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March 2021 | Volume 61 Issue 3 www.railjournal.com | @railjournal

IRJInternational Railway Journal

years of repor•ng the world’s railways

High-speed evolution How the Shinkansen sparked a global railway revolution

Heavyweight champions How the world’s heavy-haul railways continue to push the boundaries

IRJ celebrates 60 years of railway development IRJMARXX (Goldschmidt)_Layout 1 08/02/2021 15:55 Page 1

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Contact us ContentsMarch 2021 Volume 61 issue 3 Editorial offices Post 46 Killigrew Street News Falmouth 4 This month Cornwall, TR11 3PP, UK 6 News Tel +44 1326 313945 16 Transit news Web www.railjournal.com 18 Financial news Editor-in-Chief Kevin Smith [email protected] High-speed Consulting Editor/ 20 The high-speed revolution Associate Publisher Charting progress since the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1964 20 David Briginshaw [email protected] News & Features Writer Heavy-haul David Burroughs 26 Railway heavyweights continue to tip the scales [email protected] Innovation helps heavy-haul railways to improve performance News & Features Writer Oliver Cuenca Traction and rolling stock [email protected] 32 Train technologies transform rail’s offer Production Manager Sue Morant Making trains more reliable and energy efficient [email protected] 32 Signalling and automation 38 Unlocking network capacity Advertising sales office Bringing automation from the metro to the main line Post 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 Track and infrastructure United States 44 Making rail harder, better, faster Tel +1 732 887 5562 Tracking the key revolutions in track technology Business development manager Jerome Marullo [email protected] Tel +1 732 887 5562 Japan 47a Online Extra: research in the land of the rising sun 44 Subscriptions hotline Tel (US only) +1 800 553 8878 RTRI charts the key achievements over 60 years in Japan (Canada/International) +1 319 364 6167 Fax +1 402 346 4740 Ticketing and fare collection 48 Fare collection meets digitalisation Ditching the paper ticket for modern solutions

International Railway Journal (Print ISSN 2161-7376, IRJ through the years Digital ISSN 2161-7368), is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp, 88 Pine Street, 51 60 years of headlines 23rd floor, New York, NY 10005, USA. Printed in Charting the major events from the last six decades Great Britain by Buxton Press and distributed in the USA by Mail Right International, 1637 Stelton Road 48 B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Piscataway, NJ and additional mailing offices. 02/03/2021 17:17 Page 1

March 2021 | Volume 61 Issue 3 COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Cor- Also in this issue www.railjournal.com | @railjournal poration 2021. All rights reserved. Contents may Front cover IRJInternational Railway Journal not be reproduced without permission. For reprint 57 Full contact list IRJ began regular monthly information please contact Editor-in-Chief. For sub- publication in January 1961. scriptions & address changes, please call +1 319 364 57 Advertisers index 6167, Fax +1 319 364 4278, Email: internationalrail- Since then the magazine has [email protected] or write to: International 57 Fresh faces reported on the rail industry’s Railway Journal, Simmons-Boardman Publishing key events and technological years of repor•ng the world’s railways Corp, PO Box 1407, Cedar 58 The last word revolutions. This month we Rapids, IA, 52406-1407. High-speed evolution How the Shinkansen sparked look back through the archives a global railway revolution POSTMASTER: Send address Heavyweight champions to reflect on progress and How the world’s heavy-haul railways changes to International Rail- continue to push the boundaries way Journal, PO Box 1407, consider where the sector is IRJ Cedar Rapids, IA, 52406-1407. heading next. Photo: Shutterstock celebrates 60 years of railway development

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This month | Kevin Smith

is steadily spreading to the their way out of road congestion mainline and could be a - adding more lanes to the 60 years of railway potential game changer for motorway simply does not railway operation. Indeed, in work. They are also looking for 2021, rail appears to be on the ways to reduce transport progress and counting precipice of a major leap forward emissions. Europe’s Sustainable HIS month we celebrate 60 lines is indicative of how the in performance. Digitalisation and Smart Mobility Strategy calls years of International industry has come full circle. is already unlocking new for doubling of high-speed rail RailwayT Journal, the world’s The shoots for the railway innovations that are helping traffic by 2030 and rail freight first truly global business-to- renaissance were arguably rail engineers to achieve volumes by 2050. China’s business publication for the found in Japan’s decision to efficiencies they could have rapid high-speed network railway industry. construct the 515km New only dreamt of a few years ago. expansion in the past 15 years The pilot edition of IRJ was Tokaido Line, which opened in Crucially, the industry is is also a strong basis for its launched in October 1960, with October 1964. IRJ co-founder, increasingly looking beyond carbon neutral future. regular monthly circulation Robert Lewis, was among the its own wheelhouse for In urban environments, beginning in January 1961. An first westerners to experience innovations. For example, expansions of metro and light advertisement in the inaugural the Shinkansen and he marvelled much of the tech to develop rail networks have come hand- edition endorsed IRJ as an at the technology, describing driverless and intelligent in-hand with improvements in international selling opportunity the railway as “peculiarly suited rolling stock will come from the quality of life. Public transport for railway suppliers. “In to the job of moving people.” the road sector. Yet rail, for the is at the heart of Copenhagen, International Railway Journal “When this intensive usage most part, has a reputation as a Portland, and Zürich, which your advertising message can of a railway can be attained slow innovator and is unlikely often come close to the top of reach the growing world-wide there probably isn’t any form to be at the forefront of lists of the most desirable market for railway products places to live in the world. economically and efficiently in However, as the world one magazine. IRJ is a separate continues to urbanise, again international publication, not At IRJ we pride ourselves on bringing there is pressure to deliver an international edition of a more of these benefits to more domestic magazine.” our readers a snapshot of the latest areas, and fast. Major Flicking through the pages developments in the sector. infrastructure projects are of the pilot edition this is “ expensive and take a long time, readily apparent. A report on a so getting more out of what is Japanese National Railway (JNR) of transportation in the world developments in new areas already there while these schemes programme to spend Yen 975bn that can match the economy, such as quantum computing. come to fruition is crucial. on 1800km of electrification, tonne-km for tonne-km,” Rail’s strict safety standards Innovation is again essential 2200 electric railcars, 1100km Lewis wrote. is one reason for this. The use to achieve this. And with the of track doubling, and 500 Japan’s high-speed innovation of Artificial Intelligence in rail industry seemingly willing diesel locomotives is nestled was followed by France in the signalling applications is likely to rise to the challenge, IRJ alongside plans to build a 50- 1980s and the rest of Europe to take longer than it might will be there with it every step storey skyscraper at Paris and Asia in the 1990s and because of regulations which of the way, as we have been Montparnasse station - the 2000s. We look at the evolution do an exceptional job of keeping since 1961. Tour-Maine Montparnasse - and of high-speed on page 20. This the railway safe but can stifle Britain’s pilot of a road-rail edition also includes reports progress. vehicle, which is described as a on the five other technical Economics is another reason. “revolutionary form of transport.” areas that we regard as driving This is not the space industry At IRJ we pride ourselves the industry forward over the where funding is seemingly [email protected] on bringing our readers a past 60 years: heavy-haul infinite. Rail has to compete snapshot of the latest (p26), traction and rolling with other sectors and modes developments in the sector stock (p32), signalling and of transport for funding. while analysing the latest automation (p38), track and Shift2Rail is a shining light of trends and holding industry infrastructure (p44), and fare current European rail leaders to account. IRJ was collection and ticketing (p48). innovation. Encouragingly, launched at a difficult time for A common thread in these Europe’s Rail, the second railways. The expansion of articles is technological incarnation of the public- roads and increasingly advancement, which has private initiative, was confirmed affordable air travel meant allowed railways to push the on February 25. Yet supporters that many regarded rail as a boundaries of what is possible. might be forgiven for being a declining mode of transport. For example, the heavy-haul little disappointed that the The May 1961 edition featured article highlights innovations budget is only around É1bn. an interview with Dr Richard in track strength and resilience, Imagine what could be achieved Beeching, the new chairman of improvements in traction if they had É2bn to play the British Transport Commission performance and monitoring with? and subsequent author of the capabilities, which have The desire to famous report which led to the enhanced safety and helped improve performance closure of many of the these heavyweight champions is indicative of the country’s secondary railways. to steadily increase axleloads. pressure now on rail That the British government Likewise, evolutions in signalling to deliver. Politicians is now actively promoting the has gotten more trains onto track. have realised that revitalisation of some of these Automation of metro operation they cannot build 4 IRJMARXX (Knorr-Bremse)_Layout 1 08/02/2021 11:22 Page 1

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News | headlines

More overnight trains to launch in Europe this year RENCH transport minister, new night trains. Djebbari said overnight service in July and due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, he was counting on funds from August between Lörrach near The service is currently hasF announced that the Paris - the European Union’s Green Basle and the Baltic resort of scheduled to run until Nice overnight train service, Deal to finance new services. Binz. The trains will have September 29. However, which also serves Marseille Czech private operator seating coaches, couchettes and Snälltåget is also investigating and Toulon, will be restored on RegioJet will reintroduce its sleeping cars, as well as a car- a potential extension until the April 16 followed by Paris - overnight trains to Croatia this carrying service as far north as end of October. Tarbes in December. summer, with the first train Hamburg. Snälltåget has also postponed Tickets for the new seven-car planned to depart from Prague Swedish private operator the launch of its new overnight service went on sale on February on May 28. The trains will run Snälltåget has postponed the Stockholm - Malmö - Zell am 25, with a starting price of É19. to Brno, Bratislava, Budapest launch of its Stockholm - See service between Sweden Overnight services in France and Zagreb, before dividing to Malmö - Copenhagen - and the Austrian Alps until have been severely cut back in offer connections to Rijeka and Hamburg - Berlin until May 5 2022 due to the pandemic. recent years, with only the Split. Services will run daily in Paris - Briançon and Paris - July and August, and will Rodez/Toulouse - La Tour-de- operate three times a week in Carol services still in operation, May, June and September. compared with eight routes in Each train will have 15 2015. coaches with capacity for more However, Djebarri says that than 650 passengers in a mixture “around 10” overnight services of seating coaches and sleeping will be operating in France by cars. 2030. The minister says his RegioJet carried more than ambition is to see overnight 60,000 passengers on night trains running on four main trains to Croatia in 2020, with corridors by 2030: Bordeaux - an average occupancy rate of Marseille, Dijon - Marseille, 90%. The service was originally Tours - Lyon via Île-de-France planned to operate three times and Paris - Toulouse. a week per direction between Siemens unveils new Nightjet fleet: Siemens unveiled the first Djebbari says these plans are June 30 and September 26 but painted car body for a new fleet of 13 seven-car Nightjet overnight based on the recommendations RegioJet increased the trains for Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) in Vienna on February of a parliamentary report, which frequency due to extremely 23. The first coaches will enter service at the end of 2022 on will be published shortly. After high demand. The company routes from Austria to Germany and Italy. The coaches are part of December 2021, there will be a says that it hopes to carry over a É1.5bn framework agreement between ÖBB and Siemens pause on introducing new 100,000 passengers on the placed in 2018 for up to 700 passenger coaches to be supplied by services until 2025 due to service this year. 2023, with an initial firm order for 13 seven-car trains for night necessary track work on several German operator Train4you services and eight nine-car trains for day services. Siemens says lines and the need to acquire will operate a twice-weekly it expects a further 20 sets of coaches to be ordered this year. French government grant for hydrogen train project HE French government confirmed its trial the trains on the 36km Montréjeau of hydrogen fuelling facilities in Clermont- support for the development of - Luchon line in Haute-Garonne, which Ferrand. The trains are due to be delivered hydrogen-poweredT trains for the French has been disused since it was damaged by in 2022. regions by allocating a grant of É47m for flooding in 2013. Currently, 50% of the TER fleet is diesel- the project on January 28 to support Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes approved an powered while 20% is bi-model (diesel development of hydrogen technology. order for three Régiolis H2 units for use on and electric). French National Railways Alstom is building 14 Regiolis H2 Clermont-Ferrand - Lyon services in July (SNCF) has set a goal of eliminating diesel multiple units that will operate in the 2019. The project includes the installation operation completely by 2035. participating regions of Auvergne-Rhône- Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche Comté, Grand Est and Occitanie. The hydrogen equipment will be produced by Alstom at its Tarbes plant and the trains will be built at its Reichshoffen plant, which is currently up for sale, with Škoda in exclusive negotiations over the purchase. Alstom says future hydrogen projects with the Régiolis/Coradia Polyvalent platform will be implemented in partnership with the buyer of the site. The total cost of the project in the French regions is estimated at É130m. The Occitanie region says it will invest É42m Alstom is developing a hydrogen fuel cell variant of to acquire three trains, of which É15m will its Coradia Polyvalent (Régiolis) multiple unit as an be for the hydrogen equipment. It plans to alternative to diesel trains for the French regions. 6 IRJ March 2021 IRJMARXX (Wago)_Layout 1 08/02/2021 11:25 Page 1

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Largest-ever capital budget announced for Indian Railways NDIAN finance minister, Ms expenditure allocation through Dedicated Freight Corridors A detailed project report for Nirmala Sitharaman, unveiled the general budget. (DFC) will be completed by the Delhi - Agra - Varanasi line aI Rs 2.15 trillion ($US 29.3bn) Sitharaman said the larger June 2022, Sitharaman said the has been completed and capital budget for Indian allocation would enable IR to 263km Sonnagar - Gomoh submitted to the Railway Railways (IR) during the 2021- complete vital infrastructure section and the 274km Gomoh Board, while reports for the 22 budget announcement on projects, increase capacity and - Dankuni sections of the Eastern other lines are expected to be February 1. The outlay, which install safety systems, including DFC will be developed through submitted during the coming is Rs 540bn larger than in 2020 the locally developed Train public-private partnerships financial year. -21, is the highest-ever budget Collision Avoidance System (T- (PPP) in 2021-22. The two DFCs Sitharaman has also allocated for the railway. CAS) on high-density lines. have been allocated Rs 160bn. Rs129bn for rail projects in The increase is in line with Rs 409bn will be spent on new Over the coming year, Jammu, Kashmir and other hilly the government’s strategy to lines, a 52% increase over 2020, detailed project reports will be states, including Uttarakhand increase public spending to with Rs 261bn for track-doubling developed for future DFCs, and Himachal. counteract the adverse effects (+17%) and Rs 322bn (+138%) including the East Coast The Indian government has of the Covid-19 pandemic. allocated for investment through Corridor from Kharakpur to also decided to launch a Of the total capital expenditure, public sector undertakings, Vijaywada, East-West Corridor “National Monetisation Rs 75bn will come from internal joint ventures and special from Bhusaval to Kharakpur Pipeline” of potential brownfield resources, Rs 1.002 trillion from purpose vehicles. and Dankuni and the North- infrastructure assets such as the extra budgetary resources, and As well as announcing that South Corridor from Itarsi to DFCs, with plans to create an Rs 1.071 trillion from a capital the Eastern and Western Vijaywada. “asset monetisation dashboard” The Mumbai - Ahmedabad to track progress and provide high-speed project has been visibility to investors. allocated Rs 372bn. Another The government is planning seven new high-speed lines are to electrify 100% of the broad- proposed: gauge network, and improve = Varanasi - Patna - Howrah passenger comfort. (Kolkata) (760km) Funding for metro systems = Delhi - Jaipur - Ahmedabad has also been increased, with (886km) the government allocating Rs = Delhi - Chandigarh - Amritsar 19.6bn for the 11.5km Phase 11

Photo: Photo: Shutterstock/Dinesh Hukmani (459km) of the Kochi metro; Rs 632bn = Mumbai - Nashik - Nagpur for the 118km Phase 11 of (753km) Chennai Metro; Rs 147bn for = Mumbai - Pune - Hyderabad Phase 2A and 2B of the Bengaluru (711km), and Metro Rail; Rs 59bn for Nagpur = Chennai - Bengaluru - Mysore Metro Rail Phase 11; and Rs (435km). 20bn for the Nashik Metro.

