International & UK Railway News Friday 21st November 2014

..Total Railway News

Last Friday (14th November 2014) 4.5 million people travelled on the London Underground network!
The  UK Government announce plans to electrify the Valley Lines in Wales...
Questions are raised about foreign companies making money at the British taxpayers' expense.... the fact is many of these companies are state owned...so the strange situation arises that state owned companies own large chunks of  UK  railway companies...nationalized...by foreign governments!
We take a look at the future of London Underground trains... driverless trains...
And LBC takes a look at the Crossrail project...
Also, news from the US HSR group.....


Click on the links....




Headlines
UK
HS2: Report claims UK high speed rail scheme would not be "white elephant".(Derby Telegraph)


Milton trains kill 12 horses but there 'may be some more'.(BBC News)


Inaccurate Network Rail data 'leads to inefficiencies'(BBC News)


South Wales rail electrification scheme finally gets the go-ahead with a £230 funding package
(Wales Online)


See also: PM announces rail package to electrify Valley Lines and boost Welsh economy.(GOV.UK)
The Prime Minister David Cameron is announcing an ambitious rail package that will give a massive boost to the Welsh economy.
In his speech to the UK investment summit in Newport, the Prime Minister will announce that the UK government has agreed a funding package with the Welsh government to electrify the Valley Lines.
He will also announce that the UK government will cover the full costs of electrifying the Great Western mainline to Swansea and devolve the Wales and Borders rail franchise, so that the Welsh government decides the new franchise in 2018.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:

I am delighted to announce today that we are going to press ahead with the electrification of the Valley Lines. After years of neglect, this part of Wales will finally get the infrastructure it needs with faster, more modern, more efficient trains and the impact will be huge.

Spreading the employment opportunities from Cardiff and out to the Valleys and helping hardworking people from all parts of this great nation to get on. This has only been possible because of the UK government and shows our long-term economic plan in action and working for the people of Wales.

Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb said:

This is fantastic news for Wales and provides a major incentive for businesses to invest in the country. I am delighted that we can now seize this opportunity to transform the Valley communities. Effective transport links are a vital part of any modern economy and there are few areas in the UK more in need of the improved commuter costs, travel times and more frequent train services that this investment brings.

This is all part of our long term economic plan for Wales to rebalance the economy and stimulate job creation so that more people can benefit from the security of a regular wage.

The benefits of reduced journey times and increased capacity means that the Valleys can benefit from the economic growth that cities such as Cardiff and Newport are already experiencing by making it quicker and easier for people to travel to them.
Journey times from both Merthyr Tydfil and Treherbert to Cardiff would be reduced to a little over 50 minutes.
In order to make this deal happen, the UK government will take over sponsorship and fund delivery of the Cardiff-Bridgend section of the Main Line electrification scheme to Swansea – worth £105 million, and contribute £125 million towards the costs of the wider Valley Lines electrification scheme.
The Welsh government will take over sponsorship and delivery of the Valley Lines project.
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Network Rail slammed after dismal record on punctuality.(The Independent)


If foreign state-owned companies can make enormous profits in the UK, why isn’t our Government competing?(The Independent)


See also this article from Christian Wolmar..dated 2nd October 2013
East Coast set to remain in the public sector (sort of)(Christian Wolmar)
There are some stories in the modern railway that you could not make up because they would be too far-fetched. The story of  the PPP on the London Underground was one, but now we have another great one. Eurostar is bidding  jointly for the East Coast franchise with Keolis, which normaly partners Go-Ahead.
Now of course this is the franchise that is being rushed through for privatisation because currently it is in the hated public sector, being managed by Directly Operated Railways, an arm of the Department for Transport. So Patrick McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary, rather than choosing to offload some of the more troublesome franchises, which instead are being given extensions negotiated from a weak position by the Department, is rushing ahead with East Coast privatisation so that it will no longer be a successful embarrassment in the public sector.
But hold on a sec.  Eurostar is currently owned 55 per cent by SNCF so that is hardly the private sector. And another 5 per cent is in the hands of the state owned Belgian railways, SNCB. That leaves the remaining 40 per cent which is owned, euh, by London & Continental Railways which sits alongside DOR as part of the Department for Transport. So not much public sector there.
As for Keolis, which calls itself France’s biggest private sector transport provider, well that is 70 per cent owned by SNCF and the rest belongs to The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, a Canadian pension fund.  That half of 30 per cent, therefore, is the only private sector involvement.Of course other 100 per cent state owned companies are always set to throw their hats in the ring, such as Arriva – owned by Deutsche Bahn – or Abelio – the Dutch railways outfit. And can I see RZD, the Russian railways over the horizon?
So the question for Mr McLoughlin is what are the rules for this game – when is privatisation in effect renationalisation, only to a different country?  As I said at the beginning, you could not make this up. And is it not a bit strange that Richard Brown, the man you appointed to look at franchising following the West Coast fiasco, because he was impartial and not involved in the franchising process, is now involved in a bid under the rules that he helped to create? #justasking



London Underground network marks busiest day ever with more than 4.5 million passengers (London Evening Standard)
More than 4.5 million people travelled on the London Underground last Friday “ marking it as the busiest day in the network's 151-year history.

