Network Rail is to be reclassified as a public body, so some interesting accounting moves are in prospect...
ORR wants to adopt the "predict and prevent " culture, rather than acting after the event....
A battery operated train is undergoing tests at Derby ...
The US' Transportation Research Board has published "Contracting Commuter Rail Services."..that has a familiar ring to it, given the UK's franchise awarding experience...
Railway-technology.com, progressiverailroading.com, the rail engineer... all provide insight into UK and US railway news stories...
And to finish, how about a trip on the Trans Siberian Railway?
Click on the links....
Headlines
UK
UK train track owner Network Rail to be nationalised.(FT.com)
Predict and prevent in practice – Richard Price's blog. (ORR).
Network Rail.
Batteries included: Network Rail begins on-track trials of prototype battery-powered train
Abellio Greater Anglia Class 379 unit (stock photo)(Network Rail Photo)
Britain’s first battery-powered train is being put through its paces in a series of on-track trials – a move which could ultimately lead to a fleet of battery-powered trains running on Britain’s rail network which are quieter and more efficient than diesel-powered trains, making them better for passengers and the environment.
Network Rail has successfully completed the retrofitting of its first battery-powered train and has now embarked upon a programme of trials at a test track in Derby, which will culminate with a series of high-speed tests at the Rail Innovation and Development Centre (RIDC) in Nottinghamshire later this year.
Although the project is in its very early stages, Network Rail and its partners believe battery-powered trains could be used to bridge gaps in otherwise electrified parts of the network or be used on branch lines where it would not be cost effective to install overhead electrification equipment, bringing the additional benefits of making the new trains cost-effective and sustainable.
Using an Abellio Greater Anglia Class 379 unit, which normally operates using electricity drawn from overhead power lines, Network Rail and its industry partners – including Bombardier, Abellio Greater Anglia, FutureRailway and the Department for Transport who are co-funding – have installed six battery rafts to the full train at Bombardier’s facility in Derby, where the first on-track test runs are now taking place.
Network Rail’s senior engineer leading on the Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit (IPEMU) project, James Ambrose, said: “Over the next five years, Network Rail has a target to reduce the cost of running Britain’s railway by a further 20 per cent. At the same time, we are always looking for ways to make the railway greener too. This project has the potential to contribute significantly towards both those goals.
“It’s still early days for what is an exciting and experimental project that tackles these two key objectives, but we’re thrilled to begin the next phase of testing and look forward to running the train on-track in live, high-speed tests.”
The battery rafts fitted to the Class 379 unit contain a battery box, isolation switch, power distribution control panel, battery charging inverter, batteries and battery monitoring system, all mounted within a bespoke, purpose-built rig. Their creation follows the successful testing of several types of battery technologies, including lithium iron magnesium and hot sodium nickel salt.
James added: “Although we’ve retrofitted the Abellio Greater Anglia Class 379 unit with lithium iron magnesium batteries, we continue to test other possible solutions so we can gather as much information and comparison data as possible for future development.”
Additional battery tests are now underway at the Bombardier Mannheim facility in Germany. On-track trials of the Abellio Greater Anglia Class 379 are now underway at a test track in Derby, and high-speed running has been scheduled at the RIDC towards the end of the year.
Data gathered during the experiment will be used to determine what form any future Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit (IPEMU) will take, be it a straight battery unit or hybrid.
Any future IPEMU would most likely be designed as a new train and not an adapted unit, to minimise energy consumption but this project will also provide useful information for retrofit.
About FutureRailway: FutureRailway is a cross industry collaboration between Network Rail and RSSB to help the whole industry deliver the Rail Technical Strategy. It incorporates the activities of the former Enabling Innovation Team, which was set up by the rail industry to accelerate the uptake of innovation. Our approach is to: understand the challenges that industry faces; connect potential innovators with these challenges; and, where necessary with potential funding. The team reports to the Technical Strategy Leadership Group (TSLG) and is supported by the Rail Delivery Group as well as the Department for Transport.
Although the project is in its very early stages, Network Rail and its partners believe battery-powered trains could be used to bridge gaps in otherwise electrified parts of the network or be used on branch lines where it would not be cost effective to install overhead electrification equipment, bringing the additional benefits of making the new trains cost-effective and sustainable.
Using an Abellio Greater Anglia Class 379 unit, which normally operates using electricity drawn from overhead power lines, Network Rail and its industry partners – including Bombardier, Abellio Greater Anglia, FutureRailway and the Department for Transport who are co-funding – have installed six battery rafts to the full train at Bombardier’s facility in Derby, where the first on-track test runs are now taking place.
Network Rail’s senior engineer leading on the Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit (IPEMU) project, James Ambrose, said: “Over the next five years, Network Rail has a target to reduce the cost of running Britain’s railway by a further 20 per cent. At the same time, we are always looking for ways to make the railway greener too. This project has the potential to contribute significantly towards both those goals.
