September 2019 | Volume 59 Issue 9

IRJ
www.railjournal.com | @railjournal

International Railway Journal

Working with precision

North American Class 1s drive for efficiency

Mauritius light rail = Rethinking Amtrak = Riyadh metro

 September 2019 | Volume 59 Issue 9

IRJ
www.railjournal.com | @railjournal

International Railway Journal

Working with precision

North American Class 1s drive for efficiency

Mauritius light rail = Rethinking Amtrak = Riyadh metro

 Bogies exceed MILLION-MILE barrier

Next-gen INNOVATION

Advanced ENGINEERING processes

PERFORMANCE-driven solutions

HEAVY HAUL rail leaders worldwide

TR AIN FURTHER
F R E I G H T | T R A N S I T | D I G I TA L

amstedrail.com

Visit Amsted Rail at

Railway Interchange 2019
Booth 2607
Contact us
Contents
September 2019 Volume 59 issue 9
Editorial offices News
Post 46 Killigrew Street
4 This month
Falmouth
Cornwall, TR11 3PP, UK
6 News Extra
Tel +44 1326 313945 8 News headlines

6
Web www.railjournal.com 18 Transit
20 Financial
Editor-in-Chief
David Briginshaw
[email protected]

North America
Senior Editor
Keith Barrow
[email protected] 24 PSR: evolution or revolution?
Managing Editor Class 1s embrace doctrine to drive operational efficiency
Kevin Smith 32 Rethinking Amtrak
[email protected]

32
Unpicking the US passenger railway’s new strategy
News & Features Writer
David Burroughs
[email protected]
Production Manager
Sue Morant
Urban rail
[email protected] 38 Light rail arrives in Mauritius
IRJ Pro Account Manager Island’s first urban rail line set to open this month
Chloe Pickering 40 Riyadh metro closes in on completion
[email protected]
Six-line network on course to open in second half of 2020
IRJ Pro Market Analyst
Oscar Sinclair 44 US transit falls behind the digital curve

40
[email protected] Study reveals transit agencies failing to embrace new tech

Advertising sales offices

Post 12 Beech Hill,

IRJ Insights 
Haywards Heath
RH16 3RX, UK
Tel +44 1444 454171
International area sales manager
Artificial Intelligence
Louise Cooper [email protected]
46 The future of intelligence is artificial 
Tel +44 1444 454171 How might the rail industry benefit from AI technologies?
Subscriptions hotline

52
Tel (US) only) +1 800 553 8878
(Canada/International) +1 319
364 6167 Fax +1 402 346 4740 Track
International Railway Journal (Print ISSN 2161-7376,
Digital ISSN 2161-7368), is published monthly by
52 Rubber-coated ballast improves track resilience
Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp, 55 Broad
Street, 26th Fl, New York, NY 10004-2580, USA.
Neoballast aggregate undergoes line tests in Spain
Printed in Great Britain by Buxton Press and dis-
tributed in the USA by Mail Right International, 1637

Also in this issue

Stelton Road B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. Peri-

Front cover
odicals postage paid at Piscataway, NJ and
additional mailing offices. COPYRIGHT © Simmons-
21/08/2019 19:29 Page 1

56 Rendezvous
September 2019 | Volume 59 Issue 9

Boardman Publishing Corporation 2019. All rights

Manufactured by Plasser India, IRJ
www.railjournal.com | @railjournal

reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without

three SVM 1000 I track laying
57 Full contact list
permission. For reprint information please contact
International Railway Journal

Editor-in-Chief. For subscriptions & address changes,

machines are currently working
on one of India’s largest
57 Advertisers index
please call +1 319 364 6167, Fax +1 319 364 4278,
Email: [email protected] or infrastructure projects: the

58 The last word

write to: International Railway Journal, Simmons- 3300km Dedicated Freight
Boardman Publishing Corp, Corridors. The SVM 1000 I is
PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids, designed especially for laying
IA, 52406-1407. POSTMAS- new track. The SVM series has
TER: Send address changes to laid thousands of kilometres since Working with precision
International Railway Journal, the first machine was put into North American Class 1s drive for efficiency

PO Box 1407, Cedar Rapids,

operation in Australia in 1981.
Mauritius light rail = Rethinking Amtrak = Riyadh metro

IA, 52406-1407. USA

IRJ September 2019 3

 This month | David Briginshaw

Has Amtrak placed

itself in jeopardy?
although there is little evidence between Miami, Fort
of this so far. Lauderdale and West Palm
Nevertheless, long-distance Beach, a frequency almost
trains are often over subscribed unknown outside of the
while the load factor on shorter Northeast Corridor. The
distance trains is a lot lower. company will extend the

A
Anderson has been engaged service north to Orlando and
in a cost cutting exercise in his eventually west to Tampa and
MTRAK was set up in service linking Indianapolis, quest to achieve breakeven has taken over the project to
1971 as a quasi-public the university city of Lafayette, next year. While laudable, as build a high-speed line from
corporation to save the US and Chicago, which operated all businesses should endeavour Victorville, California, to Las
inter-city passenger industry on the four days of the week to minimise their costs, this is Vegas, Nevada (p8).
from extinction following two when the long-distance sometimes being done at the Meanwhile, Texas Central
decades of accelerating Dbsejobm train does not run, expense of providing good Railway is pushing ahead with
decline. Many of the surviving was axed because neither the passenger service, for example its plans to build a high-speed
medium and long-distance state of Indiana nor Amtrak by cutting back onboard catering. line connecting Houston and
passenger services were were willing to continue Amtrak would do well to Dallas, a corridor which
incorporated into a new funding it. The 314km route is concentrate on improving the Amtrak withdrew from a few
national network which just the sort of service which quality of its services to years ago. Indeed, Houston is
largely survives today. Anderson says he wants to maximise the yield per the fourth biggest US city but
From the outset, Amtrak has develop, and yet it has been passenger. There are plenty of is only served by the thrice-
been a political football at the allowed to die. Americans who would be weekly New Orleans - Los
mercy of battles in Congress Angeles Tvotfu!Mjnjufe.

“
over its annual funding While Amtrak’s ambition to

The fact that Amtrak trains operate in

budget which has brought it develop inter-city services
close to the brink on a few

nearly every state of the contiguous

maybe laudable, it simply
occasions. Despite its roller- does not have access to the

United States is vital to its continued

coaster hand-to-mouth sort of funds needed to do so.
existence, Amtrak has There is no sign that Congress

existence.
survived and nearly 50 years or president Trump are willing
later is on course to breakeven to change the annual funding
next year (p32). battle needed simply to keep
Amtrak’s survival is due to Amtrak going let alone
the strong support it receives Clearly Amtrak does not willing to pay a high price for expand its services. Amtrak
from pro-rail Congressmen have the funds or the superior service to travel on must maintain a national
and women and their voters determination to operate a one of Amtrak’s services network to maintain the
across the country who benefit service like the Ipptjfs!Tubuf, crossing the spectacular political support it needs for
from Amtrak services. The fact let alone maintain the Northeast Rockies for example. Other its survival.
that Amtrak trains operate in Corridor - Amtrak’s cash cow - initiatives could include
nearly every state of the in a state of good repair, or adding extra coaches to over-
contiguous United States is fund the replacement of much subscribed trains to meet

[email protected]
vital to its continued existence. of its fleet which is now an demand and increasing
Unfortunately, Amtrak’s CEO average of 33 years old, and frequency where possible (p34).
Mr Richard Anderson does not yet Anderson says he wants to Asset utilisation is often
appear to realise this. He invest billions in developing poor. For example, the
appears determined to short-distance inter-city services. morning train from Seattle to
eliminate many of the long- As four-time Class 1 freight Vancouver, BC, sits in
distance trains which serve the railway CEO Hunter Harrison Vancouver for six hours
communities of Amtrak once said (p24): “Railroads before heading south
supporters as he believes these only make money when cars again. The same train
trains are too costly to operate. are moving.” This also applies could be used for three or
Anderson’s objective is to to passenger trains. The longer even four trips per day
develop shorter services linking the trip, the greater the instead of two without
city pairs at the expense of the efficiency. Unfortunately for any additional capital cost.
long-distance network. His Amtrak, the punctuality of The development of
view, rightly, is that the USA is long-distance passenger trains new services is falling to the
a very different country today is woeful as they are at the private sector rather than
compared with the situation in mercy of the increasingly busy Amtrak. Virgin Trains USA
1971, and that people want fast freight railways which own is now operating an
and frequent trains running most of the tracks over which almost hourly-
relatively short distances. Amtrak trains run. In theory, interval service
While this may be so, the the gradual expansion of
message does not appear to have Precision Scheduled
filtered down from the Amtrak Railroading by the Class 1
boardroom and is not backed freight railways (p24), should
up by Amtrak’s own statistics. be helping to improve
In July, the Ipptjfs!Tubuf passenger train punctuality,

4
 VISIT US AT

ÖVG CONGRESS
SALZBURG
6(37(0%(5ʭ

RAILWAY INTERCHANGE
MINNEAPOLIS
6(37(0%(5ʭ
BOOTH NO 2019 / HALL B

TRAKO
GDANSK
6(37(0%(5ʭ
BOOTH NO 02 / HALL B

PERFORMANCE
ON TRACK®
Innovative System Solutions
for Future-Proof Networks

voestalpine Railway Systems is the global leader for system solutions in the field of
railway infrastructure, offering outstanding products, logistics and services for rails,
turnouts, signaling and monitoring applications. A fully integrated material chain and
value-adding industry setups beyond steel enable voestalpine to understand the
interdependencies of all the track components in order to optimize the performance
and life cycle cost of the system. With smart digital solutions voestalpine provides the
basis for modern track management concepts to guarantee “Performance on Track®”.

voestalpine Railway Systems

www.voestalpine.com/railway-systems
FirstGroup Trenitalia win two-phase
News | extra

West Coast Partnership franchise

Amid another upheaval in the franchise system and with the threat of a no-deal Brexit casting a dark cloud
over the British economy, FirstGroup and Trenitalia were announced as winners of the West Coast
Partnership franchise last month. Keith Barrow looks at this unique deal, which represents a departure
from recent franchising policy.

B RITAIN’s Department for

Transport (DfT) has
selected a joint venture of
Stagecoach (50%), SNCF (30%)
and Virgin (20%), and MTR
West Coast Partnership, a joint
included in the agreements for
these franchises.
First Trenitalia expects to
and onboard entertainment.
Catering will also be upgraded
with at-seat service in both
FirstGroup and Trenitalia UK venture between MTR generate premium payments first and standard class.
as operator of the West Coast Corporation, Guangshen of £1.6bn in real Net Present First Trenitalia says it will
Partnership (WCP) franchise, Railway Company and Renfe. Value during the first phase. introduce “an easily
which encompasses inter-city WCTP was disqualified from The joint venture will directly understandable range of fares
services on the West Coast the competition in April. fund £11m of residual value and fewer ticket types” with
Main Line (WCML) and the First Trenitalia will operate assets, and deductions from an “easy and rapid” delay-
initial phase of operations on ICWC services as a normal the premium will fund First repay system and mobile and
High Speed 2 (HS2). franchise, sharing revenue risk Trenitalia’s £252m investment smartcard ticketing.
The 70:30 First Trenitalia with the DfT through a GDP- in the first phase. A further By 2022 the joint venture
West Coast Rail joint venture based revenue protection £453m will be funded by will introduce 263 additional
will take over from Virgin mechanism and an additional rolling stock leasing services per week, with new
Trains on December 8. In the Forecast Revenue Mechanism companies for new and direct services to Liverpool
first phase of the franchise, (FRM) from April 2021. The refurbished trains. South Parkway, Walsall and
First Trenitalia will operate former mitigates the financial First Trenitalia forecasts a Gobowen and increased
existing InterCity West Coast impact of macroeconomic combined annual growth rate services for Rugby, Llandudno
(ICWC) services while acting conditions, while the FRM can (CAGR) for seat miles of Junction, and Motherwell.
as shadow operator for HS2, be triggered if revenue variances approximately 1.2% annually Subject to approval from the
providing design, development exceed a set threshold from during the first phase. Passenger Office of Rail and Road (ORR),
and mobilisation services for the bid assumptions for any revenues, which were £1.2bn First Trenitalia will double the
the new line from London to reason. in 2018-2019, are expected to frequency of London Euston -
Birmingham and Crewe. FirstGroup says it believes increase at a mid-single digit Liverpool Lime Street services
First Trenitalia West Coast its TransPennine Express and CAGR over the duration of the to two trains per hour. Virgin
was shortlisted for the South Western Railway first phase, lower than the and Stagecoach plan to launch
franchise alongside West Coast operations would have remained historic growth rate of the an hourly open-access service
Trains Partnership Limited profitable if these revenue franchise over the last decade. on the route.

New trains
(WCTP), a consortium of sharing mechanisms had been In the second phase, First
Trenitalia will operate the
recast ICWC and new HS2
services between March 2026 A new fleet of 10 EMUs and
and March 2031 as an 13 bi-mode multiple units will
integrated operation under a be introduced by December
management contract, with 2022 to operate the enhanced
revenue and cost risk timetable and replace the fleet
transferring to the DfT. of class 221 Voyager DMUs,
During the second phase, which are used on services
First Trenitalia will be paid a from London to North Wales,
management fee equivalent to operating long distances under
a low single digit margin the wires. In the meantime, the
annually, with additional fleet of 20 five-car Voyagers
incentive payments for good will be internally refreshed.
performance. The contract First Trenitalia says the
includes an option for a three- replacement of the Voyager
year extension. fleet will enable it to reduce
The fleet of 56 Alstom class rolling stock CO2 emissions by
390 Pendolino tilting EMUs 61%. LED lighting and driver
currently used by Virgin will advisory systems will also be
Photo: Paul Bigland

be refurbished at a cost of installed to improve the

£117m with 25,000 new seats, environmental performance of
additional luggage space, the fleet.
improved passenger Wi-Fi and Stations will be upgraded
at-seat power sockets across with improved waiting rooms,
Virgin Trains has operated the West Coast franchise since 1997. the fleet with wireless charging shelters and seating. New first

6 IRJ September 2019

 FirstGroup: no more franchise bids
F
class lounges will be opened at
Preston, Stockport and Rugby,
while ticket offices at Glasgow
OLLOWING confirmation of its win in the WCP procurement, FirstGroup chief executive,
Central, Preston and Rugby
Mr Matthew Gregory, confirmed that the firm will not be bidding for any upcoming rail
will be modernised. Passenger
franchises in Britain.
Wi-Fi will be upgraded and 10
“The differences between this contract and more traditional rail franchises were reflected in the
new secure cycle storage
terms set out by the DfT, which has resulted in a more appropriate balance of risks and rewards
facilities will be built. There
for us as operators,” Gregory says. “The WCP first phase allows us to earn returns on the
will also be 900 additional
significant investments in services and facilities for passengers but protected by a much improved
parking spaces and 100 electric
revenue risk sharing mechanism. This will transition to a management contract in the second
vehicle charging points.
phase, ensuring we can really focus on using the respective skills and experience within our joint
The new franchise will invest
venture to deliver the desired benefits of the HS2 project for passengers and the country.
£20m in performance
“The Partnership strengthens and adds a fourth franchise to our UK rail portfolio. Following
enhancements, including
this award we will not therefore be seeking new franchising opportunities for the foreseeable
developing joint plans with
future over and above our current negotiations with the DfT to extend Great Western Railway
Network Rail to reduce incidents
(GWR). Our focus remains on delivering sustainable shareholder value and we will actively
and installing onboard and
manage our rail portfolio and its risk and reward profile accordingly.”
trackside infrastructure
FirstGroup says its board has carried out extensive reviews of the WCP proposal and the bid
monitoring equipment.
assumptions have been tested and revalidated in accordance with the firm’s May 30 commitment
The awarding of WCP to
to seek an “appropriate balance of potential risks and rewards for shareholders.”
First Trenitalia brings to an
end Virgin’s tenure on the
WCML, which began when for a new 13-year franchise. 2014. The contract was pensions risk.” In May the
Virgin Trains took over However, the DfT cancelled extended again in November WCTP consortium, which
operation of inter-city services the procurement in October 2016 and once more in includes Stagecoach and
on the route from British Rail 2012 following the discovery December 2018. Virgin, filed a claim at the
in March 1997. Virgin sold a of “significant technical flaws” Controversy erupted again High Court in London under
49% stake in Virgin Rail Group in the tendering process. The in April this year when the Part 7 of the Civil Procedure
to Stagecoach in October 2018, DfT signed a 23-month DfT disqualified Stagecoach Rules alleging that the DfT
and the partnership continues management contract with from bidding for WCP as well breached its statutory duties
to this day. Virgin Trains in December as the East Midlands and under European Regulation
Virgin came close to losing 2012 and this was followed by South Eastern franchises “for 1370/2007, which governs
ICWC in August 2012, when another two-year nine-month submitting non-compliant public procurement of
the DfT selected FirstGroup direct award contract in June bids, principally in respect of passenger rail services. IRJ

TEE THE MAR

AN KE
AR

KL A SIFIED.se AUGUST 2019

U T

CA
T

NO
S
THE BE
DOBEL®

FFER
Quality & Service
Guarantee

DESIGNED TO
EN 45545 HL3 APPROVED

MEET THE FUTURE

DOBEL® Film Laminated Metal
– perfect for Train Interiors
DOBEL® F 105 is a versatile material very suitable for
walls and ceilings, partition walls, doors etc. A product
so strong that it can be bent, stretched, stressed and
used for years without any loss of performance or looks.
The strength and shapeability together with design
features in foils, inspires designers to be creative in form
while retaining both functional and safety properties.
DOBEL® F 105 Aluminum meets the criteria for
the highest level of fire safety in accordance with
EN 45545-2: 2013 requirements R1, HL3.

Please visit us at TRAKO in Gdansk, Sept 24-27.

You’ll find us in Stand 46 in Hall G and we are
looking forward to hearing your story and explore
possibilities for future cooperation. metalcolour.com
Germany plans €86bn rail investment in 2020-2029
News | headlines

G ERMANY’s federal
government and German
Rail (DB) have reached an
will commit É62bn to
infrastructure investment in
2020-2029, an increase of 59%
railway network, transport
minister, Mr Andreas Scheuer,
said LuFV III will deliver a
activities, with a more robust
system of quality indicators to
monitor how federal funding is
agreement to invest É86.2bn in compared with the current “high-performance, high-quality being used.
railway infrastructure over the LuFV II, which covers the rail network as a basis for active The Commission’s 2019
next decade, the Federal period 2015-2019, while DB climate protection in transport.” Railway Sector Report urges
Ministry of Transport (BMVI) will contribute É24.2bn, a 41% In late July the federal the federal government to
confirmed on July 26. rise over LuFV II levels. Monopolies Commission issued increase competition on the
Under the Performance and Hailing the agreement as the a report calling for greater network, which the commission
Financing Agreement (LuFV “largest ever” modernisation separation between DB’s argues will incentivise train

Malaysian firms pre-qualify for East Coast Rail Link

III), the federal government programme for Germany’s transport and infrastructure operators to improve quality.

Virgin seeks bonds

for California -
Las Vegas line
M ALAYSIA’s East Coast civil works portion of the and Putrajaya, began in 2017

P
Rail Link (ECRL) project 640km project, excluding but was suspended in July
authority Malaysia Rail Link tunnel works. 2018 after Malaysia’s newly-
RIVATELY-funded inter- (MRL) has shortlisted 331 The contracts for the 223km elected prime minister, Dr
city passenger operator construction companies, or Dungun - Mentakab stretch, Mahathir Mohamad, decided
Virgin Trains USA, previously 25.1% of the country’s 1321 where the rail alignment has to withdraw from Chinese-
known as Brightline, is seeking registered construction firms, already been finalised, are backed infrastructure projects
approval from the states of as eligible to submit bids for expected to be tendered in the on economic grounds.
California and Nevada to raise the project’s civil works fourth quarter of 2019. Construction restarted in
as much as $US 3.6bn in tax- packages following a pre- Further tenders will be July following the signing of a
exempt bonds for a high-speed qualification exercise. called once both the re- supplementary agreement
line linking southern California China Communications alignment from Kota Bharu to between MRL and CCCC on
with Las Vegas. Construction Company Dungun and the new southern April 12 after the total cost of
Virgin Trains USA confirmed (CCCC) called for submission alignment between Mentakab the project was reduced from
last September that it had of pre-qualification documents and Port Klang have been Ringgits 65.5bn ($US 15.6bn) to
acquired XpressWest, a high- on May 29 and 30 in an effort finalised. Ringgits 44bn. The proportion
speed project with rights to to identify potential local Construction on the line, of local involvement also
develop a federally-approved subcontractors for 40% of the which will connect Kota Bharu increased from 30% to 40%.

NS orders ICNGB EMUs for Amsterdam - Brussels services

corridor connecting Victorville,

N
a desert city 137km northeast
of Los Angeles, with Las Vegas.
Bloomberg reports that a ETHERLANDS Railways (NS) has activated when it placed the order for the 79 ICNG trains
California state agency could an option for 18 eight-car InterCity New to allow a fast and smooth authorisation to place
sign off on Virgin Trains’ Generation (ICNG) 200km/h EMUs in addition in service application in both the Netherlands
application this month, which to the 79 ordered and under delivery from and Belgium. Following completion of the
would result in the company Alstom. The new order is worth É200m. order, NS will operate a fleet of 20 ICNGB trains.
borrowing as much as $US Unlike the ICNG sets on order, the 18 sets will The three-system ICNGB trains will enter
2.4bn in unrated private activity be equipped for operation in both the Netherlands service from 2025 and operate Amsterdam -
bonds for the project. In and Belgium, and will be designated Intercity Brussels South direct inter-city services,
November, a Nevada agency New Generation Belgium (ICNGB). replacing the 160km/h trains operated with 35+
will consider a similar request They will be capable of running under 1.5kV year-old ICRm coaches and four-voltage
to let the company leverage up dc, 3kV dc and 25kV 50 Hz ac electrification, Bombardier Traxx locomotives from both NS
to $US 1.2bn in similar debt. with the latter used on HSL South in the and Belgian National Railways (SNCB). NS
The government agencies Netherlands, on Belgium Line 4 between the leases these locomotives from Akiem,
wouldn’t be responsible for Dutch-Belgian border and the outskirts of Macquarie Rail and Alpha Trains, while SNCB
the bond payments but they Antwerp. is using Traxx locomotives from Alpha Trains.
would allow the Florida-based NS ordered two ICNGB EMUs as test vehicles
company, which currently
operates a service between
Miami and West Palm Beach,
to access cheaper capital for
the $US 4.8bn project.
The California bond sale is
planned for the first quarter of
2020, which could see
construction start by June with
an opening date in 2023.
Virgin Trains says a one-way
trip to or from Las Vegas would
take around 90 minutes, half
The first ICNG set on test at Velim,
the current driving time, and
Czech Republic. Photo: Quintus Vosman
cost less than driving and
parking, and flying.

8 IRJ September 2019

 IN THE

SHOP.
IN THE
YARD.
180114

ON THE

TRACK.
ROLLING
WE KEEP YOU
In the shop, in the yard or on the track, Progress Rail delivers innovative
solutions tailored to customer needs, including:
Q Predictive Condition Q End-of-Train Device
Monitoring Systems
Q Computer-Based Interlocking Q Fatigue and Distraction Monitoring
with Integrated ETCS
Q Thermal Imaging Hot Bearing/ Q PR Uptime® Suite
Hot Wheel Detector

+1 800-476-6789 • progressrail.com • @progressrail • @Progress_Rail

 News | headlines In brief

Terms of independent HS2 review released Austria

B
Austrian Federal Railways
RITISH secretary of state = connectivity = the cost of disruption to rail (ÖBB) has published a tender
for transport, Mr Grant = economic transformation users during construction for a 12-month hire contract
Shapps, announced the terms including whether the scheme = whether there are cost and for two hydrogen fuel cell
of an independent review into will promote inclusive growth schedule trade-offs, and multiple units. The trial will
the High Speed 2 (HS2) project and regional rebalancing = the overall affordability of enable ÖBB to compare the
on August 21, which will = environmental benefits, in Phase 1. performance of hydrogen and
consider the necessity, scope particular for CO2 reduction in The review will consider the battery-electric trains.