California High Speed Rail Authority outlines new plan forward ALIFORNIA High-Speed expected to reach “substantial The Revised Draft 2020 Francisco and Los Angeles, and Rail Authority (CHSRA) completion” in about 15 months. Business Plan recommends = obtaining additional funding hasC outlined a path for Construction of a 51.5km stretch that $US 4.1bn in remaining to close the gaps and expand completing construction of the between Avenue 19 in Madera bond funds be directed to electrified high-speed rail Central Valley section of the County and East American complete the 191.5km Central service to the Bay Area and Los high-speed line. Avenue in Fresno County, and Valley segment, and $US 100m Angeles/Anaheim as soon as The Revised Draft 2020 on 96.5km from East American for early design and complete possible. Business Plan, slated for final Avenue to 1.6km north of the the environmental review of A 30-day public consultation approval last year, but repeatedly Tulare-Kern County line, will the Phase 1 alignment from period on the plan closes on delayed due to the pandemic, take CHSRA into 2023. Kelly San Francisco to Los Angeles. March 12. Final plan submission affirms the development of the says construction costs are up The priorities outlined in the to the California legislature is electrified Merced - Fresno - by about $US 330m over the plan include: expected by April 15. Bakersfield interim-service current budget, and “because = completing the 191.5km “Our goal is to get fast, line, while advancing of the risk and uncertainty that Central Valley construction electrified trains up and running environmental reviews and lies ahead, we propose to segment and laying track in the Central Valley as soon as current investments in local increase our contingency = expanding the Central Valley possible while leveraging other and regional infrastructure budget considerably.” segment to 275.2km of operable sources of funding to advance projects. The plan also lays out Kelly also says that “to electrified high-speed line important, clean rail and the challenges of the pandemic, mitigate risks affecting our connecting Merced, Fresno and transit work state-wide,” says and how CHSRA is overcoming track and systems procurement, Bakersfield California governor, Mr Gavin them. But CHSRA CEO, Mr we propose to change the = starting high-speed train Newsom. “We’re confident that Brian Kelly, says he needs more timing, approach to construction testing by 2026-27 our federal partners in the time to complete the work. and phasing of the track and putting trains into service Biden administration share our Kelly reports that construction installation. These actions will by the end of 2030 vision for electrified rail - we on the first 35.4km segment mitigate cost risks and improve = environmentally clearing all look forward to working with through Kern County is construction efficiency.” segments of Phase 1 between San them to get it done.” 8 IRJ March 2021 Mar News_Layout 1 02/03/2021 14:56 Page 9

In brief

Australia existing West Coast Main Line Helsinki - Russian border HSL approved Transport for New South (WCML). Construction will Wales (TfNSW) has awarded start in 2024. a $A 1.5bn ($US 1.16bn) 10- = Prologis UK has begun 2 year contract for the operation construction of a new 78,038m and maintenance of the Royal Mail parcel sorting hub 2470km Country Regional at its Daventry International Network to UGL, which will Rail Freight Terminal (Dirft). take over from John Holland The new hub will open in 2023 Rail. The contract will and will include a dedicated commence in January 2022. rail terminal with direct access

Photo: Otto Karikoski (CC BY-SA 3.0) = Work to convert nearly to the WCML. 1000km of the broad-gauge = Siemens has awarded the Murray Basin freight network GMI Construction Group a in Victoria to standard gauge £40m contract to build its new and increase axleloads from train manufacturing plant in 19 to 21 tonnes has resumed Goole. In addition to the main The Helsinki - St Petersburg Allegro service was introduced in 2010. after the federal government facility, GMI will construct 4.5km INLAND’s Ministerial provide É10m for the project. provided an additional of track to connect with the Committee on Economic The line will offer shorter $A 200.2m for the project, mainline network. The factory PolicyF has approved plans to journey times than the current which stalled when the initial will open in 2023 and will finance construction of a É2.65bn Allegro service between budget was exhausted. initially produce new trains high-speed line to connect Helsinki and St Petersburg, for London Underground’s Helsinki and the Russian border. which takes 3h 30min. Britain Piccadilly Line. The line will run from The line is intended to connect Phase 2a of High Speed 2 Helsinki via Porvoo and with Russia’s planned 659km (HS2) received royal assent France Kouvola to Vainikkala, on the Moscow - St Petersburg high- on February 11. The 60km Transport minister, Mr Jean- Russian border to provide a speed line, currently scheduled line will run from the northern Baptiste Djebbari, has announced cross-border service to St for completion in 2026, which end of Phase 1 at Fradley that work will restart on the Petersburg. would enable six-hour journey near Lichfield to Crewe, É2bn CDG Express project to A new state-owned company times between the Russian and where trains will join the build a dedicated rail link will oversee the project, Finnish capitals. managing the design and Approval of the Helsinki - financing of the line, which will Russian border line follows the be majority-owned by the creation of the similar state- You don’t save money by buying Finnish government and the owned firm, Turku One Hour regional governments along Train Project Company, to KAGO clamps but by using them! the route. oversee the separate Helsinki – Negotiations to set up the Turku high-speed project in company are currently underway November 2020. Feasibility with municipal and state studies for the project are governments. The municipality underway, with a projected of Porvoo says it is willing to opening date of 2030.

Special European Year of Rail locomotive launched in Austria: The European Commission (EC), the Austrian government and Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) have launched a uniquely liveried locomotive to support the European Year of Rail initiative. The ÖBB class 1116 Siemens Taurus locomotive will travel across Europe as an ambassador for the campaign, which aims to promote rail as an environmentally friendly mode of transport and encourage modal shift from road to rail as part of the European Union’s (EU) plans to become carbon neutral KAGO by 2050. Clamp the original since 1980

KAGO AG – Switzerland Railway Technology [email protected] Photo: ÖBB IRJ March 2021 9 Mar News_Layout 1 02/03/2021 14:56 Page 10

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JR East successfully tests use of 5G communications at 360km/h AST Japan Railway (JR East) and in the train that meets 3GPP standards. high-definition 4k and 8k images both on Japanese mobile operator NTT The device is equipped with a special the ground and onboard the train. The 4k DoCoMoE have successfully transmitted a beam forming function that concentrates video content was downloaded for around 5G mobile communications signal to an the radio wave radiation area in a specific 30 minutes with a communication time of Alfa-X Shinkansen test train operating at direction, a beam tracking function that one minute. The testers were able to 360km/h, a key milestone in a project to controls the radio wave radiation develop a 5G communication area of test the feasibility of the communications direction, and Doppler compensation around 5km with the two base stations and technology on Japanese high-speed railways. functions, which compensate for frequency succeeded with streaming playback of 4K 5G uses a high-frequency band but the transitions due to the Doppler effect. A and 8K video content. quality of communication becomes special handover function was also JR East says the successful experiment unstable when operating at high speeds developed to optimise the timing of shows the potential for 5G communication due to the influence of the Doppler effect switching by instantly switching between on the Shinkansen network, opening up and interference from objects situated the base stations while maintaining 5G the possibility of reliably streaming high- close to the track. wireless communication. definition content while travelling at high Work on the project began in 2017, and The tests showed that the device was speeds, something that is currently experiments at 360km/h took place able to successfully and stably transmit difficult to achieve. between October and December on the Sendai - Shin-Aomori section of the Tohoku Shinkansen. Both parties were responsible for planning the experiments while DoCoMo led the construction and operation of the 5G base station and 5G mobile station as well as construction and operation of 4K/8K video transmission system. JR East provided an experimental environment inside the Alfa-X vehicle, conducted test runs, and evaluated results alongside DoCoMo. The tests took place in the 4.85GHz frequency band, which has 100MHz of bandwidth, achieving a communication speed of up to 500Mbps when receiving and 100Mbps when transmitting. Two base stations were installed around 900m apart on the line with a transfer station installed An Alfa-X test train was used for the trials.

Construction begins on Nigeria-Niger line Calls for track access charge reduction ground breaking ceremony of the line under a design, HE European Rail Freight The EC approved measures was held at the site of a construction and financing Association (ERFA) has allowing member states to plannedA station in Katsina contract awarded in January. calledT for more countries waive and relax track access state, Nigeria, on February 9 A condition of the contract is to reduce track access charges and reservation charges as well to mark the start of construction that Mota-Engil will also in order to increase rail freight as ease mark-up regulations of the Kano - Katsina - Jibia - construct a new university in and support private and applied for using European Maradi line. Nigeria. independent operators in a fair railway networks in September The $US 1.8bn standard- Funding for the railway, and transparent way. 2020. The EC has since gauge cross-border line will which is being structured and A study released by the extended the option to waive connect the northern trading negotiated by KFW-Ipex European Commission (EC) in and reduce the charges until hub of Kano, Nigeria with Bank, Africa Finance January found that rail traffic June 31 2021 and could extend Maradi, Niger, and comprises Corporation and Credit increased annually by 2.5% for this until April 14 2022. a 284km main line connecting Suisse, was approved by passengers and by 4.1% for Austria, France, Germany, the three Nigerian states of Nigeria’s Federal Executive freight between 2015 and 2018. Luxembourg and the Kano, Jigawa and Katsina with Council in September. Rail freight’s modal share of Netherlands have waived or Maradi, as well as a 93km The line will connect land transport dropped slightly reduced track access charges, branch line connecting Dutse, landlocked Niger and the from 18.8% to 18.7% while and ERFA called for the Jigawa, with Kano. southern Nigerian ports of passenger’s share increased momentum to continue. Construction of the single- Lagos and Lekki, and is part slightly from 7.6% to 7.8%. “Many countries have not track line is due to take two of a plan to stimulate Competitors of national freight taken any measures to date years and eight months. The economic growth by rail incumbents held a 42% and it is important member new line will have 15 stations supporting international market share in 2018, up 8% states who have not acted so and is expected to carry 9364 trade and improving from 2015. far do so,” the association says. passengers and 3000 tonnes transport in northern regions, The report does not include “There are unfortunately also of freight per day upon parts of which have suffered the results since the start of the some bad examples, such as opening. at the hands of terrorist group Covid-19 pandemic, which the recent announcement of Mota-Engil, Portugal, will Boko Haram in the past resulted in a 12% fall in revenue the proposed increase in track construct the Nigerian section decade. in 2020 for the EU’s rail freight access charges in Poland from sector. next year.” 10 IRJ March 2021 Mar News_Layout 1 02/03/2021 15:21 Page 11

In brief

from Paris Est to Roissy- Hungary Saudi Arabia approves merger of Charles-de-Gaulle airport. A consortium of Hungarian The new line is expected to and Russian private investors country’s two railway companies carry seven million passengers HE Saudi Arabian SAR was set up in 2006 to has purchased a 125-hectare a year and is due to open on development area in the government has approved construct the 2400km North- December 1 2025. theT takeover of the country’s South Railway connecting the Záhony transshipment area in = Djebbari also signed an Fényeslitke, near the Ukrainian original railway, Saudi Railways Gulf port of Jubail and Riyadh accord with the Sud-Provence- Organisation (SRO), by Saudi with Hail, Jawf, Qurayyat and border, to construct a new Alpes-Côte d’Azur region on intermodal freight terminal to Railways (SAR). Wa’ad Al-Shamal. February 22 to secure the SRO operates the country’s The three railways are serve the Asia-Europe rail future of five minor lines freight market. first railway linking the capital unconnected. However, a covering 435km. Under the = Mészáros Group and Stadler Riyadh with the Persian Gulf 115km line is under agreement, É580m will be port of Dammam via Haradh, construction between Jubail have agreed to set up a joint invested over 10 years to venture to manufacture rail which opened in 1951. A direct and Dammam, together with refurbish the lines. line from Al Hofuf to Riyadh the Saudi Landbridge, a 950km freight vehicles including tank was completed in 1985, new line from Riyadh to wagons for domestic and Germany international markets. A new extending the network to Jeddah. Knorr-Bremse and German 1412km. The two projects have an factory will be built in Hungary Rail (DB) have agreed to share by 2023 which will also be able SRO also managed the estimated cost of $US 7bn. A train operating data to aid construction of the 453km link between the SRO and SAR to maintain and assemble the development of condition- passenger coaches. Haramain high-speed line, terminals in Riyadh is also based maintenance which opened in September planned. technologies. The agreement 2018, linking the holy cities of Eng Saleh Bin Nasser Al- India provides for the use of India’s Rail Land Development Mecca and Medina via Jeddah Jasser, minister of transport existing vehicle and system and King Abdullah Economic and chairman of SAR, says the Authority (RLDA) has launched data held by the partners and a request for qualification City, with a short branch completion of the landbridge, for the collection of additional serving King Abdul Aziz which will connect ports on for a $US 680m redevelopment data in the future, with the of New Delhi station. The International Airport in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf aim of using big data insights Jeddah. The main station in for the first time, is part of the public-private partnership to enhance condition-based (PPP) project will use the Jeddah is currently being national strategy for transport maintenance for rail vehicles. rebuilt after a major fire. and logistics. design-build-finance-operate-

IRJ March 2021 11 Mar News_Layout 1 02/03/2021 14:56 Page 12

News | headlines

ARA releases Australia Faster Rail report Lianyungang - HE Australasian Railway to commence upgrades to the with a long-term strategy to Xuzhou high- Association (ARA) has regional rail network further enhance speeds in releasedT its Faster Rail Report, = support better social and future. speed line opens prepared by Arup, which economic outcomes for To support the final HINA opened the 185km, outlines a series of proposals to regions, updating regional land recommendation, the report 350km/h Lianyungang - implement faster services on use and economic plans; outlines a three-step plan to XuzhouC high-speed line on the Australian rail network. confirming opportunities for achieve faster rail: February 8. China Railways The report highlights that each town along Faster Rail = immediately upgrade existing (CR) will operate seven trains the network suffers from corridors; identifying lines per direction per day, with an lower-than-average speeds complementary measures to = build new fast rail lines in operating speed of 300km/h, compared with international improve outcomes; and engaging the next five to 10 years, and providing a one hour journey counterparts and argues that a with communities and = prepare for high-speed rail time. rapid programme of businesses to develop long- in the long term by preserving The line connects with the modernisation is necessary to term plans for regional centres current rail corridors now. Xuzhou - Zhengzhou - Xi’an - accommodate for projected = establish a policy framework “With an additional 10 million Baoji - Lanzhou - Urumqi line population growth. to deliver Faster Rail people expected to move to to form a continuous 3422km The report defines three recommendations, working Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane high-speed corridor between speed categories: with Infrastructure Australia to by 2060, faster rail will be Lianyungang and Urumqi, = Faster Rail, between 160km/h develop a business case; essential to support urban completing the longest of the and 200km/h, which can be develop a national transport renewal in key regional centres,” country’s eight horizontal achieved by upgrading existing network plan; and establish a says ARA CEO, Ms Caroline high-speed corridors. lines post-opening project evaluation Wilkie. “Highways in and out The line also provides a = Fast Rail, between 200km/h programme for improvements of Sydney are already reaching connection between the Beijing - and 250km/h, which can be = establish a shared governance capacity, which means we Shanghai corridor and the achieved through targeted framework to deliver Fast Rail must invest now in faster rail coastal rail corridor, connecting improvements and new recommendations to support the east coast’s the Beijing - Shanghai, Zheng - dedicated tracks, and = develop a coordinated sustainable development. Xu and Xu - Yan lines at the = High Speed Rail, with funding approach; develop an “For too long rail investment Xuzhou hub, and the speeds above 250km/h, for investment strategy for the has lagged behind road funding Lianyungang high-speed line. which new dedicated tracks National Rail Plan; and and the regional rail network is The opening of the line must be built. consider funding mechanisms now below global standards. It reinforces Lianyungang’s The report makes six for Faster Rail, and is time to bring Australia up to position as the eastern starting recommendations, to: = targeted investment in rail standard and tap into the new point of the New Asia-Europe = develop a long-term national by investing in existing demand for regional Continental Bridge Economic rail plan, including an expansion infrastructure to increase its development resulting from Corridor of China’s Belt and of the Faster Rail programme speed, frequency and reliability, Covid-19.” Road initiative.

