International & UK Railway News Wednesday 16th July 2014

 Total Railway News




HS2 gets its Programme & Strategy Director, Radlett gets its own rail terminal ..though not to everyone's liking.., Wales gets increased rail services, but some Network Rail staff would like to get equal pay, apparently.


Will there be an alternative line into the south west? Will the north (of the UK) get improved infrastructure? Will there ever be railway co-operatives as a business model?


Included today a couple of Government announcements for improved travelling across Essex and Wales.. and three new appointments to ORR (Uk's Office of Rail Regulation)


And a cluster of news items from Alstom......


Click on the links for more details.....




Headlines..
UK
HS2 - engine for growth.
16 July 2014
HS2 Ltd today announced the appointment of Alistair Kirk as its Programme & Strategy Director
Alistair will join HS2 in September and will be responsible for the integration, planning and control of the overall HS2 Programme (Phases One and Phase Two)

Simon Kirby, HS2 Ltd CEO, commented:

“Alistair joins us at an important time for HS2, as we continue the progress from development to delivery. Putting in place the right systems, controls and rigours in our planning is essential to ensure that we build HS2 on time and on budget. Alistair has an excellent track record across the defence and rail sectors. Moreover, his Middle East experience, where transportation is being heavily invested in to stimulate growth and act as a catalyst for change, will also be particularly relevant to helping ensure we deliver the wider benefits of the HS2 Programme".

Alistair Kirk, HS2 Ltd Programme & Strategy Director, said:

“I'm delighted to be joining Simon and the HS2 team at an exciting and pivotal point on the Programme. The opportunity to help build on the platform for success of such a strategically important Programme as HS2 is huge professional incentive for me. Moreover, HS2 will provide similar opportunities for a host of other engineering and programme management staff over the coming years. HS2 - amongst other major projects - will be a programme the UK transportation industry will be rightly proud of.”
Alistair joins from EC Harris, which is part of ARCADIS, one of the leading global transportation consultancies, where he led its infrastructure business in the Middle East, latterly involved in developing ARCADIS' view on the requirements for the new multi modal transportation system in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Download the full press release

Network Rail: Dawlish rail alternatives 'poor value'.(BBC News).

Network Rail faces equal pay claim.(FT.com).


Warning after household items dumped on railway tracks.(BBC News).


Yobs who threw furniture, a brick and a bike from Bradford railway bridges 'put lives at risk'.(Telegraph & Argus).


Radlett rail depot: Plans approved by government.(BBC News).


Railfreight terminal decision greeted with dismay.(Railnews).


New North Wales to Manchester train services launched in £1.2m deal(Daily Post)


MPs get a taste of life on the trains.(The Argus).





Crossrail.


3 part series on Crossrail "The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway"  begins tonight on BBC2 at 9pm.
Episode 1/3 "Urban Heart Surgery" A look at London's Crossrail, which requires building 42 km of tunnels under the city.

Crossrail Sustainability Report, 2014

Crossrail’s sustainability report for 2014 outlines a number of economic, environmental and social successes since the construction of Crossrail began in 2009 and demonstrates the green credentials the railway will have when Transport for London (TfL) introduces the new trains from 2017.

The report - the third since the start of the project - also highlights:

• 97 per cent of contracts have been won by UK companies
• 62 per cent of work goes to small and medium businesses
• Close to 2,800 local people from London's boroughs and/ or the previously unemployed are now working on Crossrail
• Crossrail is on target to achieve its 8 per cent carbon dioxide reduction which would save approximately 57,000 tonnes of emissions.

Download Crossrail Sustainability Report, 2014



London Overground EMU shortlist announced - Railway Gazette


Model railways: how to make co-operative train travel a reality.(The Guardian).


North's outdated infrastructure costs UK billions. (BBC News).


New £5 billion East Coast rail vision unveiled.(The York Press).





UK Office of Rail Regulation(ORR)

ORR board strengthened with three new appointments

The Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, has announced the appointment of three new non-executive directors to the Office of Rail Regulation Board.
The three new non-executives are:

• Bob Holland – Former Managing Director of UK operations at Arriva plc.
• Michael Luger – former Dean of Manchester Business School (until the end of 2013).
• Justin McCracken – former Chief Executive of the UK Health Protection Agency (until 2013) and Deputy Chief Executive at the Health and Safety Executive.

Transport Minister Patrick McLoughlin said:

The railways are set to be transformed thanks to our long-term economic plan that will see £38 billion invested in the network. That means new trains, thousands more seats and better and quicker journeys for passengers.

