<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> </span> <p><strong>PN Derailment</strong><br /> Pacific National is investigating the cause of a reported train derailment near the Drayton coal mine. Three locomotives and two laden wagons derailed on August 23 at 6.30pm, though no one was injured, it was reported.</p> <p><strong>New deal for NSW rail workers</strong><br /> New South Wales rail workers are to sign a new employment deal after pressuring RailCorp into increasing its wage rise proposal.</p><p>The Sydney Morning Herald reported union delegates voted in favour of a new proposal last week. Under the agreement, workers would get a 4% pay rise in the first year and 3.5 per cent for the next three years, they would be free from forced redundancies for four years and could take any future workplace dispute with RailCorp to the federal workplace tribunal, Fair Work Australia, the SMH reported.</p> <p><strong>Trams again for Newcastle?</strong><br /> New South Wales premier Kristine Keneally has reportedly revealed the government would ask Infrastructure Australia for funds to build a light rail connection between Wickham and the Newcastle CBD – some 60 years after trams were stopped in Newcastle.</p><p>“Any proposal put to Infrastructure Australia must include a rail-based solution for Newcastle. We see merit in a light-rail solution,” Keneally reportedly said.</p> <p><strong>RISSB update</strong><br /> The Railway Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) has released the draft Railway rolling stock – rolling stock certification for its second open review.</p><p>The standard has been revised to reflect the comments previously received by RISSB form the first open review. The revised draft is available to download at: <a href="http://www.rissb.com.au">www.rissb.com.au</a> and any comments can be emailed to manager rolling stock Steven Rykers by October 15. <a href="mailto:Steven.rykers@qrnational.com.au">Steven.rykers@qrnational.com.au</a></p> <p>RISSB is commencing a guideline on in line refuelling of locomotives. Anyone wishing to be on the development group can contact Steven Rykes by September 17.</p> <p>RISSB is beginning work on a code of practice for rail safety worker reference checking and is seeking interested parties who are subject matter experts to join the development group to help in producing the document.</p><p>The Scope of the Code of Practice will be to establish Australian rail industry protocols for the sharing of relevant safety-related information in a confidential manner between former employers and a prospective employer at time of selection, with the permission of the prospective employee. </p><p>Interested parties should contact RISSB Manager Safety and Operations Alex Borodin: <a href="mailto:aborodin@rissb.com.au">aborodin@rissb.com.au</a> with a short description of themselves and their organisation (if applicable) by September 17. They should also read the RISSB document “Development Member Responsibilities” which is available from the RISSB website.</p> <p><strong>US HSR funding</strong><br /> The US Federal Railroad Administration has reportedly received 77 applications totalling more than $8.5bn from 25 states for the agency’s next allocation of High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) grant funds to be distributed later this year. </p><p>Ten states have submitted 20 applications worth $7.8bn for high-speed rail corridor development, and 18 states have submitted 57 applications worth $700m for smaller projects, it was reported.</p> <p><strong>Mekong regional rail network implementation</strong><br /> An integrated railway network connecting Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam via regional rail lines, including options to use existing lines to connect Bangkok with Phnom Penh, and Nanning with Kunming, is expected to be endorsed in Vietnam by representatives from the countries, it was reported.</p><p>The plan includes an option to use existing lines to connect Bangkok with Phnom Penh, and Nanning with Kunming.</p><p>The route’s only “missing link” route between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh, would require $1.09bn for completion, excluding the $7bn additional funds needed to upgrade the existing lines, it was reported.</p>
