Australia railway news – Page 6
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NewsRegionerate Rail selected to build Gowrie – Kagaru section of Inland Rail corridor
AUSTRALIA: Australian Rail Track Corp has selected the Regionerate Rail consortium as preferred bidder for a PPP contract to build and maintain the 128 km Gowrie – Kagaru section of the 1 700 km Inland Rail corridor. Regionerate Rail comprises Clough, GS Engineering & Construction, Webuild, ...
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NewsAustralasian Railway Association warns of skills shortages
AUSTRALIA: The local rail sector faces a shortfall of up to 70 000 skilled workers by 2023, according to a report published by the Australasian Railway Association in conjunction with the AusRail Plus conference in Sydney. ARA CEO Caroline Wilkie said attracting and retaining talent was ...
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NewsAustralian report recommends measures to promote rail freight
AUSTRALIA: The Australasian Railway Association has released a report which states how government and industry can support greater use of rail freight.
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NewsGreen refinancing for Sydney rolling stock contract
AUSTRALIA: Sydney suburban rolling stock PPP concessionaire Reliance Rail has refinanced its bank debt facilities with a A$1·8bn 21-year Green Sustainability-Linked Loan. Reliance Rail’s 2006 contract with the New South Wales government covers the supply and maintenance of 78 Waratah EMUs, which account for about a ...
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Metro Report InternationalSydney airport metro surface works contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: Sydney Metro has awarded the second main construction contract for the 23 km Western Sydney Airport automated metro line.
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Metro Report InternationalSydney Metro awards Western tunnelling contract
AUSTRALIA: Sydney Metro has selected a joint venture of Gamuda Australia and Laing O’Rourke for the second of the three main construction contracts for the 24 km Sydney Metro West line linking the city centre with Paramatta and Westmead. The A$2·16bn Western Tunnelling Package was tendered ...
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NewsFortescue looks to Infinity and beyond with gravity-powered battery train
AUSTRALIA: Mining company Fortescue and its recently acquired Williams Advanced Engineering business have announced plans for the Infinity Train, which is intended to capture regenerated energy from loaded downhill runs and store it to power the returning empty trip. ‘The Infinity Train has the capacity to ...
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Metro Report InternationalThree shortlisted for Sydney Metro West eastern tunnels
AUSTRALIA: Sydney Metro has shortlisted three consortia for the third of three main construction contracts for the 24 km Sydney Metro West line linking the city centre with Paramatta and Westmead. The Eastern Tunnelling package covers 3·5 km of twin-bore tunnels from the intermediate station site ...
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NewsWork starts on Perth’s Ellenbrook interchange
AUSTRALIA: Work has started on the terminus of Perth’s northeastern suburban line, with a groundbreaking ceremony for the rail-bus interchange at Ellenbrook attended by Western Australia’s Premier Mark McGowan and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti. Being built as part of the state’s Metronet ...
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NewsInland Rail sleeper contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: Australian Rail Track Corp has awarded Vossloh’s Austrak subsidiary a A$143m contract to supply a further 1·3 million concrete sleepers for the 1 700 km Inland Rail freight corridor linking Melbourne with Brisbane. The sleepers are to be produced at Austrak’s sites in Rockhampton and ...
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In depthComment: Rail freight’s big battery booster
A string of recent orders for battery-electric locomotives from railways in North America and Australia offers hope of decarbonising the heavy haul freight sector, as well as the promise of innovations which railways elsewhere could adopt in the future.
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NewsSecond-generation ‘Pandaroo’ locomotives delivered
AUSTRALIA: China’s CRRC Ziyang has shipped a batch of second-generation SDA1 diesel locomotives ordered by SCT Logistics. SCT ordered an initial six first-generation SDA1 ‘Pandaroo’ locomotives in September 2010 for delivery in 2011, and a further four in March 2011. It ordered 12 of the second-generation ...
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NewsCattle train contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: Following a competitive tender, the government of Queensland has awarded Watco East West the North West contract to operate trains transporting herds of cattle from regional hubs to processing facilities on the east coast. This follows from the Central West contract awarded to Watco last ...
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NewsFormula 1 technology company to support development of battery train
AUSTRALIA: Fortescue Metals Group’s green technology division Fortescue Future Industries is developing what it says is a ‘world leading’ battery electric train concept. The project was disclosed on January 24 when Fortescue announced it had agreed to acquire UK-based motorsports technology company Williams Advanced Engineering, saying ...
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NewsBHP to trial battery locos on Pilbara iron ore network
AUSTRALIA: Mining company BHP has awarded Progress Rail and Wabtec contracts to supply four battery locomotives for trials on its Western Australia Iron Ore network from late 2023. Progress Rail is to supply two EMD Joule eight-axle locomotives with a battery capacity of 14·5 MWh, while ...
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NewsRio Tinto battery locomotive
AUSTRALIA: Mining company Rio Tinto has ordered four Wabtec FLXdrive battery locomotives for use in the Pilbara region of Western Australia from 2023. The locos will be used for multiple purposes, initially focused on yard shunting and then main line service. Rio Tinto currently uses three ...
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NewsBendigo regional upgrading makes progress
AUSTRALIA: The first of three new stations being built on the lines from Bendigo to Echuca and Swan Hill as part of Victoria’s A$4bn Regional Rail Revival programme has opened for revenue service. The stations at Goornong and Huntley on the Echuca line and Raywood on ...
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NewsHydrogen freight train study
AUSTRALIA: The feasibility of using hydrogen fuel cell locomotives to haul bulk freight trains is to be investigated by operator Aurizon and mining company Anglo American. Anglo American has developed proprietary hydrogen fuel cell and battery hybrid power units for heavy mining vehicles with a view ...
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NewsInland Rail trackwork contractor selected
AUSTRALIA: Australian Rail Track Corp has selected Martinus for the Rail Corridor Programme contract, which covers tracklaying and level crossing works on 574∙5 km of the Inland Rail corridor in New South Wales and southern Queensland. The agreement announced on December 7 covers the route between ...
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In depthAustralia: ARA targets modal shift
The Australasian Railway Association has launched a new strategy that it hopes will bring a greater share of Australia’s expanding freight market on to the country’s railway network.