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In Brief

23/1/2017

 
Tas companies win from rail revitalisation

IN THE first year of its inception, TasRail has committed $33 million from an allocation of $119.6m federal and Tasmanian government money for the planned Tasmanian Freight Rail Revitalisation Program.

Tasmanian Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding told Parliament the program was expected to run until 30 June 2019.

“It is enabling TasRail to achieve further improvements in the safety and reliability of the track which, in turn, is helping the company achieve steady growth in rail freight volumes,” Mr Hidding said.

“The investment confirms this government’s commitment to the future of freight rail in Tasmania and reinforces our vision to deliver a more competitive freight market for Tasmanian business and industry and, consequently, lower freight prices.”

He said TasRail had awarded a contract for the upgrade of 10 priority level crossings at Burnie and the on the Melba line to Tasmanian company Gradco in partnership with New Group.

“This project is valued at around $2.6m, including materials, services and project administration costs,” Mr Hidding said.

“These level crossing works will see the road-rail interface at the crossings upgraded with new rail and sleepers as well as resurfacing. The 10 priority level crossings are located at Highclere, Ridgley, South Burnie and Burnie.”

Work was expected to be completed in January, he said.

It was one of nine tenders which had been awarded under the program.
“TasRail’s approach to progressively release works tenders ensures a
more even distribution of work for the civil construction industry and
assists with workplace planning and skills development,” Mr Hidding said.
“A number of early works packages have already been completed, including the rehabilitation of two culverts on the Bell Bay line, a quick-start works package and the upgrade of a number of level crossings.”

TasRail was also implementing government buy-local guidelines, with Ulverstone-based VEC Civil Engineering, Digga and Gradco upskilling existing employees, hiring new staff and entering partnerships with mainland companies with specific rail expertise.

Tasmanian company Stornaway has been awarded a five-year contract with TasRail for the periodic supply, delivery and loading of ballast trains to support track upgrade and maintenance activities.

– ANDREW ROSE

More Waratah train sets ordered for NSW

THE New South Wales State Government will spend $1.5 billion in coming years to purchase an extra 24 new Chinese-built eight-car Waratah double-deck trains and undertake major signalling, platform and track upgrades.

Announcing the initiative early in December, Transport Minister Andrew Constance said he was expecting a 21 per cent growth in the number of train commuters in the next five years, with much of that growth coming from Sydney’s western suburbs.

“We will be able to deliver more express services from Parramatta to the Sydney CBD, where we’ll have an express service every three minutes during the morning and afternoon peak.”
​
Mr Constance said NSW was experiencing unprecedented demand from train customers. He said he expected the new trains to be running by late 2018.

In brief

16/1/2017

 
CBH gains rail agreement extension
​

THE Western Australia-based CBH Group has signed a one-year extension to its current interim access agreement with infrastructure provider Brookfield Rail.
The agreement, announced in early December, provides rail track access for the 12 months from 1 January to 31 December 2017 while arbitration for a long-term access agreement continues.

CBH Group general manager of operations David Capper said the extended interim agreement with Brookfield allowed the use of Tier 1 and Tier 2 rail lines as well as the state’s Miling line.


“The agreement allows us to continue our operation on Brookfield Rail lines and gives our growers some certainty as we continue to seek a long-term access agreement under the Railways Access Code administered by the ERA.

“The arbitration process is ongoing, with a hearing expected to take place during 2017,” Mr Capper said.

NSW regional fleet replacement fast-tracked

REPLACEMENT of New South Wales’ aging regional passenger rail fleet has been accelerated by two years.

In a news release, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said the program would start with the replacement of the Express Passenger Trains (XPTs) which entered service from April 1982.

“An extra $15 million has been added to an original $35m commitment and a procurement process for the new XPTs will be kicking off in the first half of 2017,” Mr Constance said.

The new fleet will replace 60 XPT passenger cars currently operating between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Dubbo.
​

Opportunities to replace more than 50 XPLORER and Endeavour carriages will also be investigated as part of the work.
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Track+Signal team

EDITOR Tony Duboudin
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Leon Oberg
SALES
​
advertise (at) trackandsignal (dot) com
PRODUCTION Rosalea Ryan
ACCOUNTS Annette Nilsson​

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