Australasia
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NewsAustralian ETCS interoperability initiative underway
AUSTRALIA: Wabtec and interstate infrastructure manager Australian Rail Track Corp are collaborating on the development of a set of standards to facilitate the deployment of ETCS technology across the country’s long-distance trunk routes. Wabtec is investigating the capabilities of ARTC’s Advanced Train Management System, with a ...
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NewsAustralasian Railway Association organises study tours for InnoTrans delegates
INNOTRANS: The Australasian Railway Association is organising events around InnoTrans 2024 to provide its members with an ‘outstanding business development opportunity’ where they can promote themselves to the global market, connect with decision-makers and build relationships with potential partners, suppliers and customers. ARA will organise a ...
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NewsAustralasian rail industry study tour to visit London and Paris
INTERNATIONAL: The Australasian Railway Association is organising a study tour to London and Paris the week before InnoTrans, to provide delegates with insights into topics including interoperability, high speed rail, sustainability, infrastructure development and operations, as well as networking opportunities with industry leaders. The London leg ...
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NewsAll contracts awarded for Victoria section of Inland Rail project
AUSTRALIA: John Holland has been awarded a A$470m contract for works on the Beveridge to Albury Tranche 2 section of the Inland Rail project to develop a 1 700 km freight corridor linking Melbourne and Brisbane. The contract includes construction works at Benalla, Euroa, Wandong, Hume ...
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NewsMetro Academy enables rail recruits to hit the ground running
AUSTRALIA: A ‘state-of-the-art’ Metro Academy has been opened in Melbourne to train rail staff ready for the opening of the cross-city suburban rail Metro Tunnel at the end of 2025. The academy has classrooms, tracks and platform replicas, including station equipment, and will support the existing ...
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Metro Report InternationalYarra Journey Makers to operate world’s biggest tram network
AUSTRALIA: The state of Victoria has awarded the Yarra Journey Makers joint venture of Transdev and John Holland the next contract to operate the Melbourne tram network. This is the world’s largest, with around 500 trams, 1 600 stops, 24 routes, more than 250 km of ...
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In depthAustralia: Sydney – Newcastle plan marks another high speed attempt
Australia’s High Speed Rail Authority has been tasked with drawing up proposals for a new line between Sydney and Newcastle, as the first step in developing a 1 750 km route linking urban and regional centres along the East Coast corridor.
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NewsRolling Stock Procurement Pipeline aims to reduce boom and bust
AUSTRALIA: The Office of National Rail Industry Coordination has published a National Rolling Stock Procurement Pipeline webpage, which aims to provide an overview of current projects to enable purchasing decisions to be timed to avoid ‘boom and bust’ cycles. It includes procurement location, estimated value, status, ...
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NewsSCT Logistics automates resource management tasks
AUSTRALIA: SCT Logistics has signed a multi-year agreement to use Trapeze Group’s Rail Workforce Management software to automate a range of complex staff and fleet resource allocation processes. SCT has around 1 500 employees, including drivers, shunters and maintenance workers, plus a fleet of 40 locomotives ...
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NewsScenic Plus coach refurbished for New Zealand tourist train service
NEW ZEALAND: National railway KiwiRail’s tourist train business Great Journeys New Zealand has unveiled a coach which has been refurbished to provide a premium ‘immersive travel experience’ on the 223 km TranzAlpine coast-to-coast service between Greymouth and Christchurch. ‘The innovative carriage is the icing on the ...
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NewsFirst C-Series EMU enters service in Perth
AUSTRALIA: The first Alstom C-Series electric multiple-unit has entered service on the Perth suburban network’s Joondalup and Mandurah lines. More than 10 000 people entered a competition to win around 150 tickets for the inaugural ride on April 7, ahead of start of regular operation the following day.
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NewsCommunication training to improve suburban train accessibility
AUSTRALIA: Adelaide suburban train operator Keolis Downer Adelaide has been accredited under the Communication Access Symbol initiative to help passengers with communication difficulties. Accreditation involved 234 front line staff completing nine months of specialised training. Tools include communication cards and vision boards showing stations and key ...
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NewsBattery tender for freight loco to be developed
AUSTRALIA: Freight operator Aurizon has been awarded a A$9·4m grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to develop, test and trial a battery electric tender to be used in conjunction with a modified diesel locomotive. The tender, described as ‘essentially a big battery-pack on wheels’, will ...
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NewsABB to set up traction centre after Queensland EMU contract win
AUSTRALIA: ABB has been awarded a US$150m contract to provide complete traction packages for 65 electric multiple-units which Hyundai Rotem is to supply under the Queensland Train Manufacturing Programme. The company is also to invest US$6m to establish a traction centre of excellence in Maryborough with ...
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NewsDirect Sunshine Coast Rail Line funding commitment
AUSTRALIA: The Queensland state government has committed an initial A$2·75bn to help deliver the first phase of the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line project.
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NewsKiwiRail orders hybrid shunting locomotives
NEW ZEALAND: National operator KiwiRail has awarded Stadler a contract to supply battery-diesel hybrid shunting locomotives as well as additional main line diesel locos. The 24 Bo-Bo hybrid yard shunting locomotives will operate primarily on battery power, reducing the carbon footprint of shunting. They will have ...
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NewsAustralian rail sector promotes non-university career paths
AUSTRALIA: The Australasian Railway Association says that thousands of jobs are on offer across Australia in more than 80 careers in rail, and has launched an initiative aimed at school leavers seeking a path into work that does not require a university-level qualification. According to ARA ...
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NewsKiwiRail orders track inspection car
NEW ZEALAND: KiwiRail has awarded MerMec a contract to supply a replacement track evaluation car. MerMec said the vehicle would provide ‘exhaustive’ real-time track analysis using 12 inspection and measurement systems including lasers, cameras and others sensors. MerMec CEO Luca Necchi Ghiri said the contract announced ...
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NewsGround-penetrating radar helps pre-empt track problems
AUSTRALIA: Queensland Rail and Zetica have begun analysing ground-penetrating radar data to map the condition of unseen parts of the state’s 4 600 km railway network. The GPR equipment was mounted on a Queensland Rail vehicle during a measuring campaign which ran February to April 2023. ...
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Metro Report InternationalGovernment cancels Auckland Light Rail project
NEW ZEALAND: The government has officially cancelled the Auckland light rail project. Work had been suspended after the National-led coalition came to power last year. On January 14 Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described the light rail scheme as ‘wasteful and unfit for purpose’, while Transport Minister ...