Infrastructure news – Page 215
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NewsFollo Line contractors prequalified
NORWAY: Infrastructure manager Jernbanebverket has prequalified 12 consortia of European and Asian companies for the two main tunnelling contracts for the new Follo Line between Oslo and Ski. Designed for 250 km/h, the Follo Line is Norway's largest transport project at present. The double-track route will run for 22 km ...
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NewsFirst Crossrail tunnel completed
UK: On October 9 Crossrail Ltd announced the completion of the first running tunnel for the project, a 6·8 km bore between the Royal Oak portal and Farringdon built under Drive X. The tunnel boring machine is now to be dismantled and removed via a recently completed access shaft at ...
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NewsUganda's Northern Line revived
UGANDA: Rift Valley Railways has reopened the Northern Line, which runs for 500 km from the Kampala - Mombasa route at Tororo Junction to Gulu and Pakwach. As well as improving transport links to northern Uganda, the line provides a regional railhead for South Sudan and eastern DR Congo. ...
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NewsQuarry opening to support Camrail rehabilitation works
CAMEROON: Railway concessionaire Camrail has opened a ballast quarry at Belabo to support its track modernisation works. 'This quarry is an exciting project that will make a significant contribution to the technological transformation of our railway line', said Camrail President Sali Hamadou. 'Camrail aims to manufacture 290 000 bi-block sleepers ...
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North Korea rail link completed
NORTH KOREA: A ceremony was held on September 22 to mark the completion of work to reinstate the railway from Rajin in the Rason Special Economic Zone to the border at Tumangang and Khasan in Russia. More than 5·5bn roubles has been spent rehabilitating the 54 km line for ...
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NewsEtihad Rail test running begins
UAE: The first test train on the initial phase of the national railway network which is being developed by Etihad Rail ran on September 22. Two trains will run in each direction per day during the three-month commissioning period. Each train comprises up to three of the seven SD70ACS locomotives ...
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NewsSSL awarded Great Western signalling contracts
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail has awarded the Signalling Solutions Ltd joint venture of Alstom and Balfour Beatty three contracts totalling £140m for signalling renewals on the Great Western Main Line. SSL is to design, supply and commission signalling including five Alstom Smartlock 400 interlockings and associated power systems around ...
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NewsSaudi Railway Company seeks operating concessionaire
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Railway Company has invited expressions of interest for a concession to maintain and operate the North-South Railway, under a tendering process being supported by management consultancy A T Kearney. SAR is looking for national and 'world-class' international companies to take responsibility for train operations, infrastructure management and ...
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NewsHSH Nordbank sells stake in Northern Diabolo PPP
BELGIUM: International Public Partnerships Ltd has paid €33·3m to acquire HSH Nordbank's 25% stake in the PPP concession company which manages the Northern Diabolo rail link connecting Brussels airport with Infrabel's Brussels - Mechelen - Antwerpen line. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, investment fund INPP now owns 100% ...
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NewsDB International awarded Haramain High Speed Rail contract
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Railways Organization has formally awarded Deutsche Bahn's consultancy business DB International a 'mid double-digit million euro' contract to support the construction of the 444 km Haramain High Speed Rail project. The scope of the work includes reviewing conceptual, preliminary and detailed designs for the railway systems, including ...
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NewsWorld rail infrastructure market September 2013
Algeria: Siemens has won a €20m contract to supply Trainguard MT communications-based train control for the extension of Alger metro Line 1. Austria: ÖBB Infrastruktur has awarded Powerlines an €8·3m contract to undertake electrification works for the Wien Hauptbahnhof project. Belgium: Infrabel has awarded ETF Luxembourg and Cegelec ...
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NewsRFF presents €15bn modernisation plan
FRANCE: Investment totalling €15bn over six years would be concentrated on the conventional network to improve reliability, capacity and safety under a plan which infrastructure manager RFF has submitted to Transport Minister Frédéric Cuvillier. The minister requested the plan following a third audit undertaken by the École Polytechnique Fédérale de ...
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NewsChuo maglev route announced
JAPAN: Central Japan Railway Co has revealed details of the alignment of the planned maglev line from Tokyo to Nagoya. Announcing the route on September 18, the company said that it aimed to start construction work on the ¥5·4tr project next year, subject to government approval. Releasing information about station ...
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NewsEIB loan backs Polish line speed improvements
POLAND: The European Investment Bank has approved a €235m loan to infrastructure manager PKP PLK to support a €541m upgrade of 92·5 km of the 107 km Warszawa - Radom route. This will increase line speeds from 80 km/h at present to 160 km/h for passenger trains and 120 km/h ...
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NewsSaudi Landbridge project management consultancy contract awarded
SAUDI ARABIA: The Public Investment Fund has appointed Parsons Brinckerhoff and Fluor Corp to provide project management consultancy services for the design and construction of the 950 km Landbridge railway planned to link Jeddah with Riyadh. At Riyadh the line would connect with the existing 450 km line to Dammam ...
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NewsIDB funds Roca electrification
ARGENTINA: Under a US$1⋅2bn conditional credit line being provided over 10 years to the improve commuter services in Buenos Aires, the Inter-American Development bank has approved an initial loan of $300m to the federal government towards a $500m project to upgrade and electrify the 52⋅6 km route on the Roca ...
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Network Rail submits Manchester chord plans
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail submitted its application for legal powers to build a short chord in Manchester to provide additional capacity for cross-city services on September 17. Straddling the border between Manchester itself and the neighbouring city of Salford, the 1·5 km south-to-east Ordsall Chord is intended to allow ...
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NewsFollobanen technical consultancy framework agreement
NORWAY: Infrastructure manager Jernbaneverket has awarded a framework contract for technical consultancy for the Follobanen project to a Swiss/Norwegian consortium of Amberg Engineering, Multiconsult and Dr Ing A Aas-Jacobsen AS. The three-year agreement with an option for a one-year extension will enable Jernbaneverket to access specialist technical skills and expand ...
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NewsRoy Hill railway construction contract
AUSTRALIA: Lead contractor Samsung C&T has awarded John Holland a A$257m subcontract covering rail infrastructure and track construction for a 342 km heavy haul railway being developed as part of the Roy Hill Iron Ore Project in Western Australia. The line will be built through remote terrain to link a ...
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NewsMulti-faced approach is key to maximising rail capacity
INTERNATIONAL: Making best use of capacity on key corridors requires all stakeholders to work together, and address the issue from a ‘systems’ perspective, according to Stefan Wendel, Programme Director for European rail freight Corridor 1 linking Rotterdam and Genova. Speaking in the Railway Gazette TV interactive debate The Capacity Challenge ...