Infrastructure news – Page 154
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Metro Report InternationalShatin – Central project faces 23% cost increase
CHINA: Following a detailed review of the estimated cost-to-complete of the main construction works for Hong Kong’s Shatin – Central Link project, MTR Corp announced on December 6 that it had increased its estimate by 23% to HK$87·3bn. MTR Corp had previously said that ‘continuing challenges posed by external factors ...
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NewsLatvia's cabinet backs electrification financing proposal
LATVIA: The cabinet has accepted a Ministry of Transport report setting out how the first phase of the electrification programme envisaged under the national development plan for 2014–20 can be undertaken without requiring funding from the state budget. The first phase covers 25 kV 50 Hz electrification of the routes ...
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Metro Report InternationalLondon Underground depot construction contract awarded
UK: A joint venture of Morgan Sindall and BeMo Tunnelling has been awarded a £20m contract to design and build a workshop for London Underground’s Train Modification Unit. The facility at the Acton Works site in west London will undertake rolling stock refurbishment projects, starting with the Central Line fleet ...
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Metro Report InternationalSmallest tramway gets longer
GERMANY: What claims to be Germany’s smallest tramway grew by 440 m to reach a total of 2·9 km on December 1, with the opening of a one-stop extension from Vogelwiese to Salztor in Naumburg. The extension returns trams to a further section of what was once a circular route ...
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NewsSankt Pölten freight bypass inaugurated
AUSTRIA: A 24·7 km freight bypass around the city of Sankt Pölten was inaugurated with a ceremony on December 1, ahead of the planned start of revenue services on December 10. The bypass has been built as part of the wider project to upgrade the Wien – Salzburg Westbahn main ...
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NewsBorder link to open in January
EUROPE: The much-delayed cross-border link between Stabio in Switzerland and Varese in Italy forming part of the Ferrovia Mendrisio – Varese project will open for public services on January 7. In an initial step on December 10 cross-border operator for Ticino and Lombardia TILO will extend Route S40 between ...
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NewsGrinders offer higher output at lower cost
UK: Network Rail has taken delivery of three rail grinding trains supplied by Loram at a cost of £36m. Delivering 35% more output than the older machines they are replacing, the new grinders are expected to cost £1 000 less per shift to operate and will offer improved crew welfare ...
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NewsDelays and escalating costs hit Stuttgart 21
GERMANY: The Stuttgart 21 project to replace the city’s terminus by an underground through station is likely to cost €1bn more than planned, and completion may be delayed from 2023 to December 2024. According to reports in the German media citing sources in the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bahn, ...
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WebinarThe Cybersecure Railway
Digitisation of main line and urban railways is gathering pace as policymakers push operators and infrastructure managers to enhance the capacity and efficiency of their networks. But with the widespread adoption of networked tools comes an increasing need to mitigate the risks posed by cyber threats.
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NewsWorld rail infrastructure market - November 2017
Argentina: Trenes Argentinos Infraestructura has ordered 1∙7 million concrete sleepers from domestic suppliers Astori, Dhasa, Frontera, Prear, Premoldeados de Argentina and Zonis for 2∙4bn pesos. Canada: The City of Ottawa has signed a contract with EllisDon for the expansion of the Belfast Yard light rail depot for ...
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Metro Report InternationalKøbenhavn metro extension contractors selected
DENMARK: København metro authority Metroselskabet announced on November 27 that it had selected contractors to build and fit out the southern section of Line M4. The TUNN3L joint venture of Hochtief Infrastructure and Vinci Construction Grands Projets is to build 4·5 km of twin tunnels and five stations. A ...
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NewsStrategic vision to bring infrastructure and operations closer
UK: On November 29 Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling published the government’s ‘strategic vision’ for rail, containing what it says are ‘sweeping proposals’ to bring infrastructure and train operations closer together. In what is described as ‘an evolution’ of the franchising system, single management teams are to be ...
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NewsNacala investment package complete
MOZAMBIQUE: Brazilian mining and steel group Vale has signed binding financial contracts which complete the investment structure for the Nacala Logistics Corridor. Announced on November 27, the deal covers US$1·03bn from Japan Bank for International Co-operation, a US$1bn loan insured by Nippon Export & Investment Insurance and a US$400m loan ...
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NewsTunnel bores completed as Tbilisi – Makhindzhauri upgrading progresses
GEORGIA: Staff from national railway GR, contractors and policymakers gathered on November 21 to celebrate the completion of the longest tunnel on the Georgian rail network. Formed of two single bores, the 8·5 km Kvishkheti – Zvare tunnel forms a central element of the modernisation of the main line between ...
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NewsThameslink Programme completion deferred by a year
UK: The Department for Transport has agreed to a proposal from Network Rail and train operator Govia Thameslink Railway which would see introduction of the full 24 trains/h timetable on the Thameslink route through central London deferred by a year to December 2019. With a total value of £7bn, of ...
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Metro Report InternationalParramatta light rail shortlists announced
AUSTRALIA: New South Wales Minister for Transport & Infrastructure Andrew Constance announced shortlisted bidders to build and operate Stage 1 of the Parramatta light rail project on November 22. Two bidders have been shortlisted for the civil works contract: John Holland, and a joint venture of CPB ...
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NewsGrant to support interoperable signalling development
LITHUANIA: The Strategic Council for Research, Experimental Development & Innovation has awarded Lithuanian Railways a grant of €2·3m to support the development of a natural gas-fuelled locomotive as well as €2m for the development of signalling equipment which would be compatible with both EU-specified ERTMS and legacy or neighbouring systems ...
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Metro Report InternationalBoston Green Line light rail extension contract awarded
USA: The award of a design and build contract for Boston’s Green Line light rail extension was approved by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority on November 20. The winning bidder was the GLX Constructors joint venture led by Flour and including Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Herzog Contracting Group and The Middlesex Corp. ...
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NewsWay forward seen as Hudson Bay Railway dispute escalates
CANADA: Investment group Fairfax Financial Holdings has expressed interest in partnering with the Missinippi Rail and One North first nations consortia to acquire the flood-damaged Hudson Bay Railway, the Port of Churchill and associated assets from short line group OmniTRAX, the federal government announced on November 16. Minister of Natural ...
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NewsSiemens to develop Queensland ETCS hub
AUSRAIL: In a ceremony during the first day of the AusRail Plus 2017 exhibition, Siemens announced on November 21 that it is investing A$4·8m to develop an ETCS technology centre in Brisbane, to support its signalling activities across Australia, New Zealand and the Southeast Asia region. The company said it ...