Transport must play role in Covid recovery group of 32 European strategies for more diversified transport associations have sustainable supply chains; and calledA on European Union (EU) prepare the transport workforce member states to consider the for digitalisation. needs of the transport sector The letter also: during the creation of national = reiterates that the European recovery and resilience plans. Green Deal calls for a 90% The call comes after the reduction in greenhouse gas European Parliament endorsed emissions from transport, the É672.5bn Recovery and which requires substantial Resilience Facility (RRF). investment in infrastructure The associations, including and fleets the International Association of = stresses that the objectives of Public Transport (UITP) and the Green Deal for Europe to the European Rail Freight become a climate-neutral Association (ERFA), say that economy by 2050 can only be despite being hit hard by the achieved by increasing the pandemic, the transport sector sustainability of the transport has demonstrated its crucial sector, and notes that the role in the transport of goods budget of the Connecting Talgo trials Avril high-speed train ahead of Renfe commissioning: Talgo has begun testing of the first 200m-long 12-car 360km/h and people, and is therefore Europe Facility (CEF) II is Avril train on the Madrid - Galicia high-speed line. The tests will indispensable. insufficient to enable the check dynamic behaviour under progressively more complex In a letter to member states, necessary transformation, and operating conditions up to 360km/h. Renfe initially purchased the associations called for = calls on the European 15 Avril trains under a framework contract awarded in measures to facilitate transport Commission to evaluate November 2016. A further 15 cross-border trains were ordered in while supporting digitalisation, transport measures when May 2017 and Talgo is currently seeking approval to operate as well as promoting cohesion assessing the National them in France. and connectivity; supporting Recovery and Resilience Plans. 12 IRJ March 2021 IRJMARXX (Pandrol)_Layout 1 15/02/2021 11:05 Page 1

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News | headlines In brief

transfer (DBFOT) model, with the private partner receiving a South Africa’s Railroad Association rebrands 60-year lease of the station HE Railroad Association of help us forge a path for a greater Working Group (set up in building. Construction is South Africa (RRA) has and more connected African response to the Luxembourg expected to take four years. rebrandedT itself as the African Rail Network. We believe that Rail Protocol), Transnet and the Rail Industry Association (Aria), South Africa can play a role as South African Transport as the group looks to play a one of the manufacturing hubs Education and Training Netherlands greater role in revitalising the for railway and rolling stock Authority (TETA). Preparatory work to upgrade local and continental rail sector equipment.” Nhlapo says Aria is aiming to Amsterdam Central station is and to support the new African Stakeholders in Aria include create a thriving and connected expected to begin at the end of Continental Free Trade Area the African Union (AU), the rail sector to provide world 2021, with station and track (AfCFTA) which came into South African Department of class rail infrastructure across reconstruction starting in 2024. effect on January 1 2021. Public Enterprise (DPE), the Africa, developed through the When the work is completed With the AfCFTA connecting South African Department of potential of African people. in 2030, trains will be able to more than 50 economies in Trade, Industry and Aria says its mission is to operate at a frequency of 10 Africa, Aria CEO, Ms Mesela Competition (DTIC), the materially advocate for the rail minutes per direction. Nhlapo, says there was a need to Department of Transport industry: shift the focus of the association (DoT), the Development Bank = as a key sector in driving Saudi Arabia from South Africa to the wider of Southern Africa, the economic growth and Saudi Railway Company (SAR) continent. Industrial Development integration of the continent will extend its Riyadh - Jawf “We want to focus on Africa Corporation (IDC), National = as one of the key passenger service north to as a whole,” Nhlapo says. “The Treasury, Labour movement, contributors to Gross Domestic Qurayyat when the new role of Aria, as an advocacy Passenger Rail Agency of Productivity (GDP) across station on the Jordanian border group, is to have the rail South Africa (Prasa), Railway Africa, and opens on March 15 2022. industry’s opinions heard and Safety Regulator (RSR), = to consistently improve concerns heeded. We are open to Southern African Railways transport modes in Africa Spain strategic partnerships that will Association (SARA), the Rail through rail. A new 38.3km double-track high-speed line between Montforte del Cid and Orihuela Agreement for Railcoop closes in on operating licence opened on February 1. The line AILCOOP, a cooperative 1997 and 2002, from French branches off from the Madrid - 573km trans- dedicated to relaunching National Railways (SNCF), Alicante high-speed line at trainR services in poorly served having failed to find suitable Monforte del Cid and has one Afghan railway areas of France, is close to hauled couchette coaches. The intermediate station at Elche. HE governments of raising the É1.5m needed to company hopes to run three Construction is currently Afghanistan, Pakistan and obtain a train operating licence. trains a day, one of which underway on a 23.6km section UzbekistanT have signed a In mid-February the company would be overnight. from Orihuela to Murcia. ‘roadmap’ strategic plan to had raised É1.3m, and now has Railcoop intends to refurbish construct a new 573km trans- 5500 shareholders, including the units internally and says its Sri Lanka Afghan railway that will several local authorities, which shareholders include people The Cabinet of Ministers has connect Central Asia with will be served by the company’s with experience of the trains approved a Ministry of ports on the Arabian Sea. proposed Bordeaux - Lyon and knowledge of how to Transport proposal to seek a Under the agreement, the passenger service, which it improve performance. private investor to support three countries will conduct a hopes to launch in June 2022. However, the company is still domestic manufacturing of 100 joint expedition to survey the Railcoop intends to acquire examining how they could be passenger coaches as part of a route and its terrain, as well as 160km/h class X72500 DMUs, adapted for overnight plan to acquire 700 coaches. a preliminary feasibility study built by GEC-Alsthom between operation. for the project. Sweden The line will run from LKAB has appointed specialist Mazar-e-Sharif in northern global engineering and Afghanistan, via Kabul to technology consultancy Vysus Peshawar, Pakistan, and will Group (formerly LR Energy) to connect with the existing assist with the modernisation Termez, Uzbekistan - Mazar-e- of 18 of its fleet of 34 5.4MW Sharif cross-border line, which IORE heavy-haul electric opened in January 2012, locomotives built by Bombardier. offering a direct rail link The project is expected to take between Pakistan and the up to six years to complete. Uzbek capital of Tashkent. The agreement follows the Automatic Track Machine Oscillator track maintenance unit signing of another joint proposal unveiled: Plasser & Theurer has unveiled an Automatic Track Turkey Machine Oscillator (ATMO) track maintenance unit, a world- Turkish State Railways (TCDD) by representatives from the started dynamic testing of three governments in December first, which was developed as part of the Shift2Rail (S2R) joint undertaking. The machine employs two grinding saddles, each ETCS Level 1 on the new 102km, 2020, which outlined plans to 200km/h Konya - Karaman seek a $US 4.8bn loan for the fitted with two grinding stones per rail head. A hydraulic mechanism moves the grinding saddles horizontally, in the longitudinal line on February 8 and has project from global financial completed a test run on the full institutions. direction of the rails, with variable frequency. By constantly moving back and forth while travelling at up to 8km/h, the machine can length of the 405km, 250km/h The line will support both Ankara - Sivas line. IRJ passenger and freight services. achieve precisely fine-tuned grinding with a single pass. 14 IRJ March 2021 IRJMARXX (Hitachi)_Layout 1 15/02/2021 11:01 Page 1

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News | transit

Hong Kong East Rail signalling upgrade launched after review ONG Kong metro operator the postponement of the data processing capacity. installed after the launch of the MTR commissioned a new commissioning of the signalling The investigation panel, system on September 12 2020. signallingH system on the East on September 11 2020, a day chaired by engineer, Mr Siemens eventually resolved Rail Line (EAL), as part of the before the system was due to Edmund Leung Kwong-ho, the issue by upgrading the Shatin to Central Link (SCL) enter service. found MTR was not sensitive software and removing the project, on February 6, The issue could have enough to the potential impact new bespoke software module. coinciding with the start of potentially caused a train to on services and did not secure The panel found that operation of nine-car trains on follow the train in front, a more detailed analysis from Siemens should have provided, the network. resulting in the train taking the Siemens, which was awarded a and MTR should have The announcement coincided wrong route. The glitch $HK 850m ($US 109.7m) requested, a full investigation with the release of a report on occurred when a new software contract in December 2012 to including a probability and February 1 into technical issues link between the two internal upgrade EAL signalling. impact statement. This would with the signalling system, Automatic Train Supervision Siemens developed a have then initiated the which found that an issue (ATS) modules overloaded the corrective measure for the escalation and reporting identified in May 2020 led to Train Monitoring Tracking (TMT) issue, which was due to be process. $C 14.9bn for Canada’s public transport Budapest rail strategy published HE Hungarian government’s divided into short-term (2030) Budapest Development and long-term (2040) measures. CentreT (BFK) has announced Among the objectives, the the findings of the Budapest strategy is offering a 20-minute Agglomeration Railway journey time to Budapest Liszt Strategy (BAVS), which aims to Ferenc international airport increase passenger volumes in from the city centre, and the Budapest area by 80% by adding 16 new stops on the 2040 by identifying projects network. that will increase capacity on New lines and facilities existing lines. would also enable freight Successful implementation services to save up to 1h 10min The funding has been earmarked for projects such as metro extensions, electrification, cycle paths and would result in around 12% of when travelling through the rural mobility projects. Photo: Shutterstock/Jake Steele the one million people city. The strategy would currently travelling by car reduce average passenger ANADIAN prime minister, municipal and indigenous switching to rail, meeting journey times by around 15 Mr Justin Trudeau, has governments. The fund is Budapest’s goal of reducing minutes, resulting in a Forints announcedC plans to spend an intended to provide stable, CO emissions by 60,000 150bn ($US 507.8m) saving for additional $C 14.9bn ($US 11.8bn) predictable funding for projects 2 tonnes a year. the national economy. 200 of federal funding on public that support improvements to A strategic environmental hectares of railway property transport projects over the next public transport systems, such as assessment was also prepared will also be rehabilitated. eight years. metro extensions, electrification, as part of the strategy, with the One major finding from the The allocation includes $C cycle paths and rural mobility plan out for public strategy is that both metro Line 5.9bn in short-term funding to projects. consultation until March 6. 5 and a tunnel connecting be disbursed on a project-by- “We need efficient and The plan’s 60 measures Nyugati and Déli stations, two project basis from this year, and modern public transit systems cover service development, of Budapest’s three terminal $C 3bn per year to contribute that make our communities operation, urban development stations, are essential to to the creation of a permanent more connected,” Trudeau says. and legal issues, and are achieving the BAVS’ goals. transit fund from 2026. “While these investments are Money from the permanent good for the economy and crucial transit fund will be earmarked to our recovery from this global for specific projects following crisis, they’re also helping us Siemens to build Dutch MaaS platform consultation with regional, achieve our climate goals.” HE RiVier joint venture of are keen for other transport Netherlands Railways (NS) operators to join to provide a andT the urban rail operators multi-modal platform. Hitachi successfully tests battery LRV in The Hague (HTM) and “The pandemic is changing ITACHI Rail has successfully says battery power offers a Rotterdam (RET) have our behaviour,” says RET tested a battery-powered cheaper and less disruptive appointed Siemens Mobility director, Mr Maurice Unck, on SirioH LRV during revenue alternative to the installation of subsidiaries Hacon and behalf of RiVier. “We work, service in Florence, the overhead electrification, eos.uptrade to build a learn and travel more flexibly, manufacturer’s first venture particularly in city centres. national Mobility as a Service in time, place and chosen into battery trams. Hitachi says it expects to (MaaS) integrated travel means of transport. That is The trial involved equipping offer the battery LRV for global planning platform by the why we are investing in the an existing Sirio LRV with projects as part of an increasing autumn. best travel options for batteries, which was operated emphasis on using batteries for The platform will be consumers right now. We between Alamanni on Line traction, including trials on a designed as an open system lower the threshold to easily T1/2 and Fortezza on Line T2. class 802 inter-city train in which can be linked to existing plan, book and pay for a trip Regenerative braking is used Britain in partnership with apps operated by NS, HTM with multiple modes of to recharge the batteries during Eversholt Rail, and delivery of and RET. The three partners transport.” operation and the manufacturer hybrid trains in Italy. 16 IRJ March 2021 Mar TN_Layout 1 25/02/2021 18:21 Page 17

In brief

Alexandria advanced bus rapid transit. Californian Link21 project unveiled Ukraine-based LRV Phase 1 construction around manufacturer Tatra-Yug has Leeds is scheduled to begin completed the delivery of 15 from 2025 and be completed high-floor LRVs to the Egyptian by the end of 2030. city of Alexandria. Each two- section uni-directional LRV is Montpellier 22m-long, with capacity for up Montpellier Agglomeration to 206 passengers including 30 Transport (TAM) has issued a seated. call for tenders for the supply of 60 LRVs with three options. Brno The deadline for requests to Brno Transport (DPMB) has participate is March 1. TAM