“It’s still early days for what is an exciting and experimental project that tackles these two key objectives, but we’re thrilled to begin the next phase of testing and look forward to running the train on-track in live, high-speed tests.”
The battery rafts fitted to the Class 379 unit contain a battery box, isolation switch, power distribution control panel, battery charging inverter, batteries and battery monitoring system, all mounted within a bespoke, purpose-built rig. Their creation follows the successful testing of several types of battery technologies, including lithium iron magnesium and hot sodium nickel salt.
James added: “Although we’ve retrofitted the Abellio Greater Anglia Class 379 unit with lithium iron magnesium batteries, we continue to test other possible solutions so we can gather as much information and comparison data as possible for future development.”
Additional battery tests are now underway at the Bombardier Mannheim facility in Germany. On-track trials of the Abellio Greater Anglia Class 379 are now underway at a test track in Derby, and high-speed running has been scheduled at the RIDC towards the end of the year.
Notes:
The partners working on the IPEMU project are:- Network Rail
- Department for Transport
- FutureRailway
- Abellio Greater Anglia
- Bombardier
Data gathered during the experiment will be used to determine what form any future Independently Powered Electric Multiple Unit (IPEMU) will take, be it a straight battery unit or hybrid.
Any future IPEMU would most likely be designed as a new train and not an adapted unit, to minimise energy consumption but this project will also provide useful information for retrofit.
About FutureRailway: FutureRailway is a cross industry collaboration between Network Rail and RSSB to help the whole industry deliver the Rail Technical Strategy. It incorporates the activities of the former Enabling Innovation Team, which was set up by the rail industry to accelerate the uptake of innovation. Our approach is to: understand the challenges that industry faces; connect potential innovators with these challenges; and, where necessary with potential funding. The team reports to the Technical Strategy Leadership Group (TSLG) and is supported by the Rail Delivery Group as well as the Department for Transport.
Baby in buggy blown on to London underground tracks – video(The Guardian)
Troubled Serco makes loss of £7.3m.(BBC News)
..In July, Serco lost the Docklands Light Railway contract ..
Greater Anglia disruption as rail works overrun.(BBC News)
East Anglia: Heads should roll after the latest rail delays, says angry MP Ben Gummer.(EADT24)
Five extra trains between Fishguard and Carmarthen.(BBC News)
Emergency funding for Scottish flood damage.(BBC News)
Dale Haslam's train blog: Train travel not much fun.(The Bolton News)
A First Group service at York.
Battersea Power Station owner makes bid for new Crossrail 2 station(London Evening Standard)
Doncaster level crossing closed over safety fears.(The Star)
Blackminster, Worcestershire level crossing
International
China
Thailand’s junta gives the nod to China high-speed rail project.(Irish Times)
Budget for high-speed railway rises to HK$71 billion after delays, MTRC says.(SCMP)
India
Indian Railways to conduct studies on Diamond Quadrilateral Network of High Speed Rail.(STEELGURU)
USA
RFP: Contracting Commuter Rail Services.(Transportation Research Board)
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BACKGROUND
Over the past 40 years, there has been considerable change in the way commuter rail services are provided in the major metropolitan areas of the United States and Canada. Up until the early 1960s, commuter rail services in these two countries were owned, operated, and paid for by privately owned freight railroads. Starting around that time, public agencies began to subsidize the continued operation of the few remaining trains that ran in only a handful of metropolitan areas. By contrast, the commuter rail industry in North America today has grown to 29 systems serving 24 metropolitan areas in the U.S. and Canada (see Special Note A). Most of these systems contract for all or part of their operating and maintenance services.
This expansion and evolution of commuter rail has led to a wide variety of strategies and approaches for managing the operation and maintenance of these services, which are offered by a growing number of entities. The result has been two basic approaches to service delivery: (1) bundled services where one entity provides all the functions necessary to operate the service and (2) unbundled services where the provision of services are broken down into separate contracts.
Currently, there are no guidelines or generally recognized best practices to consider in determining how to provide a city or a metropolitan region with commuter rail service. There is a need for a presentation of potential approaches, an evaluation of the approaches, and guidance on how and when to apply them to existing and new services.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this research is to provide guidance to public agencies and other key stakeholders in the contracting of commuter rail services.....Continue reading...
RFP: Improving the Resiliency of Transit Systems Threatened by Natural Disasters
TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) has issued a request for proposals to develop tools and draft recommended practices to assist public transit systems with becoming more resilient to natural disasters and climatic events. Proposals are due by October 7, 2014.
BACKGROUND
Congress previously authorized the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to administer emergency relief funds for public transit and appropriated $10.4 billion for Hurricane Sandy relief, nearly half of which will be spent on resiliency projects in the affected area. The lessons from rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy and other major disasters experienced throughout the country will help public transit systems that have not yet been affected (but are susceptible to flooding, high winds, earthquakes, blizzards and other natural disasters and climatic events) better prepare their assets and infrastructure for potential major events. By deploying resiliency strategies, public transit systems nation-wide could save billions of dollars in recovery costs.
