News in Brief – 18-24 August 2010

Understanding Rail course: ARA
If you are new to the rail industry then the Australasian Railway Association’s (ARA) Understanding Rail course is definitely for you. To be held in Adelaide on September 8-9, this two-day event provides a summary of all sectors in the industry, key issues and topics including:

• the history of rail in Australia, progressing through to the current environment and future opportunities for rail;
• strategic Issues for the rail Industry: the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Australasian rail industry, using a prominent Australian rail company as a case study
• challengers in running a passenger network: what is needed to run a passenger network, from train schedules to the ticketing systems and, making sure the trains run on time;
• rail Operations: the systems used to operate trains and how to manage the logistics chain are explained during this presentation; and
• rolling stock: the different types of locomotives, freight wagons and passenger carriages operating on the Australian network.

For more information visit the ARA website: www.ara.net.au

Safety upgrade for rail bridges in QLD
The Queensland Government will spend $1m upgrading safety measures around low-level rail bridges in the southeast.

In the past eight years, rail bridges have been struck by over-height vehicles 332 times on the South East Queensland network.

The Low Bridge Protection program would see installation of height gauges at six of the most frequently hit low level rail bridges. Height gauges will be built over the roads leading to the bridges and will chime loudly when an over-height vehicle hits them, warning the driver of the low level bridge ahead.

In addition to the program, the government is rolling out a new bridge strike prevention system for trail at two sites on the Ipswich line. The Bridge Impact Detection System will use s combination of infared laser detectors, CCTV and active signage to warn drivers about low rail bridges. The trial will begin later this year.

Transfield wins ARTC contract
Transfield Services has won a $160m rail upgrade contract in rail upgrade with Australian Rail Track Corporation. The work will be undertaken in the next two years.

The upgrade work is for rail infrastructure in South Australia and the Eastern rail corridor between Melbourne and Sydney.

Transfield has also secured an additional 18 month extension on its existing long term maintenance alliance contract, extending the current 12 year relationship with ARTC and bringing the total value of work secured with ARTC to $200m.

National Rail Safety Week
Monday kicked off National Rail Safety Week, headed up by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA), and bringing rail operators, track owners, government agencies and police together in an effort to improve rail safety in the communities they operate within. Visit: www.ara.net.au

Indigenous art for QLD Tilt Trains
Queensland premier Anna Bligh announced Judy Watson and Alick Tipoti as the artists whose work will adorn the first of two Indigenous Tilt Trains travelling from Brisbane to Cairns.

“This is an Australian first and at 185 metres long – that’s seven carriages and two locomotives – this is Australia’s largest piece of contemporary Indigenous art,” Bligh said.

“The first Tilt Train is due to be on the tracks by the end of the year, with the second Indigenous Tilt Train ready in early 2011.”

NSW-VIC train travel cancelled
Passenger rail operator CountryLink reportedly announced last week that Victoria-NSW train travel has been cancelled because of concerns about safety on the rail lines between Albury and Melbourne.

Speed limits on the lines, normally above 100km/h, have been reportedly been reduced to 80km/h as a result of track work being carried out by ARTC in Victoria. The arrangement will continue until further notice.

Tenders called for Sydney CBD light rail link
The NSW Government last week called for tenders for a detailed transport study which will identify the preferred route for the $500m CBD light rail link.

The study will make a recommendation of the preferred alignment and consider traffic modelling around the preferred route and consider potential impacts of changing transport patterns across the CBD, including future demand in areas such as Barangaroo and Walsh Bay.

A technical study is currently being undertaken by GHD to help identify potential options for a light rail route through the CBD including: Sussex St alignment – from Central to Barangaroo to Circular Quay; George St alignment – from Central to Barangaroo via Circular Quay; and  a light rail loop using both George St and Sussex St

The light rail link is part of the government’s $50.2 billion Metropolitan Transport Plan, announced earlier this year.

Swedish rail group opens ninth subsidiary in VIC
The Dellner Group from Sweden has opened its ninth global subsidiary in Victoria.

New Gisborne in Victoria will be home for the company’s Australian sales head office and workshop facilities where Dellner will undertake overhauls, maintenance and repairs of automatic and semi permanent train connection products.

After Sales operations in Australia, China, USA, UK and Europe. DCAU’s customers in Australia includes Metro Melbourne, RailCorp in NSW, Siemens, United Group Limited-Rail, Bombardier Transportation and Downer EDI.

The local company was established in March this year and Dellner Australia’s managing director Ron Wilson said they have had a good response to the group’s entry into the Australian market.