Photo: Photo: Shutterstock/Sheila Fitzgerald signed a Koruna 2.4bn ($US will deploy 30 vehicles on Line 111.3m) framework contract 1, which carries an average of AN Francisco Bay Area generation transit system.” with Škoda Transportation for 130,000 passengers per day, Rapid Transit District (Bart) A new website and a report up to 40 bi-directional ForCity making it one of the busiest andS Capitol Corridor Joint prepared by the Bay Area Smart 34 LRVs, with an initial light rail lines in France. Powers Authority (CCJPA) Council Economic Institute order for five three-section have launched Link21, a (BACEI) was released on vehicles for delivery by project described by the January 27. The Megaregional Panama City February 2023. Further orders Panama’s comptroller general, partners as a “transformational” Case for a New Transbay Rail will be placed according to Mr Gerardo Solís, has approved improvement to the 1676mm- Crossing highlights the benefits DPMB’s financial capabilities a contract and financing for gauge Bart metro network and of a new trans-bay rail crossing by 2026. the construction of the Metro the region’s inter-city, to the entire Megaregion. Line 3 monorail project. commuter and future high- According to Bart and the Construction will be carried speed passenger rail systems. CCJPA, Link21 will: Chennai Chennai Metro inaugurated a out by the HPH Consortium, Link21, formerly known as = enable fast, frequent, reliable, 9km, eight-station northern comprising Hyundai the New Transbay Rail safe, and accessible rail services extension of its Blue Line on Engineering and Construction Crossing, comprises various = increase connections February 14, during a ceremony and Posco E&C. projects that will provide between affordable housing attended by Indian prime more, faster and sustainable and high-quality jobs minister, Mr Narendra Modi. transport connections and = improve air quality by Paris The new extension cost Rs Société du Grand Paris, which better access to jobs and creating viable alternatives to 37.7bn ($US 518.4m). is overseeing execution of the affordable housing across the driving French capital’s Grand Paris 21-county area covering = enhance northern Express metro project, has Sacramento, San Francisco Bay, California’s liveability, Germany Brandenburg an der Havel, awarded a 65m contract to Northern San Joaquin Valley economic competitiveness, and É Cottbus and Frankfurt an der construct 17 structures along and the Monterey Bay. environment, and Oder, in the state of Brandenburg, the southern section of Line 15 A major project within the = meet the future travel have awarded a joint contract to a partnership of two Vinci programme is a new standard- demands of northern to Škoda Transportation for subsidiaries. gauge trans-bay rail crossing California’s growing, diverse the supply of up to 45 ForCity between Oakland and San population. Plus LRVs. Francisco for mainline trains. The Link21 Programme will Singapore The crossing is included in the host a series of public meetings The Land Transport Authority regional Plan Bay Area 2050 in 2021 to inform the public Helsinki (LTA) has awarded a $S 180m Final Blueprint as “a key and gather feedback about Helsinki City Transport (HKL) ($US 134.97m) contract for the strategy for building a next- possible programme alternatives. agreed on January 27 to sell a construction of the 4km cross- fleet of 40 24.4m-long Variotram border Johor Bahru - Singapore metre-gauge LRVs, which light metro system to China JR East introduces ATO on Joban Line were phased out by HKL in Communications Construction AST Japan Railway (JR between stations. Drivers will 2018, to an unnamed buyer. Company. The contract covers East) has announced that it remain onboard trains, The sale was arranged by HKL the construction of a 25m-high willE launch automatic train opening and closing doors and in cooperation with Bombardier viaduct across the Straits of operation (ATO) on an initial activating the ATO system. It is Transportation, under a Johor, as well as tunnels 30km section of Tokyo’s Joban hoped that the introduction of settlement agreement signed between the viaduct and commuter line between Ayase ATO will prevent trains from between the two entities in Woodlands North station. and Toride on March 13. exceeding the permitted line November 2017. The rollout of ATO on the speed, stop collisions and Vancouver line was announced at a press improve reliability. Translink, which operates conference on October 8 2019, Leeds The project is part of a wider West Yorkshire Combined Vancouver’s Skytrain metro and was initially planned to be objective to improve safety and Authority (WYCA) has system, has awarded Thales a introduced from the end of 2020. will be followed by the published its Connectivity contract to supply 82 SelTrac ATO implementation includes installation of platform screen Infrastructure Plan and Mass Vehicle On-Board Controllers the fitting of ATO equipment doors at 14 stations along the Transit Vision 2040, which (VOBCs), a key component of to series E233 EMUs which route. JR East says experience outlines plans for an integrated CBTC signalling used on the operate on the line. The ATO from operation at GoA 2 will transport network in the Expo and Millennium lines, system will operate over the inform future work to county using light rail, tram- for installation on 41 new trains existing ATC signalling system transition to driverless train, ultra-light rail or on order from Alstom. IRJ and will regulate speeds operation. IRJ March 2021 17 Mar FN_Layout 1 26/02/2021 16:42 Page 18

News | financial

European rail sector revenues fall €26bn Bombardier differently during the second half. Transportation Passenger services were significantly worse off, reporting revenue drops OMBARDIER has released a 42% year-on-year decline in the full 2020 annual results revenue compared with 2019. forB its Transportation division, CER says the overwhelmingly which it has since sold to negative impact of the Alstom under a $US 6bn deal coronavirus pandemic was closed on January 29. such that other potential causes Revenue for the year was for the calculated fall in revenue $US 7.4bn, down 5.1% from were impossible to single out. $US 8.2bn in 2019. This Commercial long-distance included $US 4.77bn in Passenger rail has been hardest hit by the pandemic, due to passenger services suffered revenue from rolling stock and social distancing measures and lockdowns. Photo: Shutterstock higher losses in general, with systems, down from $US HE Community of European CER’s monthly member companies specialising in long- 5.19bn; $US 2bn from services, Railway and Infrastructure surveys. Survey results for distance cross-border services down from $US 2.1bn; and CompaniesT (CER) says estimated November and December are hit the hardest. Regional and $US 1bn from signalling, up total revenue for the European currently estimates and will be public sector operators typically from $US 937m. Union’s (EU) rail sector fell by confirmed in the coming months. fared better during the pandemic. Bombardier Transportation around 26bn year-on-year in CER says the survey found By comparison, rail freight É generated $US 4.8bn in revenue 2020 due to the Covid-19 that although both passenger operators reported a 12% fall in in Europe, $US 1.6bn in North pandemic, with passenger and freight services were revenue compared with 2019, America, $US 982m in the Asia operators accounting for 24bn. impacted by the pandemic equivalent to approximately a É Pacific region, and $US 343m The results were gathered during the first half of 2020, 2bn loss, again primarily É in the rest of the world. through the compilation of the two sectors were affected caused by the pandemic. This resulted in an adjusted Ebit loss of $US 610m, US transit agencies request $US 39.3bn JR Group reports compared with a profit of $US New York Metropolitan Republican leader, Mr Kevin 70m in 2019. Ebit including Transportation Authority- McCarthy. nine-month loss special items was a loss of $US ledA (MTA) coalition of 22 The letter refers to a study by APAN Railways Group (JR 618m, compared with a profit transit agencies is calling on EBP US, formerly the Economic Group) has reported a net of $US 22m the previous year. the US Congress to provide an Development Research Group. lossJ in all four of its publicly The order backlog as of additional $US 39.3bn to address Transit agencies received $US traded firms for the first nine December 31 2020 was $US Covid-19-related deficits and 25bn of support for operations months of the fiscal year 36.6bn, up from $US 35.8bn prevent further service cuts from the Cares Act, and $US following a collapse in the previous year. and delays to capital projects. 14bn through the Coronavirus demand for passenger services The total proceeds from the The group, led by MTA Response and Relief due to the Covid-19 pandemic. sale to Alstom, after the chairman and CEO, Mr Patrick Supplemental Appropriations East Japan Railway (JR East) deduction of debt-like items Foye, sent a letter to Senate Act (CRRSA Act), the study reported a total net loss of Yen and transferred liabilities, was majority leader, Mr Charles found funding gaps remain. 294.5bn ($US 2.8bn) between $US 6bn. Schumer, speaker of the House, This translates to projected April and December. JR East This included $US 488m and Ms Nancy Pelosi, Senate transit funding needs of $US has also revised its revenue $US 427m paid by Alstom to Republican leader, Mr Mitch 25.2bn in 2021, $US 15.1bn in forecast for the full fiscal year, Bombardier and CDPQ McConnell, and House 2022, and $US 13bn in 2023. ending in March, to Yen 1.7 respectively to redeem the trillion, down 39.8% from the capital injections they had previous year, and adjusted its provided for the Transportation German BEMU network awarded estimated net losses for the division in 2020. HE German state of OHE will operate the East year from Yen 418bn to Yen After deducting CDPQ’s Schleswig-Holstein has contract from December 2022, 450bn. equity position of $US 2.5bn awardedT contracts to operate while RDC Autozug Sylt will West Japan Railway (JR and other costs, Bombardier three regional networks using operate the North contract West) incurred a Yen 161.8bn expects to receive $US 3.6bn in battery EMUs. from December 2023, both loss for the nine-month period, proceeds from the sale, which The tender was split into replacing DB Regio. NBE down from a net profit of Yen it will use to pay down debt. three lots, which collectively retains RB 63 Büsum - Heide - 117.1bn for the same period in Bombardier says the proceeds account for 10.4 million train- Neumünster and RB 82 2019. The loss is the railway’s were lower than previous km. Five bidders submitted 12 Neumünster - Bad Oldesloe, first since it began releasing estimates as a result of the offers in January. with the new contract due to quarterly earnings in 2003. Transportation division’s lower The winning bidders are start in December 2023. Central Japan Railway (JR than expected cash generation East Hannover Railway (OHE), Stadler Germany is Central) reported a net loss of in the fourth quarter due in owned by Trenitalia subsidiary supplying 55 two-car Flirt Yen 111.4bn, while Kyushu part to unfavourable market Netinera; RDC Autozug Sylt, BEMUs to Schleswig-Holstein Railway (JR Kyushu) incurred conditions, as well as owned by Railroad Development Local Transport Association a net loss of Yen 11.6bn. disagreements between the Corporation, United States; and (NAH-SH), which will lease However, both companies are parties as to certain closing BeNEX and AKN Eisenbahn them to the operators, maintaining their earnings adjustments, which Bombardier subsidiary Nordbahn (NBE). replacing Alstom Lint DMUs. forecasts for the fiscal year. intends to challenge. 18 IRJ March 2021 Mar FN_Layout 1 26/02/2021 16:42 Page 19

In brief

Austria threatened legal action after LTG Infra outlines 2021 budget The Ministry of Finance has Alstom announced it wanted to renegotiate a 2.56bn ITHUANIA’s infrastructure É12m for noise reduction extended support to Austrian É contract to supply 146 trains manager LTG Infra has measures, É5m for Federal Railways (ÖBB) and outlinedL plans to invest communications equipment Westbahn to operate inter-city for Paris RER Line B, which it inherited with its acquisition É210m in both the Rail Baltica renovations, É5m for turnout services on the Vienna - Salzburg of Bombardier Transportation. project and its 1744km maintenance, and É2m for level main line. ÖBB will receive 1520mm-gauge conventional crossings. É2.8m will be used É24.4m and Westbahn É4.9m network in 2021. to improve station information to subsidise operation from International The largest share, É71m, will systems, and É200,000 to February 8 until April 7. Britain’s secretary of state for support work on the 392km improve energy efficiency and transport, Mr Grant Shapps, Lithuanian section of the É5.8bn lighting reliability. Britain said the onus to save Eurostar, Rail Baltica project. The investments are part of HS2 Ltd, which is overseeing which has been carrying just The upgrade to Lithuania’s a wider programme to invest Britain’s HS2 high-speed project, 5% of its normal passenger core Vilnius - Klaipeda É907m in the renewal and has launched a tender for a traffic, was on the French 1520mm-gauge rail corridor improvement of existing rail £275m contract to build the government, but added that will receive É65m, including infrastructure by 2030. Washwood Heath train depot the British government could É32m to support electrification, LTG Infra reported revenue and control centre in assist with a rescue plan. scheduled for completion in of É217.2m for 2020, a year-on- Birmingham. 2022, and É33m for repair and year fall of 8% after network = The Welsh government has Mexico renewal. activity dropped 2% to 32.6 taken the Wales and Borders The National Tourism É30m has been allocated to billion tonne-km. LTG Infra passenger rail franchise into Development Fund (Fonatur) track doubling efforts across also completed 293 public public ownership after awarded a Pesos 17.82bn ($US other parts of the network, along procurements worth É147m in discussions with Keolis Amey, 883.6m) construction contract with É11m for track repairs, 2020. a joint venture of Keolis (60%) for Section 5 South of the 1452km and Amey (40%), fell through. Mayan Train project to a Fall in annual revenue for CN and CP consortium led by México France Compañía Constructora, Paris Transport Authority alongside Acciona Infrastructure (RATP) and French National Mexico and México Proyectos y Railways (SNCF) have Desarrollos. IRJ

Photo: Shutterstock/TamasV ANADIAN National (CN) growth in revenue tonne-km has reported a 7% fall in despite continuing weaknesses annualC revenue in 2020 to $C in parts of the freight sector. 13.8bn ($US 10.8bn), compared CP reported revenue of $C with $C 14.9bn in 2019, while 7.71bn for 2020, down 1% Canadian Pacific (CP) reported compared with 2019. Revenue a 1% drop, to $C 7.71bn. for the fourth quarter was $C CN says the fall in revenue 2.01bn, down 3% year-on-year. was due to lower applicable The fourth-quarter decline in fuel surcharge rates and a fall revenues was due primarily to in freight volumes across most a 6.2% fall in revenue per commodity groups due to the wagonload due to a shift coronavirus pandemic. towards more intermodal The impact was felt most freight, but was partially offset during the second and third by a 3.7% increase in total quarters, with a partial recovery wagonloads. later in the year. Revenues for CP reported a 6% rise in the fourth quarter rose 2% operating income to $C 3.3bn, year-on-year compared with along with a 280 base point the same period in 2019, to $C improvement in its operating 3.7bn. Operating income fell ratio to 57.1%. CP also by 15% to $C 4.8bn in 2020, achieved a 4% increase in compared with $C 5.6bn in 2019, fourth-quarter operating with an operating ratio for the income to $C 928m, compared year of 65.4%, increasing by 2.9 with the same period in 2019. points compared with the CP says that the improved previous year. income and operating ratio CN reports a positive was driven by operating outlook for 2021, and projects efficiencies and lower fuel mid-single-digit volumes of prices. IRJ March 2021 19 March High Speed_Layout 1 26/02/2021 16:58 Page 20

60th Anniversary Special | high-speed The high-speed revolution

The launch of the Paris - Sud-Est line in France in 1981 marked the introduction of high-speed rail travel in Europe. Photo: Wikimedia/Joost J With the assistance of two of the pioneers of high-speed rail, David Briginshaw charts the huge progress achieved since the opening of the first line in Japan in 1964 and looks at the challenges ahead. IGH-SPEED rail has come a long which has Europe’s largest high-speed Although the standard-gauge Tokaido way since Japanese bullet trains network, is the only other country Shinkansen only had a maximum speed started to run on the world’s first where 350km/h operation is permitted. of 210km/h when it opened, subsequently purpose-builtH high-speed railway, the Rail transport is the only mode of increasing to 285km/h, it still represented 515km Tokyo - Osaka Tokaido commercial passenger transport where a step change over the conventional line Shinkansen, in 1964. There are now 18 the maximum speed has steadily which was congested and constrained in countries in the world with purpose- increased; air transport has returned to terms of loading gauge and maximum built railways with a maximum speed sub-sonic speeds since the demise of speed due to the 1067mm track gauge. of 250km/h and above. Apart from Concorde, which ended supersonic Relieving congestion and the ability Morocco and Saudi Arabia, all the travel, and the speed of automobiles is to separate slow passenger and freight networks built so far are in Europe and limited due to safety concerns. trains from fast trains are often the Asia. High-speed lines are under However, speed per se is never the only reasons for building high-speed railways. construction in the United States, rationale for building high-speed lines. Indeed, this is the rationale for building Indonesia, Thailand and India, with Indeed, the maximum speed should be HS2, the London - Birmingham - many more countries developing plans a function of the commercial speed Manchester/Leeds line in Britain. Other for new lines. needed to achieve a competitive reasons for building high-speed lines are The most remarkable achievement journey time, which will make the new to reduce the distance by rail between has been in China which only opened railway viable in terms of traffic and major cities because the existing railway its first 115km line linking Beijing with revenue. A high-speed railway with follows a circuitous route such as Tianjin in 2008. By the end of 2020, gentle curves, no level crossings or Madrid - Seville in Spain; to plug gaps China’s high-speed rail network had conflicting train movements, and in the network; or because the reached 37,900km, including the operated by trains with the same alignment of the existing network is world’s longest continuous high-speed performance characteristics allows high very poor. The conventional network in line, the 3422km railway linking the average speeds to be maintained for Turkey for example suffers from all port of Lianyungang with Urumqi. long distances, which is the key to these deficiencies. Many of the lines have a maximum achieving short, highly-competitive High-speed rail is now regarded as operating speed of 350km/h. Spain, journey times. one of the tools in the fight against 20 IRJ March 2021 March High Speed_Layout 1 26/02/2021 16:58 Page 21

