DELHI Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has issued an international invitation to tender for a contract to supply 25 three-car metro trains for the first phase of the Kochi Metro.

 

The 750V dc trains will enter service in June 2016 on the 25.6km north-south line from Aluva to Petta, which will have 22 stations and is initially expected to carry around 382,000 passengers per day.

 

Each 65m-long train will be formed of two driving motor vehicles and an unpowered intermediate trailer. They will accommodate up to 975 passengers, 140 of them seated, based on a maximum occupancy of eight standing passengers per square metre.

 

Kochi Metro will require 22 three-car trains to operate five-minute headways, increasing to 27 sets for a four-minute headway.

 

The deadline for submission of tenders to DMRC is October 3.

 

 

 

 

 

DURING last week's state visit of Belarusian president Mr Alexander Lukashenko to Beijing, Belarus Railways (BC) signed a contract with China National Electric Import and Export Corporation for 18 7.2MW electric locomotives from CNR Datong Locomotive Works.

 

BC has already received 12 9.6MW 120km/h double-unit freight locomotives, which are based on the Chinese HXD2 designed by CNR and Alstom.

 

The contract, which is worth nearly €90m, is 85%-financed by the Export-Import Bank of China and includes the provision of spare parts. The locomotives will be delivered within 21 months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

STATE Railway of Thailand (SRT) is preparing to invite bids for the initial phase of its national track-doubling programme, which will provide much-needed additional capacity on the metre-gauge network.

 

According to The Nation newspaper, Mr Soithip Trissuddh, deputy permanent secretary of the transport ministry, said last week that work on doubling the 106km Chachoengsao – Kaeng Khoi line east of Bangkok would begin by the end of the year, and that after several years of delay SRT is certain construction can finally begin.

 

The Thai cabinet has already approved the project and an environmental impact assessment has been completed. SRT is currently drafting tender documents and expects construction to begin immediately after the contract is signed.

 

SRT has identified five other lines totalling 767km for track doubling, including:

 

- Map Kabao – Jira Junction (132km)

 

- Nakhon Pathom – Hua Hin (165km)

 

- Lop Buri – Pak Nampo (118km)

 

- Nakhon Ratchasima – Khon Kaen (185km), and

 

- Prachuap Khiri Khan – Chumphon (167km).

 

SRT expects tenders for all five projects to be issued next year, although funding is subject to parliamentary approval of the cabinet's borrowing bill.

 

 

  

 

The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) on Tuesday laid a foundation stone for the building of Lots 1A and 3 stations in the major light rail project in Africa's most populous country Nigeria, amid pomp and ceremony.

 

The construction of Lots 1A and 3 stations for the light rail project, which partially suffered a setback due to paucity of funds, is conservatively at 27 percent completion after a 500 million U.S. dollars soft loan was signed by the Nigerian government and the China EXIM Bank in 2012 to put it on a fast track.

 

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony in the capital Abuja, Nigerian Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Bala Mohammed said since the signing, the light rail project has been running smoothly and as expected.

 

He expressed optimism that, when completed and subsequent operation begins, the Abuja rail system would mark a positive turning point in the transportation network, particularly in the capital city.

 

"We are optimistic the deadline of 2015 set for the realization of the project is attainable," said the minister, adding more than 2,000 indigenous workers are employed for the construction by the CCECC.

 

He emphasized, among other expectations, that the rail system would cause a drop in congestion and enhance the movement of people and goods within the capital city when full operations begin in 2015.

 

According to the minister, a study made by experts in 2010 showed that more than 470,000 passengers would be conveyed on a daily basis when the project is completed. Another recent study has indicated that by 2015, the number of daily passengers on the train would increase to 700,000, he added.

 

On his own part, Managing Director of the CCECC in Nigeria Shi Hongbing said according to the company's program, the light rail project may be completed earlier than 2015, if more funds are budgeted for it by the Nigerian government and Senate in 2014.

 

"CCECC, as an international contractor, will continue its efforts to construct the project in good quality and as fast as possible," he said.

 

Designed to ease mainly the transportation burden of residents in Nigeria's capital city, the government, in its efforts to provide alternative modes of transportation, signed a contract to construct the landmark light rail system with the Chinese firm in 2007.

 

 

 

 

Torrential rain and landslides over the weekend have forced a major railway line to suspend operations in northwest China's Gansu Province, the railway bureau said Monday.

 

At least 19 trains were stranded or halted and another five detoured along the Lianyungang-Lanzhou Railway since Sunday after continuous rain hit the section linking Longxi County and Tianshui City in the province, said an official with the Lanzhou Railway Bureau.

 

Weather records showed precipitation reached up to 98.8 mm in Gangu County in the province late Sunday.