It is vital Network Rail is held to account and provides value for money for taxpayers. These appointments will mean that happens and will ensure our railways remain among the safest in the world.

Welcoming the appointments, Anna Walker, Chair of the Office of Rail Regulation, said

All three are proven leaders in their fields and will bring real expertise to the ORR Board. Bob's in-depth knowledge of complex funding and business models in the industry, the UK and across Europe, will help us develop more effective regulatory tools to improve industry performance. Justin's extensive and unique experience in both health and safety regulation will considerably strengthen the Board's expertise in this very important area of our work. Michael's leadership and management experience at Manchester Business School and his considerable practical and academic experience of transport economics and infrastructure will bring a wide range of skills to the Board.

We are delighted to have secured Board members who can help us regulate the railways in ways that support improved performance and safety; drive better value for money for taxpayers; and deliver better service for customers.

Bob Holland said:

Having hands-on commercial experience of running large and complex regulated and de-regulated transport businesses, I look forward to bringing to ORR a wealth of experience regarding rail franchises, concessions, open access and rail maintenance businesses to improve industry performance and efficiency.

Michael Luger said:

I am delighted to be appointed to the ORR board and hope to bring my knowledge and understanding of the transport sector including rail infrastructure and asset management to help create a safer, more resilient and reliable railway.

Justin McCracken said:

I look forward to working with colleagues in ORR, and everyone else involved in improving health and safety standards in the rail industry, and hope that my experience in regulation of both these crucial areas will help to ensure the railways manage record-breaking levels of growth safely.

For more details visit: http://orr.gov.uk/news-and-media/email-alerts/2014/orr-board-strengthened-with-three-new-appointments






GOV.UK
Deal signed to improve rail services across London and Essex
New Essex Thameside franchise will deliver passenger benefits worth around £160 million
The Department for Transport has today (16 July 2014) confirmed it has officially signed the contract for the new Essex Thameside franchise with NXET Trains Limited.
The 15-year contract will allow the company, trading as c2c, to build on the impressive performance of the franchise and deliver a host of passenger benefits, worth around £160 million.
The franchise provides vital commuter services to passengers travelling between London and the commuter hubs of Barking, Basildon, Southend and further afield.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:

The Essex Thameside franchise provides a vital service for tens of millions of passengers every year and with this deal we have ensured that they are going to see real improvements. New trains, thousands more seats, free wi-fi and millions invested in stations are just some of the benefits that commuters can look forward to.

It’s further proof that our franchising programme is back on track, playing a key role in a long-term economic plan that is driving forward our economy and benefitting hard-working people.

The Essex Thameside franchise is one of the highest performing operators across the network with around 97% of its trains running on time. During the last 14 years c2c has increased the number of passengers it carries by 42%, from over 26 million to around 37 million passengers a year, with the majority of journeys during the morning and evening peak as commuters travel to and from London.


The new franchise will deliver a host of passenger benefits, including 17 new trains that will provide almost 4,800 extra seats. The operator has also committed to more than 25,000 additional seats for morning peak time passengers every week by the end of the contract. Other improvements include free wi-fi, an enhanced compensation scheme and more than £30 million invested in improving stations, including Fenchurch Street and Barking.
The Essex Thameside franchise follows the successful award of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise earlier in the year. It is the second franchise the department has let since the re-launch of its franchising programme in March last year. This followed an independent review into franchising by industry expert Richard Brown, who concluded franchising was the right way to secure passenger services.


The signing of the contract followed a formal standstill period after the department announced its intention to award the contract on Friday 27 June 2014.




Green light for extra rail services between England and Wales


Deal will provide an additional 2,450 seats across morning and evening peaks every week.


Rail passengers in England and Wales will benefit from thousands more seats on services across the border thanks to a £1.2 million deal between the Department for Transport and Arriva Train Wales, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced today (16 July 2014).
Under the plans, which have been supported by the Welsh government, the train operator will run an additional locomotive and 4 carriages, boosting services for passengers and local businesses on the popular routes between Llandudno and Holyhead to Manchester and Birmingham.
The additional services are expected to start in December and will mean at least 2,450 extra seats across the morning and evening peaks every week. They include:

• Chester to Manchester Piccadilly
• Manchester Piccadilly to Holyhead
• Holyhead to Manchester Piccadilly
• Manchester Piccadilly to Llandudno

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:

This is good news for passengers travelling between England and Wales. I know how popular these services are, so it’s important to get extra carriages and seats on the network. It will mean better connections for thousands of passengers, and is further proof our long term economic plan is on track, making a real difference to hard-working people.

