HYUNDAI Information Technology has awarded Siemens a €20m contract to supply automation and signalling equipment for the 23km Sosa - Wonsi mixed traffic line which is currently under construction in Seoul.

 

Siemens will supply its Trainguard MT automatic train protection (ATP) system along with automatic train operation (ATO), airlink radio transmission systems, and Sicas ECC-type electronic interlocking. In addition the line will be equipped for ETCS Level 1 operation for use by main line trains which will operate in conjunction with the automated mass rapid transit services.

 

The new line will branch from the Seoul - Incheon Line at Sosa and provide a direct connection with Wonsi New Port in Ansan. It will have a total of 13 stations and offer interchanges with Seoul metro Line 1 at Sosa, the proposed Ansan Line at Siheung City Hall, and Line 4 at Hwarang. The line is part of the new northern orbital around Seoul which is intended to reduce road traffic in the city.

 

Hyundai Information Technology is working as part of a consortium with Daewoo on the project which secured Won 1.52 trillion ($US 1.48bn) contract in 2011 and will manage and maintain the line for 20 years after it opens in mid-2016.

 

  

 

In the afternoon of September 16, another type of high-end electric locomotive with double-current system made for South Africa by CSR struck a pose on the stage of Zhuzhou. African owners and Chinese development team from CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. shared the honorable moment before the electric locomotive (Model: 21E) with South African cultural factors.

 

Before then, CSR has provided 95 electric locomotives for South Africa and their excellent quality and perfect performance upon launch laid a good foundation for CSR’s winning the bidding of the large order, the second batch of electric locomotives valued 2.1 Billion Dollars. The second batch of locomotives is the “upgraded” electric locomotives designed on the basis of customers’ demands.

 

Under the direction of Liu Youmei, the academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and the director of committee of experts in CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd., professional R&D team, project management team, process & technology team, and quality management team cooperated with absolute sincerity during the operation of the project. They frequently organized the review on technology and process and repeatedly calculated and tested, strictly controlling the quality according to international standards to create the product diligently.

 

Excellent contractual capacity in international projects is one of the core competitiveness of CSR. The first electric locomotive of the previous 95 electric locomotives project exported to South Africa by CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. was developed within only 8 months. At present, the safe operation mileage of the on-line operating locomotives reaches 157,703 km. In 2014, CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. has more than 50 domestic and overseas projects under operation, which exceeds previous years. The number of rail transit equipment manufactured comes to the historical maximum peak and the first-rate projects operation capacity will provide high-end rail transit products for each line.

 

It’s known that the four-axis freight electric locomotives with double-current system (DC and AC) are able to operate under 25 KV AC voltage and 3 KV DC voltage with power of 3,000 KW and max speed of 100 km per hour. Microcomputer network control system is adopted among locomotives and 8 locomotive heading can be realized, as well as heading with diesel locomotives. According to the project plan, some locomotives of the second batch will be assembled, debugged, and delivered in local South Africa.

 

According to Suo Jianguo, the Vice-General Manager and Chief Engineer of CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd., these electric locomotives have absorbed the essence of the electric locomotives specially designed for Chinese coal transporting railway lines to customize the busiest coal transporting railway lines in South Africa and are the “upgraded version” of 95 electric locomotives previously exported to South Africa. On one hand, the axle load of locomotives is designed as 26 tons with the traction increasing therewith, which is more suitable for coal transporting; on the other hand, more advanced technology of wire electronic control air braking system (ECP) is adopted. The electrical signal controls air braking in the carriages, which largely increase the braking response speed of long and large marshalling carriages and corresponding safety and reliability of trains.

 

2 locomotives in the first batch will be accepted and delivered before February 28, 2015. Wishing our electric locomotives output could improve local transport efficiency and drive local economic development in South Africa.

 

  

 

JR East and JR West have revealed the service pattern for the 228km Nagano – Kanazawa section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, which is due to open on March 14 2015.

 

Tokyo and Kanazawa will be linked by 24 trains per direction per day, with the fastest trains completing the 345.4km trip in 2h 28min. This compares with 3h 47min via the present route which involves taking a Joetsu Shinkansen train from Tokyo to Echigo-Yuzawa and connecting with a 1067mm-gauge train on the Hokuetsu Kyuko line which has a maximum speed of 160km/h.

