Australasia
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NewsFirst C-Series EMU enters service in Perth
AUSTRALIA: The first Alstom C-Series electric multiple-unit has entered service on the Perth suburban network’s Joondalup and Mandurah lines. More than 10 000 people entered a competition to win around 150 tickets for the inaugural ride on April 7, ahead of start of regular operation the following day.
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NewsCommunication training to improve suburban train accessibility
AUSTRALIA: Adelaide suburban train operator Keolis Downer Adelaide has been accredited under the Communication Access Symbol initiative to help passengers with communication difficulties. Accreditation involved 234 front line staff completing nine months of specialised training. Tools include communication cards and vision boards showing stations and key ...
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NewsBattery tender for freight loco to be developed
AUSTRALIA: Freight operator Aurizon has been awarded a A$9·4m grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to develop, test and trial a battery electric tender to be used in conjunction with a modified diesel locomotive. The tender, described as ‘essentially a big battery-pack on wheels’, will ...
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NewsABB to set up traction centre after Queensland EMU contract win
AUSTRALIA: ABB has been awarded a US$150m contract to provide complete traction packages for 65 electric multiple-units which Hyundai Rotem is to supply under the Queensland Train Manufacturing Programme. The company is also to invest US$6m to establish a traction centre of excellence in Maryborough with ...
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NewsDirect Sunshine Coast Rail Line funding commitment
AUSTRALIA: The Queensland state government has committed an initial A$2·75bn to help deliver the first phase of the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line project.
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NewsKiwiRail orders hybrid shunting locomotives
NEW ZEALAND: National operator KiwiRail has awarded Stadler a contract to supply battery-diesel hybrid shunting locomotives as well as additional main line diesel locos. The 24 Bo-Bo hybrid yard shunting locomotives will operate primarily on battery power, reducing the carbon footprint of shunting. They will have ...
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NewsAustralian rail sector promotes non-university career paths
AUSTRALIA: The Australasian Railway Association says that thousands of jobs are on offer across Australia in more than 80 careers in rail, and has launched an initiative aimed at school leavers seeking a path into work that does not require a university-level qualification. According to ARA ...
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NewsKiwiRail orders track inspection car
NEW ZEALAND: KiwiRail has awarded MerMec a contract to supply a replacement track evaluation car. MerMec said the vehicle would provide ‘exhaustive’ real-time track analysis using 12 inspection and measurement systems including lasers, cameras and others sensors. MerMec CEO Luca Necchi Ghiri said the contract announced ...
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NewsGround-penetrating radar helps pre-empt track problems
AUSTRALIA: Queensland Rail and Zetica have begun analysing ground-penetrating radar data to map the condition of unseen parts of the state’s 4 600 km railway network. The GPR equipment was mounted on a Queensland Rail vehicle during a measuring campaign which ran February to April 2023. ...
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Metro Report InternationalGovernment cancels Auckland Light Rail project
NEW ZEALAND: The government has officially cancelled the Auckland light rail project. Work had been suspended after the National-led coalition came to power last year. On January 14 Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described the light rail scheme as ‘wasteful and unfit for purpose’, while Transport Minister ...
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NewsMelbourne Suburban Rail Loop tunnelling contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: The government of Victoria has awarded the Suburban Connect consortium of Acciona, CPB Contractors and Ghella the first major tunnelling contract for the Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop East project. The A$3·6bn Tunnels South contract covers the construction of the 16 km Cheltenham to Glen Waverley ...
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NewsAlstom wins Victoria fleet maintenance contract
AUSTRALIA: Alstom has won a €900m contract to maintain the VLocity and Classic regional train fleets in Victoria. The VLocity diesel multiple-units which were built at Alstom’s Dandenong plant will be maintained alongside the Classic fleet at sites in West Melbourne, South Dynon and Ballarat East. ...
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Metro Report InternationalCanberra tramway extension contract signed
AUSTRALIA: The major works contract for Canberra Light Rail Stage 2A has been signed with tramway PPP concessionaire Canberra Metro, the Australian Capital Territory announced on December 7. Stage 2A will extend the line 1·7 km from Alinga Street along London Circuit West, adding three new ...
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NewsSystra acquires Rail Systems Australia
AUSTRALIA: Systra has signed an agreement to acquire Rail Systems Australia, an engineering, signalling and telecommunications specialist founded in 2017 which now employs 130 people and has offices in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. RSA founder Mike Stegena said the company had ‘experienced remarkable growth, prompting ...
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NewsHiivr Rail autonomous wagon unveiled in Western Australia
AUSTRALIA: Western Australia rail infrastructure concessionaire Arc Infrastructure and US technology partner Parallel Systems have unveiled a prototype autonomous container wagon following three years of development. The battery-powered wagon branded Hiivr Rail was demonstrated to government and industry stakeholders at the Kenwick Freight Rail Facility in ...
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NewsAustralian Railway Research & Innovation Network launched
AUSTRALIA: The Australian Railway Research & Innovation Network has been launched to identify and deliver critical research and innovation in support of the National Rail Manufacturing Plan. AusRRIN includes Monash University’s Institute of Railway Technology, Central Queensland University, University of Queensland, University of Wollongong and ...
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In depthAustralasia: Investment pipeline promises ‘golden age of rail’
Rail has a critical role to play on the path to net zero in Australia and New Zealand, but key issues including a lack of interoperability between networks and jurisdictions need to be urgently addressed.
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In depthSignalling: Queensland enters the digital age
Bringing together public and private sector partners, the Sequence Signalling & Systems Alliance is pressing ahead with the introduction of ETCS Level 2 train control across the South East Queensland rail network.
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NewsInterlocking upgrade on driverless heavy haul network
AUSTRALIA: Hitachi Rail is to begin work shortly on the third and final phase of upgrading interlockings on Rio Tinto’s autonomous heavy haul rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. In 2018 Rio Tinto launched automated operation under its AutoHaul programme, with Hitachi technology ...
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Metro Report InternationalMelbourne G Class tram mocked up for testing
AUSTRALIA: A full-size mock-up of Melbourne’s future G Class tram has been produced to obtain feedback from passenger, driver, technical and accessibility groups ahead of series production. In 2022 Victoria’s Department of Transport awarded Alstom a €700m framework contract to supply 100 customised Flexity 2 trams ...