HS2 moves on, as does the Californian High Speed Railway....
The Northern Hub...and One North.....
China's ever influential input into railway projects around the world....
Click on the links....
Headlines
UK
HS2 Press Release.
Statement on HS2 Phase One safeguarding judicial review
6 August 2014
Transport Minister, Robert Goodwill, said:
"The High Court has once again dismissed a Judicial Review in respect of HS2."I invite interested groups to work with us through the Parliamentary process on making HS2 the very best it can be, and not to waste money on costly and fruitless court cases.
"The project had a huge vote of support in Parliament, recognising the importance of HS2 for the long term economy of the country. It will provide jobs, skills and free up space on our congested network for more trains and more passengers."
Five cities outline £15bn One North transport plan.(BBC News)
Network Rail.
What's happening in the North?
The Northern Hub will transform rail travel across the North of England by allowing faster, more frequent trains to connect key towns and cities
Our plans
- Two new platforms at Manchester Piccadilly to allow more trains to run through rather than terminate in Manchester, providing more direct train services across the North
- The Ordsall Chord to provide a link between Manchester Victoria and Manchester Piccadilly for better connections to key towns and cities and new direct services through Manchester city centre to Manchester Airport.
- New tracks on the line between Leeds and Liverpool and between Sheffield and Manchester to allow fast trains between the major towns and cities to overtake slower trains
- In advance of this work, Manchester Victoria will be transformed into a fitting gateway to the city
Supporting the economy
Northern Hub will stimulate economic growth by allowing the cities of the North to work much better together. These benefits will be felt across the North, not only where the improvements are made.It will add over £4.2billion of wider economic benefits to the North of England, including the costs of the new services. This reflects a return of over four pounds for every pound invested.
Jobs, prosperity, growth
An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 private sector jobs could be created across the North of England as a result of Northern Hub.Businesses on both sides of the Pennines will be able to recruit from a wider pool of talent while employees will be able to get to work quickly and easily.
Business will also enjoy access to bigger markets while face-to-face meetings with clients, business partners and consultants - crucial to the running of a profitable and dynamic business - will become easier.
The journey time reductions will allow rail to compete with road to provide quicker and more efficient journeys between city centres.
Manufacturing trading links with other parts of the UK and mainland Europe will also improve as freight trains deliver goods to markets efficiently, enhancing the economic competitiveness of the Northern Hub area.
Next steps
Now that the Northern Hub has been fully funded, the next stage is for us to move forward into the detailed design phase and start work on the schemes as quickly as possible.The infrastructure will be in place to enable all the services to operate by 2018.
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CCTV delays hamper Henley-in-Arden station revamp.(BBC News)
Rail commuters are hit by up to 40,000 bogus parking fines: 'Pirates' accused of demanding money from commuters using the wrong law.(Mail Online)
Revised New Street Station plans go before planning chiefs.(Birmingham Post)
Letters to the editor: Rail public ownership is real deal.(London Evening Standard)
RMT: Nationalised East Coast line has paid £1bn to taxpayer. (Buying Business Travel)
International
Africa
Railways Africa.
UNPRECEDENTED RAIL VANDALISM IN CAPE TOWN
CAPE TOWN TRAINS RESUME: R2M DAMAGE BILL
COSATU ON CAPE TOWN’S RAIL TROUBLES
AFRICA’S 1ST HIGH SPEED LINE TO GET GSM-R
TAZARA STRIKE CONTINUES
Full stories....Here
China
China-Thailand High-Speed Rail Project Back On Track .(Asia Briefing)
Cost of high speed rail link swells to HK$80b in light of two-year delay.(SCMP)
Chinese investors keen to build and finance Moscow-Kazan HSR.(Global Rail News)
Russia
Romantic Russian Railways (The Russian Railways on YouTube)
So different and so elegant all year round, Russian Railways! Many thanks to @VMCTrainsChannel for great work!(Russian Railways edit)
Turkey
RAILWAY AUTHORITY DOWNPLAYS HIGH-SPEED TRAIN SNAG.(Daily Sabah)
USA
www.progressiverailroading.com
Denver, Utah transit agencies begin studies of fare policies
ODOT, Watco sign off on Sooner Sub rail line sale to Stillwater Central Railroad
King Ocean's service consolidation to increase volume into Port Everglades
CSX, Conservation Fund team up to support distribution of fresh food to underserved communities
Jezycki named VP, chief officer of Staten Island Railway
UP seeks applications for safety grant program
TNW tabs Gibson as health and safety director
Amtrak's pet-travel policy extended to include additional Illinois trains
www.progressiverailroading.com
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US HSR
CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL - VISIONARY MEGA PROJECT
California's $68 billion, statewide high speed rail system is just the beginning of America's $600 billion national high speed network. California's new transportation construction boom is well underway!
The $4.5 Billion mega project - Transbay Transit Center, known as the "Grand Central Station of the West" is currently under construction in the heart of downtown San Francisco. This has sparked a huge construction boom in the entire neighborhood surrounding the station, including the highest price ever paid for a small piece of property next to the new station.