Britain
and cost of the project. line with net zero commitments, business case, and the
The review will produce a and implications of potential
report in the autumn, ahead of = the risk of delivery of these changes in services to cities The first fleet of Stadler Flirt
a “notice to proceed” decision and other benefits, and whether and towns which are on trains for a British operator
for Phase 1 which is due to be there are alternative strategic existing main lines but will not entered service on July 29,
made by the end of the year. transport schemes which could be on HS2. when Abellio Greater Anglia’s
The review will be chaired achieve comparable benefits in The government is also looking class 755 bi-mode multiple
by Mr Doug Oakervee, the similar timescales. for “realistic potential” for cost units made their passenger
former chair of HS2, with Lord The review will consider reduction, and has directed the debut on the lines from
Berkeley as deputy chair. whether HS2 Ltd’s latest review to consider whether Norwich to Lowestoft and
The review will consider the estimates of costs and schedule changes to the scope of the Great Yarmouth.

Germany
full range of benefits from the are realistic and are project could facilitate this.
project, including: comparable with other British The report will include the
= capacity changes both for infrastructure projects. direct cost of reprioritising, SBB Deutschland, the German
services to cities and towns The review will also look at: cancelling or de-scoping the subsidiary of Swiss Federal
along the HS2 route and those = whether there are project, and an estimate of how Railways (SBB), is set to

Italy approves €28bn infrastructure investment hike

not connected with HS2 opportunities for efficiencies much money could be recouped. continue operating regional

I
services on three routes in
Baden-Württemberg until
December 2027 under a new
TALY’s Inter-ministerial between the Ministry of been approved with an agreement with the state’s
Committee for Economic Infrastructure and Transport additional É15.4bn for rail Ministry of Transport. The
Programme (Cipe) approved and FS’ two infrastructure investment, while ANAS has agreement concerns the
É28bn in additional funding subsidiaries: national been allocated an additional operation of Seehas services
for infrastructure investment infrastructure manager Italian É12.5bn. from Engen to Singen and
by Italian State Railways (FS) Rail Network (RFI) and FS says the approval of this Konstanz as well as Basle S-
on July 24. highways organisation ANAS. additional spending assures its Bahn lines S5 and S6.

Hungary
FS says the announcement As a result, RFI’s 2018-2019 2019-2023 Industrial Plan to
gives the green light to update update of its 2017-2021 invest É28bn in the rail
the Programme Contracts investment programme has network and É14bn in roads. The government has appointed
a consortium of 4iG and T-
Systems Magyarország to
develop a national public
transport ticketing system by
the end of 2020 at a cost of
Forints 11.2bn ($US 38m). The
new system will offer an
integrated timetable and a
single call centre for rail and
bus services.

Indonesia
The government is reportedly
due to sign a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) later
this year with the Japan
International Cooperation
Agency (Jica), which will allow
construction on the Jakarta -
Surabaya line to begin. The
project is expected to cost
Turkish rail freight operator receives PowerHaul locomotives: Körfez Ulastirma, Turkey’s first Rupiah 90 trillion ($US 6.3bn).

International
open-access rail freight operator, has taken delivery of five Wabtec PowerHaul diesel locomotives.
The locomotives will be used to haul oil trains from refineries owned by Tüpras, the parent
company of Körfez Ulastirma, doubling the operator’s existing locomotive fleet. Russian Railways (RZD) and
The six-axle locomotives were assembled by Tülomsas, Wabtec’s strategic business partner in Russian transport group Fesco
the region, at its plant in Eskisehir. The PowerHaul is compliant with European TSIs and EU Stage have launched a freight service
IIIa emissions standards. Power is provided by a 16-cylinder 2.76MW PowerHaul P616 diesel from Korea to Europe via the
engine with common-rail fuel injection. Trans-Siberian Landbridge.

10 IRJ September 2019

Engineering is
Our Priority.
Expert Manufacturing is
Our Promise.
Freeze Protection
You Can Trust.

Manufactured by the
GURU® you trust,
ThermOmegaTech’s
GURU PC® valve
prevents freeze damage
on potable water bearing
systems in passenger
trains.

www.ThermOmegaTech.com/Trust-GURUPC
877-379-8258
 News | headlines
Acela to run non-
stop between
Photo: ÖBB

NYC and DC
A MTRAK has announced
plans to launch non-stop
New York - Washington DC
Acela services, which from
September 23 will reduce the
fastest journey time between
Manhattan and the US capital
from 2h 57min to 2h 35min.
Initially Amtrak will operate
one weekday Acela Nonstop
service in each direction. The

SBB and ÖBB to expand Nightjet services

southbound train will depart
New York Penn Station at
06.35, arriving at Washington

S
Union Station at 09.10. The
northbound train will depart
WISS Federal Railways As ÖBB’s Nightjet service SBB and ÖBB are also from Union at 16.30, arriving
(SBB) and Austrian Federal linking Zürich and Basle with assessing which cities can be at Penn at 19.05.
Railways (ÖBB) have Berlin and Hamburg has added to the Nightjet network Amtrak says onboard
announced plans to expand reached its maximum capacity to provide more overnight amenities will be announced
passenger services linking their due to strong growth, the two connections to Switzerland - closer to the launch date.
two countries as well Nightjet railways are studying how to Zürich is already the second The launch of Acela
services linking Switzerland meet demand. The overnight biggest hub for overnight Nonstop is a prelude to the
with Germany. service between Zürich, services in Europe after introduction of Amtrak’s next-
SBB says demand for Innsbruck, Salzburg and Vienna. generation Acela trains on the
international rail services has Prague is currently operated In addition, the two operators northeast corridor in 2021.
grown significantly during the only with sleeping cars, so the are keen to improve the Assembly of the first train is
first half of this year, aided by two railways together with economic viability of overnight underway at Alstom’s facility
increasing awareness of Czech Railways (CD) are trains through initiatives such in Hornell, New York, and
sustainability and measures to examining whether couchette as a CO2 levy and reducing initial testing will begin later

BNSF and Wabtec to trial battery- RegioJet plans service to Budapest

protect the climate. cars can be added to the train. track access charges. this year.

electric locomotive in 2020 C

N
ZECH open-access operator Györ and Mosonmagyaróvár.
RegioJet has announced Prague - Budapest services
ORTH American Class 1 idle while the battery provides plans to extend its Prague - will serve Meidling station in
railway BNSF and Wabtec traction, reducing noise and Vienna service to the Hungarian Vienna rather than Vienna Main
have announced plans to test a emissions. During normal capital Budapest starting in Station.
mainline battery-electric operation, the consist will draw June 2020. RegioJet will use either
locomotive in 2020, as part of a on power from the battery Two of RegioJet’s four daily Bombardier four-voltage Traxx
$US 45m project. locomotive to cut diesel Prague - Brno - Vienna services or Siemens Vectron locomotives
Launched in 2018, the project consumption, reducing costs. will be extended to Budapest, to haul the trains in Hungary
aims to develop a 100% The prototype locomotive and RegioJet says the additional as it already does between Prague
battery-electric locomotive will be equipped with a services have already been put and Vienna. It is also considering
capable of operating in multiple lithium-ion energy storage unit into the 2020 timetable proposal. adding more locomotives and
with a conventional diesel with around 20,000 cells RegioJet has engaged Austrian coaches to its fleet.
locomotive to create a hybrid containing a combination of open-access operator Westbahn RegioJet offers three classes
consist. The project is being nickel, manganese and cobalt. and Hungarian operator of travel - Standard, Relax and
supported by a $US 22.6m Before the pilot can begin, a Continental Railway Solution Business - but all passengers
grant from the California Air battery charger will need to be as the train operator in their receive RegioJet’s full onboard
Resources Board as part of its designed and installed at BNSF’s respective countries. The two service including seat reservations
Zero and Near Zero-Emission Mormon Yard in Stockton later companies will provide drivers and free beverages, newspapers,
Freight Facilities programme. this year. While the battery and conductors to operate the Wi-Fi, and entertainment with
The test will see the consist charging station will provide trains in Austria and Hungary. movies and music.
operate on the 560km Stockton an initial charge, the new However, RegioJet’s on-board = RegioJet will end its
- Barstow line in California. locomotive will be designed to staff will work on the trains cooperation with Graz-Köflach
While BNSF and Wabtec provide regenerative power throughout each trip. Railway (GKB), which currently
have previously tested a under braking to extend its range. RegioJet will only carry operates the Austrian section
battery-electric shunting The battery-electric units international passengers within of RegioJet’s Vienna - Brno -
locomotive, this is their first will also use train energy Hungary. The operator will Prague services, at the end of
test of a hybrid mainline unit. management software to serve Déli station in Budapest the year. These services will
When in the yard, the diesel optimise the use of battery and will make intermediate instead be operated by
locomotives will shut down or power based on the route profile. stops at Budapest Kelenföld, Westbahn from December 15.

12 IRJ September 2019

 REENGINEE
ERING
FOR EMBEDDED
D OR
SIGNALING APP
PLICA
ATIONS
TIONS

REDESIGNING & REPRODUCING AN OBSOLETE

COMPONENT OR IMPROVINGG EXISTING PRODUCTS

$SURGXFW\RXQHHGEHFDP
PHREVROHWH"
'RQ̵WPHHW\RXUUHTXLUHP
PHQWV"
$VXSSOLHUOHW\RXGRZQ"

REENGINEERING MAY
AY BE THE
T SOL
SOLUTION
EXAMPLE :
RELA
AY SOCKET IN ARC MATERIAL
FOR SIGNALING
LET’S TALK!
TALK
K! WITH INTEGRATED PCB
FOR DISTRIBUTION

YOU
UR RELIABLE PAR
PARTNER
FOR INTERCON
NNECTS & AT
ATTA
TACHMENT
C SYSTEMS
SYSTEMS

2 rue Clémentt ADER - ZAC de Wé - 08110 CARIGNAN, France

Tél.: +33 (0)3 24 22 72 09 | Fax: +33 (0)3 24 22 38 72
Email: customer-ser
[email protected]
Website: www w.amphenol-airlb.fr
 News | headlines In brief

DB set to resume work on Rastatt Tunnel

G
RZD says the total transit time
is 21 days, twice as fast as by
sea via the Suez Canal.
ERMAN infrastructure constructed eastern tunnel bore DB and ARGE Tunnel = Plans to construct a 167km
manager DB Network has collapsed on August 12 2017 Rastatt plan to excavate the line along the coast of the
announced that construction which not only disrupted remaining part of the eastern Caspian Sea between Rasht,
work to complete the rail construction but severed the bore using cut and cover Iran, and Astara, Azerbaijan,
tunnels under the town of existing main line on the surface. construction including removal took a step forward following
Rastatt will recommence in DB has now agreed its plans of the 160m-long section of a meeting between Iran’s
2020. The tunnels are now due to complete the Rastatt Tunnel, pumped concrete that was minister of roads and urban
to open in 2025, three years especially the final southern used to fill the section that development and Azerbaijan’s
later than originally planned. sections, where the new line collapsed in August 2017, minister of economy. The route
Designed for 250km/h will join the existing Rastatt - entombing the TBM. Removing alignment has been specified
operation, the Rastatt Tunnel is Baden-Baden line. this concrete and the remains and pre-construction works
a key part of the long-term The remaining 200m of the of the TBM will be a key part are currently underway.
plan to quadruple the entire undamaged western bore will of the task to create a 17m- = State Railway of Thailand
line between Karlsruhe and the be completed by the ARGE deep trench. (SRT) launched a cross-border
Swiss border at Basle. This is Tunnel Rastatt consortium This work is expected to freight service between
one of the busiest sections of using the TBM that is already commence in 2021 and DB Thailand and Laos on August
railway anywhere in Europe, in position. Network has applied for the 1, operating across the Thai -
with lengthy double track To permit construction of the necessary planning approvals Lao Friendship Bridge
sections used by nearly 400 eastern tunnel under the to the EBA. between Nong Khai and Tha
trains per day, including up to existing main line without Following completion of the Na Laeng. The new service
216 freight trains, 77 long- danger of further disruption to two tunnels, construction of provides a connection between
distance passenger trains and the route, DB will first move a remaining cross passages and Laem Chabang Port on the
103 regional and local trains. 700m section of the line to entrance portals, and fitting Gulf of Thailand and Nong
Construction of the twin follow the course of the out will take place until 2024. Khai container port.

Iran
bore tunnels using tunnel completed western bore, DB currently expects the
boring machines (TBMs), in slewing the track around the tunnel to open in 2025, along
places at shallow depths in construction site. Approval for with approach lines on either The government says it will
alluvial sedimentary rocks, began this has been granted by the side, completing the four-track complete construction of the
in 2013. However, work was German Federal Railway railway from Karlsruhe to 750km Chabahar - Zahedan

Abellio takes over East Midlands franchise

suspended after the newly- Authority (EBA). Offenburg. line by the end of the year. The
$US 950m line starts at Shahid
Beheshti harbour on the Gulf
of Oman, and will connect to
Zahedan, the capital of Sistan
and Baluchestan Province.

Italy
The European Union (EU) has
announced a É114m grant
from the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF) to
upgrade a 15.5km line between
Naples and Cancello in
southern Italy. The project is
part of an upgrade to the
Naples - Bari line.

Netherlands
Limburg District Court in
Roermond declared Lucato

A
and its subsidiaries Railpromo
New Hitachi trains will enter service in 2022. and Railpromo Fleet Services
bankrupt on August 6.
BELLIO took over the wholly-owned East Midlands trains will regularly operate in
Railpromo was set up in 2013
operation of Britain’s East Railway (EMR) subsidiary. 10-car-formations.
as a charter train operator, and
Midlands franchise from Abellio has selected Hitachi The funding package is
is known for its Dinner Train,
Stagecoach on August 18. Rail for a £400m contract to being led by rolling stock
which has ceased operating.
The franchise encompasses supply a fleet of 33 bi-mode leasing company Rock Rail and
= Infrastructure manager
inter-city services from London (diesel/25kV ac) trains for the fleet will be financed by
Prorail has completed
to Corby, Nottingham, Derby inter-city services. Rock Rail East Midlands using
planning for the 2020
and Sheffield as well as The five-car trains will be debt from institutional investors.
timetable, the first to use 10-
regional services in the East introduced in 2022 on services Assembly will take place at
second increments rather than
Midlands. Abellio was from London St Pancras to Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe
per minute. The timetable
awarded the eight-year Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, plant in northeast England.
increases InterCity frequencies
contract by the Department for Sheffield and Lincoln, replacing The fleet will be maintained at
on the Utrecht - Amersfoort
Transport in April and the HSTs and Bombardier class 222 EMR’s existing Etches Park
line to six per hour compared
franchise is operated by its trains. Abellio says the new depot in Derby.

14 IRJ September 2019

 PERFORMANCE
REIMAGINED

Harsco Rail’s TX16 production and switch tamper sets a new standard in performance, uptime
and cost of ownership. Increasing productivity from start-up to shut down, the TX16 speeds
up every aspect of the work day, safely. Built with automated hybrid index, the TX16 blends
Forward Mounted Cab
traditional indexing and continuous action to significantly increase productivity. Paired with
tie-finding technology, minimal operator input is required on plainline track. The integrated high- Automated Hybrid Index
speed measurement technology, Callisto ProTamp records at speeds up to 30 mph. The forward
mounted cab provides best-in-class visibility, providing the operator clear views of lifting hooks Callisto ProTamp
in a switch and of the track ahead. The TX16 leverages Harsco Rail’s multi-generational product,
Cab Deployable Reference
technology, and service experience – safely delivering high production and accurate track
correction within a reliable and versatile tamper. Contact us today to see how we can transform
your business’ productivity and safety.

(803) 822 9160 [email protected] harscorail.com

LEARN MORE AT RAILWAY INTERCHANGE BOOTH 1837

 News | headlines
No-deal Brexit could force Eurostar into temporary suspension DB proposes VAT
F RENCH National Railways created a new Eurostar France lengthy suspension of activity
cut for long-
distance fares
R
(SNCF) warns in its first- subsidiary, which has acquired have been undertaken with the
half results for 2019 that it an operating permit and safety relevant authorities.
could be forced to temporarily certificate, and reached “However, in the event of a
agreements with the no-deal Brexit, as the company EDUCING VAT on long-
suspend Eurostar services
authorities on border control does not have all the key distance train fares in
linking London, Paris, Brussels
measures, cross-border components to ensure service Germany could bring millions
and Amsterdam if the British
employment of British continuity, and given the more passengers to the rail
government decides to leave
personnel and agreements on exceptional nature of this network and stimulate
the European Union (EU) on
Channel Tunnel access. situation, it is difficult to additional fleet investment,
October 31 without a deal as
“The operational risks still predict the consequences with according to German Rail
the new British prime minister,
depend on the actual Brexit sufficient assurance. The most (DB).
Mr Boris Johnson, has
terms and conditions, unfavourable scenario could Germany has reduced VAT
threatened.
particularly the review of the have a material impact on the on journeys of up to 50km to
SNCF says it has done its
levels of border control for value of its assets and even its 7%, but the standard rate of
best to prepare for Britain to
passengers and costs of ability to continue its 19% is still applied to long-
leave the EU on October 31
compliance with the new operations without distance fares.
with or without a deal, or cope
applicable post-Brexit rules,” interruption. In the light of the “Our customers would
with a further postponement of
SNCF says. “All the necessary uncertainties surrounding the benefit significantly from
Brexit despite the fact that the
measures to avoid a Brexit process, the Group lower VAT - be it in the form
exit terms and conditions have
combination of the most cannot at this stage estimate of new attractive offers or
yet to be defined.
unfavourable factors that the financial impacts and reduced ticket prices,” says DB
SNCF, which has a 55%
would likely culminate in a repercussions on its activity.” CEO Dr Richard Lutz. “A
stake in Eurostar, has already
combination of both is of
course conceivable. In any
case, we would certainly pass
this advantage on to our
passengers. In addition, such a
decision would create
additional scope for further
investment in our train fleet.”
DB estimates that reduced
VAT on long-distance train
tickets would bring “at least
five million” additional
passengers onto the railway,
with many transferring from
more carbon-intensive modes.

Hitachi to test
barrierless mobile
ticketing system
The Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River

NY and NJ sign Gateway Program legislation H

will be replaced by two new bridges.
ITACHI is due to launch a

T
testing programme for a
new smart ticketing system,
HE governor of New York and damage sustained from Program Development which uses sensors positioned
State, Mr Andrew Cuomo, saltwater exposure during Commission, a not-for-profit on the doors of public
and New Jersey governor, Mr Superstorm Sandy, which struck entity with board members transport vehicles to detect an
Phil Murphy, signed joint the region in October 2012. representing Amtrak and the app on passengers’
legislation on July 22 In addition to the tunnel, the two states, to oversee the smartphones as they board
establishing the Gateway existing Portal Bridge over the project in coordination with and alight, removing the need
Development Commission Hackensack River would be federal and local partners. for ticket barriers.
(GDC) as a bi-state entity to replaced by two new bridges, However, the project has Hitachi says there will be no
develop the new Hudson while Secaucus Junction station struggled to gain the necessary need to remove the phone
Tunnel project. would be expanded with backing from Washington DC, from pockets and bags, and
The aim of the $US 30bn additional tracks on the outside and New York and New Jersey the app will calculate the
Gateway Program is to increase of the existing station, and a have been at loggerheads with correct fare for the journey.
the resiliency of the Northeast loop line which would allow the Trump administration in The technology will initially
Corridor (NEC), North America’s New Jersey Transit trains from recent months over the lack of be tested with Trentino
most heavily-used passenger the Main-Bergen and Pascack federal support for the project. Transport in Trento, Italy.
railway. The NEC crosses the Valley lines to run into New In March the Federal Transit Hitachi says results from the
Hudson from New Jersey into York City. These services currently Administration gave both the proof-of-concept tests in Italy
Manhattan via the North River terminate at Hoboken. Portal Bridge and the new will help inform the best ways
Tunnel, which has deteriorated In 2016 New York and New Hudson Tunnel a medium-low to apply the technology in the
due to its age, intensive use Jersey established the Gateway rating. future.

16 IRJ September 2019

 In brief
with four at present, while

Photo: Quintus Vosman

Haarlem - Zandvoort aan Zee
will increase from four to six
trains per hour during the
summer.

Norway
The Ministry of Transport and
Communications announced
the launch of a temporary
scheme designed to strengthen
the competitiveness of the rail
network pending the
introduction of the freight
package in the 2018 - 2029
National Transport Plan. The
scheme will compensate the
extra costs incurred by multi-
modal rail freight operators.

Slovakia
Stadler Kiss EMU for MÁV-Start on test at Velim: Dynamic testing of the first Stadler class 815 The Alliance of Rail New
Kiss double-deck EMU for Hungarian national passenger operator MÁV-Start is underway at the Entrants (AllRail) has raised
Velim test track in the Czech Republic. The performance and verification tests will provide data concerns over the suitability of
for the authorisation of the fleet. MÁV-Start signed a framework contract for 40 trains with a base a tender published by the
order for 11 six-car sets in April 2017. An option for a further eight sets was exercised last year Slovak Transport Ministry to
and MÁV-Start confirmed in June that it intends to purchase the remaining 21 trains in the operate services along the
framework agreement. Zilina - Rajec corridor. The

AllRail: European liberalisation in jeopardy after Westbahn decline

T
tender gives prospective
operators only three months
from the contract award date
HE Alliance of Passenger after the European Court of from the regional governments to fully mobilise and begin
Rail New Entrants (AllRail) Justice (ECJ) ruled in favour of and further unquantifiable operations.

Spain
has warned there are serious the open-access operator, amounts from Public Transport
risks to rail liberalisation in finding that station access is Authorities had been able to
Europe after open-access included in the “minimum offer extremely low competing Renfe carried 262 million
operator Westbahn announced access package” under which prices, while Westbahn was passengers in the first half of
plans to halve its operations. Westbahn operates. restricted by a lack of fair 2019, a 2.6% year-on-year
Westbahn is selling its fleet Austrian infrastructure access to train paths, ticket increase, according to figures
of seven Kiss and 10 Kiss2 manager ÖBB Infrastructure retailing options and equal released on July 26. Renfe says
double-deck EMUs to German had maintained that station financing for rolling stock. it expects full-year ridership to
Rail (DB), with the first nine fees were not included in the AllRail believes there is a exceed the 507 million
four-car class 4110 EMUs due package and had to be serious risk that future market passengers carried in 2018.

Sweden
to be handed over in December purchased for each service opening will never happen.
2019 when Westbahn will also Westbahn operated, a process “This is what happens when
suspend its Vienna Floridsdorf that had been underway since regulation that is intended to The country’s rail network
- Salzburg service. 2012. Westbahn argued that achieve a competitive single was used by 509,459 passenger
The operator intends to replace station access was already rail market in Europe gets services in the first six months
the fleet with 15 Stadler Kiss3 included in the package under watered down and the of 2019, a first-half record,
sets, which are due for delivery the first railway package. European Union pays too little according to the latest traffic
in 2021. Westbahn will then AllRail claims Westbahn has attention to how it is figures from infrastructure
resume the Vienna Floridsdorf faced numerous obstacles due implemented,” the alliance manager Trafikverket. The
- Salzburg service. to ÖBB being both the network said in a statement. figure represents a 2.1%
Westbahn has accumulated a and stations manager and the ÖBB says it is not aware of increase compared with the
loss of É83m, partly due to first half of 2018.

