ARGENTINA's minister of the interior and transport Mr Floriencio Randazzo inspected one of the first new suburban EMUs for Buenos Aires' Sarmiento Line during nocturnal testing on June 6.

 

CSR Qingdao Sifang, China, is supplying 25 nine-car trains for the Sarmiento Line and 30 six-car trains for the Mitre Line under a contract awarded by the Argentine government in January 2013.

 

So far nine of the 100km/h trains have been delivered to the Argentine capital for testing and a further 14 sets are due to be delivered over the next four weeks. Deliveries are expected to continue until November 2015.

 

Randazzo said tests have been highly satisfactory and he expects the first trains to enter passenger service on the Sarmiento line within the next two months.

 

The new fleet will replace all existing trains on the Mitre and Sarmiento lines, which are more than 50 years old.

 

 

 

 

 

AZERBAIJAN Railways (ADY) signed a $US 133m contract with Stadler Rail, Switzerland, on June 12 for 27 sleeper and three dining coaches for use on international services from Baku to Istanbul via the Baku – Tbilisi – Kars line, which is due to open next year.

 

Stadler says the order comprises five different types of coach, and all of the vehicles will be assembled at its Altenrhein plant in Switzerland.

 

The vehicles will be equipped with interchangeable Rafil/DBAG type V wheelsets to allow operation on both 1435mm and 1520mm gauge networks.

 

The coaches will be delivered between mid-2016 and mid-2017 and will be formed into three sets of 10 vehicles. First class sleeper cars will have 16 beds with en suite washing facilities in each cabin, while second class sleepers will accommodate 34, with a single toilet and shower in each coach. Three vehicles will be composite coaches and three will be designed for passengers with disabilities. The dining cars will seat 28 passengers.

 

The contract, Stadler's first rolling stock order from Azerbaijan, includes spare parts and an option for an additional 70 sleeper coaches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIMITED public services began on the first phase of the metro network in Salvador, Brazil, on June 11, just two days before the city is due to host its first fixture in the 2014 football World Cup.

 

Initially services will operate on the 7.6km five-station Lapa – Retiro section of Line 1 between 1200 and 1600 with trains running at 10-minute intervals and free travel for passengers. However on match days access will be limited to football fans with tickets.

 

Frequencies and operating hours will be increased incrementally with the aim of launching the full timetable by September. Services will be extended over the remaining 4.3km section of Line 1 phase 1 between Retiro and Pirajá in January.

 

Construction began in 2000 but the project has suffered repeated delays as a result of contractual disputes and political wrangling, which ultimately resulted in the Bahia state government taking over responsibility for completing the line.

 

At the start of this year the state government signed a PPP contract with Brazilian infrastructure concessionaire CCR for the construction and operation of the second phase of the network. This includes the 24.2km east-west Line 2 from the city centre to the airport and the 5.6km section of Line 1 between Acesso Norte and Pirajá. The contract also includes preparations for the extension of Line 1 to Águas Claras.

 

Construction is expected to take three-and-a-half years to complete, and CCR will operate the network for 27 years.

 

 

 

  

 

THE president of Russian Railways (RZD), Mr Vladimir Yakunin, joined a demonstration run at the Russian Railway Research Institute (VNIIZhT) Scherbinka test track on June 10 on the first of seven trains being supplied by Patentes Talgo, Spain, under a contract awarded in June 2012.

 

VNIIZhT is carrying out certification and acceptance tests which are due to be completed in September. Two Talgo coaches will also be tested at the RailTec Arsenal climatic chamber in Vienna. Three of the trains are fitted with automatic gauge changing equipment to enable them to operate on 1520mm and 1435mm-gauge tracks. These trains will be introduced by Federal Passenger Company on the Moscow – Berlin route in December 2015.

 

Yakunin announced at Scherbinka that the remaining four trains will be deployed on the Moscow – Nizhny Novgorod line. This will allow the Sapsan high-speed trains currently running on the route to be transferred to the Moscow – St Petersburg line where a regular-interval service will be introduced.

