The Railway Chronicle: International & UK Railway News Saturday 15th June 2013

Federal Railroad Administration

Advisory Committee Recommends Passenger Rail Crashworthiness Standards to Accommodate High-Speed Rail.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced that its Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) voted unanimously to recommend that the Transportation Secretary work to implement new crashworthiness performance standards for next generation high-speed passenger rail equipment that will operate in the United States. The RSAC is FRA’s technical and policy stakeholder body that includes representatives from various rail industry perspectives, including major international rail builders.

“Today’s vote is another important step in advancing high-speed and intercity passenger rail in America,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This vote brings us closer to new jobs and manufacturing opportunities to make high-speed rail equipment for use here at home and abroad.”

The standards, which FRA is developing now before they are published later this year in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), will provide baseline safety requirements for next generation rail equipment that would travel up to speeds of 220 mph on high-speed rail tracks, while providing the flexibility to operate with existing freight and passenger systems up to speeds of 125 mph. Once finalized through the FRA’s rulemaking process, the new standards would be employed along the Northeast Corridor and in California, regions both designated for high-speed rail service.

“Today’s action by RSAC is a continuation of FRA’s move away from prescriptive regulations towards more performance-based regulatory environment,” said Joseph C. Szabo, Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. “I’d like to commend all members of RSAC for advancing these standards forward. They will better align our approach to passenger safety and the use of rail equipment with the rest of the world. ”

The proposed standards are intended to provide an alternative approach to existing railcar crashworthiness requirements that have influenced the type of passenger equipment built and used in the U.S. market for nearly a century. The proposed standards would establish performance-based requirements for an interoperable rail network, permitting the use of “service proven” designs and advanced technologies, while ensuring a consistent, systematic approach to safety.

Since 2009, members of the RSAC have undertaken a review of existing crashworthiness requirements in order to identify a new, technology-neutral, performance-based approach that employs modern and advanced design techniques, such as crash energy management. Consensus on the proposed standards was reached by the RSAC Engineering Task Force, which is made up of a cross section of the domestic and international railcar supply industry, including 12 railcar manufacturers.

MENA Rail News

Libyan railways: what next?

Travelling the breadth of Libya is done by animal, vehicle, ship or plane. The completion of a railway network, including an east-west mainline, would revolutionise travel in Libya and even the sense of being Libyan.
Libya has had railways in the past. The Italian colonial regime from 1912 onwards built about 400 kilometers of Italian narrow gauge railway, but its programme was curtailed by Allied victory in North Africa. The consequence was to abandon a Tripoli to Benghazi mainline project so the Italian era left two railway networks focused on the western and eastern regional centres of Tripoli and Benghazi.
As the Italians withdrew, British imperial forces extended the railway from Egypt to Tobruk in support of their war effort. The Libyan part of the extension was removed in 1946 under the American-British condominium of Libya. This entailed taking up 125 km of track: one of Libya’s main exports in the 1940s from its war ravaged economy was the export of scrap from vehicles and facilities left by the North Africa Campaign. A potential linkage to the Egyptian railway network still exists with the Egyptian branch of this British line.

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Iraqi railways: the Baghdad to Berlin railway revisited?

Train Times | April 2013

The Iraqi railway network in 2008 covered 2,272 kilometres. In the CIA Factbook this was the 66th largest national network. The network length of other national railway networks listed indicate the expansion potential of Iraqi railways: Bolivia has 3,652 kilometres (46th); Egypt has 5,083 kilometres (34th) and Cuba has 8,598 kilometres (24th). There is clearly the potential for vast expansion of the railway network in Iraq to serve its reconstruction and economic advancement.
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Most North African Rail Markets Buoyant Amidst Uncertainty

On top of high levels of unemployment and complex political transitions in North Africa, the weaknesses of European economies have affected those countries in the region that are dependent on European markets. In the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings, political and social tensions also continue in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. But infrastructure and construction projects are still of major importance, and a steady stream of new contracts in the rail sector in recent months is cause for optimism.
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Bosphorus Shuttle to Link Germany and Turkey September 2013
A new rail service between Germany and Turkey to be known as the Bosporus Shuttle will launch this September. Operated by DB Schenker Rail, the logistics arm of German rail company Deutsche Bahn, the service will operate three pairs of trains per week, carrying both containers and conventional freight.
It will take the trains five days to cover the 1,250 mile route passing through Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria on the way.
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With thanks to Colin Best at MENA Rail News.

Railway Herald - Railtours

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Monday 17th June 2013

The Cathedrals Express To Scotland: Day 4 (Steam Dreams)

60007 Edinburgh Waverley (pu) - Berwick upn Tweed - Newcastle Central - Durham - York

4464 York - Doncaster - Peterborough - London Kings Cross

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite: Afternoon Train (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

Tuesday 18th June 2013

The Canterbury Belle (Railway Touring Company)

WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Birmingham New Street (pu) - Birmingham International (pu) - Coventry (pu) - Rugby (pu) - Northampton (pu) - Watford Junction - Willesden

34067 Willesden - Kensington Olympia - Clapham Junction - Bromley South - Ashford International - Canterbury West (break) - Canterbury West - Minster - Deal - Dover Priory - Folkestone Central - Ashford International - Tonbridge - Bromley South - Clapham Junction - Kensington Olympia - Acton

WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Acton - Watford Junction - Northampton (sd) - Rugby (sd) - Coventry (sd) - Birmingham International (sd) - Birmingham New Street