The department is currently embarked on a massive programme of infrastructure investment. Network Rail will spend £38 billion over the next 5 years, maintaining and enhancing the network, including extensive electrification across England and Wales. This will allow new state-of-the-art trains to run between London and South Wales, delivering improved connections and thousands more seats.
Edwina Hart, Minister for Economy Science and Transport in the Welsh government said:

This announcement is excellent news for passengers on both sides of the border and is an excellent example of the Welsh government and UK government working together for the benefit of the public. This announcement builds on the Welsh government’s investment in locomotives that are currently used on the north-south express service and have capacity to be used for the additional services. This fits with my on-going commitment to develop improved public transport in north Wales and will provide people in Wales with greater flexibility and better services enabling them to access jobs and services more easily.

The deal has been made possible through money paid to the department by Deutsche Bahn, following the company’s acquisition of Arriva Plc. Under the current rail industry framework train companies are required to pay a change of control fee when changes to the operator are made.
Ian Bullock, Managing Director of Arriva Trains Wales, said:

We would like to thank both the Department for Transport and the Welsh government for supporting the provision of extra capacity on some of our busiest routes. Improved service performance levels and the increased popularity of sustainable transport has led to more than 75% growth in passenger numbers using our Manchester and Birmingham services since our Wales and borders franchise began in late 2003. This extra capacity will help us better meet the demand along these key routes and hopefully encourage even more passengers to use the rail network.

Written statement to Parliament

Rail infrastructure: 15 July 2014

Network Rail study to identify options for providing a resilient rail route west of Exeter released.


Earlier this year, I commissioned Network Rail to undertake a study to identify options for providing a resilient rail route west of Exeter.
Network Rail has now provided me with this study which is available on Network Rail’s website The study considers the options below:

• Option 1 Base Case
• Option 2 Strengthening the existing railway
• Option 3 Alternative Route A - the former London & South Western Railway route from Exeter to Plymouth via Okehampton
• Option 4 Alternative Route B - constructing a modern double track railway on the alignment of the former Teign Valley branch line from Exeter to Newton Abbot
• Option 5 Alternative Route C (C1 – C5) - five alternative direct routes would provide a new line between Exeter and Newton Abbot

Network Rail’s West of Exeter route resilience study reflects the government’s commitment to delivering world class transport infrastructure in the South West. It will be treated as a material input for Network Rail’s long term planning process and will be incorporated in the Western Route Study, a draft of which will be published for consultation later in 2014.
It is imperative that this work leads to improvements to the resilience of the railways in the south west that ensure there is no repeat of the disruption we saw earlier this year. I expect to make a further statement in the autumn regarding the West of Exeter Route Resilience study and our next steps.
International
Africa
Railways Africa.
NATCOR SHUTDOWN FOR CONCENTRATED MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME.
METRORAIL SUBSIDY
SOUTHERN AFRICAN TRANSPORT CONFERENCE
MINISTER ON CONCESSIONS
NON-HARMONISED RAIL GAUGES
GAUTRAIN SUBSIDY WILL GO
CHINA-AFRICA INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES


More HERE




India
FDI in railways likely in high speed lines, freight corridors.(Business Standard).




Russia
Two Moscow metro workers arrested after disaster.(BBC News).


South Korea
Seoul by subway: 25 stations, 25 neighbourhoods – in pictures.(The Guardian).


USA
CALIFORNIA: Battle lines form -- farms vs. solar vs. high-speed rail (Environment & Energy Publishing).


www.progressiverailroading.com.


CSX set three all-time quarterly financial records in Q2
 
House passes short-term fix to Highway Trust Fund
 
MTA ad campaign promotes latest contract offer
 
Volkswagen to expand rail-served automotive plant in Tennessee
 
Transport Workers Union ratifies SFMTA contract for Muni transit operators
 
Washington state port's Subaru imports reach 1 million mark
 
Preferred Sands to open another frac sand plant

Rail supplier news from Lilee Systems, J.L. Paterson, NRC, Nomad, Protran, Perptuum and Parsons Brinckerhoff (July 16)

 

Other Railway Industry Press Releases.
ERTMS Solutions.(Video)


ErtmsFormalSpecs – DMI Test Application – EATS Integration Status July 15th, 2014


Today July 15th, 2014, the interconnection between the DMI Test Application and ERTMSFormalSpecs has reached a new step. The procedures Start Of Mission for starting the mission in Shunting mode and in Non Leading mode have been tested.
Additionally, ERTMSFormalSpecs’ behavior has been tested when starting a mission in one of these modes. For this purpose EATS has been used as track information supplier.
In relation with the Start Of Mission procedure, it is now possible to set the Train Data as an step of the Start Of Mission procedure. See Flow chart of Start Of Mission procedure in Chapter 5 of the Subset-026, and below.