 

There will also be 18 trains per direction per day between Toyama and Kanazawa, 16 from Tokyo to Nagano, and one from Nagano to Kanazawa.

 

All services will be operated by the new fleet of 27 12-car series 7 Shinkansen trains procured jointly by JR East and JR West, with the exception of some Tokyo – Nagano services, which will be worked by eight-car series E8 sets.

 

 

  

GERMAN Rail (DB) has selected Mitsubishi Electric to modernise traction equipment on 46 ICE 2 high-speed trains in a deal worth €22m up to 2019.

 

Under the contract, Mitsubishi Electric will replace the current gate turn-off thyristor (GTO) power modules with insulated gate bi-polar transistor (IGBT) power modules. The upgrade will reduce energy consumption and extend the life of the trains, which entered service in 1997, by reducing the size and weight of the traction modules.

 

Mitsubishi Electric is responsible for supplying and installing the new traction equipment, as well as testing the trains and assisting with the certification process. Mitsubishi Electric says that produces will be sequentially delivered after equipment for the first two trains is certified.

 

 

 

THE mayor of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don Mr Mikhail Chernyshev has signed a memorandum of understanding with Alstom Russia to develop plans for the modernisation of the city's 112km standard-gauge tram network.

 

Under the agreement Alstom will draw up proposals for the introduction of modern low-floor LRVs and study the feasibility of catenary-free operation on parts of the network.

 

Rostov currently operates a fleet of 223 trams, many of which are life-expired. The city plans to introduce new low-floor vehicles in time for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by Russia.

 

As part of its TramRus joint venture with Transmashholding Alstom has developed a 1520mm-gauge low-floor LRV for the Russian market, which is based on the company's successful Citadis product platform. A 25.5m-long three-section prototype vehicle (pictured) is currently undergoing passenger trials on Line 17 in Moscow.

 

 

 

THE United Arab Emirates' federal government will fund the second phase of the country's railway network, which is set to be built by Etihad Rail, the company's acting CEO confirmed this week.

 

Stage two encompasses a 628km network which will connect the existing 266km line from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais, which is due to open by the end of the year, to Mussafah and Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali in Dubai and to the Saudi and Omani borders.

 

According to Gulf News, Mr Faris Saif Al Mazroui told reporters at the Dubai International Project Management forum on Tuesday that stage two contracts are awaiting approval from the federal government and that Etihad Rail is "ready to award" them. However, he declined to reveal how much the company, which is 70% owned by the state and 30% by Abu Dhabi, will need to finance the project.

 

The UAE's railway will form a key part of the proposed Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) rail network, connecting the UAE with the five other GCC states; Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman. The GCC states are aiming to complete the network by 2018, and Al Mazroui downplayed suggestions that this is now an unrealistic target.

 

"We are working closely together," Al Mazroui said. "We have monthly meetings with the GCC countries and they are on schedule... 2018 is the commitment that we all agreed and that is what is going to happen."

 

 

 

NIGERIA's militant Islamist Boko Haram insurgency, which has wreaked havoc across the country through bombings, assassinations and abductions, is threatening to delay the completion of the $US 427m Port Harcourt - Maiduguri railway rehabilitation project.

 

Nigeria's transport minister Mr Idris Umar says that while 90% of the work on the 1657km, 1067mm-gauge corridor is now complete and the railway should reopen in December, the final 640km Kuru - Bauchi - Gombe - Maiduguri section, which links the northern states of Borno and Yobe to the network could be delayed due to what Umar says is the "obvious security challenges we have around the states."

 

The government suspended all work on the railway in Maiduguri in August following activities by the insurgents in the area, but Umar has issued assurances that the railway will open in some form by December, 30 years after trains last operated on the route.

 

Lingo Nigeria is carrying out the work under a $US 147m contract, one of three awarded for the project in April 2011. Eser West Africa is responsible for the 463km Port Harcourt – Maikurdi section under a $US 123m contract, and China Gezhouba Group secured a $US 157m contract for the 554km Makurdi – Kuru section, which includes branches to Jos and Kafanchan.

 

"We have every assurance from the contractor and all supervising engineers on site that by the end of November, latest by December this year, that the train will start moving from Port Harcourt to Gombe and indeed beyond Gombe," Umar says.