The first billion dollar construction contract to build the first leg of the new high speed rail line has recently been signed. Construction is underway on the main trunk line between San Francisco and Los Angeles. A second multi-billion dollar contract is out to bid now for additional construction segments. Many more contracts are currently in the works to continue building the statewide high speed rail system segment-by-segment.
The state of California recently passed into law a major cap-and-trade program that sets up the first permanent funding source for the state's new high speed rail project. This pioneering legislation starts a new trend in reliable, consistent funding for visionary transportation projects, and will unlock billions of dollars in funding to move the new rail project along at a faster pace, with several hundred miles of HSR track and infrastructure under construction in the next few years.
The state of California recently passed into law a major cap-and-trade program that sets up the first permanent funding source for the state's new high speed rail project. This pioneering legislation starts a new trend in reliable, consistent funding for visionary transportation projects, and will unlock billions of dollars in funding to move the new rail project along at a faster pace, with several hundred miles of HSR track and infrastructure under construction in the next few years.
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| CALIFORNIA COURT RULING BIG HSR WIN |
 Court Clears 2 Major Hurdles for CA HSR
In a major win for the California high speed rail project, a California appeals court has ruled in favor of the rail project on both the funding plan and the state's ability to sell bonds to fund construction.
The court ruled last week that the state may issue $8 billion in bonds to help finance the new HSR system, removing a substantial obstacle to the proposed $68 billion plan. Last week's ruling also overturned a lower court ruling that found the state failed to comply with the law in developing a funding plan for the $68 billion line between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Dan Richard, chairman of the bullet train agency, welcomed the decision, saying the state is "committed to building a modern high-speed rail system that will connect the state, precisely as the voters called for." He said the system "will be a clean, fast, non-subsidized service, and will create jobs and enable smart, sustainable growth while preserving farmland and habitat." Senator Cathleen Galgiani has been involved in the state's HSR project from the start. "As the author of Prop 1A, I am intimately familiar with the language of the bond measure, and the context in which it was enacted. Therefore, I filed a separate Amicus in the Third Appellate District Court asking that the Trial Court be reversed, to allow the High Speed Rail project to move forward," said Senator Galgiani following the ruling.
"Prop 1A contained the most stringent oversight and accountability requirements of any bond measure ever enacted in the history of this state. But oversight and funding authority was explicitly delegated to the Legislature - not the Court," added Galgiani. "As the author of the High Speed Rail Bond, I recognized that a project of this magnitude would likely undergo changes after funding was approved, so I required that the Legislature be told of any and all changes to ensure continuous oversight over the life of its construction. These changes must be accounted for in a very carefully crafted pre-expenditure process contained in the bond measure. The Trial Court erred by substituting its judgment over the judgment of the Legislature. I am pleased that the Appellate Court reversed the lower court's decision, putting high speed rail back on track, and putting Central Valley workers back to work."
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| NEW CALIFORNIA HSR LINE ADVANCES |
 Burbank to Palmdale HSR Segment Advancing
In a strategic plan to bring rail improvements in southern California sooner, state officials intend to accelerate their plans to build a Los Angeles County section of the $68-billion system.
High-speed train service in northern Los Angeles County could help relieve traffic congestion in a key corridor. A Palmdale to Burbank bullet train trip could take 14 minutes to 16 minutes. By contrast, existing Metrolink rail service follows a winding route built in the 1870s and takes 90 minutes - which still can be faster than driving in rush hour. "It is a huge game-changer," said Richard Katz, a former state Assembly leader and current member of the Metrolink board. "The visibility will make it real and people can see where their tax dollars are being spent." California High Speed Rail Authority CEO Jeff Morales said that the new long-term funding has provided "opportunities to accelerate the high-speed rail program and connect California from north to south and south to north. It means we can bring benefits to Southern California sooner, while at the same time reducing greenhouse gases faster and creating overall cost savings," he said. |
Transmashholding completes TEM35 locomotive testing
Russian rail manufacturer Transmashholding has finished testing its TEM35 shunting diesel locomotive with a hybrid power unit.
Hitachi Rail to equip Class 37 locomotives with ETCS
Hitachi Rail Europe has signed a contract with the UK's Network Rail to install the European train control system (ETCS) on two Class 37 locomotives.
Union Pacific invests $11m to improve rail line between Colorado and Wyoming
Union Pacific Railroad has announced an $11m investment to bolster the rail line between LaSalle, Colorado, and Cheyenne, Wyoming, US.
Korea Rail to conduct light rail project study in Paraguay
The Korea Rail Network Authority (KRNA) has secured a contract to carry out a feasibility study into a light rail project in Paraguay, marking its entry into the South American railway market.
French National Railways report a 74% drop in net profit
London Infrastructure Plan 2050: 'The demand on the Underground and rail is likely to go up by 60 and 80 per cent respectively'
3 ways to help the 21st century traveller choose rail
Top five: Which country has the world's longest railway network?
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