Thales and Downer EDI seal rail alliance
French group Thales has formed an alliance with Australia’s Downer EDI’s rail division to promote rail signalling and transport security solutions in Australia and New Zealand.
The partnership is expected to enable fast local deployment and migration of innovative rail technologies by combining the capabilities of the two firms.
“This alliance offers a comprehensive, proven range of rail products, systems and services, covering all aspects of train technology… for the Australian and New Zealand markets," Thales Australia managing director Chris Jenkins said.
“The company’s focus on providing clients with whole-of-life rail solutions has been instrumental in the decision to form an alliance with Thales,” Downer EDI chief executive Geoff Knox said.
“Our strategy of partnering with key global technology providers, provides our clients with confidence in our ability to provide long-term infrastructure solutions suitable for local markets.”
Tough BMI freight forecast comes with a silver lining
By Rob McKay
With economic recovery to remain slow, Australia’s freight and logistics sector will face tough times over the next five years, according to an international report.
Despite several positive signs, UK ratings and risk analysis firm Business Monitor International (BMI) said in an introduction to its Australia Freight Transport Report Q4 2009 that it saw the global economic slowdown having an ongoing impact on the freight sector.
Demand for some of the country’s key mineral and agricultural exports had eased and the pressure on parts of its road, rail and port systems had fallen in the course of this calendar year.
“According to our latest forecasts, Australian GDP will fall by 1.5 per cent this year, and growth will average 1.4 per cent in the period of 2009-2013,” BMI said.
“We expect freight carried to grow by an annual average of 2.1 per cent during the five-year forecast period.
“The total value of transport and communications GDP will rise to US$74.9 billion in nominal terms by 2013, representing 5.7 per cent of Australia’s GDP.”
On a more positive note, it believed that while, in advanced economies, freight transport tended to grow at roughly the same pace or slower than the economy as a whole, “there is continuing upside potential in the freight sector”.
“This reflects the size of the country’s infrastructure development opportunities and the strong potential for the continuing growth of mineral exports [once the current recession has been negotiated],” BMI said.
It forecast that airfreight, affected by the current downturn in the global market, would see 2.1 per cent average annual growth in freight carried.
Growth in seafreight would average 2.6 per cent over the next five years.
Rail freight was expected to grow by 1.9 per cent per annum, with strong mining exports and infrastructure development coming into play after the current adverse international conditions improved.
Road haulage freight carried would achieve average annual growth of 1.8 per cent, given a “fairly slow” 2009/10
Source: Lloyd’s List Daily Commercial News – www.lloydslistdcn.com.au
WorleyParsons to acquire Evans & Peck
By Rob McKay
Engineering firm WorleyParsons is to acquire transport infrastructure management advisory company Evans & Peck for $87.1 million.
The takeover, which emerged on November 11th, has been endorsed by privately held Evans & Peck, which has had an involvement in high-profile projects across the country.
Evans & Peck has advised the Australian Rail Track Corporation with the design, construction and commissioning of the Southern Sydney Freight Line.
The company has also provided railway operational and electrical modelling for the QR network in the Blackwater, Goonyella and Newlands Rail Networks as well as for Rio Tinto Weipa and Downer EDI Rail.
In the ports sector, Evans & Peck assisted the Port of Brisbane Corporation on its approach to sustainable procurement, assessing the environmental impact and carbon intensity of its procurement activities.
In the west, it has worked with port authorities at Dampier, Port Hedland, Esperance and Cape Lambert and was involved in the selection process for the Oakajee port project, north of Geraldton.
It has worked with Australian Premium Iron on options for a $4 billion development between Cape Lambert and Dampier to establish a port capable of shipping 30mtpa of iron ore, including supporting railway and other infrastructure.
In Sydney, it has had input into Enfield intermodal hub and the Port Botany expansion, while in Victoria it provided advice on woodchip facilities at Geelong and Portland.
Source: Lloyd’s List Daily Commercial News – www.lloydslistdcn.com.au
New $100m intermodal hub planned for Bathurst
By Sineva Toevai
Less than a month after the closure of Patrick’s intermodal terminal in Bathurst, another developer has announced plans to build a new facility there worth more than $100 million.
The Gateway Land Corporation has been working on plans to build the hub on the Great Western Highway since 2006, development director Bob Walsh said.
Bathurst is about 220-kilometres from Port Botany and, with Parkes, forms a growing cluster of inland terminals connected to the port.
Gateway Land is awaiting approval from the New South Wales Government for the 30-hectare site. When completed, the facility will accommodate trains up to 600-metres long, with a run-around track to facilitate faster turnaround times, warehousing facilities stretching 50,000 square metres and direct rail loading access.
Patrick last month closed its two-year-old Bathurst Rail Intermodal Terminal because the facility was considered unprofitable.
“Our quicker turnaround times will enable 24-hour return journeys to Port Botany, something other facilities in the region cannot achieve,” Walsh said.
Walsh added that unlike Patrick’s facility, the new complex would be located away from residential areas.
Source: Lloyd’s List Daily Commercial News – www.lloydslistdcn.com.au
Camurra to Weemelah line to resume in December
Services will resume on the Camurra to Weemelah rail line in mid-December, NSW Minister for Transport David Campbell announced on November 12th.
The Camurra to Weemelah line, which was suspended on September 1st, is expected to carry between 200,000 and 300,000 tonnes of grain during the 2009/10 grain harvest.
“I can now advise that essential maintenance work is due to be completed by 14 December and services will resume after that date,” Campbell said.
“The Government had hoped the line would be open by February 2010 and I’m sure grain growers will welcome the earlier start.”
With maintenance work including the replacement of around 2,500 railway
Sleepers, Campbell said GrainCorp had agreed to partially fund the maintenance upgrades, by contributing a one dollar per tonne rail access fee on the line.
Railway level crossing upgrades continues
Work has started on installing boom gates and other safety measures at a further 11 priority level rail crossings in NSW. ARTC will be upgrading stop signs to lights and boom gates at Jerrawa, Duri, Nemingha, Narrabi, Kootingal, Wards River, Craven, Kearsly, Killawarra, Kelly’s Plains and Gap.
The Federal Government has allocated $42.7 million from its $150 million Boom Gates for Rail Crossings Program to upgrade safety at around 55 high risk level crossings in NSW. Nationally, boom gates and other safety measures will be installed at 292 level crossings.
 
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