LBC Goes Underground On Crossrail Visit. (LBC)




International
China
'World's longest railway' links Madrid and China.(The Local)


China Focus: High speed rail brings changes to western China.(People Daily)


Europe
Eurotunnel Group Press releases...
Includes....
Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Named “Most Environmentally Friendly Carrier” by German Magazine, BusPlaner......


India
Killer Tuesday: 13 die in railway mishaps.(Times of India)




Saudi Arabia
Saudi's new $10bn high-speed rail network to run 7 services an hour.(Arabian Business)


USA
USDOT

BTS Releases North American Transportation Statistics

 

Friday, November 21, 2014 – New three-country data was added to the North American Transportation Statistics (NATS) Online Database in this week’s 10th annual website update. The database, a product of the North American Transportation Statistics Interchange, contains comparable transportation-related data available from the United States, Canada, and Mexico in a one-stop online resource. The database covers the following subject areas: demographics, transportation, the economy, transportation safety, transportation’s impact on energy and the environment, domestic and international freight activity, domestic and international passenger travel, transportation infrastructure, and vehicles. The NATS Online Database is co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the U.S. Census Bureau, and the federal-level transportation and statistical agencies of Canada and Mexico. With text available in English, French, and Spanish, the NATS Online Database can be found at http://nats.sct.gob.mx/en/. Contact Dave Smallen: 202-366-5568.

www.progressiverailroading.com.

CSX's Sanborn at RailTrends: Operational resiliency and winter resource planning are key
 

Carloads climbed in all three North American nations last week
 

TransLink accepts recommendations to improve SkyTrain service
 

Texas university student governments endorse Houston-Dallas high-speed rail service
 

Mexican association seeks proposals from U.S. firms for 'green locomotive' project
 

Open houses slated for proposed Minneapolis-Duluth high-speed rail service
 

Freight access project near final stages at Washington state port; intermodal project near environmental review phase at California ports
 

Quebec contracts CANARAIL to study proposed iron-ore rail line
 

Rail supplier news from Finmeccanica, Tutor Perini, Peab, I.D. Systems and Maintenance Design Group (Nov. 21)
 

US HSR

LAST DAY - DISCOUNT ENDS TOMORROW

Don't Miss the Premiere Business Event...

HIGH SPEED RAIL - JUST THE FACTS

TOTAL KILOMETERS OF HIGH SPEED RAIL                              Currently In Operation - 22,954                               Under Construction - 12,754                               Planned - 4,459                               Long-term planned - 14,384                                TOTAL kilometers by 2025 - 54,550

HIGH SPEED RAIL - TRAIN TECHNOLOGY

Find out more...

BNSF News Release:BNSF Announces $6 Billion Capital Expenditure Program for 2015: Third Consecutive Year of Record Investment in BNSF Network and Infrastructure

FORT WORTH, TEXAS, Nov. 20, 2014:

BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) today announced that its planned capital expenditures for 2015 will be $6 billion, which will go toward maintenance and expansion of the railroad in order to meet the expected demand for freight rail service. The 2015 plan marks the third year in a row that BNSF has committed a record amount for capital investments. BNSF also updated its planned capital expenditures for 2014, which now are expected to be $5.5 billion. Since 2000, through the end of 2015, BNSF will have reinvested more than $50 billion into its equipment and its network and infrastructure for maintenance work that helps to maintain train traffic fluidity and capacity expansion projects intended to meet customers’ ever-growing freight shipment demands.


"BNSF's capital investment program since the beginning of 2013 through the end of 2015 is unprecedented and is clear evidence of our confidence in a growing economy and our intention to meet the demand for service that comes from all our customers," said Carl Ice, BNSF president and chief executive officer. "We have made great progress in expanding the segments of our railroad that have been most constrained by rapidly increasing demand. Once these new capital programs are completed, we expect to further restore the capacity flexibility we have historically enjoyed to manage the periodic demand surges that come from a dynamic and fast-paced economic environment."


The largest component of the 2015 capital plan will be for the renewal of assets and maintenance, which is expected to cost $2.9 billion. These projects will go toward replacing and upgrading rails, ties and ballast that are due for updating. Track replacement projects typically make up the largest percentage of BNSF’s annual capital projects and are important for ensuring BNSF can optimize its rail network for ideal speeds for trains that carry a wide range of commodities.


BNSF also plans to spend almost $1.5 billion on expansion projects. Nearly $500 million of that expansion work will occur in the Northern Region, which is where BNSF is experiencing the fastest growth. That region primarily serves agriculture, coal, crude oil and materials related crude oil exploration and production.


BNSF will also increase the size of its locomotive fleet through the addition of new, energy and fuel efficient locomotives. BNSF will acquire 330 new locomotives to add to its fleet of 7,500 and replace others that will soon reach the end of their useful life.