 

Landslides caused by torrential rain have led to mud and rocks settling on rail tracks, damaging the rail line and disrupting a part of the section in Gansu.

 

The bureau has sent more than 3,000 workers to inspect rail tracks and closed sections affected by landslides and rain, the official said.

 

Railway staff have been working with local grocery stores and restaurants to ensure there is enough food and water supplies on trains which are stuck on the railway, according to the bureau.

 

A 6.6-magnitude earthquake that struck at 7:45 a.m. Monday at a juncture region of two counties in Gansu has also complicated the situation.

 

A strong tremor was felt in the rail section linking Tianshui City and the provincial capital Lanzhou, but the earthquake did not cause damage to rail facilities, the official said.

 

Delivery of quake-relief goods is unaffected as rail transportation remains smooth between Lanzhou, Dingxi City and Longxi County, he added.

 

 

.

 

 
 

On June 25, CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd again received an order of 18 metro engineering maintenance vehicles through the bidding purchase project from the Land Transport Authority of Singapore LTA. This is the second cooperation with the proprietor LTA since 2009 when it signed the first engineering maintenance vehicle contract with Singapore market.

 

The metro engineering maintenance vehicle project will be delivered separately starting from the end of 2014, and will serve the west extension of Singapore urban rail transport network east-west line of Tuas and the engineering maintenance of Thomson line so as to provide guarantee for normal operation of the lines.

 

CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd is the core subsidiary of CSR Corporation Limited and one of the world’s largest rail transit vehicle manufacturer. In rail transit equipment field, CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd not only is China’s earliest exporter of finished electric locomotives but also takes the lead in developing China’s first A model high-end metro train with independent industrialization. It has the world’s first-rate strength in many aspects such as technological innovation ability, equipment level and manufacturing capability. Hence, CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co. Ltd can satisfy the development demands of domestic and international rail transit markets for electric locomotives and urban rail vehicles of different models.

 

 

 

On July 3, CRH6F inter-city EMU trains with a speed of 160km/h which can be operated like buses were off the production line of CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co., Ltd. The new inter-city EMU trains are mainly used to satisfy the demand of China for new urbanization construction and are new fast rail transit tools for building the 1-hour economic circle.

 

The EMU trains with a speed of 160km/h are the second series of China’s first inter-city EMU trains technical platform CINOVA. In 2012, National Development and Reform Commission entrusted China CSR to take charge of the project “China’s Inter-City Rail Transit Vehicle Model Selection and Technical Study”. Based on complete grasp of the high-speed trains and inter-city metro technical platforms, CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co., Ltd. took the lead in studying and proposing the top technical indexes and standards for inter-city EMU trains. Moreover, on this basis, it built a CINOVA technical platform of inter-city EMU trains which were suitable for different regions and different operation conditions. The first series CRH6A inter-city EMU trains with a speed of 200km/h were successfully off the production line at the end of November, 2012.

 

According to the introduction of Ding Sansan, chief technician of China CSR, the inter-city EMU trains with a speed of 160km/h is especially suitable for passenger flow services such as commute, business trips, schooling and recreation in the urban areas with a radius of about 100km. It can keep running with a speed of 160km/h with more stops and shorter distance between stops. Distances of 5km to 15km are especially appropriate. According to different passenger flows, the trains can be flexibly arranged in 8 units, 6 units, 4 units and 3 units. Besides, coupled running can be realized. In accordance with different routes of the trains, diversified and multiple configurations can be selected on the man-machine interface. For example, personalized customization such as the number of side doors, seats, racks, bathroom, grab rails, boilers, bar counter, audio and video systems and other systems can be materialized to meet the bus-like operation demands under different conditions, thus building urban-rural 1-hour economic and life circles.

 

With acceleration of China’s urbanization construction, the urbanization rate in 2012 was 52.6%. This year, implementation measures have been successively introduced in different places of China. National Development and Reform Commission and other departments work together for the general planning of China’s new urbanization. China’s urbanization will develop in the form of megalopolis. It is the only way of the in-depth urbanization to connect different cities with inter-city railways of great transportation volume. The data of National Development and Reform Commission shows that the country has successively approved inter-city construction plans in nine regions including Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan, Wuhan, Central Plains, Shandong Peninsula, riverside of Jiangsu and Hohhot-Baotou-Erdos since 2004 and the planned mileage is 6,222km in 2020. At present, Guangzhou-Zhuhai and Chengdu-Qingnnanshan transits of about 800km have been completed.

