Infrastructure news – Page 17
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Rail Business UKEgis acquires Derby-based rail electrification business
UK: Egis has acquired railway electrification design and engineering consultancy Overhead Line Engineering Ltd, saying the Derby-based company’s deep technical knowledge and hands-on experience ‘in an industry where specialist expertise is scarce’ would be a valuable addition to the group. Egis said OLE has successfully delivered ...
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NewsMongolia and China agree to build cross-border rail link
ASIA: Agreement has been reached to start construction of a railway to fill the gap between the Mongolian and Chinese railheads at the Gashuun Sukhait border crossing. The dual-gauge connection would extend both the existing 1 520 mm gauge Mongolian heavy haul line from the Tavan ...
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NewsCadence consortium selected to develop 300 km/h Toronto – Québec high speed railway
CANADA: The Cadence consortium has been selected to co-design and build, finance, operate and maintain a 300 km/h high speed railway between Toronto and Québec City, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced.
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NewsFreight operators say ERTMS risks losing its purpose
EUROPE: A new approach to the roll-out of ERTMS is urgently needed, according to the European Rail Freight Association. ERFA has warned that specification changes, national divergences and the absence of a business case for train operators mean that ERTMS risks losing its original purpose of ...
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Rail Business UKFirst HS2 Delta Junction viaduct section unveiled
UK: The first viaduct section on HS2’s triangular junction outside Birmingham has been unveiled. Chris Howe reports from the site in Warwickshire.
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail seeks Transpennine Route Upgrade programme partner
UK: Network Rail has begun the process of appointing a programme partner to support the delivery of the Transpennine Route Upgrade. The 96 month framework contract has a potential value of around £100m. The infrastructure manager and its selected partner will form an integrated delivery team ...
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NewsContract signed to build first railway to Burundi
AFRICA: A contract has been awarded for construction of an electrified standard gauge railway from Tanzania into Burundi, giving the land-locked east African country rail access for the first time.
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NewsSecond phase of Thailand – Laos rail link approved
THAILAND: The second phase of a high speed line that will connect Bangkok with the existing line between Laos and China was approved by the Thai cabinet on February 4. Plans for the 357 km route from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai on the border with ...
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NewsDB secures digital signalling capabilities with long-term framework contracts
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn has awarded four long-term framework contracts which are designed to ensure the stable supply and deployment of digital signalling systems including interlockings, ETCS and control systems.
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NewsSelf-monitoring turnout research targets safety and reliability
CZECH REPUBLIC: Track component manufacturer DT-Výhybkárna a strojírna has launched a three-year research project aimed at developing an ‘autonomous turnout’ which can monitor its own condition and predict any problems before they can cause a failure. Emphasising that turnouts are among the most heavily stressed infrastructure ...
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Rail Business UKNew operating system deployed in level crossing upgrade
UK: Network Rail has completed the modernisation of Skerne Road level crossing at Driffield on the Hull to Scarborough line, including installation of an operating system which is the first of its kind outside a trial site on the Anglia route. The new programmable logic controller ...
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NewsExtension of Tren Maya to Belize and Guatemala proposed as rail freight investment ramps up
Photo: Michael Dreyer MEXICO: President Claudia Sheinbaum has set out plans to extend Mexico’s 1 477 km Tren Maya network to Belize and Guatemala, adding approximately 300 km of new lines. To be delivered in stages, the proposed expansion plans announced on January 29 follow discussions ...
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NewsHerat – Kandahar railway design contracts awarded
AFGHANISTAN: Acting Minister of Public Works Mohammad Issa Sani has signed five contracts for domestic companies to produce detailed designs for a 737·5 km railway from Herat to Kandahar. The contracts announced by the ministry on February 6 have a total value of 264m afghanis. The ...
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NewsHafeet Rail awards freight terminal and wagon contracts
OMAN: UAE to Oman railway project promoter Hafeet Rail has awarded contracts for the construction of two freight facilities and the supply of wagons. It has also reached an agreement for the transport of aggregates on the future line. Larson & Toubro and Power China are ...
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Metro Report InternationalMexico: Guided buses challenge urban rail projects
While Mexico is enjoying a renaissance in rail investment at a national level, urban rail projects in several cities are coming under threat from cheaper bus options and Chinese-backed ART technology. Michael Dreyer reports.
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In depthUK: Clarity of mission puts East West Rail project on track
The development of a rail corridor serving the globally important hubs of innovation in the region between the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge offers the rail industry a chance to prove that it can successfully undertake major projects, David Hughes, CEO of project promoter East West Railway Co, tells Andrew Grantham.
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Rail Business UKCost-Reducing Dynamic Electrification System demonstrated
UK: A section of remotely movable 25 kV 50 Hz overhead that can be adjusted to test proposed electrification designs before installation has been demonstrated at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence site in South Wales.
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NewsTrack to be upgraded for battery trains
DENMARK: Infrastructure manager Banedanmark is to undertake track renewals on the 67 km route between Skjern and Holstebro to facilitate the introduction of Siemens Mobility Mireo Plus B battery trains, which will have a higher axleload than the current diesel multiple-units. Project Manager Morten Sylvest Hansen ...
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Rail Business UKTransition zone management method wins UK patent
UK: Geotechnical contractor Geobear has been granted a UK patent for its track strengthening method for use in transition zones. Transition zones are found at the change from flexible formations like ballast to rigid foundations like concrete. These abrupt changes can cause differential settlement, leading to ...
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In depthUruguay: A railway at a standstill
While freight trains are now running over Uruguay’s renovated Ferrocarril Central main line, the rest of the network has almost no traffic, undermining promises of investment made in recent years. Marcelo Benoit reports.