climate change by replacing short-haul “The Tokaido Shinkansen was called Tokaido Shinkansen had not only a flights and car journeys with high- ‘Dream Super Express’ among Japanese great socio-economic impact on speed trains. There is plenty of evidence people back then,” says Mr Naoyuki Japanese society but also triggered a of high-speed trains replacing jet Ueno, general manager, Central Japan series of technical developments. These aircraft as the dominant mode on key Railway (JR Central) in London. “I include bogies for high-speed trains corridors such as London - Paris, Paris - think it actually gave Japanese people with excellent running stability, Brussels, Madrid - Barcelona, Rome - hope, contributed to boosting the distributed traction from the outset Milan, and Tokyo - Osaka. Indeed, the economy and dramatically cultivated rather than trains formed of power cars European Union has set a challenge of doubling high-speed rail traffic by 2030 and tripling it by 2050. This will be achieved through a mixture of increasing traffic on existing lines and building new The real strength of TGV has been knowing how to lines. Competition between operators could also have a role to play. The entry “ constantly reinvent itself for 40 years. of NTV to compete with incumbent Trenitalia in Italy in 2012 increased the Antoine Leroy overall size of the market and raised quality standards. Hopefully, this will be replicated in Spain where competition is just starting (IRJ February p26). the future of rail. The Tokaido and trailer coaches, and automatic train Shinkansen had a great impact not only control systems (ATC) with cab on Japanese people but also globally signalling. “These developments laid Japan and gave an opportunity for the world’s the foundation for further improvement The perception today among politicians railways to innovate. of the Shinkansen technologies in the and planners that rail has an important “People all over the world following years,” RTRI says. role to play in the transport mix is a far understand that the Shinkansen is a Japan’s high-speed network has cry from the situation in the 1960s when pioneer of global high-speed rail and steadily expanded since 1964 and now rail was widely seen as an out-dated excels in its safety, punctuality, comfort extends from Kagoshima in Kyushu to mode of transport with the future lying and convenience, and they therefore Shin Hakodate-Hokuto in Hokkaido, in cars and planes. The railway industry trust the Shinkansen system. At the with several lines designed for 320km/h owes a debt of gratitude to Japan for same time, we need to further enhance operation. Japan has transported about helping to gradually change the the Shinkansen system so that we can 6.6 billion high-speed rail passengers perception of rail - the image of a bullet maintain the trust and expectation of since 1964 and has suffered no fatalities train speeding past Mount Fuji quickly people from around the world.” due to a train accident, while the average became famous worldwide and Japan’s Railway Technical Research train delay is less than one minute. “It synonymous with modernity. Institute (RTRI) says the opening of the is vital to constantly strive to achieve high levels of safety and punctuality,” Ueno says. “What we have to avoid is complacency in safety.”

Europe Although Italy was the first country to open a high-speed railway in Europe - the first 138km section of the Rome - Florence Direttissima was inaugurated in 1977 - Italian State Railways (FS) lacked trains capable of operating at 250km/h. It was not until the first production ETR 450 tilting Pendolino entered service in 1988 that 250km/h operation started in Italy. The 254km line was not completed until 1992 due to technical and funding problems and Italy has since extended its first line north and south with 300km/h lines gradually forming a T-shaped network. France started construction of its 409km Paris - Sud-Est line to Lyon in 1977 with the first section opening in 1981. As the Paris - Sud-Est line had a maximum speed of 260km/h and a fleet of TGVs capable of operating at this The opening of Japan’s Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka in 1964 was a speed, France became the second revolutionary moment. country in the world to operate a high- IRJ March 2021 21 March High Speed_Layout 1 26/02/2021 16:58 Page 22

60th Anniversary Special | high-speed

speed railway and the first in Europe. This was followed by the completion of the first line in Germany between Maglev: more pragmatic than Hyperloop Hannover and Würzberg in 1991, and AGLEV technology is only may be able to pursue new opportunities Spain’s first line between Madrid and being pursued for high-speed such as increasing the number of Hikari Seville in 1992. inter-city travel in Asia following and Kodama express trains on the France achieved an important theM abandonment of Germany’s Tokaido Shinkansen line, which have milestone in 1989 with the opening of Transrapid maglev system when the more stops and could further improve the first stage of its Atlantique high- Emsland track closed in 2011, despite a travel convenience for local residents.” speed line as this was the first railway 30.5km line being built to connect Two maglev train projects are designed for 300km/h operation. Shanghai Pudong International Airport - underway in China. CRRC Sifang As the French high-speed network has with Longyang Road metro station in completed low-speed dynamic testing steadily expanded, so has the technology. the southeast of Shanghai. of a 600km/h prototype maglev car on High-speed rail is a major driver of JR Central is constructing the first a test track at Tongji University in technical innovation as it requires the phase of the Chuo Shinkansen 500km/h Shanghai in 2020, a milestone for the rail system to operate at peak superconducting maglev line to initially project launched in June 2016. A full performance in terms of ride quality, connect Tokyo with Nagoya and prototype train capable of 600km/h reliability and safety. The development eventually Osaka. operation was expected to be completed of the Shinkansen, TGV in France and “Currently, terminal stations at by the end of last year. China announced ICE in West Germany involved a huge Shinagawa in Tokyo and Nagoya are plans in 2019 for a 200km maglev line effort by the railways, research institutes, under construction, as well as in Hubei province to test operation of universities, and manufacturers to mountain tunnels and emergency the prototype train at speeds in excess develop the technologies needed for exits,” says Mr Naoyuki Ueno, general of 600km/h. safe high-speed operation involving manager, Central Japan Railway (JR A prototype maglev car with a design many years of experimentation and Central) in London. “We have speed of 620km/h was unveiled in testing. Huge leap forwards were and proceeded with designing, surveying, Chengdu on January 13, along with a continue to be achieved in areas such as and land-acquisitions, cooperating 165m-long test track. The 21m-long, track design and materials, electrification, closely with local areas. 12-tonne power car, which uses high- aerodynamics, traction equipment, “However, it will be difficult to start temperature superconducting (HTS) bogies, suspension systems, braking, operation in 2027 as originally planned, maglev technology and has a carbon train design, the all-important wheel- because construction work in Shizuoka fibre lightweight body, was developed rail and pantograph-catenary interfaces, has stalled. This is due to Shizuoka by Southwest Jiaotong University, ride stability, train control, maintenance, prefecture and other local governments China National Railway and CRRC. and passenger comfort. having concerns about water supplies High-temperature superconducting “The real strength of TGV has been to the local areas. We are committed to maglev technology is a cheaper knowing how to constantly reinvent solving this issue as soon as possible alternative to low-temperature itself for 40 years, both technically and and will begin construction with the superconducting technology which is commercially,” says Mr Antoine Leroy, aim of opening the first phase section used in earlier projects. traction manager with French National once concerns have been resolved.” Professor Sun Zhang, a railway Railways (SNCF). “In 1981, the first Ueno says the Chuo Shinkansen will expert at Shanghai Tongji University, says TGV ran at 260km/h. Two years later, provide a second transport artery linking the new train is designed for operation the commercial speed increased to Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. “It will at normal atmospheric pressure, rather 270km/h. In 1989, second generation help us prepare for risks posed by an than in a vacuum tube as with Elon TGV Atlantique trains came out of the ageing Tokaido Shinkansen line as well Musk’s Hyperloop where much higher factory with a maximum speed of as large-scale natural disasters. We speeds are proposed. “The Chinese 300km/h. Since 2007, new high-speed expect journeys between Tokyo, Nagoya, trains are pragmatic while Musk’s lines have seen TGVs operate at 320km/h. and Osaka will be shifted to the new Hyperloop is futuristic,” Sun told “The real feat was to succeed in Chuo Shinkansen line. Therefore, we China’s Hmpcbm!Ujnft. modifying the very first TGV trains built in 1980 and designed to run with a driver was now able to interact with his ERTMS onboard equipment.” maximum speed of 270km/h by raising machine via a computer and to know in France has a long tradition for setting their maximum speed to 300km/h real time the technical status of his world rail speed records. “Since March while guaranteeing a high level of train. These trains were also equipped 1955 when the BB 9004 and CC 7107 reliability. with self-piloted synchronous motors locomotives recorded 331km/h, each “In terms of signalling systems, compared with the first TGVs which record is an apprenticeship,” Leroy techniques have evolved considerably. were equipped with dc traction motors. says. “A record attempt obviously With the miniaturisation of components, “In 1996, the arrival of TGV Duplex makes it possible to test new technologies we are able to pass more and more marked a major innovation in terms of and above all to constantly learn how information between the track and the technical performance. A new equipment on the roof or under the train despite very high speeds. The aluminium bodyshell structure enabled body will behave, and observe the arrival of ERTMS in France and Europe the train to respect the maximum evolution of train stability as a function is the culmination of all this progress.” axleload of 17 tonnes despite being a of speed. Learning from the past allows TGV Atlantique was the first high- double-deck train. In 2006, the POS us to take responsibility for our choices speed train fleet to have on-board TGVs for operation on Paris - Frankfurt/ for future trains. computing. “This revolutionised driving Munich services were fitted with “For the 2007 record attempt with a and maintenance,” Leroy says. “The asynchronous traction motors and TGV POS, the intermediate bogies were 22 IRJ March 2021 March High Speed_Layout 1 26/02/2021 16:58 Page 23

powered by permanent magnet synchronous motors. Even though the distributed traction solution was not retained on the following series (TGV 2N2 double-deck trains), the 2007 record taught us a lot about the gains that we could make in the fields of aerodynamics or pantograph contact with the catenary. It also showed us our limits. At 574.8km/h, the sensors on the nose of the TGV recorded pressures of around 7 tonnes per square centimetre. Beyond these speeds, the constraints borne by the equipment and the installations are more akin to aeronautics.” Apart from a project to extend the Sud Aquitaine line from Bordeaux to Toulouse, which is under study, Leroy After opening its first line in 2008, China says the future for high-speed rail in now operates the longest high-speed France is primarily the modernisation network in the world. Photo: Shutterstock/Ye Choh of existing facilities. The Paris - Sud-Est and crossings, the reinforcement of the of lines with steep gradients, such as line will celebrate its 40th anniversary catenary and power supply, and above the Paris - Sud-Est line where gradients this year and is the busiest high-speed all the installation of ERTMS. When the are of the order of 3.5%. “Aerodynamics line in Europe with 240 trains per day. work is completed in 2025, it will be is necessarily linked to these issues,” “Traffic went from 7 million passengers possible to increase the number of Leroy says. “The search for the best per year in 1981 to 44.5 million in 2017,” trains per hour and improve traffic possible aerodynamics combined with Leroy points out. regularity. optimised driving according to the A major renovation of this line is A challenge for SNCF is to design profile of the line (gradient) will allow a currently underway at a cost of É607m. equipment that is both energy efficient, considerable reduction in the energy This covers the replacement of switches while being able to meet the constraints consumption of a train.” YYourour Global SupplySu upply Chain for EEngine Overhaul Components - TopTop Deck Overhaul Kits - Main Engine Bearing Kits ͲdŝĞƌ Ϭн <ŝƚƐ ͬ ƌŝƟĐĂů WĂƌƚƐ ͲŶŐŝŶĞ ZĞďƵŝůĚ 'ĂƐŬĞƚ <ŝƚƐ - Water/Fuel//Oil Pump Kits 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 PARPART # DESCRIPTION E4991255255 Fuel Inject j orr,, ECO-TIPP,, Superstack E E8028361361 ĂŵƐŚĂŌ^ƚƵďƐŚĂŌ Z ĐĐ͘ > ƌ E E8041930930 Gearr,, Governor Drive E8069014014 ƌĂŶŬƐŚĂŌ'ĞĂƌ E8085260260 sĂůǀĞƌŝĚŐĞ ƐƐĞŵďůLJ E8175893893 'ŽǀĞƌŶŽƌƌŝǀĞ ƐƐĞŵďůLJ E8408985985 džƉĂŶƐŝŽŶ:ŽŝŶƚ ƐƐĞŵďůLJ E9319504504 ZŽĐŬĞƌƌŵ ƐƐĞŵďůLJ /ŶũĞĐƚŽƌ E9330012012 Piston Cooling g & Pressure Pump p E9515331331 dƵƌďŽ^ƉƌŝŶŐ ƌŝǀĞ 'ĞĂƌ ƐƐĞŵďůLJ D E40031860860 Hose Kit, , Front End Oil Manifold D E84521866 / 210 DĂŝŶĞĂƌŝŶŐ <ŝƚ͕ hƉƉĞƌ ͬ >ŽǁĞƌ E400042344 / 235 tĂƚĞƌWƵŵƉ ƐƐĞŵďůLJLJ͕͕ >ĞŌ ͬ ZŝŐŚƚ E400283433 / 344 WŽǁĞƌWĂĐŬ ƐƐĞŵďůLJLJ͕͕ ůĂĚĞ ͬ &ŽƌŬ

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60th Anniversary Special | high-speed

Several projects are currently under N700S Shinkansen train last year. JR Siemens is testing a coach for its development in France to reduce energy Central says the 285km/h 16-car train is Velaro Novo next-generation high- consumption: the first in the world to use silicon speed train. Velaro Novo will have a = the use of computers to enable carbide (SiC) devices in the traction scalable traction system for maximum drivers to optimise their driving - system. SiC devices have a lower power speeds ranging from 250 to 360km/h, acceleration and braking - and save up loss, higher frequency and a higher with power outputs ranging from 4.7MW to 10% of energy on a trip current than Si devices. to 8MW for a 202m-long seven-car train. = equipping TGVs with LED lighting in The width of the converter system for Aerodynamic improvements include passenger areas to achieve 7% energy N700S is half that of the conventional a streamlined bogie housing, gangway savings, and system used in series N700 trains, while connections, pantograph shrouding and = timed closing of the doors so as not to the axial length of the six-pole traction covered high-voltage equipment on the over-strain the air-conditioning and motor for N700S is 10% shorter. The roof. heating systems. main transformer’s weight is reduced Siemens says the train will be around SNCF says it is happy to stick with its by applying a new cooling system 15% lighter than the current Velaro, current maximum speed of 320km/h. rather than SiC applications. As a result, reducing the weight of a seven-car train “In the 2000s, there was a reflection the N700S traction system weighs 20% by more than 70 tonnes. This has been within SNCF to increase the speed to less than the series N700 traction system. achieved through the use of inside- 350km/h,” Leroy says. “But the various The weight-to-power ratio of the six- frame bogies, silicon carbide auxiliary studies carried out have shown that the pole motor for N700S is 20% less than on converters, and the use of friction-stir economic model is irrelevant given the previous trains, which have conventional welding for bodyshell fabrication. Both additional costs, especially for equipment four-pole motors. The N700S also has a Avelia and Velaro Novo use the hollow and infrastructure maintenance that this lithium-ion battery self-propulsion tube concept for coach design to would have generated.” system allowing it to operate catenary- maximise the flexibility of the design of While France may be sticking with free at low speed in the event of an the train interior. 320km/h as a maximum speed, this is earthquake or power cut. Finally, China opened the 174km not the case elsewhere. China has Testing has started with Alstom’s new Beijing North - Zhangjiakou line on several lines where trains can run at Avelia Liberty trains which will replace December 30 2019, the world’s first 350km/h. Distances between main Amtrak’s Acela trains on the Boston - automated high-speed railway. The line cities in China are much longer than in New York - Washington DC Northeast is equipped with Automatic Train Europe, so the higher speed can be Corridor. The 300km/h trains are fitted Operation (ATO) over China Train justified. Britain’s HS2 aims to be the with a Tiltronix body tilting system to Control System (CTCS) Level 3. China first railway with a maximum speed of increase speed through curves. The trains National Railway says the use of ATO 360km/h. While maglev technology are longer, power cars are shorter and on the line will increase capacity by (see panel) offers the prospect of much overall passenger capacity is up to 30% enabling trains to operate at shorter higher speeds, there is still plenty of higher than on the existing Acela trains. headways and with greater reliability potential for developing steel wheel on Alstom says the trains can be extended while reducing energy consumption. steel rail high-speed technology. from nine cars up to 12 without any France and Germany are also New generation high-speed trains are modification to the traction system, and pursuing automatic operation (p38), being developed in Europe and Asia. JR the maximum speed can be increased to which could be the next major leap Central introduced its next-generation 350km/h without the tilting system. forward in high-speed rail technology. IRJ

