Dear Readers,
We are pleased to be supporting the upcoming ARA High Speed Rail Conference which will take place from 16th to 17th October at the Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney, Australia.
High Speed Rail has brought significant environmental, social and economic benefits to communities across the world. It has been shown overseas that small travel time improvements can have a significant impact on increasing patronage and supporting the economies and communities of cities. However, High Speed Rail has been a hotly debated topic in Australia for over half a century and it is critical that there is a detailed, long term plan for such an ambitious project. With strong population growth, especially in our cities, and the costs of technology reducing, our public transport decisionmakers are increasingly focused on sustainable options. This forum will include updates on the latest developments and presentations from key decision-makers and technical experts on HSR.
For more information and to register to attend, visit: https://ara.net.au/events/upcoming/ara-high-speed-rail-conference-2024-211
Our Jobs of the Week this week are in Malaysia and China. In Malaysia, we are looking for a Deputy Project Manager (Rolling Stock) to work in Kuala Lumpur and in China, we are looking for a Product Support Engineer to work for a global railway infrastructure equipment and technology company.
Best Regards,
Rail Personnel
Rail News
25 September 2024. InnoTrans. 10-elephant tram for Berlin tramway trunk line on show at InnoTrans
Alstom is showing a nine-section version of the Flexity Berlin family which with a length of 50·89 m – or, as is marked out along the floor, 10 elephants – is the longest tram ordered by the capital’s public transport operator BVG. Branded Urbanliner by BVG, the trams will be used to increase capacity on Route M4 from Hackescher Markt to Falkenberg and Zingster Strasse, which carries up to 18 trams/direction/h and around 100,000 passengers/day.
Source: Metro Report International
24 September 2024. Australia. Suburban Rail Loop TBMs en route
The first four tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for the Victorian Government’s Suburban Rail Loop have now been ordered. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny also announced Herrenknecht – one of the world’s leading TBM manufacturers – is the preferred contractor to supply the TBMs that will drill 16km of twin tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
24 September 2024. United Kingdom. GB Rail freight unveils hybrid Class 99 locomotive
GB Rail freight (GBRf) will be unveiling its new hybrid Class 99 locomotive at InnoTrans in Berlin on today (Wednesday 25 September), signalling a significant leap forward in decarbonising the UK’s rail freight industry. The new Class 99s are expected to reduce emissions by up to 58% per journey compared to the industry norm (the Class 66s) and are being offered exclusively to GBRf customers as a new solution for the sustainable movement of goods across the UK.
Source: Rail UK
24 September 2024. Switzerland. Frequentis to replace SBB communication system
Swiss Federal Railways has selected Frequentis to supply and maintain technology to replace its current dispatching system and manage communications for more than 11 000 trains per day. The IMS Service BTA platform is intended to enhance communications between control centres, staff and emergency teams, ensuring smoother operations across the network. It will use Frequentis’ FTS3020 Release 6 product and will be implemented as a fully software-based system.
Source: Metro Report International
24 September 2024. United Kingdom.LNER Unveils ‘Our Planet’ Train
LNER has named a train ‘Our Planet’ as part of its commitment to more sustainable travel. The livery has been applied using a partially bio-based material, the first train in the UK rail industry to do so. LNER has reduced its carbon emissions by 47 percent since the launch of its fleet of Azuma trains in 2019. It has also announced its intention to use some of the most environmentally sustainable products and materials available on the market to apply liveries to future trains, marking another key milestone in its commitment to becoming a net-zero business by 2045.
Source: Rail Technology Magazine
24 September 2024. Germany. Siemens Mobility launches “Signalling X”
Siemens Mobility launched the product at InnoTrans in Berlin. German multinational Siemens Mobility has launched a new cloud-based system for signalling across mainline and metro rail systems. Signalling X is an extension of the other “X” portfolio products launched by Siemens over the past two years. It will digitise the end-to-end signalling ecosystem in order to allow for the expected doubling of passenger capacity demand by 2050.
Source: Railway Technology
24 September 2024. InnoTrans. Daejeon hydrogen tram on show at InnoTrans
Hyundai Rotem is displaying its prototype hydrogen fuel cell tram at InnoTrans 2024 in Berlin. It was developed as part of a national research and development project launched in 2021 by Hyundai Rotem, Korea Institute for the Advancement of Technology, Korea Railroad Research Institute, Korea Automobile Research Centre, and Ulsan Tecno Park. The Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy provided 28·2bn won contribution to the 42·4bn won project.