 

According to Nigerian press reports, Nigerian Railways Corporation has purchased six new air-conditioned coaches, each with capacity for up to 68 passengers, five of which will be deployed on the line. It has also reportedly purchased 25 locomotives from General Electric and refurbished 366 coaches and wagons.

 

In addition it has also invested Naira 4.1bn ($US 25.3m) to acquire two three-car DMUs from CSR Nanjing (pictured), which will be deployed on mass transit services in Lagos. The vehicles feature power cars at either end and utilise two 894kW Cummins diesel engines and a 123kW Cummins generator for auxiliary power. CSR is also maintaining the DMUs under a three-year contract.

 

SINGAPORE Land Transport Authority and metro operator SMRT Corporation have announced plans to procure additional trains for North-South and East-West lines (NSEWL) by the end of the decade as part of project to boost capacity on these lines.

 

LTA and SMRT announced in March 2013 that they would order 41 new trains for the NSEWL and with the procurement of 29 additional sets, which was announced on September 30, fleet capacity will be increased by 40% to 198 trains.

 

LTA says the delivery of the additional trains between 2016 and 2019 will ease overcrowding on the busiest sections of the NSEWL and allow older trains to be taken out of service for critical maintenance and upgrading in connection with the resignalling of the two lines.

 

The additional trains will also increase fleet capacity in readiness for the opening of the East-West Line extension to Tuas West and the new Canberra station on the North-South Line.

 

 

 

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) has received two 2ES5 dual-unit electric freight locomotives from Transmashholding subsidiary Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant, the first part of an order for 200 locomotives that will be delivered up to 2020.

 

RZD says the 2ES5, named Scythian, will play a key part in its efforts to boost freight traffic on the Trans Siberian and Baikal Amur Mainline railways, with the first two units delivered to the East Siberian Railway's Vikhorevka depot.

 

With an output of 8.4MW, the locomotives are the first mainline freight locomotives in Russia to use asynchronous traction motors. Transmashholding says that compared with existing locomotives, the 2ES5 is designed to increase the time between repairs, cutting maintenance and repair costs. The units also incorporate a control system showing detailed diagnostics of onboard systems and equipment and an automatic driving system, and are fitted with satellite navigation systems Glonass and GPS.

 

The locomotive is the second project from the Transmashholding-Alstom company, TRTrans, following development of the EP20 dual-voltage passenger locomotive Olympus, 44 of which are now in service in Russia.

 

 

 

CHINA Railway Investment Corporation (CRIC), on behalf of China Railways (CRC), has published the winners of tenders for 175 high-speed trains with a maximum speed of 350km/h, and 57 trains with a maximum speed of 250km/h, with subsidiaries of CSR and CNR securing all of the contracts.

 

The contract for the 350km/h trains was split into nine packages, with CSR Sifang securing packages to deliver 93 trains, CNR Tangshan 50, and CNR Changchun 32. In addition CSR Sifang was selected to supply the 57 250km/h trains.

 

CRIC has also issued a tender for another 70 high-speed trains. CNR Changchun and CSR Sifang are the preferred bidders for 10 trains which will have a maximum speed of 250km/h and will be specially adapted to cope with sandstorms. The tender also includes 35 250km/h and 25 350km/h trains which must be suitable for operation in cold climates. CNR Changchun is the preferred bidder for these trains.

 

Meanwhile China Railways has announced the winners of a tender for freight wagons. CNR Qiqihar and CSR Meishan will each deliver 500 L70 freight wagons, while four companies will deliver 100 KZ70 wagons: CNR Qiqihar, CNR Jinan and Jinxi Railway Wagon. South Huiton will deliver 200 of the wagons.

 

In addition, CSR Changjiang will deliver 1000 GQ70 tank wagons, along with Chongqing Changzheng Heavy Industry which will deliver 600 of the wagons, CSR Meishan 600, Jinan Dongfang Xinxing 400, CNR Xian 400, CNR Shenyang 400, Dalian QiChe 200, Jinxi Railway Wagon 200 and CNR Jinan 200.

 

 

 

THE operator of the new ScotRail franchise Abellio confirmed on October 9 that it has selected Hitachi for a contract to supply at least 70 EMUs for use on regional services in central Scotland.

 

The order – the first for Hitachi's recently-unveiled AT200 range of multiple units – comprises a total of 234 vehicles which will be formed into 46 three-car and 24 four-car sets. Abellio says it will order 10 additional trains if Transport Scotland exercises an option for a three-year franchise extension.

