Australasia – Page 28
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NewsSolar powered level crossing for remote locations
AUSTRALIA: V/Line has installed its first solar powered level crossing, at Huntly on the Bendigo – Echuca line in northern Victoria. The site is 1·2 km from the nearest power source, and digging trenches for underground power cables would be expensive and risk disturbing local flora. The 18 solar ...
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NewsTwo interested in Cowra Lines revival
AUSTRALIA: Transport for New South Wales has received submissions from Australian Rail Partners and Cowra Rail Co in response to its call for private sector proposals to reopen the 200 km Cowra Lines on a commercially-sustainable basis under a fixed-term licence. Operations between Blayney and Demondrille and Koorawatha and ...
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NewsPerth airport rail link approved
AUSTRALIA: Detailed proposals for an 8·5 km rail link to serve Perth Airport and the city’s ‘eastern foothills’ suburbs were announced by the Premier of Western Australia Colin Barnett on August 11, following the endorsement of the A$2·2bn scheme by the state cabinet. The line would will diverge from Transperth’s ...
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NewsPacific National takes delivery of locomotives
AUSTRALIA: Pacific National has taken delivery of the first two of seven N-ViroMotive genset locomotives ordered from National Railway Equipment Co, and has begun testing five heavy haul locomotives supplied by CSR Qishuyan earlier this year. The NRE locomotives with Cummins QSK19 engines were custom designed for use at the ...
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NewsProgress buys Australian track business
AUSTRALIA: The Progress Rail Services subsidiary of Caterpillar finalised the purchase of Pacific Rail Engineering’s track business on June 17. ‘The acquisition of PRE is another step in expanding our global footprint to meet our customers’ needs,’ said Billy Ainsworth, Progress Rail President & CEO. ‘With nearly 25 years of ...
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NewsILCAD 2014 targets professional drivers
INTERNATIONAL: Railway operators in more than 45 countries across the world are participating in the sixth International Level Crossing Awareness Day on June 3. The campaign is intended to raise public awareness of the safety risks surrounding level crossings, in order to change the behaviour of road users, including vehicle ...
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NewsRio Tinto ready to test automated operation
AUSTRALIA: Rio Tinto Iron Ore has confirmed its intention to ‘soft launch’ its AutoHaul project before the end of May, to test the automatic operation of heavy haul freight trains. The initial run on the Hamersley line between Tom Price and the port at Dampier is described by an ...
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NewsQueensland backs Carmichael heavy haul coal railway
AUSTRALIA: Queensland’s government has approved Adani Mining’s proposed A$16·5bn Carmichael coal mine and rail project, subject to environmental and social conditions. ‘This project has the potential to be the largest coal mine in Australia and one of the largest in the world’, said Deputy Premier and Minister for State ...
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NewsNew South Wales to order 'off-the-shelf' Intercity fleet
AUSTRALIA: Plans to order around 65 trainsets totalling 520 cars for NSW TrainLink Intercity services between Sydney and the Central Coast, Newcastle, the Blue Mountains and Illawarra were announced by New South Wales Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian on May 8. The government is to begin ...
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NewsMelbourne Rail Link in A$14·5bn rail funding announcement
AUSTRALIA: 'The largest investment in transport infrastructure in Victoria's history' was announced by the state's coalition government in its 2014-15 budget on May 6. The A$24bn of planned road and rail infrastructure spending includes A$14·5bn for rail, with the biggest rail projects being the Melbourne Rail Link and the Cranbourne ...
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NewsBombardier expands Rail Control Solutions business
BOMBARDIER: Bombardier Transportation announced its acquisition of Australian company Rail Signalling Services on May 1, saying the deal would strengthen its Rail Control Solutions business in a market where large investments are planned. Formed in 2003 when GE sold its Australian interests, RSS has more than a decade of ...
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NewsAuckland launches electric suburban services
NEW ZEALAND: Auckland Transport’s first electric trains began revenue operation on April 28, when operating concessionaire Trandev Auckland switched its half-hourly Southern Line service between Britomart and Onehunga from DMUs to EMUs. The electrification was formally launched by Auckland Mayor Len Brown on April 27 with a ...
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NewsMelbourne Airport link endorsed
AUSTRALIA: A programme for construction of the long-planned rail link to Melbourne Airport will be included in Victoria’s state budget to be published on May 6, the state Premier Denis Napthine announced on April 13. Identified as one of several major expansion projects in Public Transport Victoria’s Metropolitan Rail Network ...
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NewsTasRail completes wagon fleet renewal
AUSTRALIA: The last of 18 cement, 54 bulk ore, 17 coal and 120 intermodal wagons built by CNR Shenyang in China under a contract placed in late 2012 was ceremonially handed over to TasRail on March 31. The 1 067 mm gauge wagons have Wabtec brakes and SKF bearings. ‘Once ...
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NewsOptimism returns but skills gap a worry, survey finds
INTERNATIONAL: Optimism is returning to the global rail industry following the economic downturn, according to the results of the fifth Way Ahead survey of the transport industry conducted by legal practice Norton Rose Fulbright. The survey, which was launched at an event in London on February 26, received 850 responses ...
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NewsFinancial close for Queensland New Generation Rollingstock contract
AUSTRALIA: Queensland's Department of Transport & Main Roads announced on January 29 that it had reached financial close on the A$4·4bn New Generation Rollingstock PPP contract, which will see the Bombardier NGR Consortium supply and maintain 75 six-car electric multiple-units to introduce additional services in southeast Queensland and replace older ...
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NewsTasRail TR Class locomotives on test
AUSTRALIA: The first two of 17 TR Class freight locomotives which Tasmanian state operator TasRail ordered from Progress Rail Services and Downer Rail in December 2011 have started acceptance and commissioning trials ahead of entry into revenue service. The next four locomotives are expected to arrive shortly. Intended for use ...
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NewsTrans-Tasman safety partnership launched
AUSTRALASIA: A ceremony at the parliament building in Wellington last month marked the amalgamation of rail safety charities on both sides of the Tasman Sea. New Zealand’s Chris Cairns Foundation has merged with Australia’s TrackSafe to form TrackSafe NZ, aimed at promoting rail safety and education. Both organisations will share ...
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NewsNetwork Rail Consulting opens Australian office
AUSTRALIA: Network Rail Consulting marked the opening of its third international office at an event in Sydney on November 27, organised jointly with UK Trade & Investment to coincide with the AusRail Plus conference and exhibition. Network Rail Chief Executive Sir David Higgins said that rail investment was essential ...