HITACHI Rail Europe's "Verification-Train 3" has successfully completed a series of tests on a Network Rail class 97/3 locomotive equipped with ETCS Level 2 onboard equipment.
THE Xrail alliance of seven European wagonload railfreight operators has unveiled plans for the implementation of a "seamless" international capacity booking system for less-than-trainload consignments with the aim of improving the efficiency of cross-border wagonload operations.
THE High Commission for Riyadh Development (HCRD) says that "three major global consortia" have submitted technical and financial offers for the Riyadh Metro..
ITALY's antitrust authority has announced it is launching an investigation into Italian State Railways (FS) and its subsidiaries following allegations by open-access high-speed operator NTV that the national railway has engaged in anticompetitive practices against the newcomer..
Hitachi successfully operates onboard ETCS system with Network Rail existing track-side signalling
Hitachi Rail Europe has taken a step forward in its European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 operation by connecting its onboard ETCS solution to the Network Rail Cambrian Line signalling system in the UK.
Hitachi Rail Europe has taken a step forward in its European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 operation by connecting its onboard ETCS solution to the Network Rail Cambrian Line signalling system in the UK.
Design work completed for Gold Line operations campus in US
The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority in California, US has completed the design work, 30% of construction and the majority of the underground utility installation as part of the 24-acre, $265m Gold Line Operations Campus.
The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority in California, US has completed the design work, 30% of construction and the majority of the underground utility installation as part of the 24-acre, $265m Gold Line Operations Campus.
Virgin Rail to take legal action against Network Rail over poor performance
Virgin Rail Group (VRG) has announced that it is preparing legal action against UK infrastructure manager Network Rail, alleging "sustained poor performance" in recent months.
Virgin Rail Group (VRG) has announced that it is preparing legal action against UK infrastructure manager Network Rail, alleging "sustained poor performance" in recent months.
Mitsubishi Heavy wins transit capacity expansion contract from Singapore LTA
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), in collaboration with Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), has secured a JPY12bn ($122m) order from Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) to design, build, install and commission a light rapid transit capacity expansion of the Sengkang and Punggol lines in Singapore.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), in collaboration with Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), has secured a JPY12bn ($122m) order from Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) to design, build, install and commission a light rapid transit capacity expansion of the Sengkang and Punggol lines in Singapore.
The Fourth Railway Package’s Technical Pillar on the buckled track to full interoperability in Europe.
“The adoption of the General Approach by the Council on the Interoperability Directive is certainly a major step forward into the right direction – but not fully satisfying. Political views differ on a number of points from the sector’s position. But on a number of aspects, these deviations are apparently due to some misconceptions, and I count on solving them with the help of the European Parliament rapporteur MEP Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (ALDE, ES),” said CER Executive Director Libor Lochman as a first reaction to the General Approach reached yesterday by the Transport Council.
Although the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) is generally glad to see the Technical Pillar heading in the right direction, some parts of the proposed legal framework on interoperability will have a negative impact on the European railway sector.
Articles 4, 20 and 21
If using vehicles for operational services requires vast technical work of engineers beforehand, many new entrants will never be able to start: this is why rail undertaking and infrastructure mangers cannot bear the burden of tasks such as checking TSI parameters after the placing on the market and intensive compatibility checks before using a vehicle. The Council’s text shall be corrected in a way which would allow railway undertakings obtaining vehicles ‘fit-for-purpose’, including the authorisation to place vehicles in service as proposed by CER. This shall only be followed by final operational checks executed by the railway undertaking before using the vehicle.
Article 14
The vehicle authorisation process must be completely streamlined and transparent. The Council rightly shaped the European Railway Agency as a one-stop-shop. A stronger ERA needs to be able to decide about vehicle authorisation, safety certification and trackside ERTMS, while cooperating closely with the national safety authorities. At the same time it must be better stated that all actors in the railway systems shall follow their clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and that Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI) and notified national rules are the only rules to follow.
Articles 43 and 44
ERA shall not only be in the lead and responsible for vehicle authorisation and for the European vehicle register, but contrary to the Council’s text, the European vehicle register shall be the only central database when a vehicle is supposed in run in more than one Member State only.
Article 18
ERA shall and will rely on the competences and experiences of the national safety authorities. As ERA will be in charge of the European vehicle authorisation it shall be responsible for authorising ERTMS installed and operated throughout the Union’s network as well. In fact, for ERTMS a strong coordination and definite authorisation by ERA is absolutely necessary, whereas the Council’s General Approach goes in a different direction. ERA issuing non-binding opinions only is not sufficient at all and will lead to further diverging developments. ERA is needed for building the European railway area. The NSA’s competences and experiences are needed in the European context as well as for authorising domestic services.
Article 6
In future vehicles shall move as free as possible across Europe or to the next station in the neighbouring country. ERA shall take over the vehicle authorisation gradually: the definition of the transition phase shall take into account the Agency’s learning curve. Members of the group of representative bodies are to be allowed to request technical opinions when deficiencies in the TSIs are detected. In this way only the Agency can build up commonly a new vehicle authorisation process for Europe for the sector’s benefit.
“Vehicle authorisation and safety certification are two fundamental processes that heavily affect the efficiency of the entire rail system. Streamlined procedures in these fields would have positive consequences on all consequent operations, for the sake of the sector and of an ever more sustainable European economy. I hope that the result made by the Council will be further tuned by Ms Bilbao Barandica and that we will have an inter-institutional agreement on a text which I hope will be both ambitious and usable”, said CER Executive Director Libor Lochman.