United States
incumbent operator. It says any market distortion, and
costly financing agreements for ÖBB, which also receives an maintained that it adheres to
the existing fleet. annual É600m directly- all legal requirements, in
The announcement on July awarded subsidy from the particular in regard to ticket Federal Railroad
22 came less than two weeks national government, É350m pricing. Administration chief, Mr

Baden-Württemberg to order battery-electric trains

Ronald Batory, says Positive

T
Train Control (PTC) has been
installed on 90% or about
80,450 route-km of the
HE German state of Baden-Württemberg has operate with or without catenary.
specified 93,220 route-km set
announced it will award Siemens a contract Siemens will also provide maintenance for
by Congress in 2008. A total of
for 20 battery-electric multiple units to operate 29.5 years, while the operation of the network is
42 railways must have PTC
on Ortenau Network 8. due to be tendered separately.
fully operating by the deadline
Baden-Württemberg has directed the state- Siemens will also have to meet certain energy
for full implementation,
owned rolling stock leasing company SFBW to consumption and cost targets during the
December 31 2020. IRJ
procure new emission-free trains that could duration of the contract.

IRJ September 2019 17

CAF and Shapir win Jerusalem LRT contract
News | transit
Alstom to build
J
Perth EMUs
T
ERUSALEM Transportation the Red Line, and the new signalling, energy and
Masterplan Team (JTMT) has 20.6km Green Line. communication systems, as HE government of Western
awarded the TransJerusalem The Red Line is currently well as the operation and Australia announced on
J-Net consortium, comprising 13.8km long with 23 stations, maintenance of both lines for August 18 that Alstom
CAF and the construction firm and carries around 145,000 15 and 25 years respectively, Transport Australia has
Shapir, a É1.8bn contract to passengers daily. with the possibility of extending emerged as preferred bidder
extend the city’s light rail The consortium will also the term of operation. CAF’s for a contract to supply and
network. design and supply 114 new share of the contract with maintain 246 C Series EMU
The Private-Public Partnership Urbos LRVs for the Green Line, worth more than É500m. cars for the Perth Metronet
(PPP) includes the construction and refurbish the 46 Alstom Construction is expected to suburban rail network.
of 27km of new track, 53 new Citadis 302 LRVs currently in begin later this year with the The $A 1.6bn ($US 1.08bn)
stations and various depots service on the Red Line. new extensions fully fleet will comprise 102 vehicles

Quebec City light rail project fully-funded

covering a 6.8km extension to The contract includes the operational by 2025. for the Metronet expansion
and 144 vehicles to replace the

C
Transperth A Series EMUs
built in 1991-1999.
ANADIAN prime minister, 3.3bn Quebec City structural The U-shaped light rail line The six-car 25kV ac trains
Mr Justin Trudeau, visited transport project is now fully will run from Avenue Le will feature LED lighting, USB
Quebec City on August 19 to funded. The government of Gendre via Sainte-Foy West charging points and wider
announce a $C 1.2bn ($US Quebec has already committed and Laval University to Louis passenger doors to improve
900m) federal commitment to $C 1.8bn, while Quebec City XIV in Charlesbourg with two passenger flow at stations.
the city’s public transport will contribute $C 300m. underground sections totalling Each 145m-long train will
expansion project, which Due for completion in 2026, 3.5km. Services will be accommodate up to 1200
includes a new light rail line, the project comprises a 23km operated by a fleet of passengers.
two BRT lines and dedicated light rail line, two ‘trambus’ bidirectional LRVs, each with a Under the 30-year
bus lanes. BRT lines totalling 15km, and capacity for 260 passengers. maintenance agreement, Alstom
The allocation of up to $C enhancements to the existing The line will operate between will maintain the fleet at a new
1.2bn from the Investing in bus network including 16km of 05.00 and 01.00 with services 12,000m2 depot near Midland.
Canada infrastructure dedicated bus lanes and four running at 3-5-minute The first Metronet C Series

Caen tram replaces ill-fated TVR

programme means the $C park-and-ride terminals. headways at peak times. trains are due to enter service
in the Mandurah and
Joondalup lines from 2022.

Cairo monorail
contract signed
B OMBARDIER, Orascom
Construction and Arab
Contractors have signed an
agreement with Egypt’s National
Authority for Tunnels in Cairo
to design and build two new
monorail lines to connect East
Cairo with the New
Administrative Capital and 6th
October City with Giza.
The consortium, which was
named as preferred bidder in
May, will also be responsible
for the operation and
maintenance (O&M) of both
lines for 30 years. The total
value of the design, build and
O&M contract exceeds $US

T
4.5bn. Bombardier’s share is
worth $US 2.85bn while Orascom
HE French city of Caen with Presqu’île in the city in November 2002 and closure Construction’s share is close to
inaugurated its É259.9m centre. Line T3 runs from in December 2017. $US 900m.
tram network on July 27. The Château-Quatrans station in Alstom was awarded a The 54km line from East
16.2km three-line network the city centre to Fleury-sur-Orne. É52m contract in November Cairo to New Administrative
serves 37 stations. The network largely 2016 to supply 23 Citadis 305 Capital and the 42km line to
Line T1 links Hérouville- replaces Caen’s TVR 15.7km low-floor LRVs for the project. connect 6th October City to
Saint-Clair in the north with guided trolleybus system, Each 33m-long vehicle Giza will be the first mass
Ifs Jean-Vilar in the south. which was beset by technical accommodates 210 passengers, transit links to connect Greater
Line T2 connects Campus 2 problems between its opening 80 more than the TVR vehicles. Cairo with the outlying
metropolitan areas.

18 IRJ September 2019

 In brief
Barcelona 10 standard-gauge trains
Barcelona Metropolitan awarded in November 2017,
Transport (TMB) announced which was subsequently
increased to 12 sets.

Pune
on July 27 that it has selected
Alstom for a contract to
supply 42 five-car metro trains
to replace the network’s oldest Titagarh Firema has been
fleets. The É268.1m order awarded a contract by
comprises 24 1668mm-gauge Maharashtra Metro Rail
trains for Line 1 and 18 Corporation to supply 102
standard-gauge trains for Line 3. aluminium-bodied metro cars

Cairo
for the first phase of the metro
network in Pune. This
Egypt’s minister of transport, comprises the 11.5km north-
Mr Kamel al-Wazir, signed a south Line 1 and the 14.7km
east-west Line 2.

São Paulo
contract on August 7 with

First CRRC train for Boston enters service

Hyundai Rotem for six trains,

M
which will operate on Metro
Line 2. The order is part of a The São Paulo state
December 2016, taking the total £E 30bn ($US 1.8bn) integrated government has initiated steps
ASSACHUSETTS Bay
value of the Procurement plan to renovate lines 1 and 2. to construct metro Line 19-
Transportation Authority

Los Angeles
Program to more than $US 1bn. Celeste (sky blue), with São
(MBTA) introduced its new
The new trains feature LED Paulo Metro releasing bidding
fleet of CRRC subway cars on
lighting, an automatic passenger Foothill Gold Line documents calling for studies
August 14, when the first six-
counting system, remote Construction Authority and surveys that will outline
car train entered passenger
diagnostics and CCTV as well awarded a design-build the basic project. At 17.6km
service on Boston’s Orange
as accessibility improvements contract to the Kiewit-Parsons long with 15 stations, Line 19-
Line.
such as wider doors, gap- joint venture to construct an Celeste will run entirely
In October 2014 MassDOT
underground.

Seattle
awarded CNR Changchun bridging devices, additional extension to the light rail Gold
Railway Vehicles (now part of passenger emergency Line. The $US 805.6m contract
CRRC Corporation) a $US intercoms and more handrails. covers the first 14.5km of the
566.6m contract to supply 152 The new fleet is a key 19.8km extension, plus a two- Sound Transit has selected a
vehicles to replace the PA3 cars component of the Orange Line year option to complete the joint venture of Stacy and
built by Hawker Siddeley Improvement Program and remaining 5.3km. Witbeck/Kuney for a $US

Mashhad
Canada in 1979-81. The order part of MBTA’s $US 8bn five- 729.2m contract to design and
was increased to 252 cars in year capital investment plan. construct the Downtown

Shanghai Songjiang Tramway completed

Redmond Link light rail

S
The Iranian city added the 31st
station to its metro network on extension. The project will
July 27 with the opening of the extend the city’s Blue Line
HANGHAI Songjiang The 31km network will be Shariati - Shahid Kaveh 5.4km from Redmond
Tramway Line T2 became a completed in December with section of Line 2. The section Technology station with two
circle line on August 10 with the opening of the remaining includes two intermediate new stations.

Tunis
the opening of the southern sections of Line T1. Ridership stations at Alandasht and
section of the loop and the is forecast to reach 170,000 Kouh Sangi, which are
extension of Line T1 from passengers per day when all expected to open at the end of The first Hyundai Rotem EMU
Xinmiaosan Road and Jinxi Road. phases are completed. the year. for the Tunis RFR suburban

Munich
The initial 13.9km section of The system is operated and network was outshopped from
the Songjiang network from maintained by a joint venture the firm’s plant in Changwon,
Canghua Road to Zhongchen of Shanghai Shentong Metro Korea, in mid-August.
Public transport operator
Road opened in December Group (51%) and Keolis’ Tunisian National Railways
MVG has announced plans to
2018. The completion of the Chinese joint venture, awarded Hyundai Rotem a
pilot the use of platform
second phase adds 12.9km to Shanghai Keolis (49%) under a Dinars 416m ($US 147m)
screen doors on the city’s U-
the network and takes the total five-year contract awarded in contract in October 2018 to
Bahn network alongside the
number of stations to 40. August 2018. supply 28 of the four-car trains.

Guatemala City LRT agreement signed

introduction of CBTC, which

Wellington

P
is replacing the current LZB
train protection system. MVG
will install the screen doors on Greater Wellington Regional
LANS for the first light rail and preliminary works for the Council has endorsed a
one of four platforms at
line in Guatemala City took MetroRiel project. proposal that would see the
Olympiazentrum U-Bahn
a step forward on July 29, when The 20.5km north-south line Wairarapa and Capital
station from 2023.

Naples
the municipality signed an will serve 20 stations with a Connection fleets replaced
agreement with the country’s journey time of around 40 with 15 four-car Bi-mode
railway infrastructure manager minutes and forecast ridership Naples City Council has Multiple Units. The council
Ferrovías to use an abandoned of around 250,000 passengers placed a É60m order for seven says the delivery of the new
heavy rail alignment for the per day. additional CAF Inneo metro fleet and associated network
project. The line will be electrified trains for Naples Mobility improvements requires a
The agreement authorises with an initial fleet of 35 LRVs, Company. The order is an capital investment of $NZ
the municipality to access increasing to 47 vehicles in the option from a É90m order for 415m ($US 267.9m). IRJ
railway property for studies longer-term.

IRJ September 2019 19

 News | financial

NS reports strong first-half but warns of capacity crunch

G ROWTH in passenger
volumes on Netherlands
Railways (NS) services
urging the government to
allocate funding for capacity
enhancements, which would
For international long-
distance services, NS reports
growth of 10-20% for
operations. Revenues in
Britain, where Abellio
operates the ScotRail, Greater
significantly outstripped enable the operation of longer destinations such as Brussels, Anglia and West Midlands
projections, according to the or more frequent trains. Paris, Frankfurt and London. franchises (the latter in a
company’s first half results. If the growth in passenger In the first half of 2019 NS consortium with JR East and
Passenger kilometres volumes continues to exceed Group’s turnover increased by Mitsui), increased by É188m
increased 4.6%, compared the rate forecast in the Dutch É285m year-on-year to year-on-year to É1.322bn.
with forecast growth of 1.9%, government’s 2014 National É3.156bn. Turnover from In Germany, revenues
while passenger satisfaction Market and Capacity Analysis Dutch operations climbed increased from É168m to
also improved, with 88% of (NMCA), the network is likely from É1.523bn to É1.582bn, É252m after the start of the
passengers awarding NS a to reach capacity by 2027. driven in part by increasing Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX)
score of at least 7 out of 10, However, NS predicts that if passenger volumes. and Saxony Diesel Network
compared with 84% for the growth continues at the rate International subsidiary contracts in December 2018.
first half of 2018. seen in the first half of this Abellio also had a strong start NS reported a net profit of
With pressure on the year the network will reach to 2019, with growth in both É94m for the first half, up
network increasing, NS is capacity two years earlier. its German and British from É21m a year ago.

Photo: Gert van Santen/Shutterstock.com

Bombardier to invest in rail division New owners for G&W Australia

B OMBARDIER announced
on August 1 that it will
spend an additional $US 250-
Bombardier Transportation
facilities.
Transportation division
G ENESEE & Wyoming
Australia (GWA) is set to
be sold to a consortium led by
remaining stake under joint
governance arrangements.”
In a statement released on
300m in the second half of this revenues increased 2% year- Macquarie Infrastructure and August 3, Brookfield indicated
year increasing capacity in its on-year to $US 2.2bn. The Real Assets (Mira) and Dutch it would dispose of the stake
rail division after delivery delays adjusted Ebit margin of 5.1% pension manager, PGGM. due to regulatory considerations,
contributed to a $US 36m net was below target, reflecting The move follows July’s believed to be related to
loss in the second quarter. additional cost pressure on announcement that Brookfield Brookfield’s existing rail
Bombardier says it is making large, late-stage projects, and GLC is set to purchase GWA’s operations in Australia, which
the investment to both “complete mainly in Britain, Germany parent in a $US 8.4bn deal. includes ownership of below
the late-stage, legacy projects and Switzerland. In an internal communication, rail infrastructure in Western
and protect the delivery The division’s order backlog GWA CEO, Mr Luke Anderson, Australia, and its joint
schedule for other projects.” increased to $US 33.6bn and told staff that MIRA and ownership of the LINX Cargo
The funds will be used to Bombardier says its positive PGGM have agreed to assume Care group. GIC, Brookfield’s
increase both manufacturing market outlook for the rail full ownership of the GWA partner in the GWI takeover, is

Trenitalia launches EMU tender

and engineering capacity at industry remains unchanged. business through the also a key investor in Pacific
acquisition of G&W’s 51.1% National’s rail freight business.

T
existing stake holding. GWA currently accounts for
“MIRA, one of the world’s approximately 15% of G&W’s
RENITALIA published a has an estimated value of up to leading alternative asset global revenues. The largest
call for tenders in the É1.1bn if all 150 trains are managers, and PGGM, a component of this comes from
Official Journal of the ordered. leading Dutch pension fund the Hunter Valley coal haulage
European Union on July 31 for Under Lot 2, Trenitalia is manager, are already well- business acquired from
a two-lot framework contract seeking up to 100 EMUs with a known as owners of 49% of Glencore by GWA and
to supply up to 250 EMUs for maximum speed of 200km/h. GWA for the past three years,” Macquarie at the end of 2016
use on the Italian network. The contract has an estimated Anderson says. for $A 1.14bn ($US 775.9m).
Lot 1 calls for the supply of value of up to É1.6bn and “The GWA transaction will Along with ownership and
up to 150 160km/h trains, with Trenitalia will order a minimum be funded by equity provided operation of freight services on
a minimum guaranteed order of 22 trains. by PGGM, resulting in PGGM the Tarcoola - Darwin railway,
for 38 trains, 19 of which will Both lots include 15 years’ significantly increasing its GWA also operates ‘above rail’
be ordered when the framework full-service maintenance with stake in GWA, with MIRA- intrastate and interstate grain
contract is signed. The contract an optional 10-year extension. managed funds owning the trains out of South Australia.

20 IRJ September 2019

 In brief

SNCF traffic recovers following strikes Australia

F
invest in Teralytics. The Swiss
Loram Maintenance of Way’s start-up uses anonymised
RENCH National Railways SNCF’s Keolis passenger Australian subsidiary has mobile data to provide
(SNCF) reported a strong subsidiary saw first-half executed a binding agreement information on general
recovery in passenger traffic in growth of 2.6% with a 21.4% to acquire all the assets of rail passenger behaviour that can
the first half of 2018 following increase in turnover outside be used to analyse demand.

Poland
freight operator Aurizon’s rail
a long period of strikes in 2018 France. grinding business. The
over the reform of SNCF which SNCF Logistics achieved a acquisition will add four new
is due to be finalised in 2020. 2.6% increase in sales in the customers to Loram’s business. PKP Intercity carried 22.8

Britain
High-speed traffic in France, first half of 2019, while Geodis million passengers in the first
comprising both TGV InOui achieved 6.9% growth in half of 2019, 1.3 million or 6%
and low-fare Ouigo services, contract logistics activities, The Department for Transport more than the same period last
saw a 16.9% jump in the first with an 8.8% increase in the (DfT) cancelled the competition year. Passenger growth has
half of 2019 compared with the United States. to operate the Southeastern been steady, with the figures
same period in 2018, which is SNCF’s rail and multimodal franchise, citing concerns it for each month consistently
an 11.1% increase over the first freight business posted first- would lead to extra costs. The higher than the previous
half of 2017. Thalys high-speed half growth of 11.8%, but month.

Romania
DfT instead awarded incumbent
services linking Paris, Brussels, SNCF says this represented a operator Go-Ahead
Amsterdam, Cologne and fall of 1.3% if the effects of the Southeastern a direct-award
Dortmund registered a 4.6% 2018 strike are excluded. contract extension that will The Railway Reform Authority
rise in first-half traffic compared SNCF Mobility increased its run until April 2020. (ARF) confirmed on July 23
with 2018 while SNCF’s low- first-half turnover by 10.7% to = Abellio, which took over the that three suppliers have
fare Izy Paris - Brussels high- É17bn while infrastructure operation of the East Midlands submitted bids for a contract
speed service recorded a 22% manager SNCF Network grew Railway (EMR) franchise on to supply at least 40 EMUs for
traffic increase. its turnover by 3.6% to É3.3bn. August 18, together with regional and suburban
Conventional long-distance Overall, SNCF’s first-half rolling stock leasing company services. Offers were received
TER passenger traffic grew by turnover rose by 11% to Eversholt Rail, has awarded a from Alstom Ferroviaria,
21.4% in the first half of 2019 É17.85bn while its operating £133m three-year contract to Siemens Mobility and CRRC
compared with the first half of margin increased by 16.2% to Qingdao Sifang.

Russia
Bombardier to maintain the
2018. Transilien commuter É2.9bn. SNCF managed to fleet of class 222 200km/h
traffic in the Paris area turn a net loss of É488m for DMUs. The trains will
achieved a 12.5% increase in the first half of 2018 into a net continue to be maintained at VTB Bank reached an agreement
the first half, 4.3% more than profit of É20m for the first half Derby’s Etches Park depot. with the shareholders of

Czech Republic
in the first half of 2018. of 2019. freight operator Rustranscom
(RTC) to acquire a 50% plus
Czech Railways (CD) has one share stake in RTC Group.
awarded AZD Praha and CD- The company has capitalised
Telematika a framework on the growth of Russia’s
contract to equip up to 146 grain production and export
electric locomotives with market over the past 10 years.

Spain
ETCS. CD is still tendering for
a contract to equip its diesel
locomotive and DMU fleets High-speed infrastructure
with ETCS. manager Adif AV has selected
= Train and bus operator Leo a joint venture of Stadler Rail
Express generated a profit for Valencia and Erion Rail
the first time last year, Maintenance for a É139.1m
according to the firm’s annual contract to supply 22 bi-mode
results. The company made a (diesel/electric) locomotives.
The fleet will be used across
SNCF orders more Euroduplex trains: Alstom confirmed on July
profit of around Koruna 2.5m
($US 107,709) after taxes and the Spanish high-speed
31 that SNCF has placed a É331m order for 12 additional TGV Ebitda reached Koruna 90m. network.

France
Euroduplex trains. The order is the second option from an order = A new Stadler four-axle
for 40 Euroduplex sets placed in September 2013. An initial electric locomotive for Vall de
option for 15 trains was exercised in 2017. Trains from the second Infrastructure manager SNCF Nuria rack railways in the
option will be delivered in 2021-2022, enabling the withdrawal of Network launched the world’s Pyrenees has been delivered.

United States
some of SNCF’s TGV Atlantique sets, which date from 1988-1992. first 100-year Green Bond on

Pakistan Railways achieves record income

P
August 14. Funds from the
latest bond will be used to Greenbrier completed its $US
finance eligible projects, 430m acquisition of the
AKISTAN Railways (PR) contributions, and rising fuel including maintenance-related manufacturing business of
has announced its highest charges. Nevertheless, it managed investments, energy optimisation American Railcar Industries
ever revenue of Rs 54.6bn ($US to cut its annual deficit by projects and investments in (ARI) from ITE Management
340.5m) for the 2018-19 financial Rs 4bn from Rs 36bn in 2017-18 new infrastructure. on July 26. Greenbrier says the

Germany
year which it says is Rs 10bn to Rs 32bn in 2018-19. newly-added operations will
more than in 2017-18. PR says it recorded a 7% insulate the company from
PR faced higher costs of increase in freight volume German Rail (DB) subsidiary uncertainties related to free
Rs 6bn in 2018-19 due to pay compared with a 4% increase DB Digital Ventures is set to trade in North America. IRJ
increases, higher pension in 2017-18.

