CHINA’S NDRC APPROVES $12.86BN HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT

China’s state planner National Development and Reform Committee (NDRC) has approved a CNY85.1bn ($12.86bn) high-speed rail project in the southwestern part of the country.

The high-speed rail project will involve building 270-miles (432.4km) of railway. 

China’s state planner National Development and Reform Committee (NDRC) has approved a CNY85.1bn ($12.86bn) high-speed rail project in the southwestern part of the country.

The project will connect Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, with the cities through to Chongqing municipality, Reuters reported citing an NDRC statement.

Overall, the project will involve the construction of 270-miles (432.4km) of railway.

The step comes days after China began construction work on a major railway link in Tibet that will connect Sichuan province with Nyingchi.

The project involves strategic importance as it will enable railway connectivity up to the Indian border amid ongoing tensions between the two neighbours.

According to Global Times, Chinese President Xi Jinping called the project a major step to support ‘economic and social development of the western region’, as well as ‘in safeguarding national unity’.

The 1,011km-long Sichuan-Tibet Railway will connect Ya’an in Sichuan Province and Nyingchi in Tibet Autonomous Region in south-west China.

The project is anticipated to face construction challenges due to the rough terrain and complicated geological and climatic conditions in the region.

Once complete, the rail link will be the second railway connection in Tibet after the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, which opened in 2006.

The project is expected to be completed in 2030. A section of the rail link, which runs between Chengdu and Ya’an, became operational in December 2018.

LRTC CONSORTIUM DELIVERS FIRST PHASE OF LUSAIL LRT PROJECT IN QATAR

The LRTC Consortium comprising Alstom and QDVC has completed the first phase of the Lusail Light Rail Transit (LRT) project in Qatar.

This comes six years after the consortium was contracted by Qatar Railways Company to deliver a turnkey tram system in Lusail, an under-construction planned city near Doha.

Phase I of the project includes 9.7km of catenary-free single-track line and 12.8km of single-track underground line.

It features 16 stations, one interchange station with Metro, one depot and one viaduct crossing over the Al Khor Expressway.

Alstom Middle East managing director Mama Sougoufara said: “We are very proud of our major contribution to the completion of Phase 1 of Lusail LRT Project, which will provide a reliable and environmentally friendly transportation system for Lusail’s residents and visitors.

“Indeed, Qatar has become one of the most advanced countries in the region in terms of smart mobility and transportation, and we are committed to meet the country’s growing needs for innovative and sustainable mobility systems.”

Under the contract, Alstom is responsible for delivering 28 Citadis X05 trams, track works, power supply equipment, signalling works and platform screen doors.

Each of the 32m-long Citadis trams features five modules and is capable of carrying 209 passengers using both catenary and catenary-free technology (APS).

The low-floor vehicles will be equipped with electrical braking, LED lighting and passenger information system to ensure passenger convenience.

Earlier this month, Alstom received a contract to deliver 66 Citadis X05 trams to Morocco-based public transport authority Casa Transports.

FREIGHT TRAIN DERAILMENT TRIGGERS MAJOR SERVICE DISRUPTION IN UK

A freight train derailment in Sheffield, UK, caused major railway service disruptions across the north of England.

In a statement, rail operator Northern said that a freight train came off the track near South Yorkshire around 3am local time. The incident derailed several carriages.

However, no other train was involved in the incident and there were no injuries due to the mishap.

An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the derailment.

Several train operators suspended or diverted their services due to the accident.

Northern confirmed that there would be no services through Sheffield until further notice and advised customers to seek alternative transport. The operator also worked to provide road transport services as a replacement.

Services operated by CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway and Transpennine Express were also impacted.

According to a BBC report, East Midlands Railway deployed buses to shuttle passengers between Chesterfield and Sheffield.

CrossCountry suspended services between Derby and Leeds were reportedly unable to serve Chesterfield, Sheffield or Wakefield Westgate.

In addition, TransPennine Express services on the Sheffield-Doncaster and Sheffield-Manchester Piccadilly routes were replaced with buses.