US HSR
"There's a ton of support for the concept of high-speed rail, and it's worth spending the money to complete the studies because it's an important part of our future."
-Danny Katz, Colorado Public Interest Research Group
HSR NEC CONGRESSIONAL HEARING
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CA HSR PHASE ONE SET FOR CONSTRUCTION!
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Last week the California High Speed Rail Authority Board voted to move forward with construction on the first phase of the state-wide project, the nation's largest, most ambitious HSR project.
The board has awarded a $985.1 million contract to a joint venture led by Sylmar, Calif.-based Tutor Perini to oversee construction of the first phase of the state high speed rail network.
Tutor Perini's partners include Pasadena, Calif-based Parsons and San Antonio, Tex.-based Zachry Corp. Parsons is serving as the lead designer for the first section stretching between Madera and Fresno.
Tutor Perini reportedly offered the lowest bid of five submitted to CHSRA, leading the authority to select the joint venture last April for final negotiations.
"We've built more large civil works programs in this state than anyone else, virtually all of them successfully and without cost overruns," said Tutor Perini CEO Ron Tutor. Work is scheduled to begin this summer. More info
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"High speed rail is coming to America!"
-Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
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COLORADO LOOKING INTO HIGH SPEED RAIL
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A new push for high speed rail to come to Colorado is underway by Colorado Public Interest Research Group. The consumer advocacy organization this summer will campaign to build support for high-speed rail in Colorado, canvassing local residents door to door, said Danny Katz, CoPIRG director.
"High-speed rail can have a positive impact locally. We also believe that a lot of businesses will benefit from it," said Katz. CoPIRG plans to use the input to encourage the Colorado Department of Transportation to complete a study on regional connectivity - which includes high-speed rail - with enough detail that the proposal could be presented to voters.
"We want to keep the studies moving forward so we are continuing to the day when we, as Coloradans, can decide whether we can actually build this thing," Katz said. Their sister organization CALPirg was largely responsible for getting out enough extra votes for California's HSR project to pass the public vote in 2008. More info
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ULI GLOBAL REPORT: INFRASTRUCTURE 2013
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A comprehensive report from the Urban Land Institute, the leading organization for real estate developers, examines the state of infrastructure around the globe.
The Urban Land Institute and Ernst & Young have collaborated again, for the seventh year, to examine key trends and issues in the major global markets of the Asia Pacific region, Europe/Middle East/Africa, and the Americas.
Infrastructure 2013 has drawn upon a broad range of discussions with public and private sector procurers, funders, operators, and advisers to report on the critical factors affecting infrastructure in emerging and developed economies.
"In the connected global economy where cities are competing for business and investment, the quality of infrastructure is commonly a determining factor." More info |
GEODATA TUNNELING SELECTS TRANSMETRICS
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Global tunneling leader GEODATA S.p.A of Turin, Italy has selected USHSR member Transmetrics, Inc. based in Campbell, California as their official representative in the United States.
Geodata, founded in 1984, is the world's foremost tunneling firm. Today it operates as an independent firm in over 25 countries including Russia, China, Australia, Brazil, India, and France. Geodata has designed and managed construction of over 1,864.1 miles of tunnels and over 2,500 projects worldwide involving roadways, metro transit, high speed rail, dams and hydro-electric plants.
Among the current large number of tunnels being designed or constructed by Geodata worldwide is the giant Bioceanico Aconcagua tunnel, which connects Chile with Argentina under the Andes Mountains. Once completed, it will change the economies of both countries in a major way and will compete with the Panama Canal. More info
U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces 568 Applications for Latest TIGER GrantsContinuing Demand for TIGER Grants Highlights Need for Transportation Investment
WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the strong demand for TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grants continues as once again the number of applications has surpassed the available funding.
Applications to the U.S. Department of Transportation for TIGER 2013 grants totaled more than $9 billion, far exceeding the $474 million set aside for the program. The Department received 568 applications from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa.
“President Obama challenged us to improve our nation’s infrastructure to provide the transportation choices people and businesses want and the efficiency and safety they need,” said Secretary LaHood. “TIGER projects do exactly that – across the country, they are helping relieve congestion, create jobs and generate lasting economic growth.”
On March 26, 2013, the President signed the FY 2013 appropriations act, which, after sequestration, provided $474 million for Department of Transportation national infrastructure investments. Like the first four rounds, TIGER 2013 grants are for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure and will be awarded on a competitive basis. This is the fifth round of TIGER funding.
The previous four rounds of the TIGER program provided $3.1 billion to 218 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. During the previous four rounds, the Department of Transportation received more than 4,050 applications requesting more than $105.2 billion for transportation projects across the country.
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Shedmaster Railway News
High speed to Alacant from June 18 - Railway Gazette
Bologna and Reggio Emilia stations join the AV network - Railway Gazette
Hitachi tests ETCS onboard equipment in Wales - Railway Gazette
World Heritage & Railway News
Bring your 70′s Vehicles to Goathland. | North Yorkshire Moors Railway :: A steam train adventure through the stunning Yorkshire Moors
Rail Ale Trail | The East Lancashire Railway
Day Out With Thomas™ « West Somerset Railway
Railway Engineering News
Shenzhen Line 3 to get 198 cars in 2015-16 - Railway Gazette
EIB increases Ankara – Istanbul high speed funding - Railway Gazette
Czerwieńsk chord cuts journey times - Railway Gazette
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