International & UK Railway News. Thursday 21st March 2013

From US High Speed Rail Association   Its time for the army of anti-rail think tanks to end their attacks on HSR! Advanced transportation is fundamental to America and it's continued prosperity. The country is long overdue for a major upgrade to its national transportation system by building a high speed rail network across America. The importance of this new rail system and the current dire conditions of transportation and energy in America make this an urgent matter of national security. Attacking high speed rail goes against national security. We're calling on the army of anti-rail think tanks to end their attacks on HSR! HSR is too important to the future of America for it to be delayed any longer by senseless debates, outdated discussions, and the rehashing of tired old myths & distortions. The debate is over, we need to build a national network of high speed rail as quickly as possible. High speed rail is on people's minds all across America, especially as we hear news every day about all the other countries investing in high speed rail, while we're still debating. Rail ridership is continuing to set records all across the country as more and more Americans come around to the great convenience of rail as a serious form of transportation. Its imperative that we invest as heavily as China, Spain, France, Thailand, and all the other countries who see the importance of high speed rail and fast efficient mobility for their people. Businesses are seeing the many ways high speed rail can make it easier and cheaper to do business. Young people are taking to rail like never before, with ridership soaring in many regions while driving has peaked and has been on the decline. People of all ages are tired of being stuck in traffic and at airports with delayed flights. They want new options! Real estate developers understand the great value of building communities at rail stations. Hotel chains are looking at future growth potential at rail stations. Package shippers are looking at high speed rail as a cheaper, more efficient way to ship light freight. America wants high speed rail! Polls have shown that 88% of Americans support high speed rail and want it built. Its time for the army of anti-rail think tanks to end their attacks on HSR, and find something else to occupy their time. "Lead, follow, or get out of the way!" High speed rail is the 21st century transportation system for America! More info HSR: BUSINESS-FRIENDLY TRANSPORTATION New UCLA Study: remote cities benefit from HSR Bullet trains fuel real-estate booms, improve quality of life and create other unintended consequences by sharply reducing commute times from smaller cities to large megacities, economists from UCLA and China's Tsinghua University observed in a new study in China. A similar dynamic, they said, could play out as California builds its own high-speed rail system. Proposed stations could create booms for second-tier cities like Palmdale and Bakersfield near, the authors said. More info Private HSR to begin operations in Florida 2015 All Aboard Florida is a private company gearing up to begin operating passenger train service in potentially the busiest corridor in the country - between Orlando and Miami. 50 million tourists visit Orlando each year, and many go to Miami and the Gulf beaches as well. All Aboard Florida's $1 billion operations plan features 16 round trips a day from early morning to late evening with stops in Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Miami - with service possibly starting in late 2015. Trains would run hourly and each one-way trip would take about three hours. More info IN OTHER NEWS... The British Government will forge ahead with its second high speed rail line called HS2 after winning 4 out of 5 court challenges to its plans for the $50 billion project. "It is a green light to go ahead," said Transport Minister Simon Burns. "It will not hold us up going ahead with the project, which is in the national interest." More info China HSR continues to expand what has already become the world's largest HSR network. Not only has China built more HSR than the rest of the world put together in the last 6 years, but they also recently opened the world's longest single HSR line, and are integrating with its airports. "China already has so many new HSR lines that the system is maturing, and they are now coordinating with their airlines in moving passengers between the modes," said USHSR President Andy Kunz. More info Thailand gears up for massive $60 billion high speed train project. According to the blueprint prepared by Thailand's transport ministry, four major high-speed rail lines will be built to link the capital Bangkok to Chiang Mai in the north, Nakorn Ratchasima in the northeast, Pattaya in the east and Hua Hin in the west. Plans also call for linking with surrounding countries. The railways project is expected to increase GDP, trade and commerce, and cut national fuel costs by 300bn baht ($10bn) a year and create new domestic trade routes. More info Malaysia HSR moving forward. A new HSR line linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore has received the go-ahead by the Malaysian and Singaporean governments. Studies for a HSR line started as soon as it was identified as a project under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). "So far two feasibility studies spanning two years have been completed, and which ever way you cut it, the project makes sense," says Mohd Nur. "It's more about economic development and less about transport because currently there is more than one way to go to Singapore or vice versa. We envisage from the HSR businesses that otherwise would not happen," he says. More info Meanwhile back in the USA, national infrastructure improves to "D+" level! According to a report card released Tuesday by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the condition of the nation's roads, bridges, ports, railways and other critical infrastructure got a bit better over the last four years. The trade group rated America's infrastructure a D+, compared to a D in 2009! "American needs to get moving and invest. Its pretty embarrassing compared to other countries, and the huge investment that's being made in HSR all around the world," said USHSR President Andy Kunz. "America has always been a leader throughout history - its time once again to lead!" More info USHSR FEATURED MEMBER A division of Siemens Industry, Siemens Mobility Division is North America's leading provider of transportation and logistics solutions. Using its "complete mobility" approach, the division focuses on networking various modes of transportation to maximize the most efficient transport of people and goods. "Complete mobility" includes operations control systems for railways, roadway traffic control systems, airport logistics solutions, postal automation, traction power supplies, rolling stock for mass transit, regional and mainline services, turnkey systems as well as forward-looking service concepts. Somewhere in America, a team of more than 60,000 Siemens employees spends every day creating answers for a sustainable future. Building a stronger economy requires establishing an infrastructure that can keep pace in addition to creating jobs. Energy-efficient trains built by Siemens in the U.S. could connect New York to Washington, D.C. in less than two hours and San Francisco to Los Angeles in less than three. From the East Coast to the West Coast, Siemens is creating answers to keep America moving. More information HIGHLIGHTED NEW MEMBER T-Solutions Inc. is a woman owned, veteran owned small business (WVOSB) headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia that provides maintenance engineering, logistics and management worldwide to both commercial and government clients. Their clients recognize them as thought leaders in maintenance engineering, program management, change management, process improvement and requirements management programs. T-Solutions is an agile provider of technical solutions that enable mission-critical operations and decision-making. T-Solutions provides the expertise needed to help customers succeed in today's era of defense, security, maintenance engineering and business transformation. T-Solutions' most recoginized program is the US Navy Port Engineer Program. Their Port Engineers are the key enablers of all off-ship maintenance for their assigned warships. T-Solutions Port Engineers embody "corporate maintenance knowledge" for their ships, with many serving over 10 continuous years on the same ship or class. T-Solutions was responsible for the development and implementation of a Condition- Based Maintenance program founded on the principles of Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) for all of Amtrak's rolling stock. More information DC SUMMIT WRAP-UP VIDEO USHSR PRESIDENT ON HUFFPOST LIVE! "There's no reason why Europe or China should have the fastest trains!" -President Obama "Thanks to hard work by the folks here at DOT and by our partners--like those in the US High Speed Rail Association--the future of passenger rail in America has never been brighter." -Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood JOIN USHSR TODAY! USHSR membership puts you at the forefront of a new revolution in 21st century, sustainable transportation in America. Be at the center of the action in the new US high seed rail industry, which is about to take off, and will be America's next industrial revolution. There are many opportunities for involvement in the US High Speed Rail Association with different membership levels and categories to choose from. Keep up with the latest information, showcase your firm, find jobs, staff and more. Join today