IRJ September 2019 21

 Success Factor:
Digital Competence
The Smart Rail Track by Vossloh The development and production of safe
and sustainable rail components and sys-
tems have formed the core of Vossloh’s
competence for more than a century.
Solutions for monitoring track condition
have been used in the field for many years.
But it has only recently become possible
to overcome factors that once limited
storage and above all fast analysis and
interpretation of large data volumes. As a
result, operators can now gather compre-
hensive and reliable data about their in-
frastructure. They are so precisely aware
of the condition of the rail network that
they can plan ahead and only initiate re-
quired measures based on the actual track
condition. They neither need to work to
rigid timetables, nor operate according to
the “scattershot” principle or have to
make adhoc decisions when faced with
unexpected situations. This ideal world is
fundamentally feasible – with the oppor-
tunities afforded by digitalisation.
Digital Tools for Railway Tracks
Vossloh’s developers know which physical
parameters are relevant and know which
sensor technology to use, as well as the
degree of precision required to measure
these parameters to capture the condition
of the track. With the aim of integrating
artificial intelligence, they also cooperate
with strategic partners to process relevant
information. This is because Vossloh fun-
damentally wants to make open systems
available and to integrate mainstream
technologies to increase market accep-
tance and achieve a competitive time to
market. A holistic approach for optimised
track lifecycle management is the basis
for the software of our new joint venture:
“MR.pro” is a digital tool for technical
maintenance management of entire rail
infrastructures. The system is open for all
data sources and for all manufacturers, and
can be integrated into existing business-
administrative maintenance management
and planning systems. In addition, the
“BahnWege” seminars offered by our
partner have also become leading events
 Advertorial

within the field of superstructure techno- our of switch components with the data ment information on the product’s lifecycle.
logy. Apart from ensuring operationally captured. Parameters in this regard can As an example, switches including spare
safe and cost-effective track availability, it include current flow, vibrations, hydraulic parts procurement are delivered in a fully
increases the lifespan of infrastructure pressure, position of the switch device, BIM-compliant manner as part of our on-
with an excellent cost-benefit ratio. but equally extend to environmental para- going framework contract with the Swe-
meters such as temperature, humidity and dish rail operator, Trafikverket.
The Future of Service Provision is Fast –
precipitation. The more data is captured,
and Digitally Enriched Vossloh Technology Centres
the more precisely foreseeable mainte-
Vossloh combines the best of the analogue nance requirements become over time. A product’s service life and degree of sus-
and digital worlds so as to provide custo- With V-MON, digitalisation has already tainability are already decided during its
mers with greater track availability. Our arrived in the here and now. design stage. To this end, Vossloh main-
proprietary application, mapl-e (mainte- tains its own Technology Centres both in
Intuitive In-track Maintenance
nance planner easy) is designed to be the Werdohl, Germany (rail fastening system)
fulcrum of the maintenance cycle. Diagno- Vossloh’s digital twin app makes switch and in the Reichshoffen, France (switch
stic data that is collected within the course drive maintenance child’s play. By holding a systems). These centres feature leading
of grinding runs can be directly entered mobile device over the switch components, know how in the field of simulation tech-
into the app. The software interprets the a technician gets a virtual and highly pre- nology and use a complex N-body simula-
measured data and derives maintenance cise photo of the component as it really is, tion model that not only takes account of
scenarios under consideration of costs and with the help of animated instructions, material properties, but also factors in the
and track possession periods. Orders for is then taken through the maintenance entire dynamic interaction between rolling
track services can also be placed using process step-by-step. If required, the app stock and the track. In addition to being
the app. also makes easy work of ordering spare of benefit to the service life of the product,
parts or checking production and functio- this also shortens the time to market.
Switches as Innovation Drivers
nal specifications directly on site. This Vossloh also uses this simulation model to
Switches are an ideal starting point for the digital twin enables specialists to carry develop safer switches with a longer ser-
continuous capture of condition-related out quick in-track repairs without lengthy vice life. Our own DYNADeV platform is
data using sensors. This is because swit- preparation. capable of simulating the effect of rolling
ches are nodal points for track junctions, stock on a switch and its components in
The Physical and Digital Worlds
signal and control systems. The degree of real time.
Converge
Maximum Track Availability is the Goal
Being able to understand and This is only one example of how the avai-
lability of a digital picture of track condi- Preventive track maintenance, modern
analyse data related to the actual
tion can enable an efficient maintenance track monitoring sensors, supportive and
condition of the track and switches
and repair concept. The Building Informa- learning applications, highly mobile main-
is key for a high-performance tion Model, BIM for short, which originally tenance machinery and many other tech-
track network. came from the construction industry, nologies are already available. A virtually
stands for a holistic approach. Adapted simulated network is ahead of reality –
informational detail of data captured in for the rail industry, this “world of data” this is how a system could function, one
this way is correspondingly high. In addi- is not a software solution, but rather an that would prevent surprises in real life
tion, data-based maintenance solutions exchange format for 2D or 3D geometries because it could foresee them thanks
for switches exert a very fast and conside- with supplementary technical data. BIM to artificial intelligence. Even if the rail
rable effect. This is why switch drives are administers all sorts of information about industry only began to capture its data as
one of the first areas of application for an infrastructure element during its entire an asset a few years ago, monitoring and
Vossloh’s own IoT sensor. This sensor is lifecycle – from its pre-draft stage, through diagnosis of the track condition is unavoi-
freely configurable, housed in a compact construction, possible refurbishments or dable – and soon set to become key.
casing and can capture a whole row of modernisations right up to demolition. As Vossloh can satisfy the requirements of
parameters at once. The captured data a result, BIM permits almost completely operators in a tailored fashion: from pro-
is then pre-processed by the on-board transparent lifecycle management. ducts and solutions with a long service life
microprocessor. This data is then sent to a Within the framework of the Dubai and low maintenance through to the provi-
central cloud for further processing and 2020 tender, Vossloh had already develo- sion of data as well as its interpretation and
visualisation via the V-MON platform. ped layout drawings for various switch evaluation, right up to recommendations
systems that were transferred to BIM mo- for and actual carrying out of maintenance
Intuitive Data Cockpit
dels during the project implementation measures.
Vossloh’s V-MON monitoring platform stage. A BIM model can also be supple-
compares the expected physical behavi- mented with additional asset manage- www.vossloh.com
 North America | freight

Precision Scheduled Railroading

evolution or revolution?
North America’s Class 1 freight railways are aggressively pursuing improved operational efficiency by
reconfiguring their networks, increasing speeds and improving asset utilisation. Keith Barrow looks at how

O
the doctrine of Precision Scheduled Railroading is sweeping through the industry.

N a December day in 1963, a capital was 12%, far ahead of the 8% because of the costs associated with
19-year old man walked industry average. owning it. Railroads only make money
through the gates of a St Harrison’s railroading ethos centred when cars are moving.”
Louis - San Francisco Railway on eliminating inefficiency and IC’s stock had risen considerably by
(Frisco) freight yard in Memphis, keeping locomotives and wagons on- the time the company agreed a $US 2.4bn
Tennesee, and clocked in for the first the-move. Precision Scheduled cash-and-shares takeover by Canadian
shift of what would turn out to be a Railroading (PSR), as this business National (CN) in 1998. Harrison became
remarkable career. Hunter Harrison strategy was marketed, consolidated CN vice-president and chief operating
was an astute and diligent worker networks, abandoned less-efficient officer and immediately set to work
with a tendency to ask questions, services and lines, and shifted traffic rolling out PSR.
and from his early days oiling wherever possible from hub-and-spoke Before Harrison’s arrival at CN, the
axleboxes on freight wagons his drive operations centred on freight yards to railway quoted delivery times in days.
to keep trains moving smoothly soon point-to-point train movements. “That drove Harrison nuts,” Green
caught the eye of his superiors. By running directly from origin to writes. “He wanted to quote in hours,
Harrison rapidly rose through the destination, PSR cuts out shunting, not days. If a train was scheduled to
ranks at the Frisco and Burlington avoids intermediate yarding, enables leave at 8am, Harrison wanted it to
Northern, which absorbed the the operation of longer trains, leave at 8am, whether there were 60 or
railway in 1980, and joined Illinois increases average wagon velocity and 100 cars. If you measured in hours
Central (IC) in 1989, where he reduces terminal dwell times. Trains everything got more precise. Things
became CEO in 1993. Just three on PSR railways run to a strict began to change at CN in the latter part
years later, the railway’s operating schedule - if the customer’s wagons of 1999 when precision railroading
ratio (operating expenses as a aren’t loaded, the train won’t wait. kicked in. Faster trains and better
percentage of revenue, a widely- “Few things bothered [Harrison] service resulted in better market share -
used metric for measuring the more than underutilised assets,” and yield followed.”
financial performance of US Howard Green writes in Sbjmspbefs, his To achieve sweeping change quickly,
railways) had fallen from 98% to outstanding biography of the four- Harrison understood the need for the
65%, compared with an industry time railway CEO. “If an asset isn’t workforce to buy into his vision for
average of 83%. Return on invested used, Harrison wrote, “it’s a liability” how an efficient railway should

Photo: Ceri Breeze/

Shutterstock.com
operate. ‘Hunter Camps’ - three-day centres” by Harrison) to conventional productivity, skilled labour and
sessions for managers led by the man flat yards, increased train lengths by technology; static margins and growth;
himself - meant the PSR ethos 12.5% and cut the average number of and impacts on safety,” Mr Frank
permeated quickly through the wagons on the network from around Wilner, Capitol Hill editor for Sbjmxbz
organisation and ensured Harrison’s 150,000 in the first quarter of 2017 to Bhf, wrote in February. “In fact, an
operational philosophy would less than 120,000 at the end of 2018. In obsession with lowering the operating
crystallise in the thinking of the next the first quarter of 2017 - the final ratio can feed a perverse result. While
generation of managers. More than 1800 quarter before Harrison was appointed deferring maintenance and shedding
employees from all levels of CEO - the operating ratio fell to 69.2%, locomotives, employees and track-miles
management passed through Hunter at that time a record low. By the second reduces operating expenses and
Camps at CN before Harrison retired as quarter of 2019 it had fallen to 57.4%, a improves operating ratio, such actions
president and CEO of CN in 2009. figure unthinkable a decade ago and can discourage new business, irritate
CN’s operating ratio fell from 89% in testament to Harrison’s talent as an existing customers and labour partners,
1998 to 61% in 2006, far below any of its astute railroader. adversely impact safety, and attract
peers. As a result of this productivity Under CSX’s PSR strategy the fleet unwelcome meddling by lawmakers
improvement, the firm’s average share was reduced by 900 locomotives and and regulators.”
price soared from $US 4.93 in May 1998 26,000 wagons by the end of the second Wilner notes that CN reinstated
to $US 27.18 in December 2009. quarter of 2017 and Harrison aimed to double track on parts of its network “to
Following his retirement, Harrison cut the railway’s 31,000-strong remedy capacity problems resulting
retreated from the corporate limelight to workforce by nearly a third. from Harrison’s obsession with beating
his estate in Connecticut, where he Following a period of ill health, down the operating ratio.”
indulged in his passion for rearing Harrison died in December 2017, just This also raises the question of
horses for show jumping. However, his eight months after taking the reins at CSX. resilience and the Class 1s’ ability to
zest for railroading and his stellar Harrison’s legacy is written in the quickly recover from disruptive events
reputation in the financial community financial results of the railways he led, such as severe weather.
as the rail freight industry’s turnaround and the fact that variants of PSR are According to Mr Rick Paterson,
man meant he would soon be back in now being adopted by the other Class managing director, equity division for
action taking PSR to a third railway. 1s. Harrison protégés now lead the Loop Capital Markets, there is no
In autumn 2011, hedge fund Pershing industry. CSX president and CEO, Mr conclusive evidence that PSR railways
Square Capital Management, led by James Foote, and his counterpart at CP, recover faster from “meltdown level”
activist shareholder Mr Bill Ackman, Mr Keith Creel, both worked under disruption. “If we look at the seven
began buying up shares in Canadian Harrison at CN. Mr Jim Vena, a 40-year North American Class 1s since 2014, CP
Pacific Railway (CP) and launched a veteran of CN and its chief operating and CN have each blown up once while
proxy battle with the firm’s board with officer until his retirement in 2016, is UP, BNSF, CSX, NS and KCS have all
the aim of ousting president and CEO now spearheading Union Pacific’s PSR blown up twice,” Paterson explains.
Mr Fred Green and installing Harrison programme as the railway’s COO. “I’m defining blow up as a crew- or
in his place. Pershing Square prevailed Harrison’s focus on nurturing talent power-induced capacity crunch that
and Harrison was appointed in June within the railways he led will cement erodes operating metrics by more than
2011. Soon after the company began the PSR doctrine in Class 1 boardrooms 10% off long-term averages for at least
reducing its headcount, furloughing long after his death. two quarters. The other evidence of
locomotives, closing yards and moving With its cost base lowered and resiliency is that CSX comfortably
its downtown Calgary headquarters to restructuring largely complete, CSX’s navigated hurricane season last year
former railway land on the outskirts of PSR model is now focussing on asset while NS took a bigger hit despite
the city. By the fourth quarter of 2014, management and wagon movements to having less infrastructure and
CP’s operating ratio was down to achieve more balanced network flow. operations in harm’s way.”
59.8%, ahead of even CN. “Crew balance is part of this,” “With regard to recoverability, the
By 2017, average train length had independent railway economist, Mr Jim jury is out. Some customers worry that
increased by 21% compared with 2012, Blaze, wrote in IRJ’s US sister magazine PSR railroads have more risk because
while average train speeds were up 26% Sbjmxbz!Bhf!in July. “CSX is looking to crew and power resources are finely
and terminal dwell times were down avoid disruptions from ‘surprise’ extra tuned with very little in the way of
12%. Train accident frequency had fallen movements. And beyond its internal backup, latent, capacity. With little margin
by 41% and CP was the safest Class 1 track network, CSX is working to for error if things go wrong there are no
for the 12th consecutive year in 2017. balance freight car interchange flows to resources to ride to the rescue.”
After his departure from CP, Harrison and from its railroad partners.” In the wake of the Polar Vortex which
was appointed CEO of another Class 1 struck parts of Canada and the United
Resilience
railway, CSX, in March 2017. Applying States in early 2014, PSR railways
PSR at CSX would not be easy given the recovered no faster than their peers.
size and complexity of the network, but The stellar improvement in Class 1 “CP took five quarters to recover - the
Harrison relished the challenge and the operating ratios has excited the same as UP and CSX and one quarter
markets were confident in his ability to financial community over the last slower than BNSF,” Paterson says.
work wonders - stocks began to rally decade, but some commentators are CN went into an operational
when it became clear Harrison would weary of judging the success of PSR by meltdown in the fourth quarter of 2017
take over, climbing 23% in just one day its impact on operating ratio. “A due to a 10% year-on-year surge in
to add $US 8bn to the firm’s value. broader range of metrics is essential to volumes. Average train speeds were still
CSX quickly converted seven of its 12 assessing trade-offs, such as between 10% below their post-recession average
hump yards (dubbed “major cost operating and capital expenses; into the second quarter of this year,
IRJ September 2019 25
 North America | freight

Union Pacific launched its Unified Plan

2020 a year ago and is already seeing
productivity gains. Photo: Philip Arno

with another harsh winter hindering origin and destination pairs; reduced and its workforce was down 8% year-
the recovery. “CN still isn’t running reclassification; full integration of local on-year. Second quarter operating ratio
‘like CN’ a year-and-a-half later,” and system operations; and lower costs. was a record 59.6%.
Paterson says. “Its full recovery has Following extensive consultation with However, not all of the Class 1s are
actually taken longer.” employees and customers, NS launched buying into the PSR philosophy. As a
“Logically, we would expect PSR the first phase of Top21 in July, focusing subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway (the
railroads to be more resilient because initially on wagonload and automotive holding company of billionaire
they’re a more simplified operation. operations. NS said in July that the entrepreneur, Mr Warren Buffett) BNSF
There are fewer trains, fewer crews, and launch of Top21 had been successful Railway is unique among the Class 1s
fewer locomotives per unit of freight with “a seamless changeover with in answering to only one shareholder.
compared with non-PSR railroads. Less minimal impact to customer service and Mr Matt Rose, executive chairman of
trains on the network equals less risk of network operations.” BNSF until his retirement in April, has
congestion and therefore the nasty NS plans to cut around 3000 posts publicly criticised PSR.
feedback loop of congestion reducing from its workforce of 26,000 and store “A PSR method that seeks about $US
network speeds, which in turn makes 500 of its 4100 locomotives. 125m in cost savings from every
congestion even worse, impacting In September 2018 Union Pacific (UP) thousand employees cut isn’t thinking
speeds and so on.” revealed its new Unified Plan 2020, which long-term, as it often ignores service
CN is investing heavily in capacity, aims to cut the railway’s operating ratio disruptions to customers,” Rose told
with measures including hundreds of to 60% by 2020, and ultimately to 55%, Sbjmxbz!Bhf editor-in-chief, William
new locomotives, thousands of new by adopting PSR principles. Key Vantuono, at the Rail Equipment
wagons, passing loop extensions and features of the plan include: Finance 2019 conference in La Quinta,
freight yard expansion (IRJ July 2018 = shifting the focus of operations from California, in March. “Cutting capex to
p22). Under its 2018 capital plan, CN moving trains to moving wagons a lower percentage of revenues, for
invested $C 3.4bn last year and the = minimising wagon dwell time, example, less than 15%, to achieve PSR
railway is spending a further $C 3.9bn wagon classification and locomotive goals isn’t the correct measurement.”
across the network this year. power requirements Rose says the corporate focus for
= utilising general-purpose trains by BNSF is on continued volume growth.
Converts and sceptics
blending existing train services, and “BNSF needs to grow units, not just
= balancing train movements to revenue yield,” he says. “Disengaging
Given the impact of PSR on the improve rail asset and crew utilisation. from our customers to change internal
financial performance of the Class 1s, it Implementation began in October cost savings is not a good long-term
should perhaps come as little surprise 2018, initially focussing on the Wisconsin business strategy. De-marketing tactics
that variants of PSR are now being - Texas corridor, and UP expected to can result in unanticipated but logical
implemented by non-Harrison railways. complete the rollout across the rest of bad public policy outcomes. There’s
Norfolk Southern began developing its the network by “mid-2019.” nothing wrong with being a low-cost
Top21 PSR concept last year as part of Average train length increased by supplier, but ignoring your customers
its Reimagine Possible three-year 10% between January and June, while until you hit a wall on costs can have
strategic plan, using computer wagon terminal dwell time fell by 14% undesirable longer-term consequences.”
modelling and simulation tools to in the second quarter of 2019, compared The impact of PSR on wagon
analyse data and train flows to “achieve with the corresponding period in 2019. utilisation also remains unclear.
optimum network fluidity and velocity.” Wagon velocity is up 4% year-on-year, According to analysis by FTR
The stated aims of Top21 mirror those locomotive productivity has climbed Transportation Intelligence, wagon
of previous PSR programmes: fewer, 19%, and workforce productivity is up utilisation figures have remained flat
heavier trains; a balanced network and 4%. UP had 2150 of its 8300-strong since the implementation of PSR. “The
asset flows; more direct routing between locomotive fleet in storage on June 30 historical long-run average for utilisation

26 IRJ September 2019

is around 82% and we are in the mid-to- pretty aggressive with the PSR model.
upper 70% range through our forecast It’s a lot more aggressive than what I
period extending through to the end of witnessed in my 40-year career. You
2020,” says FTR vice-president, rail and never wanted to be short of horsepower
intermodal services, Mr Todd Tranausky. and tractive effort on trains.
“The loss of freight has outweighed any “PSR appears to have definite
sort of efficiency benefits shippers advantages to some parties. However,
might have received from PSR. There is the focused cost cutting is done with a
simply less freight out there that needs slash-and-burn zest rarely seen before
cars to move it compared with 2018. by previous cost-cutters.”
Part of that is a response to the weaker
Customer concerns
truck market, part of that is a slowing
economy, but certainly part of that is
also PSR and the changes carriers have Some rail freight customers have
made to their networks.” found the transition to PSR to be a
Technological advances may help to difficult one. In August 2017 the Rail
change this. CSX is introducing better- Customer Coalition wrote to the US
integrated IT tools to accelerate Surface Transportation Board (STB)
customer wagonload routing. A mobile urging it to act on what it saw as a
reporting tool enables CSX field crews serious deterioration in service quality
to remotely direct wagon dispatching at CSX: “There are chronic service
from origin to destination, avoiding failures occurring across the CSX
delays at intermediate yards. network which are impacting the entire
While PSR has generated handsome North American rail network,” the
returns for shareholders, some critics coalition said. “Major service changes
question the long-term impact of have been imposed with little advance
continually driving down operating notice, and CSX’s response to customer
ratio. “After the initial PSR results are complaints has been woefully
in, what happens to the investment inadequate. Rail customers have had to
capital ‘saved’? It’s buying back shares - take extraordinary steps at great cost to
in some cases by adding debt - and meet the needs of their customers
paying out continuing high dividends,” because CSX has repeatedly failed to
explains Blaze. “Maybe $US 60bn or so pick up and deliver cars. This has put
has been collectively declared ‘not rail dependent business operations
needed for modern PSR railroading.’ throughout the US at risk of shutting
That worries me strategically.” down and caused severe bottlenecks in
Conversely, Blaze notes that the PSR the delivery of key goods and services.”
Class 1s are in a much stronger position Harrison said the RCC’s claims were
in terms of capital. “There is no longer a “unfounded and exaggerated,” while
capital shortage,” he says. “There’s no admitting that a small minority of CSX

“ After the initial PSR results are in, what happens to the
investment capital ‘saved’? It’s buying back shares and
paying out continuing high dividends. Jim Blaze

longer a lousy return on invested staff were resisting the programme of

capital. Return on investment is now in “transformational changes” being
the incredible 14-18% range. I never implemented at the time, resulting in
thought I’d live to see that happen.” service disruptions.
In an industry under immense Nonetheless, for many rail freight
pressure from road competition, the customers, PSR has meant recalibrating
North American freight railways have their operations to receive and dispatch
become well-accustomed to pursuing wagons outside normal business hours,
operational efficiency wherever gains or handle more wagons on a given day.
can be made. “Cutting costs is part of Some shippers have reported receiving
the railroad cultural DNA in the United “bunches” of wagons, exceeding their
States, that’s actually not anything capacity for timely loading or
YEARS OF
new,” Blaze says. “However, slashing unloading, while the time allowed for PARTNERSHIP
capex expenses and cutting assets like wagon handling has decreased.
locomotives out of the balance sheet is Customers incur demurrage charges
IRJ September 2019 27
 North America | freight
Ditmeyer argues that the Class 1s
should be looking to harness the
capabilities of technologies they have
already invested billions in to deliver
greater precision in their operations. “If
railroads utilise the continuous, real-
time, accurate information on train
speeds and locations that they receive
from GPS receivers that are part of their
newly-installed PTC systems, and
integrate it with train consist
information, work order reporting
systems, locomotive health reporting
systems, and yard management systems,
they can really run a scheduled railroad
with precision,” Ditmeyer says. “This
provides much better service to their
customers that, in turn, provides
opportunity for traffic growth and
higher profits.”
With all but one of the Class 1s
adopting PSR, the story of Harrison’s
So far BNSF has opted not to follow its peers down the PSR route. Photo: Jack Bell/Shutterstock.com
legacy is still playing out. The balance
sheets of the North American freight
when they exceed specified wagon been better. So if you want proof that railways tell a remarkable tale of
handling times or leave wagons on PSR works, if it’s executed properly, success in driving efficiency and
railway property for too long. All Class there’s a case study out there.” financial strength for an industry
1s have increased demurrage fees over Blaze says the emphasis in the initial seemingly in terminal decline when
the last two years and shippers claim phase of PSR transformations has been Harrison joined the Frisco in 1964. Of
they are feeling the pain. on reorienting the railway towards course, the railways achieved great
At a Surface Transportation Board more efficient operating methods, gains in the wake of the 1980 Staggers
(STB) hearing on demurrage and access which can be a difficult process for Act, which deregulated the industry
charges in Washington DC in May, customers, but this does not mean the and enabled companies to make
railway customers vented their Class 1s have lost focus on the shipper. efficiencies and invest in their systems.
frustrations at demurrage penalties. “As the PSR timeline passes, the PSR Some commentators have argued that
“Shipper after shipper made the same railroads turn back towards more PSR is an evolution of what the Class 1
point: PSR is neither precision nor customer service and IT-based process managers were already doing, and in
scheduled,” says Mr Steven Ditmeyer, re-engineering,” Blaze says. “The CN that sense is more of an evolution than
principal of Transportation Technology strategic plan execution changes over the a revolution. The question now is
and Economics, who attended the past half-decade bear that ‘focus whether the Class 1s can sustain record-
hearing. “They said that the service shift’back to the customer out.” low operating ratios while maintaining
they received from their carriers had With the rollout of Positive Train their assets and service quality at the

T
deteriorated since PSR had been Control (PTC) now 90%-complete, level demanded by their customers. IRJ

Short line perspective

implemented, and that demurrage,
switching, and/or storage charges and
their own internal costs had increased.
Only BNSF and Kansas City Southern HE United States’ short lines personnel - the “move fast and break
escaped criticism from the shipping operate 40% of the national things” mentality. Some short line
community during the time I was there.” network, with one in four staff have found their Class 1 contacts
The STB says it is closely monitoring wagons starting or ending its journey changing frequently and people with
the implementation of PSR programmes on a short line. two responsibilities suddenly having
at UP and NS. According to Mr Chuck Baker, five. Losing key people has a real
Creel said in CP’s fourth quarter president of the American Short Line effect and can be problematic.
earnings call in January that customers and Regional Railroad Association, Many short lines are dependent on
are now enjoying better service as a PSR’s commitment to efficiency wagonload traffic, the sector most
result of PSR. “Talk to our customers mirrors the business culture of the vulnerable to road competition. Baker
that may have resisted the change at the short lines. “Out of necessity short says that while Class 1s may be able
onset,” he says. “They are happy lines have always taken this approach to “pick and choose” which business
customers today because we’ve created to our assets, capital and people and works best for them, short lines
precious capacity, allowing those run lean operations,” he told IRJ. “A cannot afford to abandon custom to
customers that have partnered with us lot of our members say their trucking firms. “Most short lines only
to win in the marketplace.” interactions with Class 1s are the same have a few customers, so we have to
“If you look to the rhetoric and concern or better than before. But sometimes be extraordinarily focussed on
about investment in infrastructure, PSR seems concerned with firing lots keeping those businesses happy and
we’ve never invested more money. of people and being disruptive with chasing every extra carload,” he says.
Look at our safety record: It’s never

28 IRJ September 2019

THE ROTAMP VARIETY. THE FUTURE
OPEN HOUSE TO
in Freilassing
In-House Exhibition
17. – 19.09.2019
www.robel.com
Registration on

ROTAMP
62.05
Vertical Tamper Series

The right ROTAMP for every construction site

‡ Track stability with ROBEL vertical tamping principle
‡ Great tamping performance at high ergonomics
‡ Accurate work process cut costs

www.robel.com

Plasser UK
Contact: Robel’s UK Agent
Plasser UK Ltd.
Manor Road, West Ealing, London
7HO0DLQ2IÀFH
E-mail: [email protected]
The proven partner for underground connectivity
BAI Communications is connecting
200,000 Wi-Fi logins from 100,000 unique
users (Toronto underground passengers) on an
average weekday in 75 transit stations. BAI applied
its extensive experience and leading expertise of
underground communications to roll out reliable,
high-performance cellular and free Wi-Fi
connectivity.