Development of high-speed networks such as in Germany has prompted major breakthroughs in train and infrastructure design. ICE 4 is the newest train in the DB high-speed fleet. Photo: Deutsche Bahn AG/Oliver Lang

24 IRJ March 2021 Project1_Layout 1 26/02/2021 11:04 17:16 Page Page 1 1

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STAY INFORMED. IRJ’s website is the leading source of online news for the global railway industry. Our journalists keep readers abreast of the latest developments, helping them to stay informed about what is happening, as it happens. $o1omঞm†; ruoˆb7bm] |_bv Ѵ;ˆ;Ѵo=1oˆ;u-];ķ o†u ‰;0vb|; bv mo‰ - v†0v1ubrঞomv;uˆb1;ĺ ou f†v| Ū&" ƕĺƓƖ - lom|_ķ †v;uv 1-m ;mfo‹ =†ѴѴ -11;vv |o-ѴѴ o= o†u m;‰v -v ‰;ѴѴ -v bmŊ7;r|_ -m7 orbmbom -uঞ1Ѵ;vĺ "†0v1ub0;uv  ‰bѴѴ-Ѵvo u;1;bˆ; - u;lb†l ;‰v m;‰vѴ;‚;u -v ‰;ѴѴ -v ;mfo‹ =u;; -11;vv |o !Ľv7b]b|-Ѵ l-]-Œbm;ķ ro71-v|v -m7 ‰;0bm-uvĺ &v;uv 1-m -Ѵvo|-h; o†| -m -mm†-Ѵ v†0v1ubrঞom =ou Ū&" ƕƔ - ‹;-u ŐŪ&"ѵĺƑƔ r;u lom|_ő o†u 0;v| ˆ-Ѵ†; 7;-Ѵou- t†-u|;uѴ‹ =ou Ū&" ƐƖĺƖƖĺ

www.w.rarailjljournal.com IRJIt i l ilJ l March Heavy Haul_Layout 1 02/03/2021 17:41 Page 26

60th Anniversary Special | heavy-haul Railway heavyweights continue to tip the scales Longer, faster, heavier is the mantra that many in the heavy haul railway sector live by. Technological advancements have been critical to steady improvements in performance and safety over the past 60 years. Kevin Smith charts these and considers the challenges facing heavy haul as it embraces digitalisation.

EAVY-haul railways are regarded in the 1980s is considered a key step in safety on the North American network as one of the bastions of railway this process, enabling operators to cut since the turn of the century is the technology. The desire to carry the number of units required, in some major milestone which demonstrates higherH quantities of commodities from cases by half. Likewise, distributed the sector’s progress. mines to ports and industrial sites has power has facilitated longer and “If you look at the statistics provided compelled railway engineers to come heavier trains, along with the use of by AAR, employee injuries are down by up with innovative solutions that have ECP braking, and permanently coupled 46% since 2000 while train accidents are continually pushed the limits of what is wagon groups. down by over 30%,” Stabler says. “That possible. The development of longitudinal really comes down to the focus the Throughout its 60 years of publication, drive simulation for driver training is industry has that safety is the number IRJ has charted the key developments, also considered critical to enable drivers one priority.” many of which have filtered into to handle train lengths of 2.4km and The other major milestone for Stabler conventional railways. In track above. Evolutions in Centralised Traffic is the increase from 120 metric tonnes to infrastructure, the growing use of Control (CTC) have similarly helped to 130 tonnes per wagon for unit trains continuous welded rail, direct fixation boost network capacity and safety. and the establishment of a coast-to- fastenings and high-grade steels for Finally, automated operation beginning coast, cross-border interoperable heavy rails and wheels are among the key with single driver and now driverless haul network in North America, which developments. We have also featured trains pioneered by Rio Tinto in now accounts for 2.7 billion tonne-km innovations in rail monitoring using Australia with Autohaul, along with every year. “We are allowed to track geometry cars, enhanced rail flaw automatic track inspection systems and interchange 130 tonne wagons and we detection and rail profile grinding, wagon unloading, hints at the potential do so freely every day,” Stabler says. “It which have helped to improve track of further automation that will help to is now done so freely, that the only performance and reliability. Concrete transport even larger volumes. thing stopping traffic is the necessity for sleepers have also played a crucial role For Ms Lisa Stabler, president of border exchange.” in providing additional stability as Transportation Technology Center Inc In Australia, and particularly in the trains have become heavier. (TTCI), the Association of American Pilbara region, rather than an Heavier trains demand effective traction, Railroads’ (AAR) test facility located in interoperable network of multiple and the development of ac locomotives Pueblo, Colorado, the improvement in railways, heavy-haul operation is

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largely on point-to-point lines. Mining track at TTCI’s headquarters in Pueblo, director of the Centre of Railway companies such as Rio Tinto, BHP and Colorado, which supports 143 metric Engineering at Central Queensland Fortescue have pushed for optimisation tonne wagons and generates about 25 University, who has 37 years’ experience in signalling, wheel profiles, and million gross tonnes per month, is a of working with the Australian rail running methods in order to steadily testbed for a range of innovations to see industry, says heavy-haul operators increase axleloads to beyond 40 tonnes, if they are robust enough to enter 130 have embraced experimentation with maximise throughput, and carry more tonne traffic. TTCI also has agreements latest technologies, many of which have and more natural resources extracted with four Class 1s to test in revenue gone on to enter operation. He says the from the Australian earth. service. high production rates of these railways, along with an emphasis on condition monitoring, facilitates a relatively fast process of evaluation of new technologies and practices. Employee injuries are down by 46% since 2000 while While progress is commendable, there train accidents are down by over 30%. That really comes have been some big ideas over the years that didn’t quite materialise. Roney “ down to the focus the industry has that safety is the points to the Advanced Railroad Electronic System (Ares), a forward- number one priority. Lisa Stabler looking satellite-based train control system pioneered by Burlington Northern in the 1980s, as a promising solution that didn’t take off due to The ability to push the boundaries “Fast has enabled us to come up with business reasons, much to the reflects the railways’ growing innovations in steel for wheels and rails disappointment of many at the time. confidence and understanding of their and helped us to validate new designs Another is the failure to develop infrastructure and assets. Enhanced for tracks, bridges and rolling stock, continuous monitoring of rail stresses. monitoring capabilities makes this and all of the associated components,” Roney says there have been multiple possible. And according to Mr Michael Stabler says. “We also have computational false starts of technologies that look like Roney, who after a 32-year career with modelling. The suite of products we they could do it, but ultimately failed. Canadian Pacific (CP) is now a have for heavy haul - and it also works In a similar vein, there have been consultant working with heavy-haul for passenger rail - allows us first to numerous attempts to replace ultrasound clients around the world, is helping to model the impact of changes, and then as a method of inspecting rails, including fulfil the mantra of the International test them at Fast to ensure that what we pulse laser emission of ultrasound and Heavy Haul Association: longer, have modelled is correct. We can then electro-magnetic acoustic transducers. heavier, faster. take those products and services into “I did a survey on this about a year The willingness to identify, test and revenue service. Computational ago and found a number of things that implement new technologies is central modelling enables us to run through the have been tried but haven’t been able to to the sector’s evolution. TTCI plays a different design iterations very quickly.” replace ultrasonic rail flaw detection,” critical role in North America by Roney says. “There are still parts of the offering the space for trials to support rail which are not seen ultrasonically, the Class 1s and other railways. In Testing such as the rail foot and the bottom area particular, the 4.3km Facility for In Australia the railways themselves of the railhead. The good news is that it Accelerated Service Testing (Fast) test are the test bed. Professor Colin Cole, has improved. Artificial intelligence is

Advances in technology has helped South Africa’s Transnet to operate some of the longest trains in the world. Photo: David Gubler 27 March Heavy Haul_Layout 1 02/03/2021 17:41 Page 28

60th Anniversary Special | heavy haul

now helping to interpret those signals, better than I thought,’ or unexpected in assets in order to better understand and but there is still a need for a new that we thought it was going to be improve performance. technology that floods the entire rail.” better. This is offering accurate projections of More controversially, Roney says “We don’t just study the components asset needs ranging from wheel steerable bogies are one concept that that have a lower performance level - if demands to rail renewal cycles and is have failed to live up to expectations. we have welds in track at Fast that translating into targeted maintenance While they have gained traction in South don’t last that long, we study those, but spending. It is also, as Roney puts it, Africa, where they were pioneered, the we also study those that last a long “turning finders into fixers,” by sending added maintenance costs and tight time, those at the other tail of the track or vehicle maintainers to specific wheel profiling measurements have put distribution, so that we can compare the locations. This helps to reduce manual others off. “They should be a godsend features and characteristics to see what inspections of track and vehicles, helping for any railway working with tight made the difference.” to improve worker safety and limit dwell curvature conditions, but somehow we While heavy haul has made significant times, a key performance indicator for haven’t got there,” Roney says. progress in the last six decades, a number all freight railways. There are also instances where of challenges and opportunities remain. Stabler says intensive efforts to accepted hypotheses were proven to be Roney identified what he considers the harness asset performance information wide of the mark. Stabler says 20-30 five major challenges facing global and operational data began in North years ago the sector was convinced that heavy-haul railways in a recent America in the early 2000s. However, just making steel cleaner would get rid presentation to the US Transportation the information available to a single of inclusions, porosity and solve the Research Board: Class 1 at that time presented an problem of broken wheels. While the = deriving more value from already incomplete picture. steel industry has become a lot cleaner deployed assets and technology Marrying information from multiple since then, she says that work has since = improving operation efficiency and railways dramatically enhanced this shown that as long as cleanliness customer experience process. AAR’s Railinc subsidiary is characteristics are met, further = navigating the train in the fourth now playing a critical role by offering a improvements will not result in industrial revolution centralised database of information additional upturns in performance. = providing new rail capacity in a cost- retrieved from multiple railways, “What we need to look at now is effective manner, and including real-time wagon movements alloying,” she says. = continuing to strive for zero and Positive Train Control (PTC) system Mr Gary Fry, senior assistant vice- derailments and zero injuries. event log files. president, research and development, at Like it has throughout the last 60 years A variety of products are available TTCI, says a lot of the solutions are not and even before that, the heavy-haul and the wagon data in particular are intuitive, and it is just as important to sector will continue to rely on advances helping financially by offering a clear pay attention to unexpected results as in technology to overcome these picture of where a specific wagon is and those which researchers expect. “We challenges. Data is the oil of the fourth identifying who pays for a particular learn the most when unexpected things industrial revolution, and railways are asset as it goes from journey to journey. happen,” Fry says. “Whether it’s increasingly deriving data from Railinc is also increasingly helping the unexpected and ‘wow, that was a lot enhanced monitoring of more and more railways operationally by offering insight on wagon measurements and performance metrics as well as forecasts of traffic conditions to prevent or reduce congestion.

Track monitoring Fry says in general the North American industry is now very data driven with railways actively employing information technology teams which include people with degrees in data science. And while wagon tracking capability is now strong, he says further improvements are expected in infrastructure monitoring. TTCI is supporting this process by developing decision support tools for the railways to facilitate predictive track and infrastructure maintenance by identifying imperfections before they become defects. This process is based on developing predictive models that assess data streams retrieved from asset sensors and monitors which identify a variety of event signatures using standard The North American Class 1 railways have created a cross-border interoperable heavy-haul predictive analytics techniques. Among network that accounts for 2.7 billion tonne-km every year. Photo: David Gubler the monitoring technologies available is 28 IRJ March 2021 IRJMARXX (Progress)_Layout 1 22/02/2021 11:54 Page 1 210018

Every day, locomotives such as the EMD® GT46C-ACe Gen II, travel across countrysides transporting goods. Sixty years ago, International Railway Journal began a journey as the rst globally distributed magazine for the railway industry delivering relevant content every month. We congratulate IRJ on this milestone year and wish them many more.

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60th Anniversary Special | heavy haul

ultrasonic inspection, which measures a vehicle will respond to different track alternative power system, but an entire the running surface condition of rails and track structure conditions. Finally, supply chain,” Cole says. “We have got and wheels. Other techniques are also Stabler expects advances in automation plenty of sunshine, there is no doubt in use to facilitate subsurface inspection to facilitate in-motion inspection of both that we can get the power, and it is of rails, sleepers, fasteners and the vehicles and infrastructure. something that will have to be done in ballast layer. And crucially, rather than “If you can thoroughly understand the next couple of decades. I think we’ll working in isolation, networks of what happens to a wagon while it is going see heavy-haul railways with their own sensors are providing information on 100km/h, that is much less disruptive private power stations.” trends, offering railways a more to the industry than having to take In North America, trials are complete picture of overall network those wagons out of service to do static underway with alternatives such as performance. measurements,” Stabler says. “In some LNG, LPG and bio-fuels, and it is likely “The better data they have, the safer cases, the static measurements are not that battery and hydrogen fuel cell the railroads become,” Fry says. necessarily predictive of what happens applications could emerge soon in yard “Instead of saying I am going to spend when you have a dynamic measurement. settings. However, the reluctance to a million dollars in this zone of track, The concept of having dynamic electrify persists despite the benefits of period, they can now weigh up where measurements for everything associated reduced headways and improved this money is best spent. Being data with rolling stock is the next goal.” control as well as reduced emissions - driven means these dollars go to where Transport Canada estimated in 2019 they actually need to go.” that electrification of CP and CN’s TTCI’s work on enhanced detection Electrification mainlines between Montreal and techniques comes hand-in-hand with Traction, specifically the fuel source, Vancouver would eliminate 43% of material development projects for is another major challenge for the Canada’s rail freight emissions while wheels, rails and welds, new post weld future. While heavy-haul networks in producing $C 520m in annual savings. treatment to improve fatigue performance South Africa, Sweden, Norway, China “We looked at electrification at CP as well as developments in bridge and and many lines in Russia are electrified, around 30 to 40 years ago, and actually other civil engineering design. “We have in North America, Brazil and Australia, built some sample catenaries to see how 35 different initiatives, but they’re all diesel remains king. they stood up in the mountains,” Roney focused on safety and enhanced Diesel trains are cleaner comparatively says. “We did an economic study, but at performance,” Fry says. with road transport. However, with the end of the day the big worry was Future improvements are expected larger companies recognising that they that ultimately shareholders would not through research to further enhance the must move with the times and reduce be happy that their dividends would be understanding of the wheel-rail their carbon footprint, the pressure is reduced for a number of years… it is interface, specifically how to control set to increase to find alternatives and much easier for state-owned enterprises and understand what happens in the reduce emissions. to do electrification.” contact patch location. There is also This is no easy task, particularly in As road explores possible electrification, work underway on vehicle dynamics to remote areas such as the Pilbara. “You the pressure is likely to continue to build. offer an improved appreciation of how would have to build not just an It might be that one railway eventually

