In Numbers

4,300km

Length of the Baikal-Amur Mainline, a Soviet-era rail line in Russia that is being redeveloped with a $17bn investment to build freight transport capacity.

$643m

Sudan’s planned investment into rebuilding its railway network ahead of reconnecting with neighbouring countries.

1,200km

Length of the Etihad Rail, a UAE rail network in development that will connect all of the emirates and Saudi Arabia.

£56m

Funding package announced by the UK Government to support the running of vital light rail and tram services in the North and Midlands as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

$907m

New Zealand’s investment into rail infrastructure over the next three years under the country’s first Rail Network Investment Programme.

Projects

University of Birmingham opens rail research centre

The University of Birmingham in the UK has unveiled the new Centre of Excellence for Digital Systems to conduct specialist research in railway engineering. With investment from Research England, the centre was established by the university in partnership with the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network.

Source: Future Rail

Liverpool Street Elizabeth line station handed over to TfL

Liverpool Street Elizabeth line station has been officially handed over from Crossrail to Transport for London (TfL). Built by Laing O’Rourke, it is the fifth Crossrail station to be transferred to TfL. The station will now enter the next stages of commissioning ahead of the Elizabeth line opening.

Source: Future Rail

Network Rail to link new tunnel near Peterborough to Stamford lines

Network Rail in the UK is preparing to link a new tunnel north of Peterborough to the existing Stamford. The link will be implemented at Werrington, where the East Coast Main Line is crossed by a slow-moving east-west freight route. It is part of the $1.66bn East Coast Upgrade.

Source: Future Rail

In Quotes

“Addressing the climate emergency through the decarbonisation of our transport network is an urgent priority, and this national plan is to be welcomed. The key will be to translate its aims into action as swiftly as possible. Publishing the Integrated Rail Plan must now be a priority in order to understand when HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and other major projects such as the Transpennine Route Upgrade and rail electrification will be delivered.”

Tim Wood, interim chief executive at Transport for the North, comments on the UK Department for Transport’s decarbonisation plan.

Source: PMLive

“We welcome today’s publication of the Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan, in particular its recognition of the important role that modal shift in favour of low carbon transport, alongside investments including rail electrification, will play in the journey to net zero. Today’s publication is a useful step in that journey, but in order to achieve this shift, a more ambitious long term plan for rail, including high speed rail, must be set out.”

A statement from High Speed Rail Group commenting on the publication of the UK Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan.