In Numbers

$135m

Swedish construction company Skanska has won a $135m contract for the construction of the new phase of Stockholm metro in Sweden’s Nacka municipality.

25

Stadler has secured a contract from Swiss public transport operator Baselland Transport to build and deliver 25 TINA trams.

$1.75bn

Australian freight rail transport company Aurizon is reportedly set to acquire another rail freight operator, One Rail Australia, for $1.75bn.

12

Russia-based Transmashholding has dispatched 12 refurbished and upgraded Series 81-717.4/714.4 metro carriages to Sofia Metro in Bulgaria.

£46bn

The UK Government has announced £46bn for rail investment in the Autumn Budget 2021 and Spending Review, with plans to make the sector more ‘customer-focused and financially sustainable’.

32%

US-based Norfolk Southern Corporation has recorded a net income of $753m in Q3 2021, a 32% increase from last year.

€876m

Alstom has secured a contract worth €876m with the Egyptian National Authority for Tunnels to modernise Cairo Metro Line 1 in Egypt.

Projects

Metra breaks ground on new station on Union Pacific North Line

US-based transport operator Metra has commenced construction on the new Peterson Ridge Station on the Union Pacific North Line.

John Burns Construction Company secured the contract for the construction work, with a commitment to provide 30% of the subcontracting work to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise companies.

This $19m project is projected to be completed in around 18 months.

Source: Future Rail

KiwiRail concludes stage one of Wellington rail enhancements

New Zealand state-owned enterprise KiwiRail has completed the first stage of Wellington’s rail improvement works, which includes double-tracking the 2.7km line stretching from Trentham to Upper Hutt.

The work, announced in 2019, will help commuter services and freight trains pass by each other without waiting.

Among other developments are new platforms and shelters at Trentham and Wallaceville stations, a freight loop at Upper Hutt, improved parking conveniences, along with level crossing safety upgrades.

Source: Future Rail

Major work advances on Shepparton Line upgrade in Australia

Australia’s Victoria Government has announced that major work is in progress in connection with the Shepparton Line upgrade.

The project focuses on stage two and three of the enhancements.

Construction will later commence to expand the platforms at Nagambie and Murchison East stations.

Pre-cast concrete platform panels and coping stones will be deployed to extend the platforms, allowing VLocity trains to operate on the route for the first time.

Source: Future Rail

In Quotes

Darren Caplan, chief executive of the Railway Industry Association, highlights how the projects on display at COP26 highlight rail's green transport capability:

"We were delighted to see the Prime Minister join senior leaders in visiting Vivarail and Porterbrook’s net-zero trains in Glasgow. It is a huge credit to the teams involved in both projects, which demonstrate the capabilities the UK has to reach a net-zero transport system.

“This week has shown that the industry stands ready to deliver clean rail travel for passengers across the UK. As RIA’s RailDecarb21 campaign has called for, it is now over to Government to commit to a programme to electrify the UK’s railways and fleet orders of battery and hydrogen trains.

“It was also fantastic to host our Trailblazers reception on board Vivarail’s battery train, an event which aims to promote young professionals in the sector. We would like to say a huge thank you to Vivarail for hosting us.”

Source: PMLive

UK Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, on the reopening of the Dartmoor line:

“By restoring the Dartmoor Line we are undoing 50 years of damage, reconnecting a community and creating new opportunities for jobs, tourism, education and recreation.

“We have made it our mission to reverse cuts made in the Beeching era of the 1960s. The passion, nostalgia, and enthusiasm for that ambition is clear right across the country.

“People love their railways, and rightly miss them when they’re gone. Today – ahead of time, and under budget – we’ve made a decisive step in fixing that, cutting the ribbon on a line and making a real difference to people’s lives.”