Key challenges solved:

• Stringent radio frequency (RF) emissions restrictions:
BBAI applied advanced RF planning, detailed site surveys
and independent testing to show its compliance.

•HHarsh underground environment: BAI specially-designed

enclosures protect sensitive communications electronics
The network provides Toronto residents more than
against damaging conductive dust.
just access to digital connectivity. There are countless
•SStrict constraints of the underground transit system: BAI opportunities for BAI to work with the Toronto Transit
applied proven and flexible processes to ensure project Commission (TTC) to bring innovation to the city in both the
timetables were met without disrupting passenger journeys. public and private sectors.

Keeping Toronto transit riders connected

The TTC, North America’s third largest transport authority, is The roll-out involved laying fibre optic cables throughout
committed to providing mobile connectivity to commuters. the underground, including the tunnels, installing access
Digitizing Toronto’s transit system is powering innovation and points on station platforms and building three data centres
benefiting passengers, businesses and the wider community. to relay cell signals underground to antennas in stations.
BAI is currently expanding tunnel service for cellular
A rigorous TTC selection process led in December 2012, throughout the TTC.
to a partnership with BAI, to deliver connectivity to the
Toronto subway as part of a 20-year license agreement,
with an option for an additional five years. The deployment
uses independent communications infrastructure in which
BAI invests in, owns and operates, generating revenue
for the TTC. BAI also provides free Wi-Fi access to TTC
underground passengers.

Smooth roll out in 75 underground stations

“ Our internal network is being extended
onto the BAI network. Ticket collectors
will be moved onto the platform and all
BAI ran a complex planning phase with connectivity initially are getting tablets that will enable them
installed at two ‘prototype’ stations for the TTC to approve to help passengers and provide
ahead of the full network roll-out. The two stations opened
guidance. There are other initiatives too.
to the public in December 2013 and quickly gained TTC
approval in February 2014. The benefifits are huge.

Over the next four years, BAI installed the infrastructure to

Andrew Bakos PROJECT
P MANAGER AT THE TTC
bring Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity to more stations. By
September 2017, all TTC stations had Wi-Fi connectivity

”
and in December 2017 BAI was able to announce all 75
stations had cellular coverage on all platforms, and through
nine kilometres of tunnel.
 Advertisement
Solving multiple complex challenges
The project’s complexity and scale created many of other projects, such as work on signalling systems or
challenges, which BAI solved using its global network elevator upgrades.
expertise, including deploying similar projects on the New
Being prepared was also vital at all times. Work scheduled
York and Hong Kong transit systems.
to take place at one station could sometimes be postponed
Toronto has stringent RF emissions restrictions, 100 times for a variety of reasons, and BAI teams had plans in place
lower than national guidelines. To ensure the requirements to move to a different, accessible station to keep the
were met, BAI conducted surveys and even assessed project moving.
cumulative RF that may arise from future deployments.
BAI also wanted the best network quality. Although the
BAI’s network design was independently tested at the two
TTC does not specify Wi-Fi availability service levels, BAI
prototype stations to prove their compliance.
achieves four nines uptime, or 99.99%. The network has
The difficult underground environment presented further redundancy built in, with three to four access points and
challenges. Steel-based train brake dust is a hazard, cellular antennas on either side of the platform.

“
threatening sensitive electronics. BAI has designed its own
enclosures that have been proven to provide the required
dust ingress protection. These enclosures are also easy and As Mayor, I am committed to modernizing both the services
quick to install within the limited time available on site. the City offers and the way they are delivered to Toronto
Extreme flexibility keeps the project moving residents. I'd like to congratulate [Freedom] Mobile and
BAI [Communications] Canada for working with the TTC to
The success of the network deployment took meticulous
put customers fi first and expanding cellular service
planning and extreme flexibility. The TTC’s top priority is
underground.
to provide safe and reliable transport services. BAI had to
John Tory MAYOR OF TORONTO
work within the train timetables and around the priorities

Productivity boosted, safety increased

The cellular and Wi-Fi access are popular and used
increasingly. On an average weekday, BAI sees 200,000
”
In addition, anonymised data from the Wi-Fi network has
the potential to support rail operations. By analysing the
W
Wi-Fi logins from 100,000 unique users (as of May 2019). association of devices to the network, BAI can help the TTC
Growth has been rapid. There were 162,000 monthly streamline services. For example, when a train comes into
sessions on average in 2014, jumping to more than 5 million a station, if many people stay associated to the network it
per month in 2019. shows that they were unable to board due to crowding. Real-
time analysis of the data will enable BAI to provide instant
In an independent survey, 81%* of respondents said
insights to the TTC.
underground mobile connectivity is the sign of a world-class
city. Most also said cellular service in the underground helps The project’s success shows how BAI’s deep understanding
them keep in touch with friends and family, improves the of communications in the transit space, plus its financial
underground experience, increases productivity and makes backing and efficient project management are critical
Toronto living more satisfying. ingredients in meeting passenger demand for connectivity
and modernizing the passenger experience.
The survey also revealed that people believe connectivity
makes the underground safer. To further promote safety, the What’s next?
TTC launched the SafeTTC app in 2017, which is supported by Our ultimate goal is to expand the cellular network into every
BAI’s network and enables users to report harassment and tunnel in the TTC, creating a completely seamless experience
send images silently to the authorities. This also supports the throughout every journey for every commuter. By May 2019,
TTC’s efforts to reduce unnecessary use of alarms on trains. the entire downtown loop was cellular-enabled, which was a
The fibre network brings opportunities to offer other major step towards that goal.
connectivity services. BAI provides IP connectivity at
TTC stations to PRESTO, the TTC’s fare payment card. By
using the BAI network, PRESTO met its commitment to
implement the fare payment system on time; a deadline
that was seriously at risk if they had to implement their
own connectivity.
Australia | Canada | Hong Kong | UK | USA
† Source: TTC, BAI Canada & WIND Mobile launch cellular service underground, TTC website, 17 June 2015
* *Source Mobile service on the TTC leger study - October 2017 [email protected] | www.baicommunications.com
Rethinking Amtrak
North America | Amtrak

Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson is intent on reshaping the state-owned passenger railway into an economically-
efficient inter-city operator. Kevin Smith examines Amtrak’s plans and the challenges facing the United States’
passenger operator.

‘A
MTRAK reports record results’ for some passengers have been eliminated. segment in 2018, according to the Xbmm
has been a regular headline in The operator is now working on Tusffu!Kpvsobm. Ridership also fell by
recent years, and it was no controversial plans to reduce the ranks 4.3% from 4.7 million to 4.5 million
different in 2018. of Amtrak police. It is also trying to during the year, which Amtrak attributes
The company set earnings and revenues increase rental rates at its station for to the cancellation or truncation of
records during the year, which ended commuter operators. hundreds of trains due to weather
on September 30 2018. Total revenue Amtrak’s financial performance is events, infrastructure outages and
was $US 3.38bn, a 2.2% increase over underpinned by its NEC operations planned repairs, and poor on-time
2017, while the operator cut its overall between Boston, New York and performance. Revenue also fell 2.7%
loss by 13.3% to $US 168m, a result Washington, DC. Adjusted earnings were from $US 504.4m to $US 491m.
described as Amtrak’s best operating more than $US 524.1m in 2018, including With the Fast Act of 2015, Amtrak’s
performance to date. $US 318.8m from Bdfmb!Fyqsftt services. current Congressional authorisation, set
Yet, to the disdain of some conservative The NEC accounted for 12.1 million to expire in 2020, Anderson believes that
US lawmakers, the company is still some of Amtrak’s 31.7 million passengers in growing the operator’s inter-city offer
way short of making a profit. But this 2018. Californian corridors carried 5.7 and scaling back these loss-making and
might be about to change. million passengers while the Fnqjsf unreliable long-distance services is the
Under CEO Mr Richard Anderson, Dpssjeps in New York state and the preferred future strategy for the railway.
the former Delta and Northwest airlines Lfztupof Tfswjdf from New York to He says that only 4-6% of passengers
chief executive, who was appointed in Harrisburg via Philadelphia both use the long-distance trains for the
2017, Amtrak is on course to record an carried 1.5 million. The operator has entirety of their route, and feels there is
annual operating loss of $US 75m in worked to increase ridership by greater opportunity to grow ridership
2019. The goal is to break even in 2020. overhauling marketing with targeted in densely-populated corridors.
To get there, the company is ads proving particularly successful at In a testimony to the House Committee
undergoing a sweeping cost cutting attracting new customers. on Transportation & Infrastructure on
programme while seeking to boost The United States though is a large February 7, Anderson highlighted the
revenue on its most successful routes. and diverse country. While a long way importance of the NEC to the regional
Amtrak has already terminated from the heyday of the American economy: the railway carries more
relationships with nearly 200 consultants passenger train, Amtrak still offers a passengers in the northeast than the
and cut 400 management positions in a nationwide service bearing many of the airlines combined. It is a similar
2017 buyout. Anderson has overseen traditional service names, which is situation in California where Amtrak
the closure of Amtrak’s Riverside call popular with passengers seeking an operates 70 inter-city passenger trains
centre in California, eliminated large alternative view as they travel cross per day and in Chicago, the hub of the
numbers of phone and fax lines, saving country. national network, which is served by
around $US 5m a year, and ended Amtrak currently operates 15 long- eight of the 15 long-distance routes and
Amtrak’s membership of several travel distance routes, and while the majority nine of its 29 state-supported services.
industry trade associations. Plans to of these trains are, or are close to sold This equates to 55 trains per day, which
spend hundreds of millions on out, they suffer from extremely poor carried 5.2 million people in 2018.
developing a dedicated wireless network reliability. Only 43.2% ran on-time in “Approximately 85% of Amtrak’s
along the North East Corridor (NEC) to 2018, a symptom of sharing tracks with ridership comes from the top 100 metro
improve Wi-Fi service have been host freight railways. The financial areas,” Anderson said. “Further,
scrapped along with proposals to performance of this segment is equally approximately 96% of Amtrak trips are
introduce TV screens in seat backs. poor. While accounting for only 14% of less than 1200km in length. In fact, the
The operator has also streamlined ridership, the routes are responsible for vast majority of our riders’ trips are less
many of its onboard services. Catering 32% of all operating costs with Amtrak than 400km. The present network
has been scaled back while amenities losing more than $US 540m from this simply does not fit the future.”

32
 Amtrak’s strength in urban corridors Anderson similarly cited Atlanta, routes and establishing new routes
is reflected in upcoming expansions of Houston, Dallas, Orlando and Tampa, between city pairs,” Anderson says.
service in California, Massachusetts, Denver, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, The Trump Administration appears to
Oregon, Virginia, and Washington this Phoenix, Nashville, Austin, Cincinnati, have adopted a similar view for the
year. Anderson told the committee that New Orleans and Birmingham as major future of Amtrak.
further growth is expected in Illinois, population centres underserved by The administration’s 2020 Budget
Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Amtrak but with the potential to proposal calls for Amtrak to refocus on
Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, and develop inter-city services. Most are routes of less than 1200km, replacing
Wisconsin. There is also “significant currently reached only by long-distance long-distance trains with bus services
local interest” in introducing or services daily or three times a week on rural routes.
expanding services in Coachella Valley while Las Vegas, Phoenix, and These would be developed in
serving Palm Springs, the Front Range Nashville have no service at all. partnership with bus
centred on Denver, Colorado, Illinois’ “The demand is clearly there for providers and initially
Quad Cities, the Twin Cities, Indiana, additional short corridor services supported by a $US 550m
and south of Richmond, Virginia, to throughout the US, which includes both transitional fund to help
Raleigh, North Carolina. additional frequencies for existing states take over these

An Amtrak service passes along the Carquinez Strait,

north of Oakland in California. Photo: David Gubler

33
 North America | Amtrak
routes. Grants for the NEC would also Network Plan by the end of the year as inter-city corridor plan, existing state-
be cut in half from $US 650m to $US part of its five-year reauthorisation supported routes expanded, and buses
325.5m while the plan includes no process. In Amtrak’s Five Year Service filling in the gaps.
funding for the key Gateway Project in Line Plans for fiscal 2020-24, which is If Amtrak’s suggestions for the future
New York City. part of the reauthorisation proposal and of long distance do indeed follow this
House Democrats were quick to was released in March, the operator path, they are likely to find dissenters
condemn the policy. Chairman of the says it is targeting growth of services in during the reauthorisation process from
House Transportation and Infrastructure corridors of 640km or less, and representatives of the rural communities
Committee, representative Mr Peter “improving frequencies and schedules that might lose out. Freight railways
DeFazio of Oregon, described the to match customer demand.” with which Amtrak will need to share
proposed budget as “shirking In practice, while iconic cross-country tracks for an expanded inter-city service
responsibility when it comes to our services such as the Dbmjgpsojb![fqizs, are also likely to have concerns about
such plans.

“
Anderson though appears keen to push

While highway and air capacity is limited, and

ahead. He almost seems to relish a fight.

performance is likely to get worse for these modes, inter-

Reports from a meeting between
Anderson and six senators and a

city passenger rail is a solution for future travel demands.

congressman in June 2018, cite Anderson’s
refusal for Amtrak to pay to upgrade a

Richard Anderson
352km section of the BNSF-owned line
between Trinidad, Colorado, and Santa
Fe, New Mexico, used by the Tpvuixftu
Dijfg. Anderson said repeatedly that the
railway would pursue “alternative
nation’s infrastructure” and “putting a Uif!Tpvui!Xftu!Dijfg and Uif!Dbsejobm solutions” - splitting the journey in two
massive burden on cash-strapped states.” are not under threat just yet, many and replacing the train with a bus for
However, Amtrak could yet adopt industry analysts believe they are likely 760km from Dodge City, Kansas, to
similar policies in recommendations for to be tweaked and potentially split in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His refusal
the future of its long-distance services. the future. This could see existing long- to back down left his hosts incensed.

Deciphering the Amtrak puzzle

The operator will issue a National distance corridors altered to fit with the The debate rumbled on until March

A
Expanding long-distance services is a more economically-viable proposition than Amtrak’s plan to expand
inter-city connections, argues Andrew Selden, president of the United Passenger Rail Alliance.
MTRAK CEO Mr Richard Amtrak’s strategy can’t work for of spending on passenger rail.
Anderson’s strategy to reposition several reasons. Even if the tracks existed, Amtrak has
the national carrier’s train For trains to compete against private not acknowledged that it has no
operations is a puzzle. It appears cars in shorter-distance markets, given intention of operating any trains at all
incapable of working. He proposes to road’s overwhelming market share in any shorter regional markets outside
end most long-distance services in dominance, flexible schedules and the Northeast Corridor unless someone
favour of higher frequency corridor routes and door-to-door convenience, else pays the company to do so. Few if
services connecting nearby urban areas. rail frequencies must be inversely any new states appear willing to do that.
Yet, much better opportunities exist that proportional to distance. That demands The new strategy thus would require
are easier to exploit and promise much 10-minute headways in urban transit pouring capital that likely does not
higher returns on invested capital. applications, and probably an hourly exist into Amtrak’s smallest and
The short corridors Amtrak already service in 300-600km inter-city markets. commercially weakest markets, to create
operates, outside of California, are Where in the United States can existing infrastructure that does not exist yet, to
Amtrak’s smallest, commercially- rail infrastructure accommodate hourly operate speculative new services, but
weakest segments (with the lowest fast passenger trains as an overlay to only if highly-unlikely state sponsorships
annual output, load factors and market existing and future freight operations? materialise.
shares in their respective corridors), Because the necessary infrastructure If Amtrak is serious about its strategy
and the segments least capable of does not exist, Amtrak’s strategy - it already has the legal authority and
organic growth. requires tens or perhaps hundreds of resources to demonstrate the concept on
The long-distance segment that billions of dollars in new rail its own initiative in any suitable city
Amtrak disdains has the highest annual infrastructure all across the United pair - why has it not done so?
output, load factors and market shares States to upgrade secondary main lines So, the new strategy is a real puzzle.
of all of Amtrak’s trains. Because their and to add new passenger track(s) to Amtrak has made no sign that it can
load factors are at or near sold-out primary main lines - as Brightline/ achieve a positive rate of return on
levels, and their routes weakly Virgin Trains USA is doing in Florida, capital invested in this scheme.
interconnected, they are the trains most and Amtrak has done in Michigan and A better strategy would be to invest
susceptible of both organic and scale Illinois. Amtrak has not identified a more of the company’s existing and
growth. budget or source of funds for that kind freely-available capital into the largest

34 IRJ September 2019

when Amtrak finally agreed to provide

Photo: Shutterstock
its $US 3m match for the $US 26m
upgrade project. However, it might be a
sign of the battles to come.

Mission
To support his argument for future
investment in inter-city corridors,
Anderson consistently refers to the
Passenger Rail Investment and
Improvement Act (PRIIA) of 2008. The
act states Amtrak’s mission is “to
provide efficient and effective inter-city
passenger rail mobility consisting of
high quality service that is trip-time
competitive with other inter-city travel
options.”
Anderson also references larger
Ridership on long-distance trains dipped by 4.3% in 2018 while revenue was also down 2.7%.
macroeconomic trends and societal
changes occurring in the United States.
“If you look at today’s Amtrak route 20 years towards urbanisation, are affordability. While highway and air
map, it looks eerily similar to the one driving congestion and demand in capacity is limited, and performance is
created in 1971,” Anderson told the major metropolitan areas and the likely to get worse for these modes,
committee. “Yet, this nation has grown corridors that connect them. In particular, inter-city passenger rail is a solution for
and changed during this time period, the millennial generation, set to become future travel demands. This pressure
and this is expected to continue, and in the majority of the US population this appears to be inevitable.”
fact accelerate, for several reasons. year, is changing the overall travel Nevertheless, the financial challenges
“Population and economic growth, landscape with their preference for to deliver this inter-city development
and the continuous trend over the last flexibility, constant connectedness, and plan are substantial - the 584km NEC

and most commercially successful weather-proofing the Chicago yards New York and scheduling it to make
segment of the business, where trains would be a good place to start. cross-platform transfers at
are often sold out, inter-city ridership Partnering the installation of run-through Albany/Rensselaer with the Bejspoebdl.
and output is the highest in the system. tracks at Los Angeles Union is another. The Tjmwfs!Nfufps should originate in
However, the service is plainly In addition, re-installing the connecting Montreal and Toronto, and the Ifbsumboe
undercapitalised because demand track from the ex-Southern Pacific to Gmzfs should go to Kansas City, or
chronically exceeds supply, and large the ex-Katy (Missouri-Kansas-Texas) perhaps Denver via La Junta.
amounts of free cash flow - $US 423m main line at San Antonio would take Modelling modest route enhancements
last year, according to Amtrak - are only a few weeks and yield immediate like these on an assumption of only the
already being generated. benefits. same level of service and only the same
Increasing the capacity of the western degree of market penetration as existing
Legal authority
long-distance trains will allow new sold-out trains suggests that the
customers travelling very long distances enlarged matrix of origin-destination
Amtrak has the legal authority to on generally sold out trips - the average pair possibilities will multiply
shift capital resources (the annual in sleeping cars in the west is about aggregate demand in Amtrak’s largest
subsidy grant) between accounts to 1900km - to begin buying thousand- business by a factor of six or more.
where it can earn the highest returns. dollar tickets as soon as the capacity is If Amtrak doesn’t want to pursue
The use of capital that promises the added. Adding additional coaches to these opportunities, the DOT should
greatest return on the investment (both existing trains requires no new openly auction the routes and rolling
financially and in incremental annual infrastructure, even for maintenance. stock off to competitors who do.
passenger-km) is also Amtrak’s greatest The potential volume of the highest- Amtrak’s financial rate of return on
immediate need: to replace and enlarge revenue customers can be multiplied by the $US 3bn in capital invested into the
the Superliner fleet on long-distance better interconnecting existing routes Bdfmb!Fyqsftt programme 20 years ago
trains, where demand today exceeds with very modest additions to the has been negative. For example,
capacity. Here, with these trains existing route system. Amtrak’s reported state-of-good repair
generally sold out, growth is Examples include extending one deficit from deferred NEC maintenance
unavoidable, not speculative. These Njttpvsj!Sjwfs!Svoofs between Kansas has tripled since introduction of the
fleet assets can also be leased, not City and Omaha to connect downstate Acela fleet. Let’s not repeat that
purchased, to minimise initial costs. Illinois and Missouri to the Dbmjgpsojb experience with a misguided pursuit of
Strategic, individually minor [fqizs, dropping through cars for speculative short corridors now, when
investments in infrastructure in the Phoenix and Tucson from the Tpvuixftu far greater opportunities, much more
inter-regional markets can also yield Dijfg at Flagstaff, and originating the easily and inexpensively available, are
immediate and positive returns. Better Nbqmf!Mfbg train at Boston rather than right before us. IRJ

IRJ September 2019 35

 North America | Amtrak
alone has a state-of-good-repair (SOGR) Philadelphia 30th Street, Chicago ed for IRJ’s sister publication Sbjmxbz
backlog of $US 40bn. Union, and Baltimore. $US 1.8bn will be Bhf in December 2018 that limiting the
Anderson praises the 18-member spent up to 2024, although needs again narrative to financials and comparative
Northeast Corridor Commission, far outweigh available resources. statistics is unbalanced because of the
founded as part PRIIA, for providing a Inevitably developing new inter-city value Amtrak brings to the nation,
reliable source of funding for NEC corridors will require even more funding, states, communities, employees, and
improvements and repairs. Amtrak, potentially tens of billions of dollars passengers.
states, and commuter railways are set to over many years. Anderson’s strategy It is also a risk in the context of the
contribute $US 3.2bn to capital renewals to convince Congress seems to rest on current political climate.
over the next five years, following a presenting a rosier financial picture for For decades Amtrak’s relatively small
$US 1.46bn investment in 2018. The the railway against the need to solve funding appropriation has been used as
savings made in 2018 have also allowed America’s urban infrastructure crisis. a political football by politicians on both
more money to go back into maintaining This is reflected in the operator’s 2020 sides. Trump’s budget proposal is the
the NEC - the budget for track and budget proposal, which requests $US latest chapter in this story. Substantial
power maintenance has risen by 15% to 141m less than appropriated in 2019 proposed cuts to funding makes
$US 480m, for example. However, this although it is in line with the figure depressing reading for proponents of
remains a drop in the ocean. Anderson authorised in the Fast Act in 2015. By federal support for public transport
told the committee that the railway and making the operator financially infrastructure, and reflects the general
the states alone do not have the funds sustainable and less of a burden on the reluctance of his side of the aisle to
to reduce the NEC SOGR backlog, let taxpayer, Anderson believes he will support these investments - emphasised
alone fund major capital projects which have a more compelling case to secure a by the lack of support for the Gateway
are crucial to the future of the service. reliable funding source to develop Project. With little to suggest that the
future inter-city corridors. current partisan and unpredictable state
Capital projects
“Every day that goes by without a of American politics will change,
funded plan to address these projects finding a cross-party agreement to fund
Among these are components of the brings us one day closer to having an an inter-city rail network looks unlikely.
$US 30bn Gateway project to improve irrelevant transportation system stymied For many, it is incredible that
NEC infrastructure in New Jersey and by unreliable structures creating approaching 50 years since it was
New York City (p16). This includes reduced speeds and capacities, resulting founded in 1971, Amtrak remains in
repairs to the century-old Portal North in prolonged commute times and travel operation. But once again it is at a
Bridge over the Hackensack River in delays,” Anderson told Congress. crossroads. Anderson’s plan to
New Jersey, which is used by 450 trains This approach is no doubt a gamble. transform the operator into the
per day. While securing around $US And it has inevitably drawn criticism backbone of a sustainable and efficient
600m, the project still requires federal from those within and outside of the inter-city rail network that will ease
funding to meet the $US 1.6bn cost. The industry. Some question the financial congestion in the US’ car-choked cities
much-needed reconstruction of the viability of the proposal (p34). Others is certainly a radical change in strategy.
Hudson Tunnel in New York City, are reluctant to let go of long-distance It could be the shot in the arm that
which was damaged by Super Storm routes. Former Amtrak CEO, the late Amtrak needs. Equally, it could also
Sandy, and carries 200,000 commuters Mr Joseph Boardman, argued in an op- mark the beginning of the end. IRJ
every day, is also pending. Similarly,

Photo: Shutterstock
reconstruction of the East River Tunnel
in New York, estimated to cost more
than $US 1bn, the Baltimore & Potomac
Tunnel Replacement ($US 5bn), and a
replacement for the Susquehanna
Bridge in Maryland ($US 1.7bn) are all
at various stages of development but
require more funding for work to begin.
In addition, Amtrak’s average fleet
age is 33 years, and increasingly
unreliable. While plans to replace the
Acela Express trains are underway and
the railway has received new electric
locomotives, Anderson said in his
testimony that the cost of outstanding
fleet acquisitions could reach $US 3.5bn
by 2024. Replacing the Amfleet coaches
could cost a further $US 1.4bn and
upgrades to existing coaches and
locomotives another $US 1.38bn.
Beyond 2024, a further $US 1-1.5bn is
expected to be required.
Amtrak is also committing significant
funds to improving stations,
particularly its five largest hubs at New
York Penn, Washington Union, Amtrak plans to invest $US 1.8bn to renovate stations up to 2024, including in Philadelphia.

