Network Rail unveils £38bn railway transformation plan
Network Rail unveiled a five-year plan to invest £38bn in transforming the railways across the UK, boosting the country’s economy.
The plan for England and Wales will provide additional trains, more seats and bigger stations for millions of passengers, and reduce congestion across the country.
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Under the plan, the company will increase capacity across the north of England to accommodate hundreds of additional trains and 44 million more passengers. It will also create thousands of jobs.
Mali signs $11bn agreements with China for new rail projects
The Mali Government signed $11bn agreements with China to support two major railway projects, which will connect the country to the coast.
Signed during the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China, the agreements are likely to boost the country’s economy and help deliver better services, reported Reuters.
The first planned project worth $8bn is for a 900km-long railway link from Mali’s capital Bamako to Guinea’s port capital Conakry.
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By GlobalDataCalifornia receives clearance from court to proceed with $68bn bullet train project
The US state of California planned to proceed with the construction of its $68bn bullet train project after the state Supreme Court declined the appeal of a case filed by opponents of the project.
Los Angeles Times reported two Kings County and Central Valley landowners submitted an appeal in September to the Supreme Court questioning the financial plan of Speed Rail Authority.
The authority had already started the pre-construction activities on a 29-mile stretch between Avenue 17, Madera County to East American Avenue, Fresno County under the first construction package.
Mexico cancels $3.75bn high-speed rail project contract with China
Mexico scrapped the $3.75bn contract with China-led consortium for the construction of a high-speed passenger rail link between Mexico City and the central city of Queretaro.
The move came after the government was accused of favouring the group consisting of China Railway Construction Corporation and CSR Corporation. It was the only firm that submitted the bid for the tender to design, build, operate and maintain a 210km-long high-speed line.
Other bidders, including Siemens, Bombardier and Alstom, had requested for extension of the tender period.
Canada charges MM&A in Lac-Mégantic train derailment case
Canadian prosecutors charged Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway (MM&A) and three employees with criminal negligence causing death, in connection with the Lac-Mégantic train derailment case in July 2013.
The derailment involved 72 tankers carrying crude oil, which killed 47 people. It occurred after the train rolled downhill while parked on an uphill main line near Lac-Mégantic.
Of the three employees being charged, Thomas Harding was the driver of the train, while Richard Labrie was a MM&A controller and Jean Demaitre was the director of operations.
Russia suspends rail services to CIS countries
Russian Railways suspended its train services to Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan for a period of one year starting from 14 December.
The Federal Passenger Company, a unit of Russian Railways, said that this decision was taken due to unprofitable services.
A statement from the Russian Railways read: "The decision to cancel trains is due to a significant reduction in the volume of international traffic, which leads to inefficient use of rolling stock and locomotives."
Korea develops new vertically movable unmanned mini-tram
The Korea Railroad Research Institute introduced a new unmanned mini-tram that can be moved vertically with the help of an elevator.
The Korea Bizwire reported that the first trial run for the mini-tram took place at the institute’s head office in Euiwang in the southern outskirts of Seoul last week.
Powered by battery, the tram is said to be capable of travelling at a speed of 50km/h and can accommodate six passengers.
Bombardier launches new OMNEO Premium train
Bombardier launched its new OMNEO Premium train for intercity travel, which has been designed to deliver high comfort for both business and leisure passengers.
The new train features spacious double-deck cars with elegant interior design, wide reclining seats with individual armrests, footrest, reading lights and electric power supply.
Integrating Bombardier ECO4 technologies, such as the MITRAC permanent magnet motor, the air-conditioned train contributes to low noise and vibration levels, making it suitable for intercity services.
Sydney’s $2.1bn light rail contract awarded to ALTRAC Light Rail
Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) Transport awarded the $2.1bn CBD and South East Light Rail line to the ALTRAC Light Rail consortium, formerly named as Connecting Sydney.
The total cost of the 12km-long route with 20 light rail stops was previously estimated at $1.6bn.
The consortium will be responsible for the design, construction, services relocations, operation and maintenance of the project, as well as the operation and maintenance of the Inner West Light Rail network.
World Bank signs $1.1bn loan agreement for India’s Eastern DFC project
The Indian Government and World Bank signed a $1.1bn loan agreement for the second phase of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor in the northern part of the country.
The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (Eastern DFC) aims to provide faster and more efficient movement of raw materials and finished goods between the north and eastern parts of India.
The 1,839km-long Eastern DFC includes an electrified double-track segment of 1,392km-long between Dankuni in West Bengal and Khurja in Uttar Pradesh, India.
UK’s PAC reports DfT’s new train contracts left ‘taxpayers bearing all the risk’
The UK Department for Transport’s (DfT) decision to purchase two fleets of trains worth £10.5bn left ‘taxpayers bearing all the risk’, according to a report by the Public Accounts Committee.
The DfT awarded a £7.7bn contract to Hitachi-led consortium and £2.8bn to Siemens to deliver trains for the East Coast and Great Western lines, and Thameslink network respectively.
The report also said that the Intercity Express Programme was poorly managed and it is the review in 2010 that helped taxpayers not to be ‘badly ripped off’.
UK DfT awards East Coast rail franchise contract to Inter City Railways
UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) signed the £3.3bn East Coast rail franchise contract with Inter City Railways, a joint venture between Stagecoach Transport and Virgin.
The DfT selected Inter City Railways for the franchise in November this year.
This eight-year contract starting from 1 March 2015 will offer more seats, services and new trains to passengers between London and Edinburgh.
