Australasia – Page 8
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NewsPort Botany freight capacity enhancement contracts awarded
AUSTRALIA: Australian Rail Track Corp has awarded two contracts for works to increase freight capacity on the Port Botany line in Sydney. John Holland has been awarded a design and build contract for the Botany Rail Duplication project to double-track the remaining 2·9 km of single ...
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Metro Report InternationalSydney Metro West tunnelling contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: The first of three major tunnelling contracts for the 24 km Sydney Metro West has been awarded to a joint venture of Acciona Construction Australia Pty Ltd and Ferrovial Construction (Australia) Pty Ltd, Transport for New South Wales announced on July 16.
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Metro Report InternationalGold Coast Stage 3 trams ordered
AUSTRALIA: Gold Coast light rail concessionaire GoldLinQ has ordered a further five Flexity 2 low-floor light rail vehicles from Alstom to operate the Stage 3 extension now in development.
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Metro Report InternationalSydney tram order
AUSTRALIA: Transport for New South Wales has awarded CAF a contract to supply a further four Urbos 100 five-section trams for Sydney’s Inner West Light Rail Line. Announcing the order in June 29, CAF said the trams are scheduled to be delivered in early 2023, adding ...
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In depthAustralia: Ore trains return to Whyalla
After a five-year gap, trains carrying export iron ore have resumed running to Whyalla in South Australia as strong market demand drives spot prices to a record level. John Kirk reports.
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Rail Business UKAustralian free trade agreement offers export opportunities for UK rail suppliers
UK: The signing of an agreement in principle paving the way for a free trade agreement with Australia has been welcomed by the Railway Industry Association and a number of its members ‘The UK has long had a close relationship with the Australian railway sector, and ...
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Metro Report InternationalLight rail report cautions against ‘unproven’ trackless trams
AUSTRALIA: The Australasian Railway Association has published a report highlighting the social benefits of light rail and making recommendations to help support future development, and also cautioning against ‘gambling’ with what ARA describes as unproven and untested ‘trackless tram’ technology-guided bus systems.
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NewsAlstom starts assembling Perth EMUs
AUSTRALIA: Alstom officially began train manufacturing at the Metronet Bellevue assembly plant in Western Australia on June 7, describing the occasion as ‘a watershed moment’ for the local rail sector.
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NewsSMEC to undertake Cowra Lines reopening study
AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales government has appointed SMEC Australia to investigate the cost and ongoing viability of reviving the out of use 179 km Blayney – Demondrille railway for freight traffic. Cowra station (Photo: Bidgee/ Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-3.0-au). This route forms part of the Cowra ...
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Metro Report InternationalSydney Metro appoints airport line delivery partners
AUSTRALIA: Sydney Metro has appointed a consortium led by SNC-Lavalin in partnership with HKA and Infrastructure Nation to act as Integration & Delivery Partner for the A$11bn Western Sydney Airport line.
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NewsKiwiRail to assemble wagons at redeveloped workshops
NEW ZEALAND: The redevelopment of KiwiRail’s Hillside workshops to create a wagon assembly facility is to begin this year, following the confirmation of NZ$85m of government funding from the national budget. The Dunedin works had been run down after 2012, although some capability was retained as ...
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NewsTunnel bypassed in earthquake recovery project
NEW ZEALAND: KiwiRail has completed a two-year project to realign a section of its Christchurch – Picton main line on South Island to bypass the line’s oldest tunnel which had been damaged by an earthquake.
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NewsVictoria to buy updated X’Trapolis EMUs
AUSTRALIA: The Victoria state government has announced plans to order 25 X’Trapolis 2.0 electric multiple-units from Alstom to continue the renewal of the Melbourne suburban fleet.
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NewsRio Tinto to test Rail Vision collision-avoidance technology
AUSTRALIA: Mining company Rio Tinto is to undertake proof-of-concept testing of enhancements to the collision detection system on its AutoHaul autonomous trains, which would add the capability to identify hazards such as people or vehicles on or near the tracks. The nine-month project will have three ...
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NewsNew Zealand’s 10-year Rail Plan prioritises resilience and reliability
NEW ZEALAND: The government has published a 10-year Rail Plan, setting out its ambitions for a ‘resilient and reliable’ rail network and outlining its investment priorities. The plan does not provide a definitive list of investments or funding commitments, but is intended as a sign of ...
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Metro Report InternationalAcciona to eliminate Melbourne rail/tram crossing
AUSTRALIA: Victoria’s Major Transport Infrastructure Authority has selected an Acciona-led consortium to rebuild a section of Melbourne’s Frankston suburban line, eliminating two level crossings southeast of the city and the flat crossing between rail and tram routes at Glenhuntley.
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NewsAotea station underground works begin
NEW ZEALAND: Auckland Mayor Phil Goff ceremonially launched the start of underground works for the City Rail Link’s Aotea station on April 16. The future station will be 15 m below ground, with 300 m long platforms. It is being build by CRL contractor the Link ...
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Metro Report InternationalQuantum computing could provide a more resilient transport network
AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales government has formed a partnership with specialist technology company Q-CTRL to explore the use of quantum computing to increase the resilience of Sydney’s transport network. Possible applications include tackling complex problems such as updating schedules in real time if there is ...
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NewsGippsland upgrading contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: Rail Projects Victoria has finalised an A$300m contract with the VicConnect Alliance of Decmil, UGL and Arup to undertake the Gippsland Rail Upgrade project, which will improve the regional line between Melbourne, Traralgon and Bairnsdale, southeast of Melbourne.
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NewsDelivery of next batch of Sydney EMUs underway
AUSTRLIA: CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles has shipped the first of the next batch of Waratah Series 2 double-deck electric multiple-units for Sydney Trains, 18 months after the contract was signed. An initial 24 Waratah Series 2 sets were ordered from Downer EDI ...