8 February 2022, Volume 2, Issue 1

Dear Readers

Don't forget to register to attend this month's Aus Rail Plus taking place at the International Convention Centre in Sydney, Australia from 28 February - 2 March. To register, visit https://www.ausrail.com/

Also, New Zealand Rail has been postponed until 10-11 October 2022 and will take place at The Hilton in Auckland. For details, visit: https://www.informa.com.au/event/conference/transport-logistics/new-zealand-rail/

We have 3x Jobs of the Week this week. In Israel, we're looking for a Foremen (Team Manager) and Overhead Linesmen and in Brisbane, we are looking for a Delivery Manager to manage the delivery of ETCS.

Regards

Rail Personnel

This Week's Highlights

5 February 2022. Canada. Chinese coaches arrive in Montreal

The first two of 44 double-deck coaches which Montréal city region transport agency Exo has ordered from Chinese manufacturer CRRC Tangshan are expected to be delivered during February.

Source: Railway Gazette International

4 February 2022. Australia. Contract awarded for Inland Rail concrete sleepers

Source: Infrastructure Magazine

4 February 2022. Israel. Tel Aviv light rail Green Line preferred bidder selected

Source: Metro Report International

Jobs of the Week:

Foreman(Team Manager), Yehoshua, Israel

Job ID#: 13410

Discipline: Overhead Line Construction

Language:

Positions Available: 2

Job Description:

All candidates should have their experience in OCS with the European form (TSI).

The Client will pay all living expenses (house rent, food, transport, communication etc.), as well as relocation expenses.

Job Requirements

At least 7 years of experience working as a Foreman on overhead line construction

Contact: David Hyland (davidh@railpersonnel.com)

Overhead Linesman, Yehoshua, Israel

Job ID#: 13412

Discipline: Overhead Line Construction

Language:

Positions Available: 5

Job Description:

Our client has been awarded a framework contract with Israel Railways for 5 years for the construction of new overhead lines, maintenance and electrification of existing ones and are looking for 5 Linesmen for the OCS wagons to work on this contract starting in April to do OCS installation. All candidates should have their experience in OCS with the European form (TSI). The Client will pay all living expenses (house rent, food, transport, communication etc.), as well as relocation expenses.

Job Requirements

At least 5 years of experience working as a Linesman on overhead work doing OCS installation

Contact: David Hyland (davidh@railpersonnel.com)

Delivery Manager, Brisbane, Australia

Job ID#: 13415

Discipline: Signalling

Position Type: Permanent

Language: English

Job Description:

The purpose of this senior position is to manage the strategy and operations of delivery activities of ETCS and manages the Construction Lead, Business Readiness & operational Readiness Lead, Signalling Project Manager, Telecoms and rolling stock project Manager. Responsibilities include:

- Manage a diverse program of works to enable implementation of ETCS operations including all infrastructure, interface and systems components;

- Lead the project delivery teams on various ETCS groups;

- Proven skills in delivering of interdisciplinary high performing teams;

- Oversee the planning and delivery of the allocated program of works;

- Monitor cash flow and work quality to ensure budgetary and quality compliance;

- Ensure safety culture and assume safety complialnce against frameworks;

- Finalise the completion of projects and collaboration and shutdown.

Job Requirements

Candidates must be able to demonstrate experience in Australia;

* relevant engineering qualification

* proven Level of operational project management skills and proven experience in delivery of high complex projects, over $100M.

* strong calibre to lead and manage the deliverables of interdisciplinary high performing teams;

* demonstrated knowledge of developing and maintaining a safety first culture;

Contact: David Hyland (davidh@railpersonnel.com)

Rail News

5 February 2022. Canada. Chinese coaches arrive in Montreal

The first two of 44 double-deck coaches which Montréal city region transport agency Exo has ordered from Chinese manufacturer CRRC Tangshan are expected to be delivered during February. They will undergo minor finishing work and inspection at the Pointe-Saint-Charles maintenance depot, followed by an extensive programme of testing. Exo expects to take delivery of further coaches this year, with entry into service planned for early 2023. The coaches were designed to Exo’s requirements for its commuter routes and have 147 seats. The final 10 cars are undergoing ‘adjustments’ to be accessible to passengers with reduced mobility, and will follow at a later date for entry into service in 2024.

Source: Railway Gazette International

4 February 2022. Australia. Contract awarded for Inland Rail concrete sleepers

A contract has been awarded for the manufacturing of 1.3 million concrete sleepers needed to complete the construction of the massive Inland Rail project. The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has signed contracts worth $143 million with Austrak, one of Australia’s largest manufacturers of railway sleepers, to supply sleepers for the Inland Rail project. Around 95 workers, including 30 new positions supported by this contract commitment, will manufacture the sleepers at Austrak’s sites in Rockhampton and Wagga Wagga. Austrak has already provided around 225,000 sleepers for the Narrabri to North Star section of Inland Rail. The 1.3 million sleepers under the new contract will be used to upgrade existing track and complete new sections of rail from Albury in New South Wales through to the Inland Rail end point in Queensland.