These two features (starting a mission on one of these two modes and the insertion of the train data) increase the already known capabilities of the DMI Test Application.
Some other features have been added to the system, composed by ERTMSFormalSpecs, the DMI and EATS; For example the Speed Discontinuities (see http://www.ertmssolutions.com/news/status-ertms-formal-specs-july-14th-2014/) are now displayed on the DMI Test Application.
Want to know more about this? Please have a look at the slideshow below, or contact us!
info@ertmssolutions.com


Alstom


The largest project in Alstom’s history, for suburban trains in South Africa, comes into force.(Includes Video)


Alstom is pleased to announce that PRASA (Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa) and Gibela⁽¹⁾ , have concluded the financial close of the contract signed on the 14 October 2013 for the supply of 600 X’Ttrapolis Mega commuter trains (3,600 cars) over a period of 10 years. The contract includes the construction of a local manufacturing facility in Dunnottar, 50 km east of Johannesburg. In addition, Gibela will provide technical support and supply of spare parts over an 18-year period. The overall value of this contract is worth € 4bn.
This project is one of the biggest in rail transport worldwide and is the largest contract ever signed in Alstom’s history. It confirms the intent of the company to establish itself as a leader in fast growing markets. It also marks a significant milestone in Alstom’s strategy to strengthen its presence at both global and local levels, thanks to its worldwide industrial footprint and strategic partnerships that enable proximity with its customers.


PRASA will be supplied with the X’Trapolis Mega, the new X’Trapolis train developed by Alstom to fit South Africa’s 1.067 m gauge. The first 20 trains will be produced at Alstom’s Lapa plant in Brazil. Then the 600,000 m² manufacturing site in Dunnottar will produce the 580 trains destined for manufacture in South Africa and will house an engineering centre and training facility.


The project will create over 1,500 direct jobs in the local factory and 33,000 indirect jobs over 10 years, achieving a local content level of over 65%. 19,000 people will be trained by Alstom during the project. Alstom’s French sites in Ornans, Tarbes, Le Creusot, Reichshoffen, Villeurbanne and Saint-Ouen will also be involved in the project as well as the sites in Sesto in Italy and Charleroi in Belgium.
 

Alstom to contribute to the metro development in Chengdu and Xi’an

11/07/2014

Alstom and its local joint venture Satee¹ have been awarded two contracts worth a total of €75 million² to supply new traction equipment for more than 550 cars³ due to operate on Chengdu metro lines 3 and 4 and Xi’an metro line 3 from 2015.


Both cities are significantly expanding their existing metro networks. Chengdu - an important economic centre in western China - will count 10 lines (350 km) by 2020, and the historic city of Xi’an - located in central China - will consist of six metro lines by 2018.
Alstom and Satee will provide the metros of Chengdu and Xi’an with Optonix, the latest traction system technology developed by Alstom. Specifically designed and developed for the Chinese market, Optonix reduces travel time thanks to optimized acceleration and deceleration increasing train frequency. The traction system, which includes motors and auxiliary converters, will be manufactured locally by Satee and supported by Alstom’s design unit in Charleroi, Belgium.


“This is Alstom’s first batch of metro contracts in central and western China, marking a strategic breakthrough for us in China,” said Dominique Pouliquen, Senior Vice President of Alstom Transport Asia Pacific. “These contracts demonstrate our customers’ continued confidence and trust in Alstom technologies and solutions. With a strong localization strategy combined with enhanced R&D and engineering capabilities, Alstom, through our Satee JV, has reinforced its leading position in traction systems in the booming Chinese market.”


Over the last few years, Alstom has supplied more than 1,600 metro cars to China and provided traction systems to over 1,400 metro cars in major Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Nanjing and Hong Kong. Alstom has a major office in Chengdu responsible for its western China business development. In Xi’an, Alstom has a joint-venture - Xi’an Alstom Yongji Electric Equipment Co., Ltd., engaged in the manufacture, assembly, testing, and warranting of traction motors.