 

The 200km/h trains have passive body tilting. Each train comprises 18 passenger coaches and two technical cars, with dining and bistro cars, and a mixture of first and second class seating coaches and sleeping cars. Deluxe sleeping cars are also provided with en-suite facilities. All coaches are air-conditioned, have electric heating and are equipped with ecologically-friendly toilets.

 

VNIIZhT signed a contract with Talgo on February 7 to define the services it will provide during the project to develop Talgo passenger coaches for use on 1520mm-gauge infrastructure. This follows an agreement in January between RZD and Talgo to adapt its equipment for operation in Russia as RZD strives to replace much of its passenger coach fleet by 2030.

 

 

 

 

RESIDENTS of South Sumatra are celebrating the opening of 11 new stations and the completion of a 22km track-doubling project from Prabumulih to Niru, which will improve capacity for freight and passenger services in operator PT Kereta Api's Regional Division III South.

 

Six of the stations - Sungai Tuha, Lubuk Batang, Kepayang, Sukamerindu, Talang Padang, and Tanjung Terang - are located in South Sumatra, and five - Sukamenanti, Gedung Ratu, Candi Mas, Tanjung Rajo and Way Pisang - are located in Lampung province.

 

Indonesia's minister for state-owned enterprises Mr Dahlan Iskan says the enhancements will improve passenger services for this year's Idul Fitri, the Muslim festival which marks the end of Ramadan.

 

"It's now a matter of how to maximise existing trains and improve the service, especially ticket purchases," Iskan says. "We expect that there will be no long queues for tickets because an online system has already been applied."

 

PT Kereta Api CEO Mr Ignasius Jonan added that six additional stations and 266km of additional double-track would be completed in 2015 in Regional Division III, stating that he expects the "government as the main facility owner to continue the development of stations and double track."

 

 

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INDIA's new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has outlined ambitious plans to build a series of high-speed rail corridors connecting major metropolitan centres during the next 10 years - the so-called "Diamond Quadrilateral" programme.

 

Although proposals for high-speed rail schemes have been mooted for more than three decades and have gained more credence since 2009, the new government's clear-cut statement of intent carries weight because of the large majority by which the BJP party was voted into power. "The political will is now there," says an official engaged in the budget preparation exercise. "We intend to take the first concrete measures by providing for administrative and financial sanctions to the 543km Mumbai - Ahmedabad corridor in next month's budget speech by the new railways minister Mr D V Sadananda Gowda. The new railways minister has already asked Indian Railways to prepare a detailed actionable programme for the Mumbai - Ahmedabad corridor, incorporating details of land acquisition and funding options.

 

"Lack of robust infrastructure is one of India's major impediments," president Pranab Mukherjee said in his address to the joint session of parliament on June 9. "The government will put in place a fast-track, investment-friendly and predictable Public Private Partnership (PPP) mechanism to modernise and revamp the railways and implement big-ticket projects such as high speed rail."

 

The president's address at the start of the 16th Lok Sabha (India's lower house of parliament) – which outlines the direction, policies and programmes of the new government – says that investment in the railways will be increased using innovative financing methods.

 

 

 

 

A REPORT into technical defects which have led to the partial closure of Mexico City metro Line 12 is due to be published within the next few weeks.

 

The 25.1km line opened in October 2012, but a section of the route has been closed since March, when six metro cars were taken out of service after the vehicles were found to be causing serious damage to track.

 

TSO, France, has been analysing the problem since April, and Systra will use the data gathered by TSO to assess the necessary remedial works.

 

Responsibility for the problem has been denied by both rolling stock supplier CAF and the construction consortium, which includes ICA, Carso Infraestructura y Construcción, and Alstom. While arguments continue as to who is to blame, the government has said it will initially cover the cost of any remedial work pending a final decision over which party is liable.

 

Preliminary findings have prompted five recommendations, including a review of the application of lubrication to trains and fixed systems, the replacement of needle switches, and gauge adjustments on curved track.