Source: Infrastructure Magazine

4 February 2022. Israel. Tel Aviv light rail Green Line preferred bidder selected

Tel Aviv urban transport project promoter NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit Systems has selected the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Tramway consortium of Alstom, bus operator Dan Transportation and infrastructure contractor Electra to finance, design, built, operate and maintain the light rail Green Line. The north – south line will be 39 km long with 63 stops, including 6 km and four stops underground. Two southern branches will start at Agricultural Center and at Moshe Dayan in the city of Rishon LeZion, which is expected to be a major source of traffic, and join at HaNesi’im in Holon to run through central Tel Aviv as far as Einstein Street, where the line will divide into the two northern branches terminating at Herzliya and Neve Sharet. Work is scheduled to start within 12 months of contract signing, with the line expected to open in 2027. The consortium will operate the line for 25 years.

Source: Metro Report International

3 February 2022. UK. GB Railfreight boosts sustainability by trialling new battery powered locomotive

GB Railfreight (GBRf) has taken delivery of a Class 18 hybrid+ shunting locomotive as part of a three-month trial with Beacon Rail Leasing, marking the latest expansion of its growing fleet. As GBRf looks towards the future of its assets, the shunting locomotive will enable low noise and zero emissions, demonstrating a clear contribution to the challenge of meeting the UK’s net zero carbon targets. The locomotive was delivered to Whitemoor on Tuesday 1 February, where it will undergo a series of testing to understand its capabilities and performance. Manufactured by Clayton Equipment Ltd, the Class 18 is powered by an onboard battery that provides emissions-free operation where charging facilities are available, or through a regenerative braking system. When challenges with range or operation occur, an efficient onboard Stage V compliant engine can be utilised to increase the locomotives running time.

Source: Rail UK

1 February 2022. UK. HS2 engineers working on digital twin for new high speed rail network

HS2’s infrastructure will be fitted with real time monitoring sensors, the project team announced last month. The data from these sensors will not only inform the construction method and performance of the line but will also be used to create a virtual reality 3D replica of HS2. Rails, bridges and overhead power lines, among other objects, will be fitted with real time monitoring sensors similar to those used in Formula One racing and aviation. The data collected will be analysed by HS2 engineers and maintenance staff at the Birmingham-based Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC) at Washwood Heath.

Source: Railtech.com

1 February 2022. Latvia. Latvian Railways to invest 4.5 billion euros in infrastructure

Latvian Railways has developed a concept for infrastructure development until 2035, with electrification, increasing train speed and improving safety. The total estimated cost of all railway infrastructure development projects could amount to 4.5 billion euros by 2035. Chairman of the Board Māris Kleinbergs: “We expect that after the end of the pandemic, the intensity of passenger transport could quickly recover and even exceed the current levels, and in Latvia this trend will be facilitated by extensive modernization of railway infrastructure launched by LDz, replacement of the current, obsolete passenger rolling stock with new, comfortable trains, and implementation of the Rail Baltica project.”

Source: Railtech.com

31 January 2022. Australia. Major rail, road flooding in SA causes freight delays

Heavy rainfall and flooding has damaged railways and roads in South Australia, leading to a halt in all rail movements between the state, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. A Declaration of a Major Emergency was made by South Australian State Emergency Services (SASES) after an assessment of the damage and the impact on nearby towns. Major highways, along with significant areas of the Trans-Australian railway were flooded, preventing the transport of essential food and goods to the South Australian town of Coober Pedy. SASES Chief Officer, Chris Beattie, said that the township of Coober Pedy has been isolated for several days due to rainfall and flooding of the highway.

Source: Infrastructure Magazine

27 January 2022. USA. Proposed Peoria Amtrak route unveiled. Here are the next steps to restore train travel

As part of the effort to bring passenger rail back to Peoria, city officials this week unveiled a proposed route connecting Peoria to Chicago. It would stay west of the Illinois River, following the curve of the river to make stops in LaSalle-Peru and Ottawa before heading to Morris, Joliet and finally Chicago. But a push to bring Amtrak passenger rail is still in its early stages, as Peoria launched a 10-question public survey asking citizens their opinions on restoring rail service. Data collected through April will be used to show federal and state officials — who would be asked to provide the bulk of the money for any route — whether the idea is viable.

Source: Journal Star

25 January 2022. UK. HS2’s next stop will be Manchester

Britain’s HS2 high-speed rail project will be debated in parliament shortly. A proposal has been laid before the House of Commons, the start of the official procedure for finalising the project into an Act of Parliament. The Bill (the parliamentary proposal for debate) proposes for extension from Birmingham to join the busy West Coast Main Line at Crewe, and for a line to run to Manchester, with a terminus in the city centre, adjacent to the existing Piccadilly station, possibly on the site of the former Mayfield goods terminal.

