Austria: EIB is providing track contractor Swietelsky with a €50m loan to support the development of faster and cheaper maintenance methods. The project is being undertaken at Swietelsky’s R&D centre in Fischamend and includes the construction of two prototype maintenance vehicles.
Egypt: National Authority for Tunnels has awarded Alstom, Colas Rail, Orascom and Arabco an infrastructure contract and Alstom/Thales a signalling contract for the 5·7 km Phase 4A eastern extension of Cairo metro Line 3 to the airport.
Poland: ZPS is to supply a two-car DP-523.10 track diagnostic vehicle to PKP PLK for 28·4m złoty.
PKP PLK has awarded a consortium of Vias y Construcciones, Dragados and Electren a 352m złoty contract to modernise the 16 km Krzeszowice – Kraków Mydlniki line. ZUE has a 52m złoty contract covering the 7 km Katowice – Chorzów Batory route.
KZN Rail is to supply ballasted and ballastless track for part of the Olsztyn tram line under a 3m złoty contract.
Qatar: Leighton Contracting Qatar has awarded Pandrol CDM Track a contract to supply 10 000m² of L13 floating slab mat for track noise isolation on the Education City People Mover System tramway (p13).
Russia: RZD has called tenders for a contract to undertake surveys, project development and route planning for the 770 km Moscow – Kazan dedicated high speed line. The deadline is April 16 and the maximum price 20·79bn roubles plus VAT.
Spain: Thales and Bombardier have a €30m contract to supply ETCS Level 1 for the 210 km Valencia – Vandellós line.
Sweden: Trafikverket has awarded Siemens a €17m contract to supply a Sitras SFC Plus static frequency converter to link the 50 Hz grid to the 16·7 Hz traction power supply network.
Switzerland: SBB has awarded contracts totalling SFr136m/year for the lease of ontrack plant over periods of five to 10 years. The majority of the contracts have been awarded to Swiss firms, notably Scheuchzer and Sersa Group. Smaller contracts have been awarded to Krebs Gleisbau, Speno International, Carlo Vanoli and Vanomag, German company Alpha Rail Team and Italy’s Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie.
UK: Network Rail has ordered a fifth Plasser & Theurer ballast cleaning system for delivery next year at a cost of £50m. It will be the first designed to be used on 750 V DC electrified lines with the third rail remaining in place.
NFM Technologies is to supply two TBMs for London Underground’s Northern Line extension to Battersea.
Signalling Solutions Ltd has won a £43m contract to resignal existing lines in east London for Crossrail services.
Atkins has won a four-year contract to provide building information modelling technical services to HS2 Ltd.
The South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance has appointed a consortium of Skanska, Colas Rail, Aecom and Mott MacDonald to plan and undertake a four-year multi-million pound programme to provide a ‘step change’ 30% increase in capacity at London Waterloo, including platform lengthening and reopening the International platforms.
Uzbekistan: DB International is to provide engineering consultancy services for the electrification of UTY’s 388 km Qarshi – Termez route.