 

HUAWEI, China, says it has become the first supplier of GSM-R to pass an independent compliance and reliability test for a GSM-R Abis over IP feature after completing work with TÜV Rhienland on its 5.0 platform.

 

Huawei says GSM-R Abis over IP simplifies operational demands by consolidating two transmission networks into one. For example operators with existing IP-based infrastructure can build a parallel GSM-R network without incurring additional costs and merge existing GSM-R networks into a single IP-based transmission system. In addition, it says consolidating transmission networks will reduce or eliminate the cost of operating a separate time-division-multiplexing (TDM), as well as require fewer spare parts and reduce training costs.

 

"Demand for the Abis over IP feature has been growing and the completion of these tests is a significant development for the railway industry," says Mr David Xu, Huawei's general manager of enterprise wireless products. "We can now offer our GSM-R Abis over IP feature to railway companies in Europe and around the world, which have long been waiting for the launch of this technology."

 

Connectivity between trackside GSM-R base transceiver stations and the centralised GSM-R network elements such as base station controllers require the use of Abis protocols that are established by transmission TDM-networks. However, Huawei says that with rising demand for data communications, railway operators are considering replacing TDM-based with IP-based networks which improve performance, increase flexibility and enhance access all while decreasing operating costs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MUMBAI Metro Line 1 – India's first metro rail project built under a PPP model – launched on June 8, with chief minister of Maharashtra Mr Prithviraj Chavan riding the first train on the elevated 11.4km route from Versova to Ghatkopar.

 

Built at a cost of Rs 45bn ($US 762.7m), Line 1 is being implemented by Mumbai Metro One, a consortium of Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA), Anil Ambani-led Reliance Energy and Veolia Transport.

 

The 12-station line is expected to carry 1.1 million passengers per day – approximately 14% of the 7.5 million daily commuters which use Mumbai's suburban network– and offers an end-to-end journey time of 20 minutes compared with 1h 30min by road.

 

CSR Nanjing has supplied 16 trains for the line which can accommodate around 1500 passengers and operate at 3min 30s headways between 05.00 and 00.00. Siemens supplied signalling and Thales provided the line's telecommunications system. ABB supplied the 25kV ac power system as well as Scada and E&M systems.

 

The launch of the service is considered direct fallout of the recent change in national government, with the BJP-led coalition's new railways minister, Mr D V Sadanand Gowda, promptly giving clearances on pending safety and rolling stock certification to finally begin commercial operations three years later than originally envisaged.

 

With the line preparing to open, controversy emerged over the fare structure, which is yet to be resolved. The MMRDA – which comes under the Congress-led Maharashtra government – has continued to oppose moves by Reliance Energy to raise fares from the Rs 9-13 level outlined in the concession agreement. Mumbai Metro One has set a promotional fare of Rs 10 for the first month of the service and Chavan, who threatened to boycott the inauguration over the issue, says that the matter is now in court.

 

Opening of the metro line comes after the city inaugurated India's first monorail between suburban Chembur and Wadala on February 1. Mumbai also plans to develop the Charkop - Bandra – Mankhurd Line 2 and Line 3 from Santa Cruz to Bandra, City Centre and Cuffe Parade, although these projects, like Line 1, have suffered delays. Line 2 is currently entering a re-tendering process, while Line 3 is now not expected to be completed until 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAMEROON and its landlocked neighbour Chad reached an agreement on June 3 to carry out a feasibility study into the construction of a 700km line linking Ngaoundéré in northeast Cameroon with Ndjamena, the Chadian capital.

 

Financing has yet to be agreed for the project, which will require investment estimated at Central African Francs 1400bn ($US 2.92bn).

 

The concession holder for the railway will be Cameroonian railway operator Camrail, owned by Bolloré Africa Logistics, a subsidiary of France's Bolloré Group.

 

With some 80% of Chad's imports and exports currently transported by road via Cameroon's main port and commercial capital of Douala, Chad is looking to expand trade through rail and other infrastructure projects linking the landlocked country to the Atlantic coast.