SIEMENS MOBILITY PRESENTS MIREO SMART TRAIN

Siemens Mobility has presented its new Mireo Smart train, which enables operators to quickly boost their capacity and is claimed to ensure profitable operation due to low maintenance costs and a high degree of reliability.

Siemens Mobility rolling stock CEO Albrecht Neumann said: “The Mireo offers transport operators the opportunity to respond flexibly to changing capacity requirements and to quickly expand their fleets with a standardised product with short delivery times.

“Our customers benefit from an attractive price, great reliability and optional service packages.”

This new three-car trainset is claimed to reduce the time between ordering and starting service to up to 18 months.

Siemens Mobility claimed that the dependable components, tests before delivery, and a degree of standardisation allows trains to run right from day one, which makes Mireo Smart a feasible alternative to fleet modernisation.

Besides spare parts and maintenance packages, service contracts can be purchased with the trains.

The three-car Mireo Smart train features 214 seats, offers 21 spaces for parking bicycles, two areas for wheelchairs, and train-trackside communication.

Based on the Mireo platform, the Mireo Smart also offers air conditioning, internet service, passenger information displays, large TFT monitors at the entry areas, and security surveillance.

The first Mireo trains have been in passenger service on the Rhine Valley network since June.

THAILAND TO OPEN BANG SUE GRAND STATION NEXT YEAR

Thailand has unveiled plans to open Bang Sue Grand Station next year as part of its efforts to mitigate traffic congestion in the capital city of Bangkok.

The station will replace the existing Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lamphong) and support intercity, underground, commuter and high-speed train operations.

Covering 1,280 acres, Bang Sue Grand Station will be the largest railway station in South-East Asia.

It is equipped with 24 tracks and capable of concurrently accommodating between 26 and 40 trains.

It can also handle around 600,000 passengers every day, around ten times more compared to the capacity of Hua Lamphong Station.

The external construction works are already complete while internal furnishings will enable the inauguration next year.

The station will also be environmentally friendly and feature at least 30% green spaces.

Bang Sue Grand Station will feature a platform for the Bangkok to Nong Khai high-speed train project. This project is part of the larger programme that involves connecting Thailand with Laos and China.

The first phase of the project between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima stretching 250.77km is currently under construction. The remaining route covers a distance of 356.1km.

Once complete, the project will enable passengers to travel from Bangkok to Nong Khai in three hours.

Thailand initially planned the Bang Sue Grand Station as an extension of the Red Line Mass Transit System in the National Infrastructure Development Plan (2015-2022).

However, the scope of the project was later expanded to develop the site as a new transit hub.

HEXAGON PURUS TO DELIVER CYLINDERS FOR HYDROGEN-POWERED TRAIN IN US

Hexagon Purus has received a contract to deliver composite high-pressure cylinders for the US’ first hydrogen-powered train system.

The company signed the contract with Swiss rolling stock manufacturer Stadler Rail to develop a new cylinder and tank system. The system will be approved in the US.

As agreed, the storage system is scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of next year.

The company was also notably associated with the rollout of the world’s first hydrogen-powered commuter train in 2018.

Hexagon Purus executive vice-president Michael Kleschinski said: “In the midst of the climate crisis, the demand for solutions that help reduce emissions across transport industries is growing rapidly.

“Hydrogen-powered trains are a smart solution to reduce local emissions without incurring the high cost of electrifying the tracks.

“We are pleased to help with the further development of the infrastructure need for this groundbreaking move in public transit.”

Several train operators around the world are planning or have started to introduce hydrogen-powered trains as an eco-friendly alternative to diesel vehicles.

Last year, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) in the US contracted Stadler to deliver hydrogen-powered passenger train.

The company will supply one FLIRT H2 type train that will be capable of operating at a maximum speed of 130km/h.

The train will be developed and tested in Switzerland and other European locations, following which, it will be transported to the US.

It is expected to be introduced in 2024.