 

The 160km/h 25kV ac trains will enter service from December 2017 on the newly-electrified lines from Edinburgh to Glasgow (via Falkirk), Stirling, and Dunblane. Abellio says the trains will also be used on other routes.

 

Hitachi will assemble the trains at its Newton Aycliffe facility in northeast England.

 

 

 

YAPI Merkezi, Turkey, which is constructing a $US 1.7bn railway in Ethiopia, has awarded Bombardier a €36m contract to install ERTMS.

 

Bombardier will install ETCS Level 1 on the new line. The contract includes the supply of lineside signalling, interlockings, level crossing equipment, and CTC.

 

The line will run from Awash, on the Addis Ababa – Djibouti line, which is also under construction, north to Weldia.

 

Construction of the 389km single-track standard-gauge electrified line started in 2012 and the project is due to be completed by the end of 2015.

 

 

 

September 10 of the local time, CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. obtained the No.1 metro vehicle and related maintenance order valued 300 Million Yuan in Navi Mumbai, India. This is CSR’s third Indian metro vehicle order after Bombay No.1 line and New Delhi Gurgaon line orders and also CSR’s first Indian metro maintenance order. It successfully copies the metro “4S” shop mode of “manufacture + service” to South Asian mainland.

 

Navi Mumbai is a city administrated by Maharashtra state, India and is located in the west of the state, in the east of Bombay. Its area reaches 343 square km. and has 1.12 million people. It’s rebuilt near Bombay and to distinguish it from the original Bombay, it’s named Navi Mumbai. To expand Indian railway transit maintenance service market, CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. will establish “4S” shops of railway transit locally.

 

Metro vehicles of this project adopt the program of 3 carriages, including 2 powered carriage and 1 unpowered carriage with 25 KV pantograph-OCS system supplying power. The max passenger capacity of the whole metro can reach 1,128 and the max operation speed 80 km/h. It’s reported that overall 33 km is planned for the No. 1 metro line in Navi Mumbai. There are 3 phases of planning in total. Vehicles signed hereby will be put into operation on the first phase of 11 km.

 

It’s reported that the max width of vehicles for the project is 3.16 m, 3 m wider than domestic A metro vehicles. And the vehicle body adopts stainless steel of V-shape section with high anti-corrosion which is high enough to meet the rigid anticorrosion requirements in Navi Mumbai. To adapt to Indian large passenger flow volume, technicians designed bogies and passenger lifting equipment specially, such as bogies with bearing capacity of 17 t, vehicle doors of containing doors with greater closing force and wider opening area, and 4 sets of vehicle doors on each side of vehicles.

 

The climate of Navi Mumbai, India belongs to tropical monsoon climate. So the hydrothermal environment with high temperature requires better temperature reduction facility in the inner carriages. To make passengers have comfortable experience, to reduce the cost and conserve energy and protect environment, technicians adopted the air conditioning units with large refrigerating capacity. The air volume and refrigerating volume are able to adjust with the change of passenger capacity to meet energy-efficient requirement. Illuminating system on the vehicles adopts LED illumination lamps and lanterns which are energy saving, environment protective, high lighted, and easy to maintain.

 

In addition, designers specially introduced that the industrial design, external styling, internal decoration, and drivers’ control interface fully reflect Indian cultural elements and its regional features.

 

It’s known that there have been more than 40 cities in India planning or establishing urban railway transport systems, including Calcutta, Delhi, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Bombay, Hyderabad, etc. According to the planning, in the future, there will be more cities in India developing urban railway transport to relieve people’s travel pressure. Therefore, the market is very broad.

 

According to Zhang Minyu, the Vice-General Manager of CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd., in this bidding, CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. has cooperated with transnational corporations and given full play to the brand technical services advantages, providing high-end railway transport equipment system solutions with high value-added based on the individualized demands of users, which helped the bidding unit win over many competitors, and thus providing a new mode for CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. to expand overseas market.

 

Zhou Qinghe, the Chairman and General Manager of CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd., told journalists that they are able to provide high-quality metro vehicles and services for Indian people again to effectively ease their traffic pressure, which indicates the Indian market trusts Chinese equipment manufacturing quality and services. The railway transport industry is proving the quality of Chinese equipment manufacturing to the world.