 

Cameroon's transport minister Mr Robert Nkili says the project would also benefit northern regions of Cameroon, where traders were struggling to export their products to other regions. His Chadian counterpart, Mr Adoum Younousmi, added: "If the work programme is respected, construction should begin in 2016."

 

In 2012 Cameroon announced plans to build railway lines to expand trade with Chad as well as southern neighbours such as Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, but construction has not yet begun.

 

 

 

 

 

COPENHAGEN metro authority Metroselskabet has awarded the first contract for construction works on the 3km Nordhavn line, which will branch off the Cityring circle line near Østerport.

 

The €150m contract, which has been awarded to a consortium of Züblin and Hochtief, covers the construction of the 2km underground section of the branch, which will run in twin-bore tunnels, and the construction and fitting out of the station at Nordhavn.

 

Construction is due to start at the end of this year and the completed tunnels will be handed over to Metroselskabet in 2019.

 

Metroselskabet says Ansaldo STS will be responsible for installation of railway equipment on the extension.

 

The Nordhavn branch will operate as part of the future Line M4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PUBLIC transport authorities in the German states of Saxony, Thuringia, and Bavaria have revealed plans to step-up cross-border regional services into the Czech Republic.

 

At a recent meeting in Saxony the authorities agreed to fund an additional 31,000 train-km per year on the Hof – Pausa, Zeulenroda – Gera, and Gera – Greiz – Plauen – Cheb (CZ) routes. The additional services will be operated under existing contracts with regional operator Erfurt Railway (EB) and agreements between the transport authorities involved.

 

The changes will lead to a new timetable concept in December, with reduced journey times and improved connections at Gera.

 

In June 2015 a new station will open at Plauen Mitte and up to six additional services per day will operate on the Greiz – Wischlitz route.

 

 

 

THE Catalonian autonomous government has confirmed its intention to open a second section of its ambitious Barcelona Line 9/Line 10 metro project in the first half of 2016, connecting the south of the city with the two terminals at El Prat Airport.

 

The 15-station section runs entirely underground between Zona Universitaria and El Prat. It has a total length of 20km, and the two tracks run one above the other in a narrow tunnel for the first 4km, with a conventional, double-track tunnel for the remaining 16km.

 

The infrastructure will be operated as Line 9 and will allow passengers to reach Barcelona by rail from Airport Terminal 1 for the first time. A project put forward by the Spanish government to build a short extension of the existing suburban rail line, which terminates at El Prat Terminal 2, to serve Terminal 1 has stalled due to a lack of available funds.

 

The Catalonian government has explained that civil works on the metro line are mostly complete and has announced that the first tests with the Alstom Metropolis trains are due to begin at the end of this year. Testing of the line in automated and driverless modes will begin next year.

 

The total investment in the Line 9 airport link is €2.86bn and the line is expected to carry 23 million passengers per year.

 

Construction is also at an advanced stage on a branch off this new section, which will link Gornal with the Zona Franca logistics park. This will operate as part of Line 10, although the government has not disclosed when it is likely to open.

 

The new stretch of Line 9 will be severed from the existing section of the route in the north of city and is likely to remain so for some time, as plans to bore a tunnel between Zona Universitaria and Sagrera have been postponed as a result of deficit constraints.

 

The initial phase of Lines 9 from Sagrera to Can Zam opened in late 2009, while the first section of Line 10 to Gorg was inaugurated in April 2010. The two lines serve 12 stations and have a total length of 11km.

 

The lines were the first in Spain to feature full automated train operation (Grade of Automation or GaO 4) and were constructed at a cost of €1.47bn.

 

When Line 9 trains reach El Prat in 2016 the total length of Line 9/Line 10 will be 31km with 27 stations.

 

When the link between Zona Universitaria and Sagrera is finally completed the route will be 50km long with 54 stations. The total cost of the overall Line 9/Line 10 project is estimated to be €5.95bn.