Dear Readers
We are pleased to be supporting the New Zealand Rail Conference 2024 which will take place on the 16th to 17th October 2024 at the Aotea Centre in Auckland, New Zealand. The New Zealand Rail Conference continues to build in significance and is the key meeting place for the growing New Zealand rail industry. The 2024 event will provide leading edge content, project and policy updates from key industry speakers, showcase the latest technology and innovation for the industry at the exhibition and facilitate quality networking opportunities to meet with established & new industry contacts.
For more information and to register to attend, visit: https://www.informa.com.au/event/conference/transport-logistics/new-zealand-rail/
Our job of the Week this week is in China where we are looking for an Applications & Support Engineer to work for a global railway infrastructure equipment and technology company.
Best Regards
Rail Personnel
Rail News
28 August 2024. Australia High-Speed Rail investigation works begin
The High Speed Rail Authority (HRSA) has begun geotechnical investigations to determine the locations for the high-speed rail network that will connect cities and regional communities across the east coast. Nearly thirty boreholes are being drilled in New South Wales to support the business case being developed for the first stage linking Sydney and Newcastle. Sydney and Newcastle are the two largest cities in New South Wales, and the first stage will create a fast, reliable and regular link across this corridor.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
27 August 2024. Australia. Testing underway for Perth’s new metro line
The first test train has hit the tracks on the METRONET Morely-Ellenbrook line, marking the start of an extensive testing and commissioning program. The METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line will be the largest public transport project delivered in Perth since the Mandurah Line was opened by the Western Australia Government more than 16 years ago. The project has seen 21km of new rail line constructed, including 150,000 sleepers and 96,000 tonnes of ballast, and five new stations constructed in Morley, Noranda, Ballajura, Whiteman Park, and Ellenbrook.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
27 August 2024. United Kingdom. Alstom Completes Dynamic ETCS Testing on UK Passenger Train
Alstom has completed dynamic European Train Control System (ETCS) testing on Govia Thameslink Railway’s Great Northern Class 387/1 passenger train in the UK. This milestone advances progress on introducing digital in-cab signalling to the UK’s East Coast Main Line. The dynamic testing involved retrofitting the Class 387/1 unit 387101 with the ETCS. This train is part of the widely used Electrostar family of commuter units, manufactured by Alstom between 1999 and 2017.
Source: Railway News
27 August 2024. Sweden. Alstom delivers first new trams for Gothenburg network
The rolling stock manufacturer will deliver 60 of the longer trams to the city between now and 2026.Alstom has delivered the first vehicle in a fleet of new trams for public transit company Västtrafik for use on the tram network in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. The first of the 60 M34 trams, built at an Alstom factory in Bautzen, Germany, was delivered to a depot in Rantorget, Gothenburg ahead of its entry into service by Västtrafik in December.
Source: Railway Technology
27 August 2024. China. Two sections of Foshan Line 3 open on the same day
On August 23 Foshan Metro opened a 5·8 km extension of its Line 3 north from Zhen’an to Zhongshan Park, to the east of Foshan main line station which is currently closed for rebuilding as part of the Guangzhou – Zhanjiang high speed line project. The metro extension adds four stations in the city centre, including a second interchange on the Guangfo Line at Guicheng. On the same day, a separate 16·4 km segment of Line 3 with nine stations opened from Lianhe, to the west of Foshan main line station, running via Foshan Xi high-speed station north to Foshan University.
Source: Railway Gazette
26 August 2024. India. Indian Railways to fast-track Kavach ATP installation
Following a series of serious train collisions in recent months, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has instructed Indian Railway officials to accelerate the implementation of the Kavach automatic train protection system. According to an IR report, the work is to be undertaken in a ‘structured mission mode’, with ATP to be installed on 44 000 km of track over the next five years. The programme will use the latest version, Kavach 4.0, which was formally approved by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation on July 17 and presented to Vaishnaw in early August.
Source: Railway Gazette
22 August 2024. United Kingdom. HS1 Achieves ISO 55001 Certification
High Speed 1 (HS1) has achieved the ISO 55001 certification, an internationally recognised standard for asset management. This standard sets the framework for ensuring the long-term safety and efficient operation of the high-speed railway and its stations. The certification covers the 109 km high-speed line and its four stations, including St Pancras International. This is currently the UK’s only high-speed line, spanning between St Pancras in London and the Channel Tunnel.
Source: Railway-News
Job of the Week
Applications and Support Engineer, Wuhan, China (Hybrid)
Job ID#: 14930
Discipline: Permanent Way
Language: English
Job Description
Our client is a global railway infrastructure equipment and technology company and they are seeking an Applications and Support Engineer to be based in China and reporting to the Technical Director based in the UK.
Job Purpose
- To support the company's operating companies and other agencies by dealing with technical enquiries for the use of the company's products, assessing technical enquiries for the use of the company's products in relation to commercial/in-service requests and supporting contractors building railways and manufacturers of sleepers, switches & crossings, etc.
Key Results Area
- Provide technical advice, guidance and training to the sales team, contractors, test organizations and end users of products, with respect to the product and any equipment necessary for the installation, extraction and general use of these fastenings' products.
- Contribute to the development and evaluation of hand tools, sleeper mould plates, gauges and other ancillary equipment, requesting other Technical Department resources as necessary.
- Advise the client's companies using the e-form database on technical suitability and availability of existing designs that are compliant with customer requirements and are safe and fit for purpose. Composing specification compliance statements as required in response to customer specifications submitted.
- Identify aspects of customer requirements that are not met by existing systems so that new product design work can be initiated, preparing design inputs and sketches for the Design / Drawing office.
- Compilation of necessary design calculations as technical justification of new or existing fastening assembly designs. Become proficient in the use of in-house design and calculation software.
- Review and check drawings with respect to function and applicability to customer requirements and pass them on for final approval.
Job Requirements
Strong engineering background with a strong working knowledge of railway permanent way engineering.
- Fluent local speaker, ideally a local, to understand the local thinking
- Have excellent spoken and written English
- Need to be of a standing that will be taken seriously at a senior level
- Excellent communicator at all levels and be able to communicate with people at all levels, inside and outside the company.
- Not afraid to get their hands dirty from time to time.
- Prepared to undertake extensive travel.
Contact: Jackie Hendry (jackie@railpersonnel.com)
