Australasia – Page 19
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NewsKiwiRail shakes off earthquake impact
NEW ZEALAND: KiwiRail has announced a 12% year-on-year increase in revenue to NZ$328·8m for the six months to December 2018. This generated an operating surplus of NZ$16·3m, up 7% up on the previous year. ‘We are shaking off the impacts of the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake’, said KiwiRail Chairman Greg Miller ...
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Metro Report InternationalNewcastle light rail line opens
AUSTRALIA: Regular passenger services on the Newcastle light rail line began at 05.05 on February 18, marking the first tram service in the city since the first-generation network closed in 1950. The 2·7 km route serves six stops between Pacific Park in the east and Wickham in the west, ...
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NewsCAF to replace New South Wales regional train fleet
AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales government signed a contract for 117 multiple-unit cars to replace its entire regional train fleet on February 14. The Momentum Trains consortium of CAF, Pacific Partnership and DIF Infrastructure V has been awarded an availability-based PPP contract to design, build, finance and maintain the ...
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NewsSydney Trains fleet to grow
AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales Government is to ‘fast-track’ the delivery of a further 17 Waratah Series 2 double-deck electric multiple-units to accommodate growing demand across the Sydney Trains network, Minister for Transport & Infrastructure Andrew Constance announced on February 6. The additional EMUs are scheduled to be delivered ...
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NewsLinfox acquires Aurizon’s Queensland Intermodal business
AUSTRALIA: Aurizon completed the sale of its Queensland Intermodal business to logistics group Linfox on January 31, with the first train under the new management leaving Brisbane for Mackay on February 1. ‘The acquisition is the culmination of two decades of effort by Linfox to expand its rail network in ...
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Metro Report InternationalTesting commences on full length of Sydney Metro Northwest
AUSTRALIA: The first test along the full length of the Metro Northwest route in Sydney took place on January 14, when a train travelled the 36 km from Tallawong in the northwest to Chatswood. The initial phase of the city’s first metro line is due to open in the ...
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NewsRio Tinto completes AutoHaul autonomous train project
AUSTRALIA: Rio Tinto has announced the successful deployment of its AutoHaul technology for the autonomous operation of iron ore trains in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, creating what the mining company said was ‘the world’s largest robot and first automated heavy-haul, long-distance rail network’. Deployment of the ATO over ...
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Metro Report InternationalCAF to supply catenary-free trams to Parramatta
AUSTRALIA: Transport for New South Wales has awarded contracts for the construction and operation of Stage 1 of the Parramatta light rail project. A joint venture of Downer and CPB Contractors has been awarded the A$840m civil works contract, while the A$536m fit-out and operations contract has been signed ...
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NewsSod-turning launches construction of 1 700 km Inland Rail corridor
AUSTRALIA: Construction of the 1 700 km Melbourne – Brisbane Inland Rail freight corridor was officially launched on December 13 when Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack turned a ceremonial first sod in Parkes, NSW. Scheduled to be completed in 2025, the Inland Rail project includes the construction of 600 km ...
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NewsVictoria to fund The Overland in 2019
AUSTRALIA: The government of Victoria is to increase its financial support for The Overland passenger service between Melbourne and Adelaide to ensure that it can continue to run until the end of 2019. Operator Great Southern Rail is also to undertake a full review of the service in early 2019 ...
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NewsNSW appoints Digital Systems programme systems integrator
AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales government has awarded Network Rail Consulting the A$16m System Integrator contract within its Digital Systems programme, which forms part of a A$880m package of planned investment in the Sydney Trains network. The Digital Systems programme contains three main elements: replacing trackside signalling equipment with ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Vossloh AG announced on November 30 that it had successfully completed the acquisition of Australian concrete sleeper manufacturer Austrak Pty Ltd from Laing O'Rourke through its Vossloh Australia subsidiary. In future, Austrak will form part of Vossloh’s Tie Technologies business unit, within the Core Components division. Releasing its annual results ...
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Metro Report InternationalAlstom completes last Sydney metro train
AUSTRALIA: Alstom has rolled out the last of the 22 driverless Metropolis trains that it is supplying for the Sydney metro at its Sricity factory in India. Alstom is supplying 22 six-car Metropolis driverless trainsets, together with Urbalis 400 communications-based train control, Iconis control systems and Smartlock 400 computer-based ...
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NewsNSW to study regional high speed rail options
AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales state government has commissioned a study of four preferred corridors for high speed rail services, which it believes could transform travel patterns on regional routes radiating up to 300 km from Sydney. Announcing the study on December 3, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said ‘we know ...
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NewsMelbourne High Capacity Metro Trains on test
AUSTRALIA: Testing has started of the High Capacity Metro Trains that Evolution Rail is supplying to operate Melbourne’s suburban network. The Evolution Rail consortium of Plenary, CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles and Downer Group has a PPP contract to supply 65 electric multiple-units for use on the 1 600 mm ...
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Metro Report InternationalMelbourne High Capacity Metro Trains on test
AUSTRALIA: Testing has started of the High Capacity Metro Trains that Evolution Rail is supplying to operate Melbourne’s suburban network. The Evolution Rail consortium of Plenary, CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles and Downer Group has a PPP contract to supply 65 electric multiple-units for use on the 1 600 mm ...
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Metro Report InternationalGold Coast LRT Stage 3A funding pledged
AUSTRALIA: The federal government has agreed to contribute A$112m towards the next phase of the Gold Coast light rail project in South East Queensland, Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure & Population Alan Tudge announced on November 5. Provisionally costed at A$670m, the 6·4 km Stage 3A extension from Broadbeach South ...
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NewsKiwiRail electric haulage reprieved
NEW ZEALAND: The government has agreed to fund the refurbishment of 15 locomotives to enable electric haulage of freight trains on the North Island Main Trunk line to continue. The Brush Class EF electric locomotives dating from 1986-88 have become increasingly unreliable, and in December 2016 KiwiRail announced its intention ...
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Metro Report InternationalNewcastle tram testing begins
AUSTRALIA: Powered testing started on the tram route in Newcastle on the night of October 22-23. Daytime testing is expected to commence in the coming weeks, with opening of the 2·6 km route between Wickham and Pacific Park scheduled for early 2019. The first tram arrived last month. ...
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Metro Report InternationalAdelaide tramway extensions open
AUSTRALIA: Two short extensions of the Glenelg tramway in Adelaide opened on October 13. One extension runs 1 km east along North Terrace from Adelaide Railway Station to Art Gallery, University and Botanic Gardens, and operates every day. The other runs 350 m north from Rundle Mall along King William ...