Australasia – Page 16
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Metro Report InternationalPartly catenary-free tram route opens in Sydney
AUSTRALIA: The first phase of the CBD & South East light rail route in Sydney was inaugurated on December 14, with a weekend of free travel. The 7·3 km north-south Randwick Line, also known as L2, serves 14 stops between Circular Quay and Randwick. A second southern ...
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Metro Report InternationalSydney Metro reaches harbour crossing milestone
AUSTRALIA: Construction of the second phase of the Sydney metro reached a landmark on December 9 when a tunnel boring machine completed the first bore for the tunnel beneath Sydney harbour. Having completed its 880 m drive from south to north, slurry ground TBM Kathleen was disassembled at the Blues ...
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NewsLocal content emphasised as Alstom awarded Perth train contract
AUSTRALIA: Public Transport Authority of Western Australia has formally signed the A$1·3bn contract for Alstom to supply and maintain diesel and electric multiple-units for use around Perth. Announcing completion of the deal on December 10, PTA said the biggest rolling stock contract that it had placed had ...
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News‘Romance’ of rail can mitigate skills crisis
AUSTRALIA: The rail sector needs to embrace rapid changes in workplace expectations in order to overcome a looming demographic crisis, delegates at the AusRail conference in Sydney heard on December 4.
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NewsHyundai Rotem ships its first inter-city trains to New South Wales
AUSTRALIA: Hyundai Rotem has shipped the first 20 of 554 double-deck electric multiple-unit cars that it is supplying to New South Wales for use on NSW TrainLink inter-city services. Rotem is supplying the 160 km/h rolling stock from its Changwon plant in South Korea as part of ...
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News‘Golden age’ in New South Wales, Collins tells AusRail
AUSTRALIA: New South Wales is experiencing ‘a golden age’ of rail investment, Sydney Trains CEO Howard Collins told delegates at the AusRail 2019 conference in Sydney on December 3.
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Metro Report InternationalWork starts on Perth suburban rail extension
AUSTRALIA: The NEWest Alliance of CPB Contractors and Downer has been named preferred bidder to undertake the Yanchep Rail Extension and the Thornlie–Cockburn Link projects in Perth. The announcement was made on November 25, when a sod-turning ceremony marked the start of ...
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Metro Report InternationalBrisbane Metro BRT vehicle supplier selected
AUSTRALIA: Brisbane City Council has selected Hess, Volgren and ABB to supply 60 electric buses and charging infrastructure for the Brisbane Metro bus rapid transit project. A prototype is due to be delivered next year, ahead testing and series production. Final assembly will take place at Volgren’s ...
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NewsFreight hub master plan unveiled
NEW ZEALAND: A master plan for a rail and road freight hub near Palmerston North was unveiled by Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones on November 26. Video: Palmerston North intermodal freight hub master plan The proposed facility would replace an existing yard ...
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Metro Report InternationalSydney metro second phase E&M contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: Sydney Metro has exercised an option on the Northwest Rapid Transit consortium’s Operations, Trains & Systems concession to cover the line’s second phase. In 2014 the consortium of MTR Corp, John Holland, CPB Contractors, UGL Rail and Plenary Group was awarded a PPP concession covering the ...
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NewsFederal funds to boost Queensland projects
AUSTRALIA: The federal government has committed to increase funding for several railway projects in Queensland, as part of an A$3·8bn package of infrastructure spending announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on November 21. Described by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk as a ‘huge win’, the announcement followed lengthy ...
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NewsDigital signalling test centre to be built in Sydney
AUSTRALIA: Transport for New South Wales has invited expressions of interest in a contract to build a testing facility for digital signalling technology. To be built at the Rail Technology Campus at Chullora in western Sydney, the Digital Systems Facility would enable technologies to be tested in ...
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NewsCarmichael rail link contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: Indian mining group Adani has awarded an A$100m contract to Martinus Rail for tracklaying on the 200 km rail link to its future Carmichael mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin. The 1 067 mm gauge single-track line will connect the A$2bn mine to Aurizon’s existing Central Queensland ...
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NewsGamuda buys into Australian rail market
AUSTRALIA: Malaysian civil engineering group Gamuda Bhd has agreed to purchase a 50% stake in Australian contractor Martinus Rail Pty Ltd, citing potential opportunities in the country’s pipeline of current and future railway projects. Under the partnership agreement announced on October 2, Gamuda Engineering Australia and Martinus ...
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Metro Report International‘Geographically largest’ contactless payment project completed
Sydney AUSTRALIA: The roll-out of contactless payment in greater Sydney has been completed, with passengers able to use contactless cards and mobile devices or smart cards on all bus services within the Opal ticketing network from September 23. This follows the introduction of contactless payment across the ...
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Metro Report InternationalAir rights deal included in Sydney Metro station contract
AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales government has awarded a consortium of Oxford Properties, CPB Contractors and Grocon a A$463m contract to design and build the landmark Pitt Street station on the City & Southwest extension of the Sydney Metro. The 250 m long underground station will include ...
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NewsKiwiRail selects polymer sleeper supplier
NEW ZEALAND: KiwiRail has selected Lankhorst Engineered Products as the winner of a contract to supply polymer sleepers over at least three years. The Dutch company said this was a significant breakthrough for its KLP hybrid polymer sleeper design, which it launched internationally in 2014 after it ...
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Metro Report InternationalVictoria plans next-generation trams and trains
AUSTRALIA: The government of Victoria has invited suppliers to participate in a ‘collaborative design process’ for Melbourne’s next generation of trams and trains, with workshops to be held in coming months. The Department of Transport is working with rolling stock manufacturers on an interactive process to develop ...
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NewsNorthland line renovation funded
NEW ZEALAND: The government has approved the first NZ$94·8m tranche of an expected NZ$300m from the Provincial Growth Fund to fund renovation and upgrading works on KiwiRail’s 181 km North Auckland Line between Swanson and Whangarei. Speaking in Helensville on September 5, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane ...
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NewsVictoria expands VLocity fleet
AUSTRALIA: The Victoria state government has ordered a further batch of VLocity diesel multiple-units from Bombardier Transportation, in order to meet growing demand on regional routes radiating from Melbourne. Due to enter service in 2021, the six three-car units will follow on from the nine sets ordered ...