Infrastructure news – Page 8
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NewsChina Railway Signal & Communication sets up ETCS test facility in Hungary
HUNGARY: China Railway Signal & Communication has established a facility in Hungary to test the ETCS Level 2 signalling equipment it is deploying on the Budapest – Beograd railway corridor.
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Rail Business UKHuddersfield station to close for 30-day Transpennine Route Upgrade blockade
UK: A 30-day blockade of the line between Stalybridge and Heaton Lodge Junction to the east of Huddersfield will begin on August 30 as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade programme.
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Rail Business UKAccelerating research into the effects of weather on rail infrastructure
UK: Network Rail and the Met Office have signed a memorandum of understanding to reduce the time needed to commission research into the effects of weather on the rail network.
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail trials passive heat exchangers to keep signalling cabinets cool in hot weather
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail is trialling a passive heat exchanger which can lower the temperature in signalling equipment cabinets, reducing the risk of failures during increasingly frequent hot weather events without requiring power, maintenance or internal modifications.
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NewsContracts awarded for ERTMS roll-out in the northern Netherlands
NETHERLANDS: ProRail has awarded Strukton a contract to install ERTMS on the Leeuwarden – Harlingen Haven line, as part of the Northern Lines deployment project and as a national testbed for the latest version of ETCS.
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In depthTrack maintenance: Automated turnout inspection boosts safety and cuts costs
An advanced camera-laser scanning system and accurate location positioning allows for more consistent inspection of switches and crossings without the need for line closures or staff on the track.
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NewsAppenzeller Bahnen applies to automate Rheineck – Walzenhausen line
SWITZERLAND: Appenzeller Bahnen has applied to the Federal Office of Transport for permission to convert its 1·96 km Rheineck –Walzenhausen rack-and-adhesion railway to fully automated operation.
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NewsNext Salerno – Reggio Calabria high speed line contract awarded
ITALY: RFI has awarded a €1·6bn contract for the construction of a 22·2 km double-track connection mostly in tunnel between Cosenza and Paola.
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In depthHigh speed: Investing to meet demand
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp is investing in technology to manage surging demand while it awaits the arrival of more trains. THSRC’s Vice-President for Investor Relations Elaine Tsou explains the plans to Benjámin Zelki.
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NewsPolish infrastructure manager to automate track inspection
POLAND: Infrastructure manager PKP PLK has awarded GRAW a contract to supply inspection vehicles and software that would enable manual track inspections to be replaced by safer and more efficient automated processes.
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Rail Business UKPioneering tunnel strengthening technique could reduce costs
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail says a strengthening and waterproofing process used on the 175-year old Blackheath Tunnel in southeast London is believed to be ‘the first of its kind in the UK and potentially the world’.
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NewsConstruction of Tanzania – Burundi railway launched to strengthen friendship, co-operation and solidarity
AFRICA: Construction of a railway from Uvinza in Tanzania to Musongati in Burundi has been officially launched by President of Burundi Évariste Ndayishimiye and Tranzania’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.
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NewsAustralia to adopt ETCS for interoperable rail network
AUSTRALIA: National, state and territory transport ministers have backed the adoption of ETCS for national interoperability, as well as plans to streamline rolling stock approvals and enable the Rail Industry Safety & Standards Board to lead the setting of technical standards.
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Rail Business UKLow-carbon track renewals trial project cuts emissions by 42%
UK: A ‘pioneering’ approach to rail project delivery by the South Rail Systems Alliance achieved a 42% reduction in carbon emissions during a two-week possession at Stoke Gifford near Bristol.
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In depthFirenze: Low-vibration trackform protects historic urban core
Pandrol has deployed its latest low-vibration trackform and floating sleeper mats on two extensions of the light rail network in the historic centre of Firenze. The company’s Technology Manager for Sustainable Resilient Systems Ernesto San Vicente explains how the challenges of the deployment were overcome.
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NewsBucurești to Bulgaria railway modernisation contract awarded
ROMANIA: Infrastructure manager CFR SA has awarded the Asocierea RailWorks consortium of Arcada and Alstom a €450m contract to modernise the line from București to the Bulgarian border.
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NewsArmenia-Azerbaijan declaration rebrands Zangezur rail corridor as the Trump Route for International Peace & Prosperity
INTERNATIONAL: The opening up of all regional transport routes, including the long-mooted Zangezur Corridor – now renamed the Trump Route for International Peace & Prosperity – is included in a joint declaration agreeing to end the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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NewsLiséa begins construction of €200m Marcheprime train maintenance centre
FRANCE: LGV Sud Europe Atlantique infrastructure concessionaire Liséa has begun construction of a train maintenance centre at Marcheprime as part of plans to enable more services to operate on the Paris – Bordeaux route.
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In depthResilience: Transforming track maintenance in the face of climate change
Network Rail’s Eastern Region is pioneering a range of automated track inspection and monitoring systems, aimed at improving performance and resilience to extreme weather events whilst helping to reduce costs.
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Rail Business UKSoil moisture deficit triggers temporary c2c timetable alterations
UK: South Essex train operator c2c is to temporarily amend its timetable following track problems arising from soil moisture deficit caused by this year’s exceptionally dry weather.