36 IRJ September 2019

 VIENNA MARRIOTT HOTEL, AUSTRIA

31 OCTOBER 2019

WHERE HEAVY RAIL MEETS THE FUTURE:

OPTIMISING THE DIGITAL TRENDS THAT ARE
REVOLUTIONISING THE ALPINE RAIL SECTOR
Firmly established as the key event in people’s diaries to access the latest updates
and investments for the region, the conference has become the number one platform
to bring together the region’s Infrastructure Managers, Rail Operators and leading
technology providers to discuss how they are harnessing the latest digital trends that
are revolutionising the rail sector for better quality, improved reliability and greater
customer service.

KEY TOPICS INCLUDE:

„ɅÖBB’s digital business strategy update whilst addressing how they are managing their
FRQQHFWHGDVVHWVWKURXJKH΍HFWLYH&%0DQGSUHGLFWLYHPDLQWHQDQFHDSSOLFDWLRQV

„ɅSBB’s strategy of optimising new digital technologies to enable the automation of

traditional railway processes

„ɅDB Netze’s approach to utilise opportunities of digitalization whilst highlighting the

EHQHȴWVDVZHOODVLWVFKDOOHQJHV

„ɅRFI’s PHWKRGV RI LPSURYLQJ PDLQWHQDQFH WKURXJK H΍HFWLYH SRVWSURFHVVLQJ RI

diagnostic data

„ɅSNCF’s challenge of taking advantage of the latest digital innovations whilst ensuring
WKH\DUHLPSOHPHQWHGLQDQHɝFLHQWZD\

To register your attendance at this exclusive event, please visit:

www.alpinerailoptimisation.com
For speaking and sponsoring opportunities, please contact Ben Holliday at
[email protected] to discover how you can be involved.

Supported by:
Light rail arrives in Mauritius
Urban rail | Mauritius

Mauritius has long been a paradise for holidaymakers, but with traffic congestion placing increasing strain on
the island’s environment and economy, the government is turning to light rail to provide sustainable mobility in
urban areas. With the first phase due to begin operating this month, Keith Barrow profiles the Mauritius Metro

R
Express project.

ENOWNED for its coral reefs,

beaches and rainforest, the Indian
Ocean island of Mauritius is
perhaps less well-known for its road
congestion. Car ownership surged 78%
between 2005 and 2014, and the country
has by far the highest number of motor
vehicles per road km in Africa.
Nearly 550,000 cars are now
registered on an island with a
population of 1.26 million. Alongside
pollution and congestion, the accident
rate has become a cause of public
concern, with 143 fatalities on the
country’s roads last year.
These factors have helped to drive the
The first of 18 CAF Urbos 100 LRVs arrived at Port Louis docks in Mauritius on July 4.
case for the development of light rail in
Mauritius, focussing on the corridor
from the island’s capital Port Louis to Mauritius Metro Express signed a Rs entire length. The project involves the
Rose Hill, Quatre Bornes and Curepipe, 18.8bn ($US 520m) fixed-price EPC construction of 37 track-km of ballasted
which is home to much of the country’s contract with Larsen & Toubro (L&T), track, 13 track-km of embedded track,
population and around 40% of road India, in July 2017. The scope of the and 9 track-km of plinth track. Rails
traffic. contract encompasses viaducts and have been supplied by Evraz, British
Initially BRT was proposed but bridges, 750V dc electrification, fare Steel and VAE.
following a general election in 2010 LRT collection and passenger information Phase 1 is forecast to carry around
emerged as the preferred option. In systems, signalling and traffic 25,000 passengers per day, with ridership
September 2012 the Mauritian government prioritisation, rolling stock, stations, projected to reach 55,000-60,000 when
appointed Singapore Cooperation and the line’s depot. L&T committed to all phases are fully operational.
completing the initial phase within just
Soft launch
Enterprise (SCE), Aurecon and SMRT to
provide technical advisory services and 24 months of contract signing and the
complete a project plan for a 26km LRT remainder of the line within 48 months.
line from Port Louis to Curepipe. The In December 2017, L&T awarded CAF Dr Das Mootanah, CEO of Mauritius
route largely follows the alignment of a É100m turnkey contract to supply 18 Metro Express, told IRJ on August 16
the Mauritius Government Railways low-floor LRVs, signalling, an automatic that a “soft launch” is planned with
Midlands Line, which closed to vehicle location system, transit signal four LRVs in operation when the first
passengers in 1956 and freight in 1964. priority system, depot equipment, and a phase opens. The bidirectional seven-
The project was initially planned as a driving simulator. Elis Infotech Systems, section Urbos 100 LRVs are being built
PPP but the government subsequently China, is supplying the smartcard at CAF’s Beasain plant in northern
opted to tender works on an engineering, ticketing system. Spain. The first LRV was unloaded at
procurement and construction basis Singapore metro operator SMRT is Port Louis docks on July 4 and a second
with a single contractor taking providing support for the pre-operation vehicle arrived on August 10.
responsibility for building the system. and early-operation phases under a Two more LRVs are due to arrive this
In March 2017 the Indian government Rs 301m Operation Readiness Services month and deliveries will continue at a
agreed to fully-finance the project (ORS) contract awarded to SCE in rate of one vehicle per month thereafter.
through a $US 275m grant to the October 2018. The fleet will be maintained by CAF
Mauritian government and a line of Scheduled to open before the end of under a five-year contract at the line’s
credit to the State Bank of Mauritius. September, Phase 1 runs for 12.4km depot and operational control centre at
The same month Rites, India, was from Victoria in Port Louis to Rose Hill. Richelieu, which has capacity to stable
appointed consultant and project The Phase 2A section from Rose Hill to up to 32 vehicles.
supervisor, while Systra acted as Quatre Bornes will open next year, with Each 45.41m-long 2.65m-wide Urbos
detailed design consultant. Phase 2B to Curepipe due for LRV accommodates 78 seated and 229
Following a competitive tender, completion by September 2021. standing passengers. The 70km/h
project development company The line will be double-track for its vehicles are equipped with CCTV, air-

38 IRJ September 2019

 Mauritius
conditioning and free Wi-Fi. these projects, the Victoria Urban
Dynamic testing was due to begin on Terminal in Port Louis.
a 3km section of the line between “The light rail and bus fare systems
Joejbo!Pdfbo PORT LOUIS
Richelieu and Barkly as this issue of IRJ will be integrated, which will help to
went to press. System integration is due bring about a new culture of integrated Victoria
to be completed by September 22, and convenient public transport on the
which will allow a week of trial running island. This is important because
along the entire length of the Phase 1 Mauritius is a car country. The St Louis
section before its inauguration at the challenge for Mauritius is to encourage
end of the month. people to leave the car at home, get on Richelieu Depot
During the initial phase of operation, board Metro Express and foster more
services will operate at 12-minute peak sustainable transport.” N
headways between 06.00 and 22.00, By August Mauritius Metro Express
with a 5-6 minute interval service when had recruited staff for 80% of key
all phases are operational. The journey positions. SMRT is providing six Beau Bassin
time between Victoria and Curepipe experienced train drivers from
will be around 41 minutes. Singapore for the initial phase of
Mootanah says around 20% of car operation. Training of Metro Express’s Rose Hill Interchange
journeys and 10% of bus trips in the 23 drivers began in June and they will
Port Louis - Curepipe corridor are begin to take over by the end of the
expected to switch to light rail. The bus year as operations ramp up.
network will be recast, with 19 routes In a country with no rail transport, a
feeding into the light rail line. robust public communication strategy is Quatre Bornes
The light rail line will serve 17 at- key both to ensure safe operation of the Interchange

“ The challenge for Mauritius is to encourage people to

Vacoas Interchange

leave the car at home, get on board Metro Express and

IRJ

foster more sustainable transport. Das Mootanah

Phase 1
Phase 2A
Curepipe Interchange
Phase 2B

to the contractor for getting an

international supply chain mobilised so
grade and two elevated stations. Six line and familiarise residents with the quickly. This has been a major feat by
stations will be public transport hubs system. Particular attention is being L&T,” he says. “The challenge now is
where bus routes will interchange with paid to educating motorists how to communication, operational readiness
the light rail line. The Ministry of Public behave around crossings. and ensuring everyone is
Infrastructure has leased land around As the spotlight turns on the start of onboard. The people
interchange stations through a PPP operation, Mootanah credits the line’s are waiting and
programme which aims to stimulate constructor and its subcontractors for they’re eager to
transit-orientated development, and delivering the first phase of the project see what light rail
construction has begun on the first of in just two years. “I have to pay tribute can offer.” IRJ

39
Riyadh metro closes
Urban rail | Riyadh

in on completion
Riyadh’s new six-line metro - the world’s biggest urban rail project
outside China - is on budget and expected to open in the second half of
2020. Alwalid Alekrish, deputy CEO, programmes and projects with
Riyadh Development Authority, explains to David Briginshaw, how it has
been possible to keep control of such a huge project.

T
HE population of the Saudi capital programmes and projects with Riyadh
Riyadh is 6.9 million and is Development Authority (RDA), told IRJ
growing at the rate of 3.5% a year, during an exclusive interview at the
compared with a world average of UITP’s Global Public Transport Summit
2.5%, and is expected to reach 8.3 in Stockholm in June. “The project is
million by 2030. There are two million being delivered without major delays or
cars in Riyadh with an average of two budget overruns.”
cars per household. The average According to the three main contracts
commercial speed is 45km/h, but this awarded (see panel), the official start of
will drop to 18km/h by 2030 if nothing the project was in October 2013, with
is done to change the modal split. ground-breaking following in April
Perversely, Riyadh is almost devoid 2014 (see timeline). Alekrish says the
of any public transport apart from taxis. first three lines will open in mid-2020.
Even walking in Riyadh is a challenge, “We will open lines 2, 3 and 4 first,
apart from the heat, as most streets do which is one line from each consortium.
not have anywhere safe to walk. There This is logical, because there is a lot of
are 10 million trips per day in Riyadh work to do. This will be just a few
but only 2% are by public transport, months before the remaining lines open.
while 80% are by private car. By the end of 2020 we will have
But all this is about to change as launched the whole system.”
Riyadh nears the completion of one of Incidentally, the bus network is due
the world’s most ambitious transport to open in the fourth quarter of this year
projects: the construction of a 176km and will offer three levels of service.
six-line fully-automated metro serving Two north-south bus rapid transit (BRT)
85 stations and a complimentary 1900km lines will be operated by articulated
bus network with around 3000 stops. vehicles. The BRT lines will be
“We have gone from zero to automatic complemented by a network of community
testing of the metro in just five years,” buses operated with standard single-
Mr Alwalid Alekrish, deputy CEO, deck vehicles, and local feeder services The metro has involved constructing

Riyadh metro timeline

using smaller vehicles. RDA expects the 85km of viaducts, 36km of tunnels
80-line bus network to carry around 2 using seven TBMs as well as the New
million passengers per day initially, Austrian Tunnelling Method for a short
April 2014: Ground breaking rising to 4.6 million in the longer term. section, and 360km of utility diversions.
March 2015: First viaduct installed RDA says there are three main RDA says around 56,000 people have
April 2015: First TBM launched elements which have contributed to the worked on the project and that a very
November 2016: First train arrives success of the metro project: high level of safety has been achieved
December 2016: Tunnelling completed = project planning and design which during construction.
February 2018: First line section started in 2001 with studies identifying Alekrish says that 80 of the 85 metro
energised the city’s high-density corridors stations are located in the median of
April 2018: Start of train testing followed by the approval process roads which made utility diversion a
September 2018: O&M contract = management and engineering which major challenge. “We worked with the
awarded led to the appointment of three consortia utility companies within the project
June 2019: Project reaches 83% to build and equip the metro network, management office from the outset,”
completion and Alekrish explains. “We brought one or
2H 2020: First three lines open = clear communication with citizens two people from each utility company
End 2020: Remaining three lines open which RDA says is essential for such a to sit with the project team and
large project. interface with their companies. This
40 IRJ September 2019
 Alstom is supplying a fleet of 69 Metropolis trains
for lines 4/Gold, 6/Purple, and 5/Green.

worked very well, and within one to “It was very complicated in the competition for children who were
two-and-a-half years we had diverted beginning, but it went very smoothly in asked to depict their idea of a metro
more than 300km of utilities.” the end,” Alekrish says. “In some cases, and public transport system. “We took
Another major challenge was it turned out better than before as some all of the entries, enlarged them, and
ensuring road traffic would continue to people want to keep the detours in displayed them around the sites of
flow freely around the numerous place.” future stations where the children
construction sites throughout the city. Public engagement was a high priority lived,” Alekrish told IRJ. “This was a
“Our concern was that building six for RDA from the outset. “Before we very important first step as our main
metro lines at once could shut the city announced road diversions in the objective was to educate the public
down,” Alekrish says. RDA worked media, we would go to stakeholders to through young people.
with multiple stakeholders, the traffic explain what to expect and left them “We also had a TBM naming
police and citizens to mitigate the with personal contact details so that competition and gave prizes to the
effects of the diversions. Models to people could feel part of the project,” winners, which helped to make people
gauge the impact of planned diversions Alekrish says. “We also created an app feel engaged with the project. During
on road traffic were developed for each to show diversions the day before they construction, when we had a TBM
phase of construction. Each consortium were introduced - a lot of people used breakthrough, we invited people living
produced its own traffic models which the app.” near the site to see the event.
RDA incorporated into one large model Engagement with the public started “We also have a call centre to provide
for the city. before work on the project began with a information to the public and a direct
IRJ September 2019 41
 Urban rail | Riyadh

Riyadh
We also engaged There was also an eight-week course
100 students and covering metro systems with six weeks
gave them public training in Saudi Arabia followed by
Light metro King Khalid
Open International transport training two weeks training abroad with railway

}
Metro Airport so that they could equipment suppliers. RDA also offered
visit schools. We internships. “This worked so well that
5
Being o f! N have visited more people were coming to us for
Built Mj
Efqpu Station 1 than 50% of the placements,” Alekrish says. “Some of
schools in Riyadh these people have gone on to work on
Railway and received good the project. We are also working with
Open Princess feed-back from the contractors to encourage some of
Noura
University parents. We also their staff to work on the operating side.
Sabb SAR station
encourage people It is a win-win situation.”
to visit the new
Road reconfiguration
Mjo

Sabic
f!5 stations and we are
f!2

M j o Al Hamra
!7 considering
M jof
King Abdullah King Fahd whether to invite An important part of the metro
Financial District Stadium
j o f!3 the public for test project is the reconfiguration of roads
Mjo

M
rides.” which follow the alignment of the
f!7

Khashm Al An
Olaya Ministry of RDA conducted a metro lines. According to RDA’s metro
Education naming rights urban design and streetscape manual
King Saud University
competition in published in 2014: “the success of the
Line 5

4 November 2018 metro not only requires acknowledging

f! An Naseem
Mjo and awarded eight the importance of a high-quality public
companies rights to transport system but also a change in
SRO station use their brand as the current perception of a vehicular-
National Museum the name of a reliant society. This change is ultimately
Qasr Al Hokm metro station. The based on shifting the present planning
10-year contracts priority from a vehicular one to that of
Jeddah Road Transport Centre will raise just over a multi-modal system. Fundamental to
f !4 Riyals 1bn ($US this shift is the quality provision of the
Mjo

Mjo 267m). RDA is also public realm or streetscape in which the

to Dammam
f!2

Western station
considering metro will operate.”
IRJ Ad Dar Al Baida naming its fare German architects Albert Speer and
cards. Partners were appointed as consultant
In addition, RDA for the project, which will provide
line to the project team. We aim to give has a student training programme to walkways, 135 cycle paths, and street
a response to questions within 24 hours. encourage people to work on the lighting. In addition, trees are being
“We have a public visitor centre with project. Initially it conducted a 10-week planted and canopies constructed to
pre-arranged visits for schools where summer course in civil engineering in provide shade for pedestrians. “We are

C
An international project
they can see mock-ups of the trains. collaboration with Saudi universities. planting 7.5 million trees which will

ONSTRUCTION of Riyadh’s six-line metro is being STS’s partners in ANM include civil works contractors
implemented by three international consortia: Fast led Salini-Impreglio, Larsen & Toubro, and Nemsa, together
by Spanish construction group FCC, the Arriyadh New with Bombardier, which will supply a fleet of 47 two-car trains.
Mobility Group (ANM) led by Hitachi Rail STS, and the Hitachi STS’ share is worth $US 680m and covers
BACS consortium led by Bechtel. automatic train control (ATC), CBTC, power supplies
The Fast consortium members include Alstom; Samsung including third-rail electrification, the operational control
C&T; Strukton, Netherlands; Freyssinet, Saudi Arabia; Typsa, centre, telecommunications, and fitting out depots. The
Spain; and Setec, France. Fast is building three lines totalling contract includes an option for 10 years’ maintenance.
73km at a cost of $US 7.82bn. These comprise the 30km Line The BACS consortium is building the 39km north-south
4/Gold, the 13km Line 6/Purple, which share a common Line 1/Blue and the 30km east-west Line 2/Red. The
section between King Adbullah Financial District and Sabic, consortium includes Aecom and Siemens, and the contract
the 25km Line 5/Green along King Abdullah Road. The has a total value of $US 9.45bn.
contract includes the construction of 29.8km of viaduct and Siemens is supplying 45 75.7m-long four-car trains - the
26.6km of tunnels. only four-car trains on the network - for Line 1/Blue and 29
Alstom’s share is worth around $US 1.6bn and includes a two-car trains for Line 2/Red. Each four-car train will
fleet of 69 Metropolis trains, together with Communications accommodate 522 passengers at 4 passengers/m2, 123 of
Based Train Control (CBTC), Hesop energy recovery system, them seated.
and its Appitrack tracklaying system. The 36m-long two-car All the trains are being built to a common design and will
trains will be 2.71m wide have three classes of accommodation: first, family, and
ANM is responsible for constructing the 40.7km Line single. Trains for each line will be branded with the line
3/Orange under a contract worth $US 5.21bn. Hitachi Rail colour. The network is electrified at 750V dc third rail.

42 IRJ September 2019

 R
O&M contract
reduce the temperature in the city by 1/Blue will be operated with four-car
around 2oC,” Alekrish explains. “We trains from the outset, although all
want to create an urban realm and to stations are designed to accommodate
IYADH Development Authority
encourage people to walk. It is a four-car trains. As traffic builds up,
(RDA) awarded two 12-year
paradigm change.” headways will be reduced to 90 seconds
operation and maintenance
All the heavy construction has been and full-length trains will be introduced.
contracts covering two groups of
completed and around 30% of the road Ridership is expected to grow to 3.6
lines in September 2018.
detours have now been removed. million passengers/day within 10 years.
The largest contract worth Riyals
“Fitting out is going very well, and we “It will probably be sooner than we
10.9bn ($US 2.9bn) covering lines 3, 4,
are above 80% completion of the expect when we go to four-car
5 and 6 went to the Flow consortium
project,” Alekrish told IRJ. “Almost all operation,” Alekrish predicts. “We are
of Alstom, Hitachi Rail STS and
of the trains have been delivered. Test already getting requests to extend the
Italian State Railways (FS). The
running has already started on lines 2, 3 network to other parts of the city, and
Capital Metro Company (Camco)
and 4, and will begin soon on lines 1, 5 we are studying a three-phase
joint venture of RATP Dev and Saudi
and 6. Our operators are on-board, and expansion programme. The first phase
Public Transport Company (Saptco)
are recruiting staff and preparing for will probably add around 50km of
won the contract for lines 1 and 2.
operation.” extensions to the existing network and
The contracts cover metro operation,
All stations will be air-conditioned to possibly a new line as well. We could
security, passenger assistance, facility
provide passengers with a comfortable move to phase one very soon.”
and building maintenance, and
environment during the intense heat of When the bus network and metro are
maintenance of the trains, signalling,
the Saudi summer. There will also be fully operational, Riyadh will jump
telecommunications, power supply,
four main stations on the network - from having virtually no public
and passenger information systems.
King Abdullah Financial District, Olaya, transport at all, to having a
The contractors will have to meet
Qasr Al Hokom and Western - which comprehensive network serving most
globally-recognised KPIs for metro
have been designed by world- parts of the city and the world’s largest
operation and maintenance. They will
renowned architects. The first three are driverless metro network. This is an
also be expected to meet a Saudisation
metro interchanges, and all four will act impressive achievement which few
target of 45% by offering a range of
as transport hubs where bus and metro other cities in the world have
positions for Saudi men and women
services will be integrated. attempted. The biggest challenge,
and a minimum of 55% local content
The metro is forecast to carry around however, will be to persuade Saudis to
for supplies and services related to
1.2 million passengers per day initially leave their cherished cars at home and
the operation of the metro.
with three-minute headways. Only Line switch to public transport. IRJ

Shaping the future of mobility

with digital technologies
The future of mobility is being driven by the need for an efficient way of transport –
whether by road or rail. With our customer in focus, we are providing future-orientated
solutions that drive the mobility market.

voith.com
US transit falls behind the digital curve
Metros and light rail | technology

A recent study of US transit operators found that a significant number are failing to take advantage of the
opportunities afforded by mobile and digital technologies to increase ridership and revenues. Mike Lambrou,
vice-president and head of sales, ground & sea, Europe at CellPoint Mobile, looks at the challenges facing these

T
operators and the potential rewards on offer when adopting these technologies.

