Infrastructure news – Page 272
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NewsSouth Korea's growing network
INFRASTRUCTURE: Electrification, double-tracking and new line construction feature strongly in an expansion programme that will see South Korea’s rail network expand by 12% over the next eight years
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NewsFehmarn Belt fixed link treaty signed
EUROPE: The German and Danish transport ministers signed a treaty for the construction of the Fehmarn Belt fixed link between Puttgarden and Rødbyhavn on September 3. The DKr33bn fixed link is to be financed, built, operated and owned by Denmark through a state-owned company modelled on the Øresund ...
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NewsHigh speed rail in Qatar plan
QATAR: Deutsche Bahn has revealed details of its agreement to assist with the conceptual development of a rail network in the emirate. A memorandum of understanding was signed by DB and state investment company Qatari Diar at the end of August. DB will develop conceptual designs and provide consultancy ...
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NewsWork starts on Libyan railway
LIBYA: On August 30 Russian Railways formally began the construction of a 554 km double-track railway parallel to the Mediterranean coast between Surt and Banghazi. The Office for the Implementation of Railway Projects signed the contract with RZD in Tripoli on April 17. Construction of the standard gauge line ...
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NewsCrossrail bill gets Royal Assent
UK: The £16bn Crossrail project to link London's Liverpool Street and Paddington stations via an east-west tunnel (RG 11.07 p679) gained parliamentary approval on July 22. The Crossrail Act grants powers for land acquisition to permit construction of the line, stations and associated maintenance facilities. Enabling works are ...
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Mendoza bidding timetable
ARGENTINA: By means of Resolution 514/2008 published on July 25, the federal government has set out a revised bidding timetable for its project to create a 'high performance' passenger route between Buenos Aires and Mendoza (RG 10.07 p595). Technical bids are now due to be opened on ...
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NewsDB to develop Qatar rail plan
QATAR: National development agency Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Co has signed a memorandum of understanding with Deutsche Bahn for the planning of a rail network. The German national railway will prepare concepts for passenger and freight transport, and undertake a feasibility study for a fast rail link to ...
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NewsAsia's missing links discussed
ASIA: The Singapore - Kunming Rail Link was on the agenda of the 10th ASEAN-Mekong Basin Development Co-operation ministerial meeting, which was held in Singapore and concluded on August 29. Around 550 km of new line is planned under the SKRL project, completing a 7 000 km metre-gauge ...
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NewsJamaica rail revival plan completed
JAMAICA: A report detailing plans for reviving the disused national rail network has been finalised, Transport & Works Minister Michael Henry announced last week. ‘As soon as I have the response of the Ministry of Finance, it will be going to cabinet for them to accept my ...
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NewsCalifornia high speed vote to go ahead
USA: On August 26 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill adding financial protections to the High-Speed Train Bond Act which will Californians will vote on in the November 4 ballot. Replacing Proposition 1 on the ballot, Proposition 1A requires a peer-reviewed financial plan before the $9·95bn of bond money ...
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NewsPolish high speed rail plan
POLAND: The government’s high speed rail committee has approved a draft programme and environmental impact study for the development of high speed rail services. The proposals envisage the construction of a Y-shaped network totalling 500 km. A line would run from Warszawa though Łódź to Kalisz, where ...
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NewsPort projects progress
AUSTRALIA: The Western Australia government confirmed on July 29 that it had selected the Oakajee Port & Rail joint venture of Murchison Metals and Mitsubishi for the concession to develop an A$3bn port and rail network serving eight iron ore reserves in the mid-West region east of Geraldton. The partnership ...
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NewsSwedish studies launched
SWEDEN: Banverket has reached agreement with the local authorities in Västra Götaland, Jönköping and Östsam to undertake a preliminary study of the proposed Götalandsbanan line between Borås and Linköping, which w ould form part of the proposed Stockholm - Göteborg high speed line. The study is intended to identify ...
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NewsWSP appointed Trinidad rail project manager
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Consultancy WSP has been appointed to provide national infrastructure agency NIDCO with technical services during the construction of the Trinidad rapid railway. WSP will act as project manager for the design, build, operate and maintain contract which the government awarded to the Trinitrain consortium of Bouygues ...
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Largest ERTMS order
SPAIN: Infrastructure manager ADIF has awarded a consortium of Dimetronic and Thales a contract to supply signalling and telecoms for the Madrid – Valencia high speed line, which at €585m is thought to be the largest ERTMS order placed to date. As well as ETCS Level 1 and 2 train ...
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Triple-track completion
USA: BNSF Railway is on course to complete the triple-tracking of its busy Cajon Pass line in southern California by October. The company has invested more than $90m to increase capacity on a 26 km segment of its Cajon Subdivision. This part of BNSF’s Transcon main line ?between Los ...
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Regional high speed contracts
SPAIN: Corsán and Bruesa have been awarded a €34·9m contract for civil works on the 7 km Fuente de Piedra – Antequera section of the 128 km high speed line between Sevilla and Antequera being built by the Andalucía ?regional government. Work will take 23 months. Between Marchena and Antequera, ...
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Segregation for 200 km/h running
UKRAINE: Minister of Transport & Communications Yosyp Vinsky has announced the designation of a number of UZ’s major inter-city routes as dedicated passenger lines under a US$6·5bn project to permit the operation of 200 km/h services by the time the country co-hosts the UEFA European football championship in 2012 (RG ...
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Galicia upgrade nears end
SPAIN: With the exception of the final 2·3 km into Vigo, where design studies are underway, contracts have now been awarded for all sections of the 155·6 km A Coruña – Santiago de Compostela – Vigo route upgrade. Opening of the 13·1 km Portela – Vilagarcía de Arousa section ...
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NewsBetuwe Route is properly open
NETHERLANDS: More than a year after Queen Beatrix inaugurated the purpose-built Betuwe Route freight corridor, capacity restrictions are coming off and revenue operation is starting to ramp up. Eight paths an hour each way will be available from August 1.