 

According to He Danlu, chief designer of the inter-city EMU trains with a speed of 160km/h produced by CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co., Ltd., the core technology and key technology of the trains such as traction system, internet system, auxiliary power supply system completely rely on independent research and development, and the domestication rate of the finished vehicles is over 97%. Its passenger capacity is great and 2,000 passengers can be accommodated in the 8-unit train, 1,500 passengers for the 6-unit train and 950 for the 4-unit train. He Danlu said, the trains are characterized by rapid ascending and descending of passengers. The single vehicle has three pairs of doors, each of which is 1.3m two-way aperture and gas-tight sliding plug door which can complete the opening or closing within 3 seconds, thus reduces the pause time at different stops. The trains possess the technical advantages of rapid start, rapid braking and strong climbing ability. The start acceleration and braking deceleration are almost equal to that of metro trains. The emergency braking distance is shortened by about 40% compared with other main line trains of the same speed. The climbing ability of the trains is 1.5 times greater than other main line trains of the same speed. They can run with relatively rapid speed in regions with large gradient and complicated urban-rural route conditions. The trains are also highly energy saving and environment friendly. The energy consumption for hundred kilometers per capita is 20% lower than that of the metro trains.

 

When the reporter steps in the inter-city EMU train with a speed of 160km/h, its people-oriented layout, comprehensive passenger information system and blue seats, transparent racks bring about feelings of conciseness, brightness, comfort and freshness.

 

According to Ding Sansan, chief technician of China CSR, the success in the production of the trains symbolizes that China is forming a pedigree of inter-city trains. On the CINOVA technical platform of China CSR, CRH6 inter-city EMU trains with four kinds of speed including 140km/h covering 120km/h, 160km/h, 200km/h and 250km/h, and four kinds of grouping including 3 units, 4 units, 6 units and 8 units as well as different graphic arrangements will be researched and produced. These products are characterized by advancement, economical efficiency, adaptability and generality, can satisfy the travel demands for business and commute in regional and metropolitan inter cities, and will exert profound influences over China’s regional economic integration and new urbanization construction.

 

Triumphant news has kept pouring in for China CSR on Pakistani locomotive market. On July 2, the advance payment of the second batch of eight locomotives purchased by Pakistan from CSR Ziyang Locomotive Co., Ltd was paid and the purchase contract was officially launched. Since February of this year when the first batch of 50 locomotives order was started, it’s been five months and Pakistan again put a batch order for the company’s locomotives, which fully demonstrated the user’s great trust in “CSR Created”.

 

Over 600 locomotives of CSR Ziyang Locomotive Co., Ltd has been exported to 23 countries. Due to excellent export performance, reliable product quality, stable running performance and efficient after-sales services, “CSR Created” locomotives have generated international brand effects and formed signing bill “chain effects” on overseas markets. In addition to the second batch order of Pakistan, the high-power alternating transmission diesel locomotives exported to Australia, and main line freight diesel locomotives exported to Kazakhstan by CSR Ziyang Locomotive Co., Ltd before are all continuous signing bills.

 

It’s reported that there are two models in the first batch of 50 locomotives purchased by Pakistan: 25 main line diesel locomotives of 2,000 to 2,500 horsepower and 25 main line diesel locomotives of 3,000 to 3,500 horsepower. The second batch of 8 locomotives also has these two models and 4 locomotives for each model. The highest running speeds of the two models are respectively 120km/h and 140km/h. CSR Ziyang Locomotive Co., Ltd goes all out for the research and development of the first batch of locomotives of the new order. On July 2, the designs of the two models came to an end and the production is expected to be started in middle of July.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nanjing-Hangzhou-Ningbo high-speed rail was officially opened for operation on July 1. Among the 61 trains which were put into operation, 44 of them were researched and produced by China CSR, accounting for 72% of the total transportation volume. Thereinto, 28 were produced by CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co., Ltd., subsidiary of China CSR, and 16 were produced by another subsidiary Bombardier Sifang Qingdao Transportation Ltd.

 

It’s reported that the newly opened Nanjing-Hangzhou-Ningbo high-speed rail is a high-speed rail that connects Nanjing, Hangzhou and Ningbo, a Yangtze River Delta high-speed rail in the national high-speed rail passenger transportation network and planning, and connected with Shanghai-Hangzhou and Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rails. It runs through coastal channels of Nanjing, Taizhou, Wenzhou and Fuzhou with many crossed lines and high depart frequency. The trains put into operation this time cover different models with different speeds of 200km to 250km/h, 300km to 350km/h and 380km/h, and different unit groups.

 

In order to ensure the smooth operation of the new Nanjing-Hangzhou-Ningbo high-speed rail, CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co., Ltd. formed strong after-sales service team composed of experts and on-site commanding center, and established 24-hour emergency security mechanism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is the realization of a long-held urban vision and a mammoth project: In the 14 million population metropolis of Istanbul in the northwest of Turkey a 13.6 kilometer rail tunnel will soon link the two continents Europe and Asia – across the Bosphorus Strait.

