Australia:Mining company Xstrata has announced that it will go ahead with a planned open-cast coal mine west of Rolleston in Queensland, which will include a 110 km rail link (RG 4.03 p183). To be built by QR, Abigroup, John Holland and Connell Wagner at a cost of A$230m, it will provide access to QR’s Central Line.
China: The first locomotive to be delivered to the Amdo worksite in Tibet began hauling construction trains on the Qinghai - Lhasa railway on March 23. The dismantled 86 tonne loco was transported on four lorries to the site 4704m above sea level.
A 157 km line which has been completed along the western coast of Hainan island has been approved for use.
As part of the German High Speed Initiative in China, BWG, Pfleiderer and Siemens plan to set up a ’Centre of Competence’ in Beijing. A similar move saw the three companies establish an office in Guangzhou (RG 1.04 p48) where they are supporting Guangdong Provincial Government and the Guangzhou Railway Group with its plan to build a 595 km Pearl Delta network.
Czech Republic:On March 11 Skanska ZS formally completed upgrading the 6·3 km Ústí nad Orlicí - Cesk
