Market

Australia: As part of BHP Billiton’s US$575m Rapid Growth Project 2 to expand the capacity of its Pilbara iron ore operations from 110million tonnes per annum to 118million tonnes by the end of 2006, Barclay Mowlem’s Rail Group will extend tracks from Bing Siding to Nelson Point Yard and modify the existing yards, constructing 26 km of track and 37 turnouts.

Austria: Bombardier and Elin EBG Traction have received a €237m order from ÖBB for a further 60 four-car Talent EMUs, to be delivered between January 2007 and mid-2008 for use on Wien S-Bahn services and regional routes throughout the country. The order covers 15 kV single-system units and dual-voltage versions able to run on 25 kV.

ÖBB has ordered three 760 mm gauge driving trailers and two trailer cars from ZOS Vrútky for the Zell am See to Krimml line. Zillertal Railway has ordered three similar driving trailers and five trailers. To be delivered from autumn 2006, the 80 km/h air-conditioned cars will have low floors and space for bicycles, skis and wheelchairs.

Czech Republic: A consortium led by Skanska has been awarded a KC2·1bn contract to rebuild a 6 km section of the Decín - Praha route to permit speeds of up to 120 km/h by October 2008.

Denmark: Danish State Railways has signed a €55m contract for Bombardier to supply 380 diesel traction modules for the Flexliner DMUs which entered service in 1989-97.

Estonia: Riigi Kinnisvara has won an Estonian Railways contract for the €46m modernisation of railway facilities at the Koidula border with Russia. EU funding is being sought for the scheme, as part of an upgrade of the rail corridor from Petseri in Russia to Valga on the Latvian border.

France: SNCF has exercised options worth €550m with Alstom for further TGV vehicles. 24 complete Duplex trainsets and four sets without power cars have been ordered for TGV Méditerranée under a contract agreed in October 2000. Eight more POS power cars have been ordered for TGV Est under a January 2003 agreement; these will be used with TGV Réseau trailers, releasing power cars for the four unpowered Duplex sets.

Germany: Hessische Landesbahn has ordered six Desiro Classic two-car DMUs from Siemens for €15m, to be delivered by December.

India: Hindustan Construction Co has won a Rs2·2bn contract from Ircon International to construct the Pir Panjal tunnel between Laole and Quazigund. The tunnel forms part of a 120 km rail link between Udhampur and Baramulla in Kashmir.

Iran: RAI has purchased one four-car and four five-car RTG Turbotrain sets from SNCF.

Israel: Following a recent series of level crossing accidents, ISR has appointed consultancy Touchstone Renard to review its safety systems and benchmark them against international standards.

Lithuania: LG has awarded Siemens a €120m contract to supply 34 diesel-electric locos, with an option for a further 10. The six-axle DE20 locos based on the Eurorunner design will be delivered from the supplier’s München plant between June 2007 and spring 2009.

Netherlands: Arriva NoordNed has awarded Voith Industrial services a 131/2 year contract worth €40m to maintain its rolling stock from October 2006. A workshop will be established in Leeuwarden.

Russia: The postal service has placed an order with Vagonmash for over 900 vehicles for mail traffic, which will allow containerised mail to be transported in passenger trains. Deliveries will run to 2014.

Spain: FGC has awarded Comsa and Guinovart & Oshsa a €19·6m contract to undertake track renewals on the Balaguer - La Pobla de Segur section of the Lleida - La Pobla route, covering 62·2 km of single track.

Renfe and rolling stock supplier CAF have signed a five-year agreement that will see maintenance of 21 Class 598 DMUs undertaken by a joint venture of the two companies. A similar agreement is being negotiated for the Class 594 DMU fleet.

Sweden: Banverket has awarded Carillion Rail an SKr86m contract running for five years from July 1 2006 to provide inspection, rapid response, winter precautions and preventative maintenance on the Stockholm - Västerås Mälarbanan.

Switzerland: Last month SBB Cargo took delivery fromSiemens of 12 Class Re474 multi-system electric locos worth SFr66m for use on cross-border services into Italy.

United Kingdom: On August 2 Atos Origin announced the signing of a master agreement worth £48m over five years to provide IT services to Network Rail. It will operate planning systems used to compile timetables and monitor train locations, as well as operating the infrastructure manager’s payroll and financial systems.

Network Rail has awarded Carillion a contract to replace the 49 spans of the Leven Viaduct in northwest England. A new deck will be built on the original piers under the £13m project, which aims to eliminate the need for major maintenance in the next 25 years.