RANSIT operators in the United requires technological investment in For example, the majority of millennials
States face a variety of business equally new approaches to procurement sampled in our study use two to five
challenges when attempting to and more versatile, innovative solutions. modes of transport per trip (52%).
modernise the passenger experience Introducing sweeping changes is a Younger travellers indicate the future
through mobile functionality. While major challenge in an industry that direction that rail operators should take
many in the industry see an urgent tends to evolve only gradually. However, by expressing their preference for
need to adapt to digital shifts in by using these digital platforms, rail transport apps and the omni-channel
transport as a whole, there is no clear operators can create efficiencies and passenger experience as a whole.
way forward guiding organisations to a acquire new riders by implementing Based on a survey of 103 ground and
workable strategy and ultimately passenger-centric changes. mass transit operators in the US, the
greater profits. The report, Dibmmfohft!Gbdjoh report reveals how operators face a set
A recent industry report from Nvojdjqbm-!Sfhjpobm!boe!Obujpobm!Usbotju of barriers to adopting the unified
CellPoint Mobile explores these major Bhfodjft!jo!uif!Vojufe!Tubuft, examines digital strategies that today’s transit
obstacles as well as opportunities in the the key challenges facing the ground riders expect. The report also highlights
US mass transit, ground transport and transport and mass transit markets, the emerging role of Mobility-as-a-
rail sectors. The report details the rising focusing on how consumer technologies Service (MaaS) and similar
cost of acquiring new riders, mobile (particularly smartphones) are making technological innovations in an
technology limitations and outdated travel and transport more convenient, increasingly digital economy to serve
procurement processes. Equipped with efficient and profitable. commuters and tourists with services
these insights, key railway personnel The report argues that as mobile including ridesharing, e-hailing and
can make a clear case to management to technology empowers passengers to car-pooling. For example, only 30% of
introduce transformative digital travel more frequently and self- US mass transit providers currently
solutions. schedule complex itineraries, rail collect fares through a mobile app, and
While many transport operators want operators should update their mobile only 39% have an app at all, putting
to implement new mobile solutions to strategies and consider adding new them at a clear disadvantage over
smooth the travel purchase journey and mobile capabilities which meet the ridesharing and other transport
unlock revenue growth, this first evolving expectations of mobile users. providers.

Photo: Metro Transit

The report says the transit operators have an opportunity to create efficiencies and acquire new riders by introducing enhanced mobile capabilities.

44 IRJ September 2019

 Key findings
As both “B-to-B” organisations and processes are still outdated and
market-driven businesses, mass transit cumbersome and spending and
operators grapple with a unique set of investment priorities across = 40% of respondents report that
challenges. But with ridership increasing organisational departments and roles having to carry cash or exact change
across many regions, transit operators are often mismatched. was the most frustrating part of
have an opportunity to create efficiencies Transport operators can surmount paying for transit, indicating railway
and acquire new riders by introducing these common challenges by creating opportunities in the form of mobile
enhanced mobile capabilities and digital technological, cost, and operational ticketing
connectivity. efficiencies while simultaneously = 46% say it’s “very” or “extremely”
important to be able to pay with

“
alternative payment methods (APMs)

Owning groups and operators should take advantage of

as opposed to 25% for those who
haven’t ridden mass transit within

the ubiquity of passengers’ mobile devices to make their

the past year
= fare discounts (40%) are most

trips more efficient and convenient.

likely to incentivise respondents to
download a transit app, followed by
making payments easier (34%) and
reducing the need for cash (31%)
= one-third (34%) of respondents say
Conditioned by ridesharing services improving passenger experience. Transit that using APMs to pay for fares or
like Uber and Lyft - as well as many apps, mobile ticketing, streamlined tickets is “very”
other daily ecommerce interactions - US payments and a focus on meeting or “extremely” important
consumers expect a streamlined mobile riders’ needs are all actionable solutions. = only 37% purchase something in
experience, particularly for scheduling New options are available to rethink addition to a ticket/fare when
and payment options. Our study found revenue strategies. These include travelling on transit, representing a
that 45% of respondents use ridesharing immediately prioritising the missed opportunity for ancillary
programmes. A typical mass transit development and optimisation of sales and revenue growth, and
journey, with legacy ticketing and mobile apps to meet the overwhelming = millennials are most likely to be
payment systems, presents a stark demand among today’s connected incentivised to download an app by
contrast to the expectations of today’s travellers and facilitating the rise of easier payments (41%) and easier
travellers. However, US transit operators MaaS. Technology investments should booking and ticketing (31%).
are met with several market and start with immediate/everyday
organisational limitations, which must challenges that impact the passenger order to meet evolving passenger
be resolved before they can begin to experience and keep costs high, such as payment expectations. As the rail sector
address the demands of digital passengers. transit apps, mobile ticketing and continues to invest in intelligent
These challenges include: streamlined payments. mobility solutions, owning groups and
= Catering to a mobile-centric For example, operators can easily operators should take advantage of the
population:  of all the challenges implement simple payment and ticketing ubiquity of passengers’ mobile devices
outlined in the report, the practical solutions to mitigate rising costs. In fact, to make their trips more efficient and
difficulty of implementing mobile the right mobile solutions can drive convenient. Implementing mobile
solutions is most impactful from the revenue and increase ridership functionality also generates new
consumer/rider perspective. 23% of concurrently by offering the same ease revenue opportunities through the
national operators and 24% of large and convenience provided by rideshare mobile channel.
transit agencies (1K-10K employees) say services. Real-time notifications via a While the report’s findings point out
that implementing mobile technology mobile device is another obvious way some serious challenges facing US
poses their single biggest to improve the mass transit experience. ground transport operators, they also
challenge. Meanwhile only 42% of Integrating the mobile channel into indicate how operators can conquer
respondents have downloaded a larger business objectives will not only these difficulties by implementing
transport-related mobile app. This help to reduce costs, but also acquire mobile solutions to increase ridership,
represents a significant opportunity for new riders and improve satisfaction streamline procurement processes and
transit companies to grow their digital among existing passengers. In fact, reduce costs. By incorporating the smart
footprint and revenue. “convenient booking/ticketing process” capabilities of digital and omnichannel
= Disconnect within organisations: only and “in-app payments” were the interfaces, transit operators can stay
17% of US transit operators responsible number 1 and 2-ranked features of connected to the larger online economy,
for payment and ticketing cite rising transit mobile apps in our rider survey. reduce costs, capture new revenue and
costs as their biggest organisational If owning groups and operators can also drive revenue growth.
challenge. This contrasts with 31% of generate more ancillary revenue from Going digital and using technological
those in IT, and 29% in project mobile passengers - while also making innovations such as MaaS, mobile
management. their end-to-end journey more ticketing and alternative forms of
= The procurement roadblock: about a convenient - this will inevitably result payment can deliver the value and
third of US operators say they are in a more profitable industry built on convenience that today’s passengers
unable to change their procurement the unique functionalities of the mobile have come to expect from every
process (31%) but also state that the channel. transaction. It can also help improve
process is too slow and lengthy (30%). Digitisation enables transit agencies their satisfaction with the service on
These responses indicate that many to streamline their path-to-purchase in offer. IRJ

IRJ September 2019 45

intelligence
artificial
IRJ Insights | Artificial Intelligence

The future of

is

Artificial Intelligence has been around for decades, but is now reaching a stage of maturity where it could soon
become a common tool used throughout the rail industry. David Burroughs looks at how AI is already in use

A
and what widespread adoption could mean for the industry in the future.

RTIFICIAL Intelligence, aka AI, is funds AI research because it doesn’t precursor to the introduction of AI. Once
a phrase that’s been around since deliver (immediately).” systems such as signalling are digitalised,
the 1950s, with roots that go back AI can often conjure up images of they can then move towards being
further. But the term can still be powerful computers capable of automated and integrated with other
somewhat of a misnomer, a buzzword performing a multitude of tasks better systems such as the traffic management
thrown around and slapped on any than humans. However, despite large system.
technology that processes and analyses strides made in the development of AI, AI is now being utilised in a number
some form of data to solve a problem or we don’t need to begin worrying about of S2R projects. S2R has published a call
provide an output. Skynet-like computer systems taking specifically focusing on AI in its 2019
In amongst the fluff, solid work is over the world just yet. call for proposals, which Travaini says
underway around the world into deep “At the moment the AI systems are was deliberately left open to cover a
and machine learning, taking computing trained to do a particular thing in a wide range of potential topics
to the next level, and looking at ways particular area, so we’re miles away applicable to the rail industry.
these specialised forms of AI can tackle from general AI or AGI, which is what This includes using machine learning
problems in industries ranging from our brains are,” Hall says. “We’re far for obstacle detection and monitoring
health care and banking to insurance away from a machine that can think in the state of infrastructure; mining big
and, importantly, transport. a way we do and cross different data; and using AI to detect
AI is already capable of doing a lot of subjects and make connections across cybersecurity intrusions, a topic
tasks: beating humans at logic-based different subject areas, let alone whether becoming more and more relevant in
games such as chess, Go, and Jeopardy!, it could have a conscience or a soul. the rail industry as the Internet of
along with more practical applications “But we can begin to see how we Things (IoT) becomes more ingrained in
such as examining MRI scans to detect might build those and that’s the next systems and processes.
cancer at a faster and more reliable rate push of AI.” “All these are not new, they are being
than humans can. AI is also guiding The term AI is commonly used to used in other industries so we also
self-driving cars. refer to a range of technologies such as want to leverage from what other
Dame Wendy Hall, regius professor software, algorithms, processes, and sectors have done,” Travaini says.
of computer science at the University of robots that are able to acquire analytical As part of these projects, the research
Southampton in Britain, says AI has gone capabilities and perform tasks as will study a number of potential
through several stages of development opposed to legacy machines that could impacts of the technology on the
since its inception, with each new stage only act on human inputs, shifting industry, including:
usually taking around 30 years to technology’s role from enabler to advisor. = increased capacity
become entrenched in industry. The rail industry’s focus on AI has = reduced life cycle costs
“There’s been a series of waves of increased at a rapid pace in the past = reduced errors from both humans
AI,” Hall says. “From the early decade, so much so that when the and existing computer systems
decision-making systems using trees to European Union’s Shift2Rail (S2R) = improved efficiency and increased
the expert decision makers and research project was first launched in performance
knowledge-based systems, then the 2014, AI - or digitalisation for that = high-level automation and auto-
development of the neural network in matter - wasn’t even mentioned in the adaptive systems
the 1980s, which has led to today’s original programme. = simplified supervision and fast
work on deep learning and machine Both concepts are now very much problem resolution
learning. After a wave of ideas and ingrained in the project, says S2R head = reduced complexity with simplified
early development that doesn’t pay off, of research and innovation, Mr Giorgio and interoperable interfaces, and
you get the AI winters where nobody Travaini, with digitalisation a necessary = improved flexibility.

46
 Much of the current focus on AI by
the rail industry is based on the
development of video-based analytics
systems. These programs are able to
take and process a video or photos in
real time to identify a wide range of
objects from tracks and rails to signals,
pedestrians, cars, other trains, or even
faults along the tracks.
4Tel, a software and hardware
engineering firm based in Newcastle,
Australia, has been exploring the use of
AI to develop automatic train
protection (ATP) systems for the New
South Wales Country Regional Network good with
(CRN), which is currently operated and multiple tracks,
maintained by John Holland on behalf when you need to
of the NSW state government. identify which
Rolling stock can now be equipped precise track you are
with a range of sensors, including GPS, on.”
inertial navigation, odometers, radar, Using video cameras
Lidar, cameras, ultrasonic and acoustic which provide 25 images a
monitors, generating a massive amount second, 4Tel is able to identify
of data. 4Tel managing director, Mr different tracks and objects
Derel Wust, says the company has alongside the track, which - when
focused on developing systems capable the position of these objects is
of analysing and combining this data to known - allows it to triangulate the
provide services such as train position of the train in real-time.
positioning, which feed into the ATP. “An observation we came to quite adding the complexity of a sign or
The company, which has been quickly was that a lot of the something you see on a railway, and
working alongside the University of infrastructure doesn’t actually change, you add in the complexity of day, night,
Newcastle Robotics Laboratory, so a bridge, a poll, or a sign were there fog, rain, light conditions and smoke, as
launched a project titled “Horus” in yesterday and the day before,” Wust far as the computer is concerned the
reference to the all-seeing eye in says. “If you’re able to identify where images all look different. What we
Egyptian mythology. Wust says the you are and that those things exist, quickly found was that a rules-based
project has developed its own systems, you’ve got references to where you are system wasn’t quick enough or reliable
calculations and algorithms for rail- using triangulation and measurement.” enough, there were too many
specific uses from scratch as those 4Tel looked at various rules-based exceptions to the rules.”
developed for other industries cannot systems, including those designed to The company instead turned to
necessarily be copy-and-pasted into read road vehicle number plates, but neural networks and machine learning,
rail-specific applications. didn’t find one suitable for rail where the computer is shown dozens
“The idea was that we could focus on applications. and dozens of images of the same sign,
the different elements, for example “The trouble with rules-based with each image differing slightly in
determining where the train is,” Wust systems is they work but they don’t parameters such as angle, time of day
says. “GPS works well but it’s not so scale,” Wust says. “So when you’re and lighting conditions. Following this

47
 IRJ Insights | Artificial Intelligence
process, which Wust says takes at least “With our AI we are adding analytics Ten years ago, an employee would
60 images per object, the computer is to the pure storing of the video,” explains have taken a 1000-page manual with
then able to identify the sign with Mr Claus Bahlmann, Siemens’ head of them when servicing a train, flicking
around 96.7% accuracy - a figure that department, intelligent software, artificial through to find the information required
continues to improve over time as more intelligence and computer vision. for any given task. That changed with
images are fed in. This includes calculating if a seat is the introduction of tablets, which
“It’s a statistical process that keeps occupied by a passenger or just a bag, allowed technicians to instead scroll
learning and the more signs it sees the or if a wheelchair space is occupied. through a PDF of the manual and
better it gets,” Wust says. “Particularly “If we know that an area is already search for particular sections.
in the rail industry where you run up taken by a wheelchair, this information But that too could soon change.
and down the same track and you’re can be sent to the platform and Siemens is developing applications that
seeing the same infrastructure through announced so another wheelchair user enable rolling stock engineers to use the
different light conditions, your computer

“ In the rail industry where you run up and down the same
learning is actually quite good.”
4Tel is now applying this software to

track and you’re seeing the same infrastructure through

other applications and is able to identify
non-static objects along the line such as

different light conditions, your computer learning is

pedestrians, cars and trains, providing
information that is fed back into the

actually quite good. Derel Wust

ATP to advise and support the driver.
Other initiatives around the world to
develop rail-applicable AI are also
looking to video analytics as a means to
provide a range of different services. can be notified that the space they are camera on the tablet to view different
Siemens’ 120-member research and waiting for is already occupied and parts of the train such as the cab and
development team, based in Berlin, has they can take the time while waiting to tap on different items such as a button,
30 people dedicated to the development move to the next available area,” lever or screen. The tablet is then able to
of AI systems such as computer vision, Bahlmann explains. identify what the item is and provide
machine learning, deep learning and The technology is also capable of any required information such as the
data analytics, who work alongside detecting aggression. It can alert correct page in the manual or a 3D CAD
teams with expertise in mechatronics, operators if a fight has broken out or if model of the part. It can also provide a
sensors and software engineering. the train is being vandalised, allowing one-click part ordering service.
The biggest initiative currently them to make an announcement in the “This obviously needs computer
underway is the Assisted and affected vehicle or alert authorities. vision technology. We analyse the
Autonomous Driving for Rail (AAR) camera images to recognise which parts
Maintenance
project to develop assisted and the tablet is pointing at and the user is
autonomous rail vehicles. The project selecting,” Bahlmann says.
has developed a driver assistance AI has direct benefits for maintenance The industry has spent years
system that can now be installed on technicians, and could be one area collecting data to develop predictive
LRVs, and also contributed largely to where the technology might be more maintenance capabilities, so much so
trials of an autonomous tram in the likely to become an important assistant that it is now considering how to
German city of Potsdam (IRJ September for staff rather than a replacement. process it all and extract meaningful
201 p76), which in May was expanded “There is a breadth of different insights (IRJ July 2019, p38). AI could
from the original 6km section of line in sensors that are mounted on the trains prove a solution by automating data
the city’s suburbs to 13km. and the infrastructure such as point acquisition, processing and analysis,
A converted Potsdam Transport (ViP) machines,” Bahlmann says. “At producing meaningful outputs that are
Siemens Combino LRV is operating at Siemens, we are capturing and using both useful and actionable.
Grade of Automation 3 (GoA 3) with a the sensory data - whether it is images One topic S2R is focusing on is creating
driver present who is able to intervene or engine temperatures or measurements data models where the data coming
if needed. The vehicles has so far operated of the current in the point machines - from one system can be translated so it
without incident since May 2018. and developing analytics solutions that is compatible with information from
Along with the train control, Siemens monitor the state of these assets to elsewhere.
is also using the AI-powered video predict what action is needed.”
analytics software to develop intelligent
CCTV, or iCCTV.

48
 11-13 November 2019
TEHRAN

Delivering Growth; Creating Opportunity; Embracing Technology

THE LARGEST RAIL EVENT IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE RETURNS TO SYDNEY

WHAT TO EXPECT, BESIDES THREE DAYS OF HIGHLY BENEFICIAL • 400+ exhibiting organisations from a diverse range of suppliers and
ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUR PEERS, SUPPLIERS AND SERVICE service providers
PROVIDERS:
ARE YOU AN ARA MEMBER?
• 1000+ senior rail sector, government and academic leaders
participating ARA Members receive a 20% discount on conference attendance,
sponsorships and exhibitions (conditions apply).
• Plenary and technical streams across three informative days
• 13 catered functions for attendees over three days of premium SPONSORSHIP + EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES
networking including: Welcome Reception, Networking Drinks, For sponsorship or exhibition information please contact:
2 major Gala Dinners and Luncheons [email protected]

SPONSORS TO DATE
PREMIUM PLATINUM AND GALA PREMIUM GOLD AND RTAA GOLD SPONSOR SILVER SPONSOR
DINNER SPONSOR YELLOW TIE DINNER SPONSOR

EXHIBITION NETWORKING LANYARD SPONSOR APP SPONSOR INNOVATION HUB NEXT GENERATION CONFERENCE SUPPORTING SPONSORS
DRINKS SPONSOR SPONSOR SCHOLARSHIP SPONSOR

www.ausrail.com

IRJ September 2019 49

 IRJ Insights | Artificial Intelligence

A
Cloud vs Edge computing
technologies is the effect it will have on
employment levels, with staff worried
that they could lose their position to a
key consideration when developing and installing AI technology is machine or robot.
deciding where this processing happens. The debate comes down to the Those developing AI acknowledge
speed of processing against the power needed, with locally-installed the technology is likely to disrupt the
computers able to provide an output in seconds. Cloud-based processes are often current business models in the mid to
faster and much more powerful, but can also take longer due to the need to long-term, resulting in at least a change
transmit data backwards and forwards between the vehicles, station or in roles for staff and at most a reduction
maintenance facility and the cloud. in employee numbers.
Edge computing refers to data processing power located at the edge of a But in the short term, AI is mainly
network instead of in the cloud. being developed to support, not replace,
Thales has developed a “3D gate” capable of scanning passengers as they pass staff, with employees instead performing
through ticketing barriers, which can ensure passes are being used by the pass- much higher-level tasks than currently
holder and not being shared with unauthorised users, and could in future undertaken. AI is capable of providing
remove the need for any action from a user by using biometrics to detect passengers. different solutions to complex
Thales chief technical officer for ground transportation activities, Mr Amaury problems, each coupled with a number
Jourdan, says that while the system is complex, it must still work within a split of probabilities, but the technology is
second to be viable, which necessitates edge computing. not yet able to autonomously decide
“In this example it has to be very fast, so cloud computing might not always which solution to select.
be the right solution for real time applications compared with edge computing,” Long-term, fewer staff will be needed
he says. “It’s a trade-off and the industry develops both highly-powerful cloud to carry out certain tasks, but Hall also
based AI solutions as well as hardware optimised platforms for edge sees the possibility of new jobs that
applications. I don’t see this trade-off disappearing, both cloud and edge don’t even exist yet opening up.
solutions will find their place in the transport system.” “AI audits, data audits and data
compliance - there are so many data
“These subsystems don’t speak the don’t know what route it has taken prominence issues and biases, checking
same language, they don’t have the through the data.” the bias of an algorithm, they’re all
same model so we are researching a This is echoed by Thales chief technical types of jobs that need to be done by
kind of supermodel on top of it which officer for ground transportation humans,” she says.
will not affect the model you are activities, Mr Amaury Jourdan, who This must be facilitated by providing
working on, but it will allow the says that there is still some way to go more opportunities for workers to
different subsystems to communicate before AI can be trusted to take control reskill and upskill, Hall adds, but
with each other,” Travaini says. of a safety critical system. people also need AI training before they
“AI and safety are not compatible
Safety
even enter the workforce. “We need to
without significant adaptation,” he get people up to speed with AI. We
says. “Which doesn’t mean that it can’t need anyone at university to have AI
Safety is in the DNA of the rail be used at all but at this stage not for awareness courses, we need AI in
industry, and before a new system can safety critical applications.” schools and I want to encourage more
be introduced, it must comply with Instead, Thales is looking at ways to kids to do science, technology,
rigorous standards. combine expert systems, which can be engineering and mathematics subjects.”
“The big problem with deep learning explained, with the more powerful Travaini sees AI changing business
as a way to training your machines is neural networks and deep learning, models in other ways, such as finding
that it’s very hard for the system to which cannot. new ways to optimise research in the
explain how it got an answer,” Hall says. “We want to use both approaches, industry. He points to rail profiles,
“With the traditional expert systems and probably a mix of them so in the which are under constant development.
that were very rule-based, you could end we can have both a high performance “You would think that after so many
get the system to say what rules it used and certifiable system, well suited for years the rail profile would be the
to get the answer. With deep learning safety critical applications,” Jourdan says. perfect one, but we’re still improving
it’s a lot more complicated than that Along with the stringent safety it,” he says. “AI is a very useful tool for
because you are dealing with nested requirements, another argument against allowing the system to evolve faster
layers of networks over data, and you the swift introduction of AI and other than we already do. As an example, if

50
we are able to properly introduce AI we from academia, industry and civil
could think that in a few years time the society, which will support the
next ground breaking designs will not implementation of the European strategy
be done entirely by humans, but with on AI.
AI support. The European Railway Industry
“It could take one billion different Association (Unife) says autonomous
designs and test them all. This is how operation is most likely to be improved
AI could disrupt businesses. When by AI, but for that to come to fruition
you’re going to speed up you are going two key elements are needed: dedicated

“ If we are able to properly introduce AI we could think

that in few years time the next ground breaking designs
will not be done entirely by humans, but with AI support.
Giorgio Travaini

to leave behind anyone who can’t keep investments in the field, together with
up and embrace this technology.” assessable and certified AI technologies
for safety-critical applications.
Regulations and governance
“Notably, this step would be carried
out through new standardised
Amid the rapid development of AI certification processes and the possible
and other digital technologies, creation of extensive open benchmark
governmental and institutional responses data sets, as well as the establishment of
have often struggled to keep pace with test fields and tracks for assisted and
the legal, societal and ethical challenges autonomous driving,” Unife says in its
posed by AI. However, some significant vision paper on digitalisation, which
actions have already taken place. In was released in April. “It will also be
May 2018, the European Commission necessary to produce highly detailed
(EC) issued a communication, Bsujgjdjbm and accurate digital maps of public rail
Joufmmjhfodf!gps!Fvspqf, which sets out a networks, containing standardised data,
European approach to make the most of which are accessible to all stakeholders.”
the opportunities offered by AI, while “In order to allow the commercial use
also preparing for socio-economic of AI-based products in the transport
changes and ensuring an appropriate market, many existing standards and
ethical and legal framework. regulations may have to be reviewed
The EU has allocated É1.5bn for AI and modified. In this context, ensuring
investment in 2018-2020, and explicitly the highest possible levels of safety
acknowledged that transport represents must be a fundamental objective.”
a key sector for the development of AI We may still be some years away from
applications. The EC has also proposed the autonomous service that books your
that É2.5bn should be channelled into ticket, gets you to the station, operates
Europe’s AI capacities through the the trains and signalling, and controls
Digital Europe programme between everything from fleet maintenance to
2021 and 2027. research and development. But steps
The EC has also established a high- are being taken today to bring that
level group on AI, including 52 experts dream closer to reality. IRJ

51
Rubber-coated ballast demonstrates
Track | ballast

improved track resilience

Can coating ballast with repurposed tyres provide the added resilience required to alleviate track stresses and
ballast displacement on heavy-haul lines? Shunturi Govender, civil engineer at Transnet Freight Rail, South

H
Africa, investigates the potential of Comsa’s Neoballast solution, which has been developed under the
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research initiative.
EAVY-haul railway Ballast cleaning is one possible solution, synthetic elastomers generated from
superstructures experience but is expensive, so infrastructure recycled motor vehicle tyres with the
extreme forces. Trains with managers are often forced to renew the aid of a binder. The new ballast is
axleloads ranging from 25 to 42 tonnes entire track superstructure even before designed to reduce the rate of
create high contact stresses, putting the other assets - rails, fastenings and degradation and settlement of the
ballast-sleeper interface under sleepers - have reached the end of their ballast layer and also to reduce
particular strain as the vibrations useful life. maintenance interventions and costs.
caused by cyclic dynamic forces With railways seeking to cut Tyres consist of 90% vulcanised
penetrate the ballast layer. maintenance costs and preserve their rubber, which has extremely durable,
The resulting abrasion between ballast assets, the search for new innovative strong, and flexible material properties
particles and the sleeper lead to wear ways to minimise the adverse effects of and can maintain their volume under
and ultimately a loss of shear strength failures associated with ballast aggregate loading. Once recycled, the fine rubber
capacity and ballast layer settlement. on heavy-haul lines has intensified. particles are used to coat the ballast
The latter attributes to variations in the Comsa, Spain, developed Neoballast aggregate, with the rubber coating
settlement of the track, which in turn in collaboration with Mapei, Spanish increasing the elasticity of the ballast
leads to the deviation of the infrasturcture manager Adif, and the layer which reduces the rate of degradation.
longitudinal profile, lateral alignment Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Tests have shown that coating ballast
and track gauge since the ballast layer’s 2011 with the goal of potentially doubling with rubber will offer the following
ability to function effectively declines. the lifespan of conventional ballast and potential benefits:
Deviations in track geometry due to improving noise and vibration = decrease the deterioration of the
ballast degradation is a major challenge behaviour. Tests of the product are now ballast layer by providing a more
for heavy-haul railways. Frequent underway as part of the European durable aggregate since the rubber
ballast replenishment is necessary to Union’s Horizon 2020 research initiative. particles act as crush barriers
restore the integrity of the track but at a The Neoballast aggregate consists of = reduce the degree of track deflection
conventional ballast stone coated with by reducing the ballast layer settlement

European research project

significant cost to the asset maintainer.

