<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> RRA announces Pacific National Kembla contract New CEO for Queensland Rail IA highlights citiesâ transport needs Maldon-Dombarton services tenders released Avalon Airport chief asks for rail line scrapping Hutchison gets rail accreditation for Enfield intermodal hub ARTC upgrading 21km of NSW track. </span> <p><u>RRA announces Pacific National Kembla contract</u></p><p>Rhomberg Rail Australia (RRA) has entered into a contract with Pacific National to carry out ongoing below rail maintenance, including track structures, track infrastructure and civil drainage for NSW Ports Kembla.</p><p>The NSW Ports Kembla Rail Network branches off the Sydney Trains Metropolitan Network and includes the Outer Harbour and the Inner Harbour at Port Kembla, which comprises 29km of plain track, 88 turnouts, 6 bridges, 4 level crossings, weighbridges, signalling and electrical equipment.</p><p>RRA Managing Director, Garry Thuer, said up to 13 staff would be working on site at various times throughout the project. This includes two female engineers and two new staff from Wollongong, specifically employed to work on various routine maintenance activities.</p><p> </p><p><u>New CEO for Queensland Rail</u></p><p>Queensland Rail’s new chief executive officer is Glen Dawe.</p><p>Dawe was appointed CEO of Queensland Rail on Thursday last week, after he spent the previous 12 months as QR’s chairman.</p><p>Prior to that he had extensive experience in rail most recently his roles included being national manager rail transport, Manildra Group and general manager of Rail Infrastructure Corporation NSW.</p><p> </p><p><u>IA highlights cities’ transport needs</u></p><p>Infrastructure Australia’s Major Cities Unit has complied the latest ‘report card’ for Australia’s major cities.</p><p>Australian Cities 2013 builds on the previous three years’ reports, providing an analysis of the progress and performance of the nation’s 18 biggest cities.</p><p>An associated report, Walking, Riding and Access to Public Transport, sets out the steps that governments and employers can take to increase the proportion of people walking and riding for short trips, and to connect to public transport hubs.</p><p>Both reports can be found at <a href="http://www.infrastructure.gov.au">www.infrastructure.gov.au</a></p><p> </p><p><u>Maldon-Dombarton services tenders released</u></p><p>NSW’s long-awaited Maldon-Dombarton rail link is moving ahead, with the federal government calling for separate tenders for the project’s environmental services and engineering services contracts.</p><p>Deputy prime minister and minster for transport and infrastructure, Anthony Albanese, said the successful bidder for the environmental services contract will prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment outlining the potential impacts of the project, to be based on various studies that have already been undertaken.</p><p>The successful engineering services tenderer will also use earlier technical work to develop detailed tunnel, bridge and track designs which will be included in a future construction contract, he said.</p><p>The government’s announcement follows the appointment earlier this year of two other specialist organisations which Albanese said would help to achieve the best possible design for the project.</p><p>Transport for NSW is managing the project’s first phase and have engaged Parsons Brinkerhoff to investigate the design, safety and operational issues involved in the line’s completion.</p><p> </p><p><u>Avalon Airport chief asks for rail line scrapping</u></p><p>CEO of Avalon Airport, Justin Giddings, has asked the Victorian government to scrap plans for a $250 million train line.</p><p>Giddings believes, instead, that a light rail option will save commuter time and millions of dollars in funding. He says a number of consultants agree with him.</p><p>Giddings has initiated talks with state transport minister, Terry Mulder.</p><p>The light rail plan Giddings is proposing is based around a ‘satellite terminal’ at a newly created station between Lara and Little River – which is about 4km from the airport.</p><p>Commuters would be transported from there to the airport via light rail.</p><p> </p><p><u>Hutchison gets rail accreditation for Enfield intermodal hub</u></p><p>Hutchison Logistics Australia has received accreditation from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) in NSW to carry out railway operations from its Enfield Intermodal Terminal.</p><p>The IMT, located in metropolitan Sydney’s inner west, is due to start operations in 2014.</p><p>It will offer importers and exporters a distribution and receiving facility with premium access to Port Botany international container terminals and the NSW State rail and road network.</p><p>NSW law requires rail transport operators to be accredited by ONRSR to demonstrate they have the competence, capacity and systems to manage the safety risks associated with railway operations.</p><p>Hutchison Logistics’ national health, safety, environment and quality manager, Trevor Ballantyne, said:  “This is a significant milestone for HLA and an achievement for which all the Australian team can be proud.  The ONRSR accreditation is by far one of the most challenging safety accreditation processes in Australia, and considered among the most stringent in the world.”</p><p> </p><p><u>ARTC upgrading 21km of NSW track</u></p><p>The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) will be upgrading over 21km of track between Bethungra and Junee in NSW over the next month, the company said August 8.</p><p>ARTC’s executive general manager interstate, Tim Ryan, said the works, which are taking place from 12 August through to 6 September, will involve laying over 30,000 concrete sleepers and 66,000 tonnes of new ballast.</p><p>“ARTC is undertaking a fairly intensive program of works over the four-week timeframe that, while important to improving the reliability and performance of the track, will have some impact on local residents and the travelling public,” Ryan said.</p><p>“Specifically, motorists may experience some minor delays at the Olympic Highway level crossing at Bethungra as trains will be travelling slower through the area due to the works.</p><p>“ARTC will have traffic management specialists and roadside electronic message boards in place to manage traffic, but we encourage locals to plan ahead and allow for additional travel time if they are travelling through the area,” Ryan said.</p>
