergreen Shipping honors UP as 2013's railroad of the year
Operation Lifesaver soliciting grant applications for transit-rail safety education
American port association to honor 21 ports for communication efforts
Rail supplier news from Wabtec, Protran, Alstom, Michael Baker and RSI (June 10)
Other Railway Press
SmartRail World
SmartRail Speaks: Filippo Scotti, Managing Director of Alstom Transport in East Asia Pacific.
eurotransport
Infographic: Public transportation around the world
Public transportation systems differ greatly around the world. There can be huge disparities in terms of cost, efficiency, types and the numbers using it. Did you know that Oslo in Norway is the most expensive public transport system in the world? Or that passengers in Tokyo travel further by public transport than anywhere else?
This infographic from Hoogleit Transport contains several fascinating comparisons of public transport systems from around the world.
Simply click on the image here to view the full-size infographic.
E-Newsletter Type: Federal Research News
www.progressiverailroading.com
Michigan considers budget appropriation for double-stack rail tunnel
BNSF operates first unit train for new TransCold Express service
Amtrak seeks to upgrade Wi-Fi on Northeast Corridor
TriMet tabs Marra to oversee maintenance operations
Evergreen Shipping honors UP as 2013's railroad of the year
Operation Lifesaver soliciting grant applications for transit-rail safety education
American port association to honor 21 ports for communication efforts
Rail supplier news from Wabtec, Protran, Alstom, Michael Baker and RSI (June 10)
Other Railway Press
SmartRail World
Today SmartRail World travels to Singapore to find out more about Alstom Transport operations in the region. Alstom Transport, a name familiar to us all, develops and markets a complete range of systems, equipment and services in the railway industry and boasts a number of the world’s most famous industry brands within its product portfolio including very high speed, high speed, regional & suburban, mass transit, signalling, services and infrastructure. Present in 60 countries and 90 sites with over 28,000 employees, Alstom Transport has had a presence in the region for over 20 years and we gain some exclusive insights into their current work, challenges and opportunities in the region from Filippo Scotti, Managing Director of Alstom Transport in East Asia Pacific...
Luke Upton (LU): Thanks for the time today Filippo, our SmartRail World readers will all be familiar with Alstom and its work and long term experience within all segments. But as means of introduction though, could you perhaps tell us a little about some of the projects you are working on at the moment within the region?
Filippo Scotti (FS): Hello Luke, Alstom Transport has a strong and long term presence in the region through projects covering our entire product portfolio. Asia Pacific remains a growing market and is the world’s second largest railway market, with a focus on segments such as mass transit, regional, signalling, infrastructure and services. This is driven by two factors; the need of additional urban transportation capacity and the improvement of the current capacity due to congested cities. The first is addressed with the construction of new lines and extension of existing lines and the second is through the revamping of present lines. Among the key markets, India, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Vietnam and the Philippines are forerunners. Each of these countries have a mix of needs; from building of new lines, extending existing ones to refurbishing old lines with a clear intention to increase operational effectiveness.
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Building passenger loyalty through Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and digital technologies
The rail industry is facing an increasingly competitive pressure in terms of price level, quality and services required by their customers. Deregulation and liberalization has enabled operators to enter the market aggressively in terms of price level against established state-owned railway companies. At the same time the habits of rail passengers have changed and their expectations in terms of value for money, variety of choices and quality. This is highly affecting the rail industry and as new digital technologies evolve and becomes a central part of people’s habits it has become more complex for the operators to transform the journey...
London World Cup fans should expect to experience travel turmoil
Network Rail: 'Ticket prices are a major concern'
Brazilian rail strikes threaten to ruin World Cup
Mumbai reveal first phase of their Metro project
Ten of the most expensive rail infrastructure projects
Urban light rail: How much energy does it really consume?
In the last hundred years or so, we have made huge advances in transportation technologies. But with more than half the world’s population (and growing) now living in cities, coupled with the looming environmental crisis caused by our over dependence on fossil fuels, these urban transport systems need to meet ever-more stringent energy criteria in order not to further burden our already over-stretched natural environment.
Keeping rail cost-effectiveSome statistics: global energy consumption is predicted to grow by 56% between 2010 and 2040, according to a recent UITP seminar on energy and light rail transport. By 2050...More..
Australia's Network Rail Consulting has secured a contract from Transport for New South Wales (NSW) to provide systems integration services on Sydney's rail network.
UK DfT launches consultation on future of north rail services
The UK Department of Transport (DfT) has launched a consultation into the future of rail services in the north, marking the start of bidding for the new Transpennine (TPE) and Northern rail franchises.
Worker killed after support collapses at São Paulo monorail project
A construction worker has been killed after a concrete support fell at the monorail project in São Paulo, Brazil, leaving at least two others injured.
Trafikverket awards Stockholm area maintenance contract to Strukton
Swedish railway provider Trafikverket has awarded a €40.3m maintenance contract for southern Stockholm's rail structure to Strukton Rail.
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Public transportation systems differ greatly around the world. There can be huge disparities in terms of cost, efficiency, types and the numbers using it. Did you know that Oslo in Norway is the most expensive public transport system in the world? Or that passengers in Tokyo travel further by public transport than anywhere else?
This infographic from Hoogleit Transport contains several fascinating comparisons of public transport systems from around the world.
Simply click on the image here to view the full-size infographic.
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