AusRAIL, Market Sectors

News in Brief ? November 2-9 2010

<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> </span> <p><strong>Sweden win for Ansaldo</strong><br />Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (Greater Stockholm Public Transport) has awarded Ansaldo STS a EUR 80m contract in Sweden which includes a total replacement of the existing signalling system on the Stockholm Underground.</p><p>The contract includes a total replacement of the existing signalling system on the Red Line (41 km, 36 stations), as well as all onboard systems (30 trains) for the line, but can be extended to cover also additional lines and trains.</p><p>The new signalling system employs state-of-the-art Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) technologies, developed by Ansaldo STS. This will provide more efficient, reliable and comfortable train operation, with a minimum amount of equipment on the track. </p><p>There is also an option to migrate to full driverless operation in the future.</p><p>The project is due to be completed in 2014.<br /><br /><strong>2011 E-scan: input needed</strong><br />The Transport and Logistics Industry Skills Council (TLISC) has released its annual environmental scan survey to help inform government of the changing skill and labour needs in the industry in the year ahead. This publication is crucial for the industry to gain as much support from government in funded training programs and in raising the profile of the T&ampL industry.</p><p>TLISC has had a fair response from the survey this year but would like to attract a larger response rate to ensure the messages that are getting through to government accurately reflect the industry needs.</p><p>Any input and assistance would be appreciated and an ipad has been made available to one of the survey participants. The survey takes less than a few minutes to fill out given TLISC has a tight target around a few core industry themes. </p><p>For more information visit: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tlisc.com.au or www.surveymonkey.com/s/32WW3Z3">www.tlisc.com.au </a><br />or: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tlisc.com.au or www.surveymonkey.com/s/32WW3Z3"> www.surveymonkey.com/s/32WW3Z3</a><br /><br /><strong>Abbot Point coal terminal to be leased </strong><br />By Sineva Toevai<br />The Queensland Government has invited expressions of interest for the 99-year lease of Abbot Point Coal Terminal. </p><p>The lease of Australia’s most northern coal port would ensure the port land, the existing jetty and wharves remained state-owned, Queensland Treasurer Andrew Fraser said.</p><p>“This is a nationally significant piece of commercial infrastructure that will be best developed and expanded by the private sector,” Fraser said.</p><p>Fraser expects strong interest from specialist trade buyers and infrastructure and pension funds.</p><p>The lease of Abbot Point is part of the controversial plan by the Queensland Government to privatise a large proportion of state export infrastructure, including the port of Brisbane.<br /><br /><strong>Container trade at Botany climbs 13%</strong><br />By Sineva Toevai<br />Trade with East Asia helped lift container volumes at Port Botany by 13% in September. </p><p>Container trade rose to 173,600 teu in September, taking total throughput for the year ending September 30 to 7.5mt, NSW ports minister Eric Roozendaal said.</p><p>East Asia trade accounted for 46% of full containerised volumes through Port Botany, he said.</p><p>Full containerised exports jumped 9% from a year ago to 37,500 teu, driven by a 20% increase in chemicals and a 45% rise in iron and steel.<br />Meanwhile, full containerised imports climbed 10% to 86,000 teu.<br /><br /><strong>RAMSYS at WestNet Rail</strong><br />WestNet Rail, which operates and maintains the 5,200 km rail freight network in the south west of Western Australia, has engaged MERMEC Group’s Railway Asset Management and Decision Support Solution (RAMSYS) for the implementation as its PIMS (Perway Information Management System). </p><p>Last year MERMEC Group successfully piloted PIMS on a subset of the WestNet Rail network and is now continuing with a full implementation involving 5 regions and the head office. Last month the rollout in the first region was completed.</p><p>The PIMS Pilot demonstrated to key users how RAMSYS effectively supports the critical task of collecting and analyse data about railway infrastructure assets and their condition and how the RAMSYS embedded rule engine efficiently assists asset managers and engineers in producing corporate reporting, improving analysis of maintenance requirements and making right decisions within WestNet Rail with a full set of information. The Pilot phase proved to be an essential element in, amongst others, preparing users for the execution of the first acceptance tests.</p><p>The WestNet Rail Users’ familiarity with the interface, comprehension of RAMSYS’ key building blocks, as well as the specification of customisations required, ensured quick and effective acceptance testing resulting in a quick turnaround of any feedback on queries. Requested customisations include specific functionalities for field staff to locate and verify asset data, speed restrictions management and enhancement for dual gauge data management.<br /><br />For the PIMS business case, WestNet Rail identified several benefits, including increased safety, enhanced condition based and predictive maintenance and corporate knowledge retention.<br /><br /><br />&nbsp</p>