Oman plans to begin construction of $15bn rail network in 2014
Oman is planning work on the first phase of its $15bn 2,244km rail network in 2014, transportation ministry assistant director-general Salim bin Said bin Salim Alami has announced.
Speaking on the sidelines of a rail conference, Alami was quoted by Reuters as saying: "We expect the works will start in 2014 and in the fourth quarter, the first segment starts."
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Oman Railway Co, which has been created to handle management and operations of the country’s railway system, expects to complete the contract awarding for different project packages, along with the project management consultancy contract, by the fourth quarter of next year.
Funded by the government and expected to be fully operational by 2018, the rail network would link Buraimi, bordering the UAE, to six major settlements in Oman, including Sohar.
Turkish State Railways opens Marmaray rail tunnel in Istanbul
The 13km-long Marmaray rail tunnel in Istanbul has been opened by the Turkish State Railways for revenue services, which links rapid transit lines between Asia and Europe.
The new $4bn rail tunnel, which commenced work in 2005, runs almost 200ft below the Bosporus seabed and is claimed to be one of the biggest transport infrastructure projects in the world.
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By GlobalDataThe new underwater railway tunnel will allow trains to operate at intervals of two minutes and transport up to 75,000 passengers per hour, easing traffic congestion and environmental impact in the city.
Amtrak to field test new long-distance cars this winter
Amtrak is expected to commence field testing of its new-distance passenger rail cars in the final quarter of 2013, as production of the first rail cars units nears completion.
Currently being built under a $298.1m order, the new long-distance cars are set to replace the existing US fleet and fill the gap that will be created after old cars, manufactured in the 1940s and 1950s, will be decommissioned.
Around 130 single-level long distance passenger rail cars, which include 25 sleepers, 25 diners, 25 baggage/dormitory and 55 baggage, will be constructed and may be operated on eastern routes, such as Lake Shore Limited, Cardinal, Crescent and Silver Service. The baggage cars are likely to be used across the US.
During the field test, one each of the sleeper, diner and baggage/dormitory cars will be evaluated.
UK to roll out improved high-speed mobile broadband on trains
The UK’s rail network is set to roll out expanded and improved high-speed mobile broadband technology on busy routes, to improve the train experience for customers.
Nearly 70% of passengers using the rail network will benefit from the new technology by 2019, with the public estimated to start noticing improvements to their journey in 2015.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said passengers deserve to have the best mobile technology.
"Be it hardworking commuters preparing for the day on their journey into work or leisure travellers making final plans for their weekend away, today’s announcement marks the beginning of the end of poor coverage on our railways," McLoughlin added.
Panama Metro Line 1 nears completion
Spanish infrastructure company FCC announced that the $1.8bn Panama Metro Line 1, Central America’s first metro and the ninth in Latin America, is now more than 90% complete.
A consortium comprising of FCC, Brazilian construction company Odebrecht and Alstom, revealed that dynamic testing is currently underway along the 14km route.
Dynamic testing allows the examination of all operational components concerning the circulation of the vehicles.
At present, the works are focused on conducting the required testing for all equipment and systems currently deployed, including catenaries and railways.
Siemens unveils prototype of Inspiro train for London Underground
German engineering firm Siemens has unveiled a full-sized train prototype featuring a smaller-profile body for the London Underground.
The prototype, which is built on the company’s existing Inspiro family, features air-conditioning, wide gangways, a smaller-profile body and an option for fully-automated operation. It is expected to cost £1m per carriage.
The prototype was produced by Curvature Group and the industrial design was overseen by Atlantic Design.
Designed to run automatically without the support of a driver, the train will feature LED lighting, onboard tanks with a phase-changing polymer. It is 30% more energy-efficient and 20% lighter than similar trains worldwide.
National Express shortlisted for German rail contract
UK-based intercity coach operator National Express has been shortlisted for a £1.7bn contract to operate the Berlin Ringbahn, the rail line of the Berlin S-Bahn around the city of Berlin, Germany.
The value of the contract is estimated to be around €2bn over a period of 15 years.
The Berlin Ringbahn railway line is currently operated by Deutsche Bahn.
India, Japan ink MoU to conduct feasibility study for 534km rail project
The Indian Government has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Japan to jointly carry out a feasibility study of the 534km Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed railway project in the country.
The MoU follows a joint statement issued by the prime ministers of both of the countries on 29 May for the project, and the route is the first stretch to be explored for the Indian railway sector’s major bullet train project, which costs nearly INR630bn ($9.65bn).
The joint study, which will be equally co-financed between India and Japan, is intended to create a feasibility report of operating trains between the cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad with a speed of 300-350kmph.