Loaded Public Test Run For Nunney Castle (Vintage Trains)

5029 Tyseley warwick Road (pu) - Coleshill Parkway (pu) - Nuneaton - Leicester - Loughborough - Castle Donnington - Burton upon Trent - Tamworth High Level - Coleshill Parkway (sd) - Tyseley Warwick Road

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite: Afternoon Train (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

Wednesday 19th June 2013

The Fellsman (Statesman Rail)

46115 or 45699 or 44932 Lancaster (pu) - Preston (pu) - Blackburn (pu) - Clitheroe (pu) - Long Preston (pu) - S&C - Carlisle (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite: Afternoon Train (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

Thursday 20th June 2013

The Cumbrian Mountain Express (Railway Touring Company)

86259 London Euston (pu) - Watford Junction (pu) - Milton Keynes Central (pu) - (Northampton connection to Rugby by service train) - Rugby (pu) - Nuneaton (pu) - Stafford - Crewe (pu) - Preston (pu) - Carnforth

45699 or 46115 Carnforth - Shap - Carlisle (break/rev) - Carlisle - Appleby - S&C - Hellifield - Blackburn - Preston (sd) -

86259 Preston - Crewe (sd) - Stafford - Nuneaton (sd) - Rugby (sd) - (Northampton by service train connection from Rugby) - Milton Keynes Central (sd) - Watford Junction (sd) - London Euston

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite: Afternoon Train (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

Friday 21st June 2013

The Cathedrals Express (Steam Dreams)

60163 Tunbridge Wells (pu) - Tonbridge (pu) - Edenbridge (pu) - Redhill (pu) - East Croydon (pu) - Kensington Olympia (pu) - Cambridge (sd) - Ely (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite: Afternoon Train (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

Saturday 22nd June 2013

The Loopy Doughnut (Pathfinder Tours)

DBS Class 66 Bristol Temple Meads (pu) - Bristol Parkway (pu) - Cheltenham Spa (pu) - Barnt Green (pu) - Birmingham New Street (pu) - Tamworth High Level (pu) - Burton upon Trent (pu) - Derby (pu) - Chesterfield - Sheffield (pu) -

DBS 60 and DBS 66 Sheffield - Rotherham Central - Mexborough - Doncaster - Knottingley - Kellingley Colliery -

DBS 66 and DBS 60 Kellingley Colliery - Knottingley - Ferrybridge -

DBS 60 and DBS 66 Ferrybridge - Pontifract - Castleford -

DBS 66 and DBS 60 Castleford - Wakefield Kirkgate - Wakefield Westgate - Copley Hill Chord - Leeds (break) - Hunslet East Branch

DBS 60 and DBS 66 Hunslet East Branch - Neville Hill - Micklefield - Gascoigne Wood - Hambleton West to South Junctions - Doncaster - Hexthorpe - Meadowhall - Brightside - Sheffield (sd) -

DBS 66 Sheffield - Chesterfield - Derby (sd) - Burton upon Trent (sd) - Tamworth High Level (sd) - Birmingham New street (sd) - Barnt Green (sd) - Cheltenham Spa (sd) - Bristol Parkway (sd) - Bristol Temple Meads

The White Rose (Railway Touring Company)

60009 London Kings Cross (pu) - Potters bar (pu) - Stevenage (pu) - Peterborough (pu) - Grantham - newark - Doncaster - York (break/rev) & return

The Canterbury Belle (postponed From 15 May) (Railway Touring Company)

WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Nottingham (pu) - East Midlands Parkway (pu) - Leicester (pu) - Kettering (pu) - Southall

34067 Southall - Kensington Olympia - Clapham Junction - Bromley South - Ashford International - Canterbury West

34067 Canterbury West (pu) - Minster - Deal - Dover Priory - Folkestone Central - Asford International - Tonbridge - Clapham Junction - Kensington Olympia - Southall

WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Southall - Kettering (sd) - Leicester (sd) - East Midlands Parkway (sd) - Nottingham

Cornish Riviera Statesman (Statesman Rail)

WCRC Class 47 (Pair) Shrewsbury (pu) - Wellington (pu) - Telford Central (pu) - Wolverhampton (pu) - Tame Bridge Parkway (pu) - Rowley regis (pu) - Stourbridge Junction (pu) - Kidderminster (pu) - Droitwich Spa (pu) 0 Worcester Shrub Hill (pu) - Ashchurch (pu) - Bristol Parkway (pu) - Bristol Temple Meads (pu) - Taunton - Exeter St. Davids - Newton Abbot - Plymouth - Par (sd) - Truro (sd) - St. Erth (sd) - Penzance (break/rev) & return

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

Sunday 23rd June 2013

The Jacobite (West Coast Railway Company)

To be confirmed Fort William - Glenfinnan (break) - Arisaig - Mallaig (break/rev) & return

Shedmaster Railway News

WASHINGTON: California high-speed rail gets a green light - Politics Wires - MiamiHerald.com

The Future of Train Travel: Life in Hyper-Speed

North Korean cross-border route upgrading progresses - Railway Gazette

IGC grants Deutsche Bahn access to Channel Tunnel - Railway Gazette

World Heritage & Railway News

GWR - Gloucestershire's mainline heritage railway - All in all, another brick in the wall

Halsgrove Publishing: Unusual Railway Pubs, Railways, 9780857041739

Swinging Sixties | North Yorkshire Moors Railway :: A steam train adventure through the stunning Yorkshire Moors