Source: Railtech.com

24 January 2022. USA. High-Speed Las Vegas Train Back On Track As U.S. Reviews L.A. Extension

Brightline, the only private passenger rail company in the U.S., could begin construction of its high-speed train from Las Vegas by early 2023 as U.S. regulators start reviewing an extension that would connect it to a Los Angeles suburb. The review focuses on a 49-mile section of Brightline West, the planned service, in California’s Cajon Pass by the Transportation Department’s Federal Rail Administration, the agency said. That segment of the railway, starting in Rancho Cucamonga, would run at speeds of up to 180 mph and connect to a previously approved 216-mile portion from California’s Victor Valley to Las Vegas (speeds on that segment will be up to 200 mph). The assessment could be completed by this November, allowing Brightline to finally begin construction of the project, with an aim of launching passenger rail service in 2026.

Source: Forbes

19 January 2022. Former SpaceX engineers to reinvent rail with platooning wagons

Parallel Systems, a company founded by former SpaceX engineers, has raised nearly 47 million euros in funding. With individually powered, autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles, freight can be transported in a flexible way. The funds that the start-up collected will be used to build a fleet of rail vehicles, execute advanced testing programs and grow the team. The company – in their own words – came out of stealth mode on Wednesday, and has revealed their innovative plans.

Source: Railtech.com

19 January 2022. Sweden. Snälltåget launches seasonal night trains to Austria

Swedish private operator Snälltåget will run direct night trains to the Alps during the winter season 2022. On 28 January, the first train will depart. Aimed primarily at people making ski trips, the night train departs on Fridays for five weeks from Malmö via Høje Taastrup outside Copenhagen, Odense and Kolding and arrives in the Austrian Alpine metropolises on Saturday morning. In addition to direct trains to the popular Zell am See, there will also be bus connections to additional ski resorts in Austria. The return journey takes place a week later on Saturday evening, with arrival in Denmark and Sweden on Sunday.

Source: Railtech.com

19 January 2022. China. Vossloh wins Chinese order to supply zero-emission grinding trains

Vossloh will deliver three high-speed grinding machines to China. These are the world’s first emission-free grinding machines, according to the supplier. Vossloh was awarded a contract for the supply of three high-speed grinding trains (HSG-city) for use in the metro network of the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen at the beginning of this year. By coupling to the electric traction unit, the newly developed grinding train draws its power from the conductor rail and can therefore be operated emission-free.

Source: Railtech.com

18 January 2022. Denmark. Copenhagen S-train starts using CBTC signalling

Banedanmark has taken the digital train control system CBTC into use on Copenhagen’s S-train. More than half of the S-tog now runs with the new digital signalling system. Last weekend, the first trip with CBTC, the latest generation of signaling systems for urban lines, was made in Denmark’s capital Copenhagen on the S-train (S-tog). Here, Banedanmark took the new system into use between Nordhavn in the north and resp. Carlsberg and Sydhavn in the south via Copenhagen Central Station, through which most S-train lines pass.

Source: Railtech.com

18 January 2022. UK. Elizabeth line on track to open in the first half of 2022

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that the Elizabeth line is on track to open in the first half of this year. TFL is coming to the end of the first phase of its Trial Operations ahead of starting the next phase including large-scale exercises across the new railway – a crucial step ahead of the Elizabeth line opening. Major progress was made towards completing new line over Christmas with planned upgrades taking place and work continuing at the two state-of-the-art new stations still to be handed over to TfL.

Source: Rail UK

16 January 2022. Qatar. Preliminary tram services start in 2022 World Cup host city

Earlier this month, Qatar Rail entered into preview service the first line of the new tram network in the planned city of Lusail, which will play host to the 2022 FIFA World Cup later this year. The so-called Orange line calls at six stations for the time being. Qatar Rail uses Alstom’s Citadis X05 trams. Each unit seats 64 passengers for a total of 209 travellers. The cars are fitted with USB sockets and screens for travel information. Travellers can use the Doha Metro Travel Cards on the Lusail tram network. Passengers have to check in and check out again, in similar fashion to the system that is in place in the Netherlands.

Source: Railtech.com

13 January 2022. India. Larsen & Toubro wins new contract for India’s first high-speed railway line

Contractor Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has won its third contract related to the construction of India’s first high-speed railway, several media outlets reported last week. The latest package will see the engineering and construction division of the Indian conglomerate build an 8-kilometre double track section of the Mumbai – Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) in Gujarat state. The section awarded under the MAHSR C-5 package by India’s National High Speed Rail Corporation runs through the city of Vadodara, of the stops along the line between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. As such, bridges and viaducts are included in the scope of the contract, which is valued at some more than 300 million dollar. The section is expected to be completed within 49 months.

Source: Railtech.com