Dear Readers
We are pleased to be supporting the 4th Annual Rail Modernization Summit 2025 which will take place on 2nd April 2025 at the Welcome Hotel, Dwarka, New Delhi, India.
The Rail Modernization Summit 2024 will be a pivotal event in shaping the future of India’s railways, ensuring they remain competitive and continue to drive economic growth while keeping pace with global standards. This summit serves as an ideal platform for industry experts, government officials, policymakers, and innovators to come together and discuss the transformation of India's railways into a future-ready, efficient, and sustainable transportation system.
For more information and to register to attend, visit: https://rail.traiconevents.com/
We have 2x exciting Jobs of the Week this week. In Malaysia, we are looking for a Systems Assurance Engineer and in China, we are looking for a Product Support Engineer.
Best Regards
Rail Personnel
Rail News
MANILA, Philippines - To accelerate the completion of major infrastructure projects, President Marcos has endorsed the creation of a right-of-way (ROW) office under the Office of the President to streamline land acquisition process. During a meeting at Malacañang on Thursday, the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Infrastructure Sector recommended the move, citing ROW as a major hurdle delaying projects due to legal disputes, court backlogs, and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Source: PhilStar Global
The Birmingham Eastside Metro Extension project reached another significant milestone with the installation of the switch and crossing infrastructure for its temporary terminus outside the Clayton Hotel yesterday (Thursday 20 March). This key piece of infrastructure is one of the final elements of the track to be delivered in the current phase of work and will pave the way for testing and commissioning of the extended tramway in the coming months.
Source: Rail UK
Brightline West has secured 2.5 billion USD in senior subordinated private activity bonds to support the development of its high-speed rail project connecting Southern California and Las Vegas. The bonds are part of the 5.5 billion USD in tax-exempt private activity bond volume cap allocations granted by the United States Department for the project. Orrick served as bond counsel to the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank and the Director of the State of Nevada Department of Business and Industry in connection with the financing.
Source: Railway News
21 March 2025. Africa. CCECC to invest $1.4bn to revitalize Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority
The concession structure includes a three-year phase for construction and rehabilitation, followed by 27 years of full operational management. The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) is set to receive an investment of more than $1.4bn from the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for the revitalization of its railway infrastructure and operations. This announcement was made by TAZARA Managing Director and CEO Eng. Bruno Ching’andu at the Zambia International Mining and Energy Conference (ZIMEC 2025) in Kitwe, Zambia.
Source: Railway Technology
20 March 2025. Philippines. Metro Manila Subway to commence partial operations by 2032
The PHP488 billion Metro Manila Subway is unlikely to be completed within the expected timeline, with partial operations projected for 2032 in the Philippines. Right-of-way issues have delayed the project, with expropriation and subterranean land cases being the only exceptions. While the government would push for progress, opening a single station before 2028 would be difficult. A legal opinion from the DOJ ruled that the Right-of-Way Act prevails over international loan agreements, affecting the subway, NSCR, and LRT-1 Cavite Extension.
Source: Southeast Asia Infrastructure
20 March 2025. Kazakhstan. Astana light metro train production underway
Production of 19 four-car trainsets for Astana’s future elevated light metro line is underway at the CRRC Tangshan plant in China.
The 60 m long 1 520 mm gauge trainsets will have a capacity of more than 600 passengers at 6/m2. They will be equipped for GoA4 unmanned automatic operation at a maximum speed of 80 km/h. Noise-reduction features will include large-diameter wheels, and an electric heating system will prevent the windows fogging up during sudden temperature changes.
Source: Metro Report International
20 March 2025. Japan. Advanced EMUs refresh the Tobu fleet
Tobu Railway put its first Series 80000 EMU into revenue service on the Urban Park Line on March 9. The route serves the northern and eastern parts of the Tokyo metropolitan area, linking Ōmiya in Saitama prefecture with Funabashi in Chiba via Kashiwa. Opened in 1930 as the Noda Line, the 62·7 km, partially single-track route is 1 067 mm gauge and electrified at 1·5 kV DC. Kinki Sharyo is supplying 25 Series 80000 trainsets, which are intended to operate as five-car formations.
Source: Railway Gazette International
Job of the Week
System Assurance Engineer, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Job ID#: 14970
Discipline: Rolling Stock
Language: English
Job Description:
Our client is Malaysia's leading railway rolling stocks maintenance and engineering services provider serving the ASEAN region and beyond. They have been awarded two major contracts; one to do the mid-life refurbishment of vehicles supplied by Siemens for Line 1 of the Kuala Lumpur Metro and the other to refurbish locomotives and wagons for the Malaysian Railways and to then maintain them.
They are looking for an experienced Systems Assurance Engineer to join their team doing the midlife refurbishment of the Siemens trains being used on Line 1 of the Kuala Lumpur Metro.
Our client would prefer a Malaysian Engineer but will consider overseas candidates.
Job Requirements:
- Degree qualified
- Minimum 10 years of experience in systems assurance in rolling stock with experience in RAMS, reliability engineering, and safety assurance
- Malaysian preferred
Contact: David Hyland (davidh@railpersonnel.com)
Product Support Engineer, Wuhan, China
Job ID#: 14930
Discipline: Permanent Way
Language: Mandarin, English
Job Description:
Our client is a global railway infrastructure equipment and technology company. They are seeking a Product Support Engineer 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 the client's offices in Wuhan. Candidates must already be based in China to be considered for this role.
JOB PURPOSE:
- To support the company's operating companies and other agencies by dealing with technical inquiries for the use of the company's products, assessing technical inquiries for the use of the company's products about 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 organizations, and end users of products, concerning 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 concerning 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 can 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)
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