Botswana rail to signal the Queensland way

<p>The Queensland rail industry’s international expansion ambitions have been taken to a new level, with a signalling company signing a long-term agreement to help support infrastructure in one of Africa’s most promising economies.</p> <p>Queensland premier Peter Beattie yesterday (Wednesday, March 21) trumpeted the agreement as a win for Queensland signalling and communications company Union Switch &#38 Signal. </p> <p><em>Lloyd’s List DCN</em> understands that Union Switch &#38 Signal is actually a US-based company.</p> <p>Mr Beattie said the memorandum of understanding &#8211 which would see US&#38S maintain Botswana Railway’s signalling and communications infrastructure for the next eight years &#8211 was a major achievement for Queensland’s rail industry.</p> <p>&#8220Union Switch &#38 Signal have a lot of experience in Africa already and in 2005 was contracted by Botswana Railways to introduce the Queensland Rail GPS satellite-backed control system as part of an overall solution designed to meet the challenging requirements of the local rail environment,&#8221 Mr Beattie said.</p> <p>US&#38S was also nearing completion on a contract to replace all signalling and communications infrastructure along Botswana’s rail network.</p> <p>Mr Beattie hoped the deal would open opportunities for members of the Queensland’s Rail Project Group (RPG), including Bombardier Transportation, Connell Wagner, EDI Rail, QR and Mincom. </p> <p>It comes at a time when the Queensland rail industry is looking to gain new markets.</p> <p>The most high-profile example, QRNational, has looked towards acquiring more above and below rail assets across Australia &#8211 including last year’s purchase of ARG and operating more coal trains in New South Wales.</p> <p>Botswana is considered in a much better economic position than many of its African neighbours. </p> <p>Mining activity is set to increase in the land-locked country over the next three years, after the discovery of significant quantities of uranium there this year.</p> <p>International mining companies are also eyeing off the opportunity to expand Botswana’s already booming diamond exports, as well as tapping into gold, copper and oil deposits. </p> <br />