The Railway Chronicle: World Railway News........ 3rd May 2012

International Railway Journal Updates......

Multi-user Pilbara heavy rail line under study
Australian freight rail operator QR National has signed an agreement with Atlas Iron to study the construction of a heavy-haul railway to connect East Pilbara mines with Port Hedland in Western Australia. Unlike other Pilbara heavy-haul lines, the new railway would be open to other operators. The first trains could be running by 2015.

Livery chosen for Etihad Rail locomotive fleet
Etihad Rail, which is building the first 266-kilometer (165-mile) freight line in the United Arab Emirates, has revealed the livery for the fleet of seven locomotives on order from Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), which will be delivered by the end of the year. The red and grey livery uses colors from the UAE flag.

From www.railwaygazette.com News Feed

Los Angeles to order up to 235 light rail vehicles

‎01 ‎May ‎2012, ‏‎16:09:00

USA: The board of Los Angeles transport agency Metro approved the award of a $299m contract for Kinkisharyo International to supply 78 light rail vehicles on April 30. Four options for a further 28, 39, 21 and 69 LRVs could take the total order to 235 cars worth $890m. The Metro board voted 8-1 to approve the award of the contract to preferred bidder Kinkisharyo International. Metro believes the US subsidiary of Japanese firm Kinki Sharyo represented the best overall value, although not the lowest price, enjoying advantages in technical compliance, scheduling risk and project management. Subcontractors would include Ansaldo STS (ATP), Dellner (couplers), INIT (passenger-counting systems), Knorr-Bremse (brakes), Saft (batteries), Toyo Denki USA (traction equipment) and TransTech (pantographs). Formal award of the contract awaits Federal Transit Administration approval and the resolution of objections from rival bidders CAF USA and Siemens Industry. An initial 28 LRVs are scheduled to be delivered by 2015, and a total of 62 by May 2016. The new cars are needed for the second phase of the Expo Line, and the Gold Line Foothill and Crenshaw/LAX projects. The optional cars would be delivered by February 2020.

Design engineer appointed for Bybanen Stage 3

‎01 ‎May ‎2012, ‏‎15:55:00

NORWAY: Local authority light rail promoter Bybanen Utbygging has appointed Mott MacDonald to prepare detailed designs and procurement documentation and undertake stakeholder management for the €220m third phase of the Bergen light rail line. The role includes civil, systems and environmental design, architecture, landscape, noise and vibration, traction power substations and ancillary buildings. The first 10 km section of the Bybanen tram line between Bybarken in central Bergen and Nesttun opened in June 2010. The 4 km second stage to Rådal is scheduled to open in mid-2013. Stage 3 will extend the line a further 7·2 km to Flesland airport, with seven stops. This phase includes 2·8 km of tunnel and a landmark bridge carrying the line over the airport road at Birkelandsskiftet. Construction is planned to start in 2013 for completion in 2015.

Moscow Metro train production begins

‎01 ‎May ‎2012, ‏‎15:27:00

RUSSIA: In April Transmashholding's metro rolling stock manufacturing subsidiary Metrovagonmash began series production of 632 Type 81-760/761 cars ordered by Moscow Metro for delivery by the end of 2013. The cars will be equipped with air-conditioning, and onboard CCTV able to transmit images to the control centre. Track-friendly bogies are designed to provide quieter running and lower maintenance costs than the vehicles which the new cars will replace. The new trains are also expected to be more energy efficient than current stock, despite better acceleration which will reduce the time taken to reach 80 km/h from 40 sec to 27 sec.

From www.railway-technology.com