TESTING of Neoballast is taking place as part of the European

Commission’s Fast Track to Innovation programme, with the
project allocated É1.59m to support commercialisation.
Comsa is the coordinator of the project, and is partnering
with Dynamics, Structures and Systems International,
Belgium, Talleres Felipe Verdés, Spain, Mapei, Italy, and
Sorigué, Spain. Work commenced in 2015 and is due to
conclude in November 2019.

52 IRJ September 2019

 IRJ
PRO

Stay on top of the latest projects,

fleet orders and Global Rail Tenders
www.irjpro.com
 Track | ballast
Table 1: Neoballast v existing ballast aggregate on heavy-haul lines where

Tests Existing ballast Neoballast Minimum Best performing

the mechanical strength of the ballast

used on the requirements aggregate

layer is vital to the stability of the track.

coal line for heavy-haul

The South African heavy-haul network

Los Angeles (LA) 25% 1% 22% Neoballast

consists of the 861km Sishen - Saldanha

abrasion
iron-ore and 580km Mpumalanga -

Mill abrasion 7% 0% 7% Neoballast

Richards Bay coal lines. This study

Weathering 1% 0.10% 5% Neoballast

focused on ballast aggregate from the

Water absorption 1% 0.25% 1% Neoballast

coal line, which uses 60E1 rail profiles,
and is subjected to approximately 26-
Comparative analysis of the mechanical properties of Neoballast and ballast currently used on tonne axleloads.
the heavy-haul line in South Africa. The tests were based on the performance
of the mechanical properties of Neoballast
= increase the energy dissipation of the compared with a conventional ballast to compared with the minimum required
ballast aggregate due to the viscoelastic avoid initial high settlement. specifications for heavy-haul lines in
property of the rubber particles - the The results from the shear stress tests South Africa. For example, a sieve
vibration dampening coefficient of the indicate that Neoballast can provide analysis of the ballast used for the
ballast aggregate increases with more more resistance to the permanent Neoballast sample ranged from 37.5mm
rubber content, reducing the amplitude deformation of the ballast layer and to 53mm, the same ballast size
of loads and vibrations transferred to offer more consistent performance of requirement in South Africa. The
the underlying formation the track structure by maintaining track quantities were also kept constant while
= reduce noise pollution - the sound resilience. The results also indicate that the testing methods for abrasion
absorption property improves with an the stress under the ballast layer was resistance, weathering and soundness,
increase in rubber content, and effectively reduced by 20%, creating a and water absorption were the same.
= offer the potential to increase the more uniform stress distribution onto In addition, the environmental
electrical resistance of ballast aggregate, the ballast layer and decreasing ballast conditions in which the Comsa test took
with the rubber content increasing the strain. In addition, the dynamic stiffness place in Catalonia are comparable with
aggregate’s electrical insulation. This of the Neoballast layer was found to Transnet’s sample site in Vryheid. For
may provide a safety feature in the reduce by 20% compared with example, the average minimum and
ballast layer on electrified heavy-haul conventional ballast which means it has maximum winter temperature in
lines. However, this will not be the the ability to provide a more elastic Barcelona is 8oC and 15oC compared
primary purpose of the Neoballast layer ballast layer. with 6oC and 18oC in Vryheid. The
but a secondary function. Comsa is currently conducting line summer minimum and maximum
Preliminary tests to determine the tests of Neoballast on a 200m section of temperature is 23oC and 29oC in
mechanical performance of Neoballast the Maçanet - Massanes - Caldes de Barcelona and 25oC and 30oC in
were conducted by the consortium at Malavella 1668mm-gauge electrified Vryheid. The mean annual precipitation
the University of Granada, Spain, using line in northeast Spain. An outdoor was also comparable: 620mm in
a triaxial shear test on a track used by microphone monitoring system, seismic Barcelona and 650mm in Vryheid.
passenger trains. Cyclic dynamic load accelerometers and total pressure cells The objective of the comparative
tests ranging from 5kN to 65kN were have been installed on the track to analysis was to see whether Neoballast
conducted, which is equivalent to 20- conduct the in-field tests, which is effective at reducing the frequency of
tonne axleloads at a frequency of 5Hz. commenced in June and will continue ballast maintenance and if the aggregate
The static test shows a decrease of for several months. is suitable for use on Transnet’s lines.
80% in the long-term settlement of The results (Table 1) show that

Heavy-haul tests
Neoballast with a settlement ratio per Neoballast has a higher abrasion
load cycle of 2.8 x 10.6mm/cycle resistance compared with conventional
compared with 8.1 x 10.6mm for While tests with Neoballast continue ballast and has the ability to maintain
conventional ballast. However, the in Spain, work has taken place at its interlocking properties for a longer
Neoballast layer will have to undergo Transnet Freight Rail in South Africa to period of time since the abrasion
higher compaction upon installation investigate the viability of using the resistance is increased, hence the shear
A cross-section of the
strength capacity of the ballast layer is
aggregate showing the
optimised.
rubber coating.
Figure 1 shows the expected increase
in the service life of the ballast layer
due to this phenomenon. The results
indicate that the presence of the rubber
coating on the Neoballast acts as a
crush barrier, directly reducing the
number of fine particles produced
which normally cause ballast fouling. A
reduction in ballast fouling will result in
a reduced ballast settlement rate per
load cycle. It will also improve the
resistance to weathering compared with
conventional ballast. Therefore,
application of Neoballast on heavy-haul
54 IRJ September 2019
 environmental impact is significantly
Asset Life Cycle - Ballast Layer reduced. Investigations of future disposal
methods are still underway, including
proposals to recoat Neoballast for
repeated use. The rubber abrasion could
also be collected and used in asphalt.
Degradation of Ballast

Neo ballast The results of this study show that

using Neoballast as a ballast layer on
Conventional heavy-haul lines is a potentially
ballst preferable alternative to conventional
ballast applications. Neoballast is more
durable and tougher and would result
in a decrease in the degradation of
Years Potential service ballast particles. In turn, this would
Diminished service life of ballast
life of ballast layer layer reduce the rate of track geometry
Figure 1: Asset Life Cycle - Neoballast vs conventional ballast
deterioration resulting in improved
track structure stability and reduce the
tracks may yield a significant reduction accordance with European standards, overall cost of track maintenance.
in cost and frequency of maintenance. EN ISO-19925-2 and EN ISO-9239-1, Neoballast potentially meets all the
In addition, the conventional ballast with the results indicating that minimum required specifications for
used on the coal line absorbs more Neoballast is flame retardant and will ballast used on South Africa’s heavy-
water than Neoballast. Neoballast is contribute minimally to a fire breakout. haul lines. However, further field
less porous than conventional ballast Disposing Neoballast is a potential investigations are required to ensure
because of tightly packed amorphous environmental concern. It is currently that the mechanical properties and
particles from the rubber coating that disposed in landfill sites in the same performance obtained in test studies are
provides isolation to the ballast manner as conventional ballast with replicated in practice.
aggregate. This is a potential benefit chemical tests showing that the coating As for future commercialisation of the
since Neoballast facilitates drainage is inert in its reaction with the product, Comsa and Mapei founded a
more efficiently. environment and should be treated as new company, Neoballast, in July. The
The fire-resistant property of normal waste. However, with an goal is for industrial production to
Neoballast is a particular concern on estimated service life of 30 years longer begin by the end of the year and offer
electrified lines. This was tested in than conventional ballast, the the product to market in 2020. IRJ

MULTI TASKER
SAFETY. SPEED. QUALITY.

WWW.KIROW.DE

KIROW / XL SAFETY.

COMPLETE RANGE FOR S & C RENEWALS

DESEC TRACKLAYER

This off-road special machine

with rotating crawlers for switch
construction is ideal for
singletrack lines.

SWITCH TILTER

The Switch Tilter is the perfect

transporter for just-in-time
switch logistics. No working at
height thanks to its low plat-
form.
Combined with the Multi Tasker
and Tracklayer, unrivalled quali-
ty, speed and safety is achie-
ved in switch renewal.

MULTI TASKER
Kirow railway cranes are
multipurpose devices for switch
construction, track and bridge
construction, and accident
recovery. The Multi Tasker
can carry heavy loads in front
of its buffers and slew sideways,
without encroaching on neigh-
bouring rails.
 Rendezvous
September 2019
www.expoferroviaria.com/eng/ Conference http://philippine-railway.mykar-
welcome 8 DMG, Cape Town, South Africa. events.hk
22-25—Minneapolis, USA www.transportevolution.com
Railway Interchange Exhibition & 2-3—Zallaq, Bahrain 28-Nov 1—Tokyo, Japan
Conference Bahrain Rail Congress 2019
8 Arema, Lanham MD, USA.
15-17—Valenciennes, France 12th World Congress on Railway
8 Traicon Events, Bangalore,
8 Railway Supply Institute,
ERTMS Control Command and Research (WCRR)
India. Railway Communication 8 ISS, Tokyo, Japan.
Washington DC, USA. https://traiconevents.com/bahra
8 REMSA, Washington DC, USA.
Conference (CCRCC) 2019 https://wcrr2019.org/
inrail/home.html 8 ERA, Valenciennes, France.
8 Railway Systems Suppliers, www.era.europa.eu/content/ert 29-31—Vienna, Austria
Jacksonville FL, USA. 8-9—Jönköping, Sweden ms-ccrcc-%E2%80%93-ertms- Wheel-Rail Interaction EU 2019
http://railwayinterchange.org/ Nordic Rail Exhibition
8 Elmia, Jönköping, Sweden.
conference_en Conference
8 Wheel Rail Seminars, Illinois,
24-27—Gdansk, Poland www.elmia.se/en/nordicrail 16-18—New Delhi, India USA.
Trako Railway Fair and International Railway Equipment https://wheel-rail-seminars.com
Exhibition 9-11—Rabat, Morocco Exhibition
8 Gdansk International Fair,
/eu/index.php
5th World Congress on Rail 8 CII, Haryana, India.
Training “Unite-Inspire-Connect”
8 UIC, Paris, France.
Gdansk, Poland. www.ireeindia.com 31—Vienna, Austria
www.trakofair.com/ NEW: Alpine Rail Optimisation

October 2019
https://events.uic.org/5th-uic- 17-18—Philadelphia, USA Conference
8 Rotaia, Ashford, UK.
world-congress-on-rail-training
Next-Generation Train Control
1-2—Berlin, Germany Conference www.alpinerailoptimisation.com
10—London, Britain
8 Simmons-Boardman, New
November 2019
6th Railway Forum
8 IPM, Hannover, Germany. Acelerate: Rail Infrastructure
Conference
York, USA.
www.railwayforumberlin.com
8 Marketforce, London, Britain. www.railwayage.com/nextgen/ 5-7—Berlin, Germany
https://marketforcelive.com/acce NEW: MES - Mobility Electronics
1-2—London, Britain 22-24—Delft, Netherlands Suppliers EXPO 2019
8 Messe Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
lerate/events/rail-infrastructure
NEW: Railway Earthing and Aspect Conference 2019
Bonding Seminar 8 IRSE, London, Britain. www.mobility-electronics.com
8 IET, Stevenage, Britain.
13-18—Perth Australia
International Railway Safety www.irse.org/aspect/default.aspx
https://events2.theiet.org/earthi Council Conference 5-7—Warsaw, Poland
ng/index.cfm 8 Informa, Sydney, Australia. 24-25—Manila, Philippines NEW: 7th International Transport
www.irsc2019.com Philippine Railway & Logistics Exhibition
1-3—Milan, Italy Modernisation & Expansion 8 Translogistica, Warsaw,
Expo Ferroviaria Exhibition 15-16—Durban, South Africa Summit Poland.
8 Mack Brooks, St Albans, Britain. Africa Ports and Rail Evolution 8 Mykar, Hong Kong, China. https://translogistica.pl/home/

You can save JPY2,000

Pursuing safety, reliability, comfort, on entrance by following “Pre-registration”.
global environment, and energy saving We sincerely look forward to your visit at this show.

56 IRJ September 2019

 Contacts | editorial Classified
46 Killigrew Street, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3PP, UK
Tel +44 1326 313945

Editor-in-Chief/Associate Publisher
Expressions of interest?
David Briginshaw CMILT [email protected]
Senior Editor Keith Barrow BA (Hons) [email protected] Tenders?
Managing Editor Kevin Smith MA [email protected]
News & Features Writer David Burroughs [email protected] Requests for proposals?
Sales Executive Chloe Pickering [email protected]
Market Analyst Oscar Sinclair [email protected]
Production Manager Sue Morant [email protected]
If you are planning any of these for your
Regional editors next project then be sure to advertise in IRJ.
Australia Mark Carter Tel +61 8 8367 8572 [email protected]
Chile Ian Thomson Newman [email protected] Take advantage of the attractive
packages available, which combine
Germany Keith Fender [email protected]
Italy Marco Chiandoni [email protected]

the printed and electronic versions of the

Japan Yoshihiko Sato Tel +81 3 5721 6616 [email protected]
New Zealand Richard Worrall [email protected]
Spain Ferran Torga
Switzerland Anitra Green
[email protected]
Tel +41 61 461 4536 magazine with the IRJ website.
USA/Canada William C Vantuono Tel +1 212 620 7240
[email protected]
Correspondents To advertise products or services in the
Argentina Jorge Waddell Israel Jeremaya Goldberg classified section of IRJ,
Austria Erwin Reidinger Korea Andy Tebay
Brazil Renata Passos Netherlands Quintus Vosman contact:
Denmark Denis Bowers Pakistan Naeem Qureshi/Rashid Ali
East & West Africa Shem Oirere Poland Mykola Zasiadko
Hungary Ferenc Joo Ukraine Alexander Kava Louise Cooper
India Srinand Jha Tel: +44 1444 454171
Executive offices
[email protected]
Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp
55 Broad Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004-2580, USA For US companies:
Tel +1 212 620 7200 Fax +1 212 633 1165 Jeanine Acquart
President & Chairman A J McGinnis
Publisher, Rail Group Jon Chalon
Tel: +1 212 620 7211
Circulation Director Maureen Cooney [email protected] [email protected]

Contacts | advertising Advertisers Index

For all areas except those listed below contact:
Louise Cooper, International Area Sales Manager Amphenol Air 13
Tel +44 1444 454171 [email protected] Amsted Rail IFC
BAI Communications 30/31
12 Beech Hill, Haywards Heath, West Sussex
RH16 3RX, UK
CNT (Mass-Trans Innovation Japan) 56
ETS 51
Austria, Germany, German-speaking Switzerland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia,
Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia.

Harsco Rail 15
Michael Boyle, Dorfstrasse 70, 6393 St Ulrich, Austria
Tel +43 676 708 9872 and +49 163 830 8088 [email protected]
Informa (AusRail Plus) 49
IRJ Pro 53
ITALY & Italian-speaking SWITZERLAND
Dr Fabio Potestà, Elda Guidi

Kirow 55
Mediapoint & Communications srl, Corte Lambruschini,
Corso Buenos Aires 8, Vo Piano, Int 7, 16129 Genova, Italy
Tel +39 010 570 4948 Fax +39 010 553 0088 [email protected]
Linsinger BC
JAPAN Metalcolour 7
Plasser & Theurer FC
Katsuhiro Ishii, Ace Media Service Inc
12-6, 4-chome, Nishiiko Adachi-ku, Tokyo 121-0824, Japan
Tel +81 3 5691 3335 Fax +81 3 5691 3336 [email protected]
Progress Rail 9
AL, IL, KY, WI
Robel 29
Rotaia Media (Alpine Rail Optimisation
Jon Chalon, 55 Broad Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004-2580
Tel 212 620 7224 [email protected]

AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH, Conference) 37
OR, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba,
Silicon Sensing 27
ThermOmega Tech 11
Saskatchewan)
Heather Disabato (Chicago Office) Tel 312 683 5026 hdisabato@sbpub-

Transmashholding (TMH) IBC

Chicago.com

UIC (nextstation Conference) 49
CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT,
WV, Canada (Quebec & East Ontario)
Jerome Marullo, 55 Broad Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004-2580 Voestalpine 5
Voith 43
Tel 212 620 7260 [email protected]

Vossloh 22/23
Classified Advertising Sales
Jeanine Acquart (New York Office) Tel 212 620 7211 [email protected]

IRJ September 2019 57

Smarter power grids open up new opportunities
The last word | energy

As electrification systems become more complex, ABB is looking to create tools that allow infrastructure
managers to have better control of their networks. David Burroughs talks to ABB’s Claus Vetter about the
company’s strategy to develop a line protection suite.

A BB has been supplying

electrical components for
more than a century, but as the
covers distance protection
functions providing high
the first major contract that we
could win with this part of the
is cyber security, especially on
our communication solutions,”
flexibility with quadrilateral or portfolio,” Vetter says. “It’s a says Vetter. “We’ve added a
rail industry becomes more mho starting characteristics. new product based on a very specific cyber security solution
digitalised, the company is The system also includes proven platform, the Relion so we can fulfil not only the
updating its offer and developing transformer protection for platform which we use in application requirements but
new technologies to keep two-phase to two-phase as general power system protection also the data privacy and data
abreast of these advances. well as two-phase to one- control applications for utilities protection requirements for
ABB’s product range phase transformers, with a and power girds. What we did our customers.”
traditionally includes traction range of backup functions. is we basically used our proven As more railways switch to
transformers, motors and Specific to rail, the RER670 platform and implemented electric traction to reduce their
converters for electric vehicles; includes catenary distance specific applications for the carbon footprint, there is a
generators and turbochargers protection for catenary feeders, rail industry.” greater emphasis on sourcing
to boost the efficiency and while transformer tank green energy.
Global market
power of diesel trains; circuit protection helps avoid damage “In general I would say
breakers, contactors, connection caused by short circuits to the there’s a global need for what
devices and other types of transformer tank. While the company has a we call a smarter and greener
electronic relays and timers for A wide range of control large presence in Europe, Vetter grid,” Vetter says. “We’re
onboard applications; and functions can be included in says it is targeting the global seeing a stronger need to
power system solutions including RER670 to either complement market and has implemented integrate various sources of
traction substations that feed the line or transformer solutions in India, China and energy in the grid and we
and distribute electricity to the protection IED with advanced Malaysia. want to give more information
lines, as well as high- and control functions or to provide “You will always find specific at the end of the day to the
medium-voltage switchgear, a control IED with optional requirements and regulations customer so they can steer
converters and transformers. backup protection. in different regions,” Vetter says. their power consumptions to
ABB is also developing and RER670 allows for IEC 61850 “While we have a general have a better carbon footprint.
delivering technologies and Edition 2 communication to product available we will then “We’ve come from an
solutions designed to improve substation automation systems, augment or adapt the portfolio industry where we had a very
power quality and protect the along with horizontal to meet the specific needs of stable electricity grid and
network from voltage communication between IEDs. the industry.” nowadays with the different
disturbances, while also drawing The contract to supply the The digitalisation of a system energy sources there’s a lot
more information from the Relion system to SBB marks a invariably opens it up to more instability, there’s a lot
grid to optimise operations. major step forward for ABB’s cyber-attacks, but ABB is more need for automation and
Mr Claus Vetter, ABB’s grid strategy to target the transport developing solutions to combat control, and a lot more need
automation products global industry, and the rail industry this problem. for information coming out of
product group manager, says in particular. “One area which we are the grid. This is what we’re
the transport market is a key “We have delivered it before looking at specially, which trying to address with our
area the company is looking to in smaller quantities but it’s goes beyond the rail industry, current portfolio.” IRJ
target, and the group is
developing a range of solutions
with rail specific functionality.
Earlier this year, Swiss
Federal Railways (SBB) signed
a three-year framework contract
with ABB, which includes an
option for two years, to supply
power protection and support
for the Swiss network.
ABB will supply its new
Relion RER670 Intelligent
Electronic Device (IED), which
is used for the protection,
control and monitoring of the
transmission lines as well as
transformers in a two-phase
16.7, 50 and 60Hz power rail
supply system, which supports
isolated, compensated and
solidly earthed networks.
RER670’s line protection ABB has signed a three-year contract with SBB to supply power proection and support for the Swiss network.

58 IRJ September 2019

HIGH PERFORMANCE RAIL MILLING TECHNOLOGY
WORLDWIDE OVER 50 MACHINES SUCCESSFULLY IN OPERATION

MG31
The fastest rail milling
train in the world

SF06-FFS Plus
Developed for
maximum performance

SF03-FFS
Universal usage, equipped
for all challenges

SF02T-FS
Featuring low
axle loads

SF02-TRUCK
The train for
special demands

MG11
Designed especially for
small track gauges

UN SUR PA S SED R A IL
M A IN T EN A NCE PRODUC T I V I T Y.
W W W.L IN S INGE R .C OM