Our mission is to build widespread public, business, and political support for a major investment in a national high speed rail network.

www.progressiverailroading.com US News   STB denies AAR's petition to consider indirect competition as a coal rate factor VRE proposes 4 percent fare hike in FY2014 CN relocates forest products transload op to Chicago port Columbia River Crossing project to receive Oregon funding Crude oil: Phillips 66 lands 3PL pacts; Savage hub wins top terminal honor NS annual report: A highpoint-filled 2012 to be followed by more highlights The T seats new board members, officers Shuster names spokesman for House transportation committee International Railway Journal GERMAN Rail (DB) carried a record number of passengers on its domestic services in Germany last year, with ridership reaching 49 million and the total distance travelled increasing by 4% to 82.4 billion passenger-km. GO-Ahead has awarded Knorr-Bremse two contracts to deliver its Leader driver assistance system on dmus operated by its Southern and London Midland franchises in Britain. Tender issued for The Hague – Brussels service A tender notice was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on March 13 for a contract to operate direct cross-border passenger services between The Hague and Brussels. Full Article           www.railway-technology.com Update    Berner & Mattner has secured a contract to carry out the 'SafeRail - Improving Safety at Railway Level Crossings' feasibility study for the European Space Agency (ESA). The study is part of ESA's Integrated Applications Promotion (IAP) programme to improve railway level crossing safety using an integrated system, which will explore ways to enhance safety by combining terrestrial technologies with various space assets, such as telecommunications, earth observation and navigation. The main aim of the study is to assess the technical feasibility and economic viability of a satellite service, using an integrated system that combines different types of space assets with existing ground-based assets.     Midas Holdings subsidiary Jilin Midas Aluminium Industries (Jilin Midas) has secured a €22.7m contract to supply aluminium alloy extrusion profiles to Ural Locomotives. The equipment, which is scheduled to be delivered from 2013 to 2019, will be used in the production of 100 five-car electric train sets for commuter passenger services in Russia. Siemens has secured a £43m contract with Crossrail in London, UK, to provide communications and control systems for the central section of the under-construction railway. More news at......... Shedmaster Railway News Includes an article from theatlanticcities.com on the economic case for rail subsidies.... World Heritage & Railway News Details of the new season's schedule for the NYMR for its 40th anniversary year of operations. Trains will run 7 days a week between Pickering and Whitby from 23rd March 2013 to 3rd November 2013. Railway Engineering News From uprr.com - Project Funded by Private Investment, Not Taxpayer Dollars Omaha, Neb., March 21, 2013 – Union Pacific Railroad will strengthen Missouri's transportation infrastructure by investing $21 million.... alstom.com - Alstom, along with around twenty other major players from French industry, will board the « Industry and Innovation train” which will criss-cross France from 19 March to 18 April, 2013.