Rio Tinto inaugurated the world’s first driverless heavy-haul freight railway in 2019 and other railways now hope to follow its lead. Photo: Rio Tinto. 30 IRJ March 2021 March Heavy Haul_Layout 1 02/03/2021 17:42 Page 31

takes the plunge and others follow suit, Yet Roney is encouraged by the heavy Intelligence, which is already finding its although this is by no means certain. haul sector’s efforts to digitalise and way into rail, and quantum computing. Automated trucking is another area embrace a new set of opportunities. “I “The railroads are not going to buy a of concern for railways. The Class 1s are think that things are going to pick up in system just because they say they’re exploring how they might introduce pace,” he says. “And as we continue to quantum systems,” Fry says. “They’re automated processes to improve mine the digital world, things will going to buy whatever works the best. throughput and the efficiency of operation happen faster.” It’s an issue of pragmatism, by harnessing PTC infrastructure now at their disposal (p38). Rio Tinto has of course pioneered driverless operation and other Pilbara railways are exploring the technology. The railroads are not going to buy a system just because Brazilian railways are also understood to be very interested in its capabilities. they say they’re quantum systems. They’re going to buy “I would be very surprised if more “ Gary Fry Pilbara railways do not move to adopt whatever works the best. ATO within the next 10 years,” Cole says. “In any case, they will be early adopters of new train control technologies.” Stabler says from her experience of 20 competitiveness, and economics.” Railways have traditionally been years in the automotive sector before The prizes for getting this right - higher perceived as relatively slow adopters of shifting to rail, the perception of the rail productivity and improved performance new technology. Roney says it is always industry as “stodgy” and “resistant to - are self-explanatory. And as freight a worry of his that things happen in the change” is wide of the mark. “It embraces railways continue to seek increases in road and rubber tyre business faster than those technologies that are needed to throughput, improved efficiency and they do in the rail sector. For instance, he help improve safety, reliability and enhanced safety, the desire to explore says the fact that railways buy locomotives efficiency,” she says. Fry agrees. He says and use new technologies will remain. and wagons with the expectation that the sector will continue to look at and The heavy haul sector has witnessed they will last for 30 years is a problem. adopt techniques and processes that offer significant progress in the past 60 years, He says road also traditionally spends an improvement in performance, safety and this looks set to continue for the more on R&D than rail. and reliability. This includes Artificial foreseeable future. IRJ

IRJ March 2021 31 Mar rolling stock_Layout 1 01/03/2021 12:05 Page 32

60th Anniversary Special | rolling stock Train technologies transform rail’s offer Some of the most visible changes in rail over the last 60 years have been in the development of new rolling stock. While the shapes of trains and the level of comfort provided to customers has changed, key work has gone on behind the scenes to improve reliability and energy efficiency, as David Burroughs explains.

ATCHING a train in the 21st five, and also improving control over the gradually transitioned from focusing century is a different experience power required during operation (p30). purely on the small series market to than when IRJ first went to press. The development of ac traction providing larger orders; Russian SpeedsC and the level of comfort have motors was followed by the introduction manufacturer Transmashholding (TMH) improved while technical amenities such of regenerative braking, says Siemens has changed its internal structure to as Wi-Fi and at-seat chargers have been CEO - rolling stock, Mr Albrecht create factories focusing on one introduced to improve the passenger Neumann, which allows energy to be particular product, supported by experience. The environmental footprint captured and fed back into the overhead competency centres manufacturing key of rolling stock has also continued to catenary. This not only reduces the components; and Progress Rail, United fall. train’s overall energy usage, but can States, has focused on insourcing and Various pressures have stimulated also limit wear and noise from the vertical integration of some critical these changes, but they have largely brakes, cutting maintenance costs. components to improve performance, come about as engineers, manufacturers The development of power electronics tighten systems integration and shorten and operators seek a better offer to also had a significant impact on cross- lead times, such as acquisition of the passengers at more attractive prices. border operation in countries with Florida-based Haynes Corporation, a The coronavirus pandemic has caused different voltages, says Stadler head of fuel injector supplier, in 2015. a major reduction in the number of product development, Mr Daniel Forrer. passengers using rail, and changed the The approaches of manufacturers in way operators are using their rolling different parts of the world have also Design stock, including operating longer trains changed as the market has evolved. The changes in rolling stock in order to facilitate social distancing. There has been a steady shift in the development are evident before a new But while passenger numbers may, in design and technical development of design even moves beyond the idea the best case scenario, take a year or rolling stock, particularly in Europe, stage. While factories were previously two to recover to pre-pandemic levels, from the railways to the manufacturers, filled with reams of paper covered with the overarching pressures such as and with that a scaling back of national the detailed design of a locomotive or global warming and urbanisation that railway research facilities. coach, this has since been digitised - first were fuelling a revival in rail traffic will There has been a huge consolidation through the introduction of computer- remain for decades to come. of the railway equipment aided design (CAD) and later through One of the biggest developments over manufacturers as well as the expansion the development of 3D solid modelling the past few decades has been the of smaller companies. The latest and immersive visualisation technology, switch from diesel to electric traction, example occurred on January 29 when which enables manufacturers and with it a shift from dc to ac traction Alstom completed the purchase of long- motors as the predominant mode. This time rival Bombardier Transportation as resulted in a step change in the power the French supplier pursues a global output of locomotives allowing, for production strategy; Stadler has example, three units to do the job of

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to virtually see the components as they “We use virtual tools to select and reduction requires sophisticated are assembled. apply all the various technologies and engineering methods not possible “This provides huge benefits in features for a locomotive order,” without the support of robots. reducing development time and Shirvinksi says. “This permits us to “In the past there were employees improving first-time engineering stack up and build the locomotive, with many years of experience, almost accuracy,” says Progress Rail senior-vice noting all the features and elements and as artisans,” Shirvinksi says. “Now we president of locomotives, Mr Jim ensuring all of the design choices fit have detailed visual routings and Shirvinksi. “In addition, the use of these together. It is a great way to talk through guides to ensure consistent and technologies reduces learning curve what the customer wants in real-time. repeatable manufacturing and assembly time in the factory and improves We can actually take the customers techniques. This leads to greater speed, manufacturing consistency.” onboard the product using virtual and accuracy and product reliability.” Digital twins are also increasingly augmented reality.” Much of the new development in playing a role. Instead of building a This is translating to the way engineers rolling stock has been driven by the prototype which is then tested and use 3D technologies, shared databases high-speed sector, where technologies further developed, engineers are able to and digital analytical tools during the that may initially be too expensive to first create a digital twin which can then manufacturing process. Manufacturing implement on conventional trains are be put through a simulator. Neumann techniques have also changed, with arc worth the extra cost for manufacturers’ says an example of this are aerodynamics welding giving way to spot and laser flagship platforms. tests, which would have previously welding, reducing the level of pollutants “Every extra 10 or 20km/h of top required the creation of a model which discharged when manufacturing coach speed requires some additional effort to would then be put into a wind tunnel. body shells. In addition, the introduction keep it economically reasonable,” “Now, we can simulate this of robots to conduct welding, wiring Neumann says. “And in this field, I electronically,” he says. “We can and testing has improved reliability and think in the future, we will see further calculate how much air we have to accuracy. development. Very often we have a new blow through the electronic circuit in “There are hundreds of electrical technology that is not cheap, and first it order to keep the temperature under connections in the train which are then is applied to high-speed trains because control. And of course that brings down tested by automatic programmes,” in this application it pays off. Trains development time and costs.” Neumann says. “This on the one hand these days use 30% use less energy than However, this doesn’t negate the brings costs down but also brings the they did, say, 15 years ago. And 30% is a need to build a final prototype once the quality up.” lot, but it needed the technology. system has been fine-tuned. “All this That’s not to say that robots are But once this has been calculation is fine, but we trust the replacing staff on the factory floors, but developed to technology when we see it performing are instead allowing manufacturers to and running and working the way it build trains to a level of precision that should,” Neumann says. wasn’t possible previously. For Progress Rail, digitisation is allowing Innovations such as the manufacturer to give customers an weight idea of what they will be purchasing.

Billions of dollars and thousands of hours have gone into making today’s rolling stock more comfortable and more efficient. Photo: David Gubler. 33 Mar rolling stock_Layout 1 01/03/2021 12:06 Page 34

60th Anniversary Special | rolling stock

The methods of manufacturing rolling stock have changed, with paper-based plans making way for 3D modelling, and robotics playing an increasingly important role. Photo: Siemens an industrial standard, you can use it on 3D engineering tools allows us way be built with dc traction motors, trains going maybe 160-180km/h as well.” more flexibility than we had when we asynchronous motors have become the Manufacturers have also moved away didn’t have these tools available.” traction of choice. The introduction of from designing bespoke vehicles for Shirvinksi says this also allows adaptive traction motor control, individual customers, instead creating individual components to be built and variable-frequency drive (VFD) motors platforms which are customisable to the tested as modules before assembly of for auxiliary systems, axle-suspended customer’s specifications and needs. the final product, further reducing the bearings, and advanced electronic fuel This results in quicker manufacturing, a final test time. injection control systems for diesel reduction of both inventory and cost, engines are also increasing efficiency. and improved quality and product Other efforts to limit the environmental performance. The elements within these Environmental efficiency impact of rolling stock include measures platforms are also becoming more Rail is the only mode of transport to to reduce noise emissions. modularised. reduce its emissions on a yearly basis, “Noise in the end is pollution as well, For example, a technique first with this achievement partially down to and being environmentally friendly developed for high-speed trains that efforts to make rolling stock as efficient means reducing the noise level,” has begun to filter through to other as possible, alongside increased Neumann says. “This is an interesting platforms is the creation of “hollow electrification of the network. playground for engineers. It’s quite tubes” - trains that are built as a shell in “Improved eco safety is one of the difficult to keep the train as safe and as a similar way to an aircraft, without any key trends throughout the transport efficient as it is while bringing down inbuilt cubicles, walls or interior doors. industry,” says Mr Sergei Perov, project the noise level without making it super The interior is designed to suit the expert at TMH Engineering. “Greater expensive. A train is not a Formula One needs of individual customers, which energy efficiency is achieved, first of all, car, which can use the most expensive can tailor the spacing between seats, the by fitting locomotives and multiple units material in the world and take many, space for luggage and areas for with more advanced traction systems. many hours to produce. It always needs passengers with limited mobility to Because of efficient power regeneration to be efficient, and that’s about an their own requirements. and lower power consumption by the engineer coming up with an efficient “If a certain drive unit is used to traction systems, the percentage of solution, which fulfils the targets that drive train type A, we always try to use power saved by new EMUs and metro are prescribed.” a similar or identical type in train type trains, for example those used in Another major factor when reducing B, and engineer the surrounding Moscow, is measured not in single-digit the environmental impact of rolling components accordingly,” Neumann but in double-digit numbers.” stock is weight. One approach to says. “And here again doing this with While some rolling stock continues to reducing weight is the use of different 34 IRJ March 2021 Mar rolling stock_Layout 1 01/03/2021 12:06 Page 35

materials for the car body and interior batteries is growing,” Perov says. “The secondary lines with less demand and components. For example, Stadler has passenger capacity is increasing too. All lower capacity requirements as begun using lightweight aluminium to this requires the engineers to make a lot alternatives to expensive electrification replace heavier steel components, while of effort to keep the rolling stock within projects. Progress Rail has switched from cast to the specified weight range and, at the Battery operation is also making fabricated bogies. same time, to meet passengers’ growing strides as battery technology and “Not increasing the weight of the needs in terms of comfort and safety.” performance has improved. While most vehicles while at the same time placing Significant progress has been made battery locomotives are currently higher demands on them is particularly finding alternatives to diesel traction in hybrids, Progress Rail has introduced challenging, but manufacturing technology can help in this area,” Forrer says. Perov says reducing the weight of a vehicle is not a simple undertaking Most of our people involved are engineers, and they when taking into account the tasks want to create better solutions. required. This is especially true for locomotives, where weight is linked to “ Albrecht Neumann the maximum tractive force. “In this case we can say that every new model produces an increasingly greater tractive effort thanks to new recent years. Battery and hydrogen an entirely battery-operated electric drive systems and more advanced solutions, either as standalone traction locomotive, the EMD Joule, which is control systems,” Perov says. sources or as a hybrid with electric currently being tested by Vale in Brazil. Passengers also expect more features traction, are steadily entering the market. “There has been a tremendous such as multimedia systems with The first hydrogen-powered train was response to the introduction of the EMD multiple screens, on-board introduced into revenue operation in Joule, and we are exploring communication and passenger September 2018, when an Alstom demonstrations with other interested information systems, chargers, and Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell customers,” Shirvinksi says. “We have complex climate control systems with multiple unit entered service in an additional EMD Joule project with an integrated disinfection function, Bremervörde, Germany. Since then, Pacific Harbor Line in California, which which also adds to the weight. other countries including France, will be online soon. “This equipment needs power so the Britain, Austria, the Netherlands, “Another technology shift that has output of the power supply systems Canada and Korea have announced received investment is natural gas and the capacity of the on-board plans to introduce hydrogen trains on locomotives. In this regard, two Have you got the tools to succeed?

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With continually updated and searchable content, IRJ Pro offers a unique and up-to-date perspective on investment in new railways and rolling stock as well as the latest global rail tenders. IRJ To find out more visit irjpro.com, or for a free demonstration or trial, contact Jonathan Chalon, [email protected] P R O IRJ March 2021 35 Mar rolling stock_Layout 1 01/03/2021 12:06 Page 36

different technologies are available that have been tested in the United States. There is an additional natural gas locomotive demonstration programme we are developing for the near future with an international customer.” However, electric traction will remain the primary source of energy. “I personally believe the best means of supplying the train with energy is with overhead catenary because it has a tremendous advantage, you can ask for basically as much energy as you would like to have which in the case of a high- speed train is more than 10MW when accelerating,” Neumann says. Electrification has another advantage: electricity can be generated through multiple clean energy sources such as hydro-electric, wind or solar energy. Electric operation is, however, often restricted by first and last mile capabilities. Freight trains in particular are limited when operating in terminals where catenary is not available due to the need to load and unload containers. Auxiliary diesel engines could still play a part here, as they would only need to Engineers designing, manufacturing and testing rolling stock now have a vast array of run long enough to operate the train technologies to assist them, including 3D modelling and robotics. out of the terminal until it can connect capital costs to the full lifecycle costs. condition-based maintenance, using with the overhead electrification. This is leading manufacturers to not data gathered by the train to improve The way operation is structured also only reduce the costs of maintenance, maintenance intervals and reduce has a role to play in improving but also consider the time a vehicle unnecessary work. environmental efficiency. “The better must sit out of revenue service in the “A flexible, data-driven maintenance the trains and infrastructure are inter- workshop over its lifetime. plan requires a highly sophisticated connected, the more energy-efficient the Many tenders also require suppliers technical operation, and it is important operation will be,” Forrer says. “The to offer maintenance services for the to undertake the right maintenance at goal must be to design rail operation so trains for a set period of time. the right time,” Forrer says. “This can that trains have to accelerate and “Customers these days have more be achieved by balancing the intervals decelerate less in succession.” confidence in the manufacturers, between preventive maintenance and especially if the manufacturers are failure-based corrective maintenance. ready to hold full responsibility and Vehicles are often available only in fixed Maintenance offer lifecycle contracts with their slots each week, which requires a When it comes to making a decision products,” says Mr David John, chief collaborative approach between an on which fleet to purchase, operators technical officer at TMH International. operator and ourselves, as the service are increasingly looking past the initial This has been supported by the rise of provider.” While the trains of today may feature vastly different technology from those that ran in 1961, there is still a way to go. Armed with continuous developments in technology, the rolling stock manufacturing industry is constantly striving to keep up with demand and stay one step ahead of the curve. “Most of our people involved are engineers, and they want to create better solutions,” Neumann says. “But there’s pressure behind us as well, because competition works. Money is very important and performance as well, and wherever we are today, we have to try to be better tomorrow in order to really compete in this field and The introduction of dual mode locomotives are improving first and last mile operation. against our competitors. I think this is Photo: Keith Fender good for the industry.” IRJ 36 IRJ March 2021 IRJMARXX (Stadler)_Layout 1 15/02/2021 10:57 Page 1