Source: Metro Report International
23 September 2024. Vietnam. North-South HSR project gets approved in Vietnam
The Government of Vietnam has approved the North-South high-speed railway (HSR) project, a key infrastructure development aimed at boosting the country’s socio-economic landscape. The 1,500 km railway will connect Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with a design speed of 350 km/hr, mainly for passenger transport, with the option to carry light cargo. The project is expected to lower logistics costs, enhance transportation, reduce traffic accidents, and contribute to environmental protection. The project is expected to be completed in 2035.
Source: Southeast Asia Infrastructure
21 September 2024. Mexico. Alstom Delivers First Long Distance Tren Maya Train
Alstom has delivered the first long-distance train for the Tren Maya project in Mexico. These trains aim to provide passengers with enhanced safety, comfort, and modern amenities for day and night travel. The Long-Distance Train (P’atal) offers reclining seats and multi-functional cabins that transform from daytime spaces for work and relaxation into comfortable sleeping bunks at night. The train also features a restaurant car and a cafeteria car, giving passengers various dining options during their journey.
Source: Railway News
20 September 2024. Italy. Alstom Announces €63 Million Investment in Italy
Alstom has announced a 63 million EUR investment plan for its operations in Italy from 2024 to 2026. This investment underscores Alstom’s commitment to economic growth, technological innovation, and environmental sustainability in the country. The investment will impact all nine of Alstom’s sites across Italy.
Source: Railway News
20 September 2024. Australia. Contract awarded for Parramatta Light Rail
Construction on Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 is set to commence in 2025, with a contract signed for the first phase of the project. The $322 million contract was awarded to John Holland Pty Ltd to deliver the construction of the first 1.3km of new light rail alignment, including a 320m bridge over the Parramatta River. New artist’s impression images have been released showing the bridge between Melrose Park and Wentworth Point that will carry buses, light rail, and people walking and cycling over the Parramatta River.
Source: Infrastructure Magazine
Job of the Week
Deputy Project Manager, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Job ID#: 14943
Discipline: Rolling Stock
Language: English
Job Description
Our client is seeking an experienced engineer for the position of Deputy Project Manager to work on their contract for Locomotive and Wagon Manufacturing and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO). This role is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and will report to the Senior Project Manager.
The Deputy Project Manager is responsible for assisting the Senior Project Manager in managing all aspects of projects related to locomotive and wagon manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul to ensure quality and achieve project success.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead project execution ensuring adherence to quality standards, safety regulations, and contractual requirements.
- Implement strategies to mitigate project risks and address issues promptly to maintain project momentum.
- Provide clear direction, guidance, and support to project team members, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
- Maintain accurate and comprehensive project documentation, including project plans, schedules, budgets, meeting minutes, and correspondence.
- Ensure project documentation is organized, accessible, and archived appropriately for future reference and audit purposes.
- Identify, assess, and manage project risks to minimize potential impact on project objectives.
- Establish quality control measures and standards to ensure project deliverables meet or exceed client expectations.
- Conduct regular quality inspections and audits to verify compliance with quality requirements and standards.
- Implement corrective actions to address quality issues and prevent reoccurrence.
- Identify cost-saving opportunities and implement cost-control measures to optimize project profitability.
Job Requirements
- Degree in Electrical and Electronics/Mechanical Engineering
- Good appreciation of the constraints and interface requirements of electrical and mechanical work
- Strong project management and leadership skills with a proven track record
- Hands-on experience in trains assembly and trains remanufacturing
- Experience in providing communication & instruction for Electrical Engineer/Supervisors
- Experience in production control and coordination of electrical task to achieve the target date/hours.
- Experience managing supply chain and ensure material delivery is maintained.
- Experience in ensuring QA compliance and control.
- Good communication and presentation skills
- A team player who is analytical, resourceful and result-oriented
Contact: David Hyland (davidh@railpersonnel.com)
Product Support Engineer, Wuhan, China
Job ID#: 14930
Discipline: Permanent Way
Language: English / Mandarin
Job Description:
Our client is a global railway infrastructure equipment and technology company and they are seeking a Product Support Engineer to be based in China and reporting to the Technical Director based in the UK.
The person can be based anywhere in China and can work from home or from the client's offices in Wuhan.
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 RESULT AREAS:
- Provide technical advice, guidance and training to the sales team, contractors, test organisations 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: Renee Wade (renee@railpersonnel.com)