Research is needed to investigate measures that were undertaken or will be undertaken to protect public transit equipment, infrastructure, and operations from future weather events—measures identified from among those developed by public transit agencies that have experienced severe weather events. Continue reading.....
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www.progressiverailroading.com
CTA set to begin work on three stations as part of Blue Line modernization
Global Port Tracker: Import volume might set record in August due to lingering labor issue
UP touts honor for St. Louis unit's Dunn, record first-half equipment incident rate
Sound Transit to install PTC equipment on trains
Waterloo to break ground on rapid-transit system
Crude-by-rail terminals to expand in Alberta, New Mexico
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet seeks public feedback on draft rail plan
Rail supplier news from Koppers, Axion, SKF, I.D. Systems and Strato (Aug. 12)
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www.progressiverailroading.com
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Other Railway Press Releases
With the 5th Annual CBTC World Congress (4-6th November, London) fast approaching today we talk to Joe Bastone, Director of Business Development at Bombardier Transportation for an update on this evolving technology. Bombardier is a market leader in CBTC technology with their moving block CITYFLO 650 solution already in delivery or in operation on 24 lines globally. Joe talks today about the keys to successfully delivering complex CBTC projects around the globe, the role of digitisation, changing supplier demands and more in this exclusive interview and video. Plus we offer SmartRail World readers the opportunity to download a detailed CBTC report here – ‘CBTC For Mass Transit Mobility.’
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QUINTIQ.
How to save costs as a rail infrastructure manager?
How possession time management contributes to an efficient end result
Continue reading....
The Rail Engineer
Take a look at some of the top stories covered in the August edition:
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www.railway-technology.com.
Kapsch successfully installs GSM-R technology on two routes in Czech Republic
Rail radio communication systems provider Kapsch has successfully installed GSM-R technology on two rail routes in the Czech Republic.
Australia unveils plans for $2bn Perth Airport rail link
The Western Australian (WA) Government has unveiled plans for a $2bn Forrestfield-Airport Link, which will connect Forrestfield to the Perth's CBD.
Grand Central Rail receives direct services contract extension from ORR
The UK Office of Rail Regulation has awarded a ten-year contract extension to Grand Central Rail to continue operation of services between Mirfield, Brighouse and London.
Network Rail undertakes study on reinstated railway between Bletchley and Claydon
The UK's Network Rail is set to conduct a study on how to improve safety on the planned reinstated railway between Bletchley and Claydon.
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Level Crossing Safety supplement.(european railway review)
..takes a look at level crossings in Bulgaria, Ireland and Portugal......
Alstom
The Marvel Project is a partnership with the National Industrial Apprenticeship Service ( SENAI ) of Taubaté and the syndicate of the metalurgists of Taubaté Consisting of a professional training program . courses The Aimed at mounting area of light vehicles on Rails (VLT ) will open doors to the new market. Entries range from day 14 to day 30 August. The course is a prerequisite for Those interested in occupying one of the job vacancies que are generated for the new factory.
The epic Private Train Journey on the Transsib
Michael Altenhenne hit the “rail-road” of the Transsiberian by Private Train. Get encouraged by the unique atmosphere of Russia, Mongolia and China, all-in-one in this splendid documentary!
Highlights:
- Beijing’s Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square
- Mongolian horse show
- A boat ride on Lake Baikal
- Typical Siberian villages
- Culinary specialties along the Transsiberian, Tsar’s feast on board the train, Traditional Russian welcoming ceremony with bread and salt
- Moscow any much more...
....and why not take a look at Christian Wolmar's book..."To The Edge of The World - The Story of the Trans Siberian Railway
It is the world’s longest railway line. But it is so much more than that, too. The Trans-Siberian stretches nearly 6,000 miles between Moscow and Vladivostok on the Pacific Coast and was the most ambitious railway project in the nineteenth century. A journey on the railway evokes a romantic roam through the Russian steppes, but also reminds travellers of the vastness of our world and hints at the hardships that were endured in its construction.
To the Edge of the World tells the story of the Trans-Siberian railway from its conception and construction under Tsar Alexander III, to the crazy northern extension, the Baikal Amur Mainline, the world’s costliest rail project, ordered by Brezhnev The Transsiberian may have been an overambitious project, but today it is a vital artery for Siberia and its construction changed history. The book also explores the crucial role the line played in both the Russian Civil War -Trotsky famously used an armoured carriage as his command post – and the Second World War, during which the railway saved the country from certain defeat.
Like the author’s previous railway histories, it focuses on the personalities, as well as the political and economic events, that lay behind one of the most extraordinary engineering triumphs of the nineteenth century. For anyone interested in Russian history, or who is planning to travel on the Trans-Siberian, this is an essential read.
Get Your Copy HERE
..and watch the author's presentation at the recent Hay Book Festival.....
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