Alstom to participate in the modernization of the Milan-Desio-Seregno suburban-tram            

11/07/2014

Alstom was awarded by Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti (CMC) of Ravenna – an Italian construction company - a contract to supply sub-systems to modernise the Milan-Desio-Seregno suburban tram. The €40 million contract includes the design, supply and installation of the tracks, electrical traction sub-stations, the signalling and telecommunications system. The 14.3 km-long line is due to enter into service by the end of 2016.

             

Alstom Transport to open a new tramway manufacturing line in Brazil

11/07/2014

Alstom Transport will open a new manufacturing line dedicated to trams in Taubaté, Brazil, operational from December 2014. Based at the Alstom group’s existing hydro manufacturing site in Taubaté, the new manufacturing line will address the Brazilian and Latin American markets where tram projects are booming. The line, which represents an investment for Alstom of around 15 million euros, will cover an area of 16,000m².

Alstom to contribute to the metro development in Chengdu and Xi’an

11/07/2014

Alstom and its local joint venture Satee have been awarded two contracts worth a total of €75 million to supply new traction equipment for more than 550 cars due to operate on Chengdu metro lines 3 and 4 and Xi’an metro line 3 from 2015.

             

Alstom to supply power system for a new high-speed line in Spain

11/07/2014

Alstom, in consortium with Isolux Corsán, was awarded by Adif (Spanish railway infrastructure authority) the design, construction and maintenance of the traction substation and catenary system for the new 44.3 km high-speed line linking La Robla (Leon) with Pola de Tena (Asturias).

             

Alstom Transport presents its rail transport solutions at Eurasia Rail 2014

11/07/2014

Alstom Transport will be at the Eurasia Rail 2014 exhibition, to be held in Istanbul, Turkey from 6-8 March 2014. Around 300 local and international companies should be present at this exhibition, which specializes in railway, light rail systems, infrastructure and logistics.

             

Alstom delivers its Citadis Compact tram to the local authority of Pays d’Aubagne et de l’Etoile

11/07/2014

Alstom will deliver the first tram sets of its Citadis Compact to the local authority of Pays d’Aubagne et de l’Etoile on 28 February 2014. After its arrival at the maintenance centre and depot in Aubagne, the first 22-metre long tram will complete a series of track tests until the end of July 2014 to be ready for the commercial launch of the tram service in early September 2014.

             

Alstom delivers its first two metro train sets to Chennai metro in India

11/07/2014

Alstom has successfully delivered to Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) the first two metro sets of Chennai’s future metro system in India. The train sets are the first ever to be manufactured in India, in Alstom’s new rolling stock facility of Sricity, Andhra Pradesh. They are part of a €243 million order representing 42 Metropolis train sets to be delivered by 2015.

             

Alstom’s Citadis Dualis tram-train enters service on the new Nantes-Châteaubriant line

11/07/2014

Ten Alstom’s Citadis Dualis tram-trains will be placed into service on the Nantes-Châteaubriant railway line, which will be inaugurated on 28 February. The inauguration is highly symbolic, marking the reopening of the line after 34 years of inactivity thanks to the choice of the electric tram-train.

             

Alstom to modernize the Santiago metro in Chile

11/07/2014

Alstom has been awarded a contract worth over 220 million euros by Metro SA, operator of the Santiago Metro in Chile, for the full modernization of the Santiago metro network. The works will be executed in the Neptuno metro depot to maintain the availability of the trains and reduce the impact on operations. The modernization will be complete by mid-2018.

             

Alstom Régiolis homologated to circulate on the French rail network

11/07/2014

Alstom has been granted by the French Public Rail Safety organisation (EPSF) the Authorisation for Commercial Use (AMEC) for its Régiolis, the latest generation of regional train from the Coradia range.

www.railway-technology.com


TMB to provide technical assistance for Panama City metro line 2 project
A consortium comprising Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), Ayesa and Louis Berger, has secured a €23.5m contract to provide technical assistance in Panama City's metro line 2 project. 
       
TfL shortlists bidders to supply electric trains for London Overground routes
Transport for London (TfL) has shortlisted four bidders to supply new rolling stock to operate on the London Overground network. 
       
UK DfT and Arriva agree to offer extra rail services between England and Wales
The UK Department for Transport and Arriva Train Wales have agreed to a £1.2m deal to provide extra rail services between England and Wales. 
       
TfL selects Barber & Osgerby to design Crossrail trains
Transport for London (TfL) has named design studio Barber & Osgerby as the design partner for the fleet of Crossrail trains, which will be operated on the UK's newest rail line from 2017.