Infrastructure news – Page 250
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NewsHammond puts reform back on the agenda
UK: Efficiency savings worth between £600m and £1bn are achievable by 2018-19 without reducing service quality or network size, according to an interim report examining the cost of operating and maintaining Britain’s railways. Its author, Sir Roy McNulty, is expected to submit his completed Value for Money Review to government ...
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NewsOpening of Shin-Aomori extension completes Tohoku Shinkansen
JAPAN: JR East launched revenue services on the final phase of the Tohoku Shinkansen on December 4. The 81·8 km extension runs from Hachinohe to Shin-Aomori in mountainous northern Honshu, and includes the 26·5 km Hakkoda tunnel, the longest land bore on the Japanese rail network. The line features ...
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NewsKing opens Citytunnel
SWEDEN: The Citytunnel in Malmö was officially opened by King Carl XVI Gustaf on December 4, with preview services starting the next day ahead of the full launch with the December 12 timetable change. The Citytunnel project has provided a 14 km double-track electrified direct route from new low-level platforms ...
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NewsWorld rail infrastructure market December 2010
Australia: KBR is to provide engineering design services for the Liverpool Turnback project in Sydney, which includes a new platform and 1·8 km of track for completion in 2014. A Theiss-McConnell Dowell joint venture will build the A$291m 5·7 km extension of the TransAdelaide southern line from Noarlunga to ...
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NewsUnterinntal tunnelling completed
AUSTRIA: ÖBB Infrastructurebau AG confirmed on December 3 that tunnelling works for the Unterinntal capacity enhancement project had been officially completed with the installation of the final lining segments for the Radfeld tunnel. Work on building a second double-track line over the 40 km Kundl – Baumkirchen route has been ...
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NewsInfrastructure plan
GHANA: A memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Chinese government which could see extensive investment in rehabilitation and extension of the rail network as part of a two-year package of infrastructure works. Modernisation of the Western rail line from Takoradi is set to begin early in 2011. President ...
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NewsHaut-Bugey line inaugurated
EUROPE: French Secretary of State for Transport Thierry Mariani and RFF President Hubert du Mesnil travelled on a special TGV service from Paris Bercy to Genève Cornavin on November 30 to mark the completion of work to rebuild the Haut-Bugey line between Bourg-en-Bresse and Bellegarde. Reconstruction of the 47 km ...
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NewsNorthern Railway revival funded
SRI LANKA: Ceremonies were held on November 27 to mark the start of work on the first phase of a programme to refurbish the war-damaged railways serving the island’s Northern Province, following the signing of a credit agreement under which India will provide US$416m towards the cost of the work. ...
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NewsCalifornia picks first high speed section
USA: California High Speed Rail Authority has selected the first section of its planned high speed network to be built, although the choice immediately drew criticism as ‘a line to nowhere’. The initial section will run for approximately 105 km through a rural part of the San Joaquin Valley from ...
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NewsUS high speed plans in the balance
ANALYSIS Some US high speed plans are likely to go ahead despite the changing political landscape following the mid-term elections, but others are set to be abandoned, reports Julian Wolinsky.
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NewsUnion Railway starts prequalification process
UAE: Prequalification bids have been submitted for the first two contracts on the 265 km initial phase of the proposed Union Railway network linking the Gulf port at Ruwais with the gas fields at Shah and Habshan in the western region of Abu Dhabi emirate. The first two lots to ...
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NewsPRASA to resignal suburban lines
SOUTH AFRICA: Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has selected Siemens as preferred bidder for a R961m contract to install new signalling on key suburban routes. Work on the first phase is expected to start in January 2011, with the construction of a CTC control centre for the Gauteng ...
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NewsParsons gets PTC contract
USA: Southern California Regional Rail Authority has awarded Parsons a $120m contract to install Positive Train Control on the 820 km Metrolink commuter rail network. The contract announced on October 26 includes onboard computers, displays, GPS tracking and radios for 52 locomotives and 57 driving cars, with PTC providing protection ...
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NewsRFF plans Roissy – Picardie link
FRANCE: Following an initial public debate earlier this year, the RFF board voted on November 25 to launch formal studies and public consultation for the development of a rail link running northwest from Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle airport to serve the Picardie region. The infrastructure manager hopes to be able to apply ...
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NewsAirport link opens
JAPAN: Private railway operator Keikyu and Tokyo Monorail opened stations serving the new international terminal at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on October 21. Both rail operators provide connections to city centre stations in around 13 min. The terminal has been built for the return of international flights to Haneda, 32 years ...
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NewsBig decisions still awaited as government confirms commuter electrification
UK: The go-ahead for two previously-announced commuter electrification projects was confirmed by Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond in a statement on November 25, along with full completion of the Thameslink Programme. However an decision about electrification from London to Bristol and south Wales has been deferred ...
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NewsTGV tickets to Figueres on sale
EUROPE: SNCF and RENFE began selling tickets for Paris – Figueres TGV services on November 23, ahead of the launch of through trains on December 19. Two return trips from Paris-Lyon will operate daily over the new Perpignan – Figueres high speed line, with a journey time of 5 h ...
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NewsIsrael assesses interest in building fast link to Eilat
ISRAEL: Plans to develop a rail link to the southern resort of Eilat moved forward on November 22 when Transport Minister Yisrael Katz published a Request for Information to assess the interest and ability of potential private-sector partners in designing, building, financing and operating the line. Responses are due ...
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NewsWeinberg tunnel holed through
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways held celebrations in Zürich on November 22 to mark the breakthrough of the Weinberg tunnel, which forms the centrepiece of the Durchmesserlinie cross-city rail link project. The tunnel boring machine finally reached its destination below the city’s Hauptbahnhof following a 4·5 km drive under the Limmat ...
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NewsWorld infrastructure market November 2010
Australia: Seymour Whyte Constructions and Baulderstone have been awarded contracts worth A$68m for enabling works on the 13 km Gold Coast light rail corridor. Egypt: National Authority for Tunnels has appointed Systra to lead design work for Phase IV of Cairo metro Line 3. France: ...