Early next year, BNSF will announce the details for the various line capacity and maintenance projects it plans to make, particularly those along the Northern Region.
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Other Railway Press
Future Rail Magazine.
A new Era For London....a look at the new designs for London Underground  trains...driverless underground trains.....






Siemens 

Ho Chi Minh City can expect $1.4 billion in economic benefit by investing in resilience

Ho Chi Minh City, 2014-Nov-20

• Arup & Siemens present study on intelligent transportation systems (ITS)
• ITS an important lever to address the traffic congestion challenges
• Extreme weather exposing city infrastructure to more severe stresses

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) could generate economic benefits of 1.4 billion US dollars by investing in making its transportation system more resilient in extreme weather conditions, a study released by Siemens and Arup today shows. Calculations based on a review of HCMC's transportation network illustrate that – without intelligent solutions – its traffic congestion is estimated to have a direct cost to the city's economy of approximately $97 billion between 2015 and 2045. Around 45 percent of the city is less than a meter above sea level, rendering the city and in particular, the transport system highly exposed to flooding, especially during the rainy season. An economic appraisal shows that an Integrated Management System (control center) would take only 8 years to become net positive in terms of costs and benefits. This could lead to a net benefit of $1.4 billion over the next 30 years.

"Infrastructure has a long lifespan. Investments made today will determinate the future development of any city tomorrow, especially when it has to cope with both population growth and an increase in severe weather events such as flooding," Michael Stevns, Siemens project leader of the study, said in HCMC.

"When a city relies heavily on individual traffic, the biggest lever is mass transport. Metro lines could be a solution, but they are very expensive and take very long to build. Intelligent traffic management systems can provide a head start for a more comprehensive mobility management approach", said Stephen Cook, Associate Director of Energy and Climate Change Consulting at Arup.
In Ho Chi Minh City, where public transport only represents 5 percent of total traffic, the number of delay minutes is forecast to increase by 620 percent over the next 30 years assuming no investments are made in transportation infrastructure, according to Arup analysis. Recent evidence suggest that the frequency, extent and severity of extreme weather events is increasing around the world exposing cities' transport infrastructure to more severe stresses and sudden shock events. According to the World Bank, around 26 percent of the city's population is currently affected by extreme storm events, but this share could climb to more than 60 percent by 2050. The study shows that intelligent systems that forecast and respond to the impact of damaging weather events on the transportation system can ensure that periods of disruption are minimized and long-term economic sustainability is not undermined.
"Asia's tremendous economic growth is leading to an ever increasing rate of urbanization with infrastructure playing catch-up. One way out of this dilemma is to make cities' infrastructure more intelligent: ranging from decentralized power generation, smart energy grids to intelligent traffic management systems," said Roland Busch, member of the Siemens AG managing board, in HCMC. Also, these solutions all come with the added benefit of making cities more resilient to extreme weather events, Busch added.
Siemens and the consulting firm Arup prepared the study, to show how intelligent infrastructure can assist cities in addressing the increased demand and at the same time offer better protection of their transport networks against extreme weather events.
Siemens has a broad portfolio for urban infrastructure that helps cities become more resilient and sustainable. Solutions like smart grids and software solutions for rail automation, traffic management, evacuation management and building management systems contribute the most to minimizing the impact of natural hazards primarily because intelligent automation of infrastructures is a key success factor in making systems more flexible and easier to control and coordinate.

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Smart Rail World
10 of the best (and most unusual) rail passenger information posters from around the world.

Rail and metro operators have long tried to influence their passenger behaviour, whether it be not holding the traindoors, dropping litter or being vigilant for criminal acts and the most popular way of communicating these messages have been through posters. The running of a network can be significantly disrupted by even minor passenger incidents. In London for example, according to figures from TfL in the Guardian there are on average 469 incidents involving litter leading to delays, with 81% caused by litter caught in train doors, while more than 1,000 passengers fell ill while travelling on the tube network. So even minor changes to passenger behaviour can make a major difference to service. Today SmartRail World Editor Luke Upton, runs down ten of the best, from the 1920s through to the present day. Let us know which one is your favourite or which we’ve missed (Editor@GlobalTransportForum.com) and we’ll add them in! We start off with 1. Toronto Transit Commission, Canada, 2010. (Original image here) - top right.

Read more »

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Hitachi to provide its CBTC system and train set for Sentosa Express
Hitachi has been awarded a S$30m ($23.03m) contract from Singapore's Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) for a new wireless signalling system and train set to improve the Sentosa Express light rail system.
Alstom delivers first Régiolis train to Pays de la Loire, France
French train manufacturer Alstom has delivered its first Régiolis next-generation regional train to the Pays de la Loire region, France.
Singapore LTA launches Bombardier's Innovia automated people mover vehicles
The Singapore Land Transit Authority (LTA) has launched its first two new Bombardier-built automated people mover (APM) vehicles into passenger service on the Bukit Panjang light rapid transit (LRT) system.
Spain's CAF to build eight additional trains for Metrorex
Spanish railway manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) has received a contract extension from rail operator Metrorex to delivery metro units for Bucharest, Romania.