 

The “Marmaray” project also includes the upgrading of 63 kilometers of existing track and the construction of 36 stations. For this phase of construction ThyssenKrupp Elevator is supplying 191 elevators and 155 escalators, making it one of the key suppliers for this gigantic infrastructure project. The client is a Spanish joint venture consisting of Obrascón Huarte Lain (OHL) and Invensys Rail Dimetronic.

 

The 346 passenger transportation systems – including numerous panoramic elevators – will guarantee passengers high levels of comfort and safety. They will be installed in the stations as well as in various pedestrian crossings and administrative buildings. The escalators will meet the very highest demands on robustness and reliability: In heavy-duty commercial design they will be capable of withstanding heavy loads, intense use and extreme weather conditions to provide outstanding availability – indoors and outdoors.

 

“The contract is further proof of ThyssenKrupp’s expertise in providing infrastructure and mobility solutions for technologically demanding projects,” says Ercan Keles, member of the Executive Board and Chief Financial Officer of the Elevator Technology business area as well as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Turkish company ThyssenKrupp Asans?r. “At the same time it reflects our understanding of the customers’ needs in the Turkish market and underlines the Group’s commitment to this strategically important growth region.”

 

The tunnel is expected to ease traffic congestion in the city and is due to go into operation at the end of October to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey. The upgraded track and stations will be completed by 2015. Then around 1.5 million passengers a day are expected to use the more than 400 modern trains to commute between the suburbs of Halkal? in the west and Gebze in the east, and Istanbul city center. The estimated total travel time for the 76.6 kilometer link is 104 minutes – approximately 80 minutes shorter than the current trip including Bosphorus ferry.

 

The Elevator Technology business area brings together the ThyssenKrupp Group’s global activities in passenger transportation systems. With sales of 5.7 billion euros in fiscal 2011/2012 and customers in 150 countries, ThyssenKrupp Elevator is one of the world’s leading elevator companies. The company with more than 47,000 highly skilled employees supplies innovative and energy-efficient products tailored to specific customer requirements. Its portfolio includes passenger and freight elevators, escalators and moving walks, passenger boarding bridges, stair and platform lifts as well as tailored service solutions for all products. 900 locations around the world provide an extensive sales and service network to guarantee closeness to customers.

 

 

 

 

 

THE president of Mexico, Mr Enrique Pe?a Nieto, has announced a massive six-year national infrastructure investment programme, which is 50% greater than the previous plan.

 

Pesos 4000bn ($US 307.7bn) is to be invested up to 2018 to modernise and improve roads, railways, ports, airports and telecommunications. "This is a large investment programme, with necessary and urgent actions to consolidate Mexico as a true emerging economic power this century," says Pe?a Nieto. He says the national plan aims to turn Mexico into "a major global logistics hub with high added value."

 

The president believes the total investment could be even higher if the plan is approved by the Chamber of Deputies at the same time as the tax reform bill which is due to be submitted in September. He says the plan could "trigger public and private investment in this sector of up to Pesos 1300bn."

 

"The size of these figures reflects the government's commitment to make transport and communications a strategic engine for national development," says the president.

 

There are three main objectives:

 

to develop logistics to cut transport costs, improve safety, and to increase the value of products made in Mexico

 

to promote balanced regional development, and

 

to improve the quality of life for the population.

 

As far as rail is concerned, the president wants to see a revival of long-distance passenger services, which were virtually abandoned when National Railways of Mexico was split up and privatised. Agreements were signed in January for a new 245km passenger railway between Mexico City and Querétaro and a new 278km line from Merida to Puerto Venado, with trains operating at up to 180km/h. There will also be investment in urban rail networks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CROATIAN transport minister Mr Sinisa Hajda? Don?i? announced on July 22 that he expects the sale of a 75% stake in Croatian Railways (H?) railfreight unit H? Cargo to be completed within the next month, after the government selected Grup Feroviar Roman (GFR), a subsidiary of Romania's Grampet group, as its preferred bidder for the shares.

 

Two other companies, Rail Cargo Austria and AWT, Czech Republic, also submitted offers, but according to local press reports only the Romanian bid met the conditions of the tender.

 

The total value of the transaction is expected to be around Kuna 1.1bn ($US 190m). H? Cargo carried around 12 million tonnes of freight, or 2.44 billion tonne-km, in 2011.

 

H? Cargo became a limited-liability company in 2007 as part of the restructuring of H? into a holding company, and until now has remained a wholly-owned subsidiary of H? Holding.

 

Last month the Romanian government announced it had chosen GFR as its preferred bidder for a 51% stake in national railfreight operator CFR Marf?.