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www.stadlerrail.com March Signalling_Layout 1 26/02/2021 18:17 Page 38

60th Anniversary Special | signalling Unlocking network capacity Signalling technology has gone through various revolutions in the past 60 years as railways have pursued increases in performance and capacity. Kevin Smith charts the key milestones and looks at continuing efforts to transfer metro automation to the mainline.

popular introductory slide in presentations about railway signalling at industry conferences isA a photo of an empty track held up alongside a congested motorway. The caption says it is two transport systems at full capacity. The shot of the track emphasises the limitations of the railway. Fixed infrastructure with often long fixed block sections and the extended braking distances of trains demand high levels of safety, restricting the number of trains able to operate. The principle of controlling entry of a single train into a block section has been in place since the first token-based signalling systems and continued with lineside optical signalling. Generations of signalling engineers have attempted to crack this conundrum. However, it is only recently that the technology to do so has emerged. Communications-based train control (CBTC) for metros was among the first innovations to deploy a moving block principle, whereby the protected block moves for a specific distance behind the train, increasing the flexibility of operation and providing the opportunity to cut distances between trains. The technology also facilitates automatic and driverless operation. However, it was not the first to offer such functionality. London Underground’s Victoria Line, which opened in 1968, pioneered Automatic Train Control where the train operates automatically, but a driver is present in a supervisory capacity. The Port Kobe Line in Japan, which opened in 1981, and the VAL system deployed initially in Lille in 1983, were the first entirely driverless urban transport systems. CBTC made its debut on the driverless Vancouver SkyTrain in 1986, and subsequently on the Detroit peoplemover and London’s Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in 1987. These early applications were based on inducted loop technology developed by Alcatel-SEL, now Thales, and introduced as an alternative to Union Pacific operates the United States’ largest track circuit-based communication. Positive Train Control network. Photo: Stephen C Host Subsequent radio-based systems 38 IRJ March 2021 March Signalling_Layout 1 26/02/2021 18:17 Page 39

provided by other suppliers in the early their high-speed, and increasingly trains confirmed an energy saving 2000s increased reliability and led to a mainline networks, while traditional potential of up to 37% and a 30% surge in the use of CBTC; all new metro resistors Germany and France are also increase in capacity. lines and networks now tend to be beginning the process of wider fitted with CBTC and deploy a degree adoption. of automation, with the majority Indeed, ETCS is the foundation of France driverless at Grade of Automation 4 French and German projects to introduce French National Railways’ (SNCF) (GoA 4). semi and full automation of mainline ambitious mainline automation CBTC is an optimal application for operation. programme commenced in 2018. Spilt metros because these tend to have little London’s Thameslink project was the into passenger and freight projects, the or no interfaces with other lines, first commercial deployment of ATO objective is to introduce commercial reducing the complexity of operation. over ETCS at GoA 2 in 2018. Using operation on the mainline network, Mainline networks are far more systems supplied by Siemens, trains including high-speed lines, from 2025. complicated with many interfaces and operate autonomously on a central Mr Luc Laroche, director of the varying speeds of operation. However, section, which has increased throughput autonomous train project at SNCF, says work is progressing to bring the to 24 trains per hour per direction. the project passed two important benefits of operation pioneered with Siemens has followed up the London milestones in 2020: successful completion CBTC to the mainline. project with a contract to deploy ETCS of the first obstacle detection tests at The transition to in-cab rather than at GoA 2 on Sydney’s metropolitan rail 100km/h, and successful operation of a lineside signalling began with various network while Thales has GoA 2 pilot freight train at GoA 2 on the Longwy - national Automatic Train Protection projects in France and Germany. In Longuyon line in eastern France at the (ATP) systems based on electronic addition, Alstom worked with Dutch end of October. “The purpose of these interlockings and developed in response infrastructure manager ProRail and tests was to test the first brick of the to several accidents during the 1960s Rotterdam Rail Feeding to install GoA 2 future GoA 4 train,” Laroche says. “The and 70s. on freight trains using the Betuweroute ATO GoA 2, which complies with The dawn of high-speed in Japan in in the Netherlands in 2018. European standards, demonstrated the 1960s and Europe in the 1980s (p20) led to a steady rollout of cab-based signalling. The development of the European Train Control System (ETCS), the signalling component of the European Rail Traffic Management London’s Thameslink project was the first commercial System (ERTMS), in the mid-1990s was “ deployment of ATO over ETCS at GoA 2 in 2018. intended to supersede national in-cab systems by providing an interoperable signalling system that permits seamless cross-border operation. However, with projects proving expensive and time consuming, and Alstom is also working with German correct functionality. The tests also loyalty to national systems strong, regional operator Metronom, the helped to define the entire organisation progress has been slow, much to the Regional Association of Greater for ambitious trials in the future.” frustration of many. Indeed, more Braunschweig, the German Aerospace Among these is the next major kilometres of railway are fitted with Centre (DLR) and Technical University challenge facing the project: identifying ETCS outside of than inside Europe. of Berlin to test GoA 3 and 4 on the and reading lineside signals on which Nevertheless, this gap is steadily Braunschweig - Wolfsburg line (IRJ July Laroche reports steady progress. He closing and the signs at the beginning 2020, p25a). The project envisages also says monitoring the railway of the 2020s are more positive. operation at GoA 3 with the driver environment is a major challenge and Improvements to software and the remaining in the cab, and GoA 4 for an area where significant headway is steady switch from relay-based to direct driverless operation in depots. The first expected. drive interlockings during the 2000s trials with passengers are expected to Further milestones are expected in was followed by the expansion of ETCS take place in 2023. spring 2021 with the final demonstration Level 2 during the 2010s to match almost Elsewhere in Germany, Siemens is of the telecontrol project to successfully universal GSM-R telecoms coverage in working with the city of Hamburg and pilot a train from a remote location Europe. German Rail (DB) to introduce ATO following initial demonstrations in June Adoption on key corridors has been over ETCS on the S-Bahn network and 2019 (IRJ April 2020, p24). Testing of the accelerated by European Union (EU) main lines in and around the city. autonomous passenger train project is funding, and a number of countries Thales is also partnering with Albtal also scheduled to begin at the end of now have national rollout plans. This Transport (AVG) to develop GoA 3 and April. A TER Regio2N EMU has been began with smaller networks in Denmark, GoA 4 operation at the depot of equipped to conduct the tests, beginning Belgium, Luxembourg and Norway, Karlsruhe Transport (VBK) with a view like the freight project at GoA 2, with which is embracing a ‘one country, one to extending autonomous operation to the goal of reaching GoA 4 trials by interlocking’ principle where the entire the city’s tram-train network. Furthermore, 2023. network is controlled from a single trials of ATO over ETCS by Siemens SNCF is consulting closely with DB control centre rather than 300 separate with Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) are on autonomous trains, working interlockings. Italy and Spain have also the first to comply with Unisig together to guide the European been passionate adopters of ETCS for standards. SBB’s tests with regional specifications for GoA 2 and GoA 4, and IRJ March 2021 39 March Signalling_Layout 1 26/02/2021 18:17 Page 40

60th Anniversary Special | signalling

sharing work and thoughts on obstacle subsequently spent billions on it’s making a difference. Now, would I detection. Laroche says regular developing a system that meets the say does it overcome the cost of PTC? exchanges are also held with Italian and required safety standards and on No. But does it help us? Yes.” Russian counterparts. Europe’s subsequent rollouts across the country. As an overlay system, PTC is also Shift2Rail (S2R) project, of which SNCF For proponents, PTC reinforces the providing the foundation for several and DB are members, is also playing a existence of an inter-operable American other technologies that will improve critical role in shaping future consensual rail network, improving safety and performance in the future (IRJ regulations and specifications between efficiency of operation. However, for November 2019, p18). operators and the industry. critics, it is a missed opportunity. They Newcomb serves as chairman of the Main line automation projects are not argue that specifications were Train Control, Communications and limited to Europe. GoA 3 operation is developed before the suppliers were Operations Committee (TCCO) at the already in place on the Moscow Central ready with the technology. Development Association of American Railroads Diameter railway and further work is also overlooked reducing and (AAR). The committee is made up of underway on GoA 4 applications, with maintaining tight headways. AAR members including the Class 1s as the first results expected by the end of Yet PTC is the foundation of new well as the American Passenger and the year. China is similarly embracing efforts to improve operational efficiency Transit Association (Apta), American GoA 2 for main line operation, opening among freight and passenger railways. Shortline Railroad Association (ASLRA) the 174km Beijing North - Zhangjiakou With a 27,500 route-km network, UP and terminal railways. Together they line on December 30 2019, the world’s was responsible for the US’ largest PTC are working to identify the priority first automated high-speed line. Japanese deployment. The railway is set to reach projects which make sure no element of railways are also exploring the benefits 480 million km of operation using PTC the system is left behind. of ATO; JR East is set to introduce ATO this year. And, crucially, it has In total, the committee and its over ATC at GoA2 on the Joban Line accumulated multi petabyte-sized railroads have around 25 active projects this month (p10). Work to introduce datasets of every piece of information and 50 that are ready to go. All of which automation on the Shinkansen network retrieved from the system since it began are agreed by the committee and follow is also underway. operating. its strategy of improving safety, Mr Michael Newcomb, UP’s assistant efficiency of operations, undoing the vice-president for transportation negative impacts of PTC - such as Positive Train Control service, says from this Big Data increased maintenance - and supporting In the United States, a major environment, the railway has a better the industry lifecycle. “These projects milestone for railway signalling was understanding of the physics of its are all geared to meeting these achieved on December 29 2020 when network than it ever did. This is helping objectives,” Newcomb says. the Federal Railroad Administration to inform decision making and reduce Among the highlights of the projects (FRA) confirmed that all 41 freight and the impact of exceptional events on underway at UP are the rollout of passenger railways had met the overall network operation - for example Energy Management Systems (EMS), extended deadline for the rollout of by limiting the number of false positive which manage the key functions of the Positive Train Control (PTC) across braking events, which has a concurrent train from stop-start to air and dynamic 92,575 mandated route-km. impact on other traffic. brakes and will be installed on 3100 UP The FRA heralded completion as a “Our big data environment was locomotives by the end of the year; landmark achievement. PTC intentional,” Newcomb says. “It’s real- Positive Train Location, which will implementation was required by the time. And it’s pretty key to what benefit supersede GPS and dramatically federal government following a head- we will get out of PTC. You can enhance train location, particularly in on collision between a Metrolink logically assume that we would do tunnels and canyons - it could also passenger train and a UP freight train everything, from optimising train facilitate automation through use in an on a single-track line in Chattsworth, movements to repairs, to other kinds of updated end-of-train device; Quasi California, in 2008. The railways have things based on that kind of data, and Moving Block (QMB) a form of moving block operation which retains track circuits; and a standardised interface for the Locomotive Command and Control Module (LCCM), which will support EMS. Yet the key to future automation according to Newcomb isn’t the technology. “It’s variability,” he says. The variability challenge is apparent when comparing UP with the current holy grail for automated freight operation, Rio Tinto’s Autohaul project, the world’s first driverless freight railway (IRJ August 2019 p14). The signalling technology deployed by Hitachi Rail STS is helping Rio Tinto to increase train speeds and reduce run time variation to the extent that it is Alstom is leading a project to test a GoA 3+4 operation now carrying 300 million tonnes of on the Braunschweig - Wolfsburg line. Photo: Keith Fender iron-ore out of the Pilbara every year. 40 IRJ March 2021 March Signalling_Layout 1 26/02/2021 18:17 Page 41

However, it’s a much simpler operation says this approach increases the scope The rollout of the Internet of Things than UP. A single train consist type is of control over signalling functions, (IoT) and the collection of data from used to operate the 1500km point-to- meaning a centralised control centre is more sensors and touchpoints can point network, which has 44 level able to oversee greater proportions of contribute to improvements in crossings. UP’s 51,000km network has the overall network. efficiency through the development of 31,000. Similar evolutions are taking place Digital Twins. Artificial Intelligence (AI) “I already have 2600 locomotives that with CBTC. While this is now a mature is also set to play a role in aggregating for 90% of the trip operate without technology and deployment of GoA 4 this data. human intervention, so that’s not my commonplace, work on the eighth Indeed, AI based on deep learning challenge,” Newcomb says. “My generation of CBTC at Thales is and machine learning algorithms that challenge is all the things that stop focusing on improving performance form neural networks is already present trains. If I had automation today, and I capabilities, specifically running many in the railway environment in predictive had to take a car to go and rescue a more trains using less hardware from a maintenance, video analytics, and train, and I took 30 minutes to do it, I centralised location. operational support and decision couldn’t use it because the variability is ETCS Level 3 replicates CBTC’s making. Integration with signalling, too high.” moving block principle and has been however, is a little more difficult around for more than a decade - according to Jourdan due to the need to Bombardier presented the inaugural comply with Cenelec standards. Future evolutions system on the 134km Västerdal freight “To go from point A, which is the Further evolutions of current line in central Sweden, which went live data you inject, to point B, which is the generations of ETCS technology in in 2012. However, limitations with the result, is often unexplainable, you Europe concern work on satellite-based technology, specifically train length simply cannot explain the result that is positioning, improvements to detection, halted further rollouts. obtained, and that’s a big no go for cybersecurity, and the development of This could change with hybrid Level Cenelec for good reason,” he says. digital interlockings, including cloud- 3, which Jourdan says will start to go “Because of that the first generation of based solutions. Siemens has successfully beyond the limits of fixed blocks. Trials autonomous products that we are deployed its first cloud-based interlocking led by Network Rail and ProRail in working on are not using deep learning. at Achau, Austria, using its Distributed 2018 hinted at the potential of the It is not necessarily simpler but with Smart Safe System (DS3). application. Work in S2R should also much more deterministic algorithms Mr Amaury Jourdan, vice-president aid development and make it a viable that we can prove against safety technical and innovation at Thales solution for the future. validation. Ground Transportation Systems, which The gradual process of digitalisation “In parallel we are working on a topic is also working on similar concepts, is also set to benefit railway signalling. relating to AI and safety, which is called

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‘Trustable AI.’ Trustable AI means you match, for example. Automation will Many of these concepts and have a way to control the result, you also reduce overheads and increase the technologies will require enhanced will get a learning principle. At that financial viability of lesser used lines by telecommunications to function point we can revisit Cenelec.” offering a more frequent service that is effectively. GSM-R has been a great Thales’s work here emphasises more conducive to passenger needs, success, but it is 2G and will begin to be another point made by Jourdan: that helping to convince more people to use withdrawn in 2030. Work led by the rail innovation is not really geared for the train. UIC on the 5G-based Future Railway quick surges and big failures. “Right or This is the thinking behind a project Mobile Communications System wrong, I am not taking sides here, it is a by Italian Rail Network (RFI) to (FRMCS) is encouraging and reached a fact,” he says. “This means it is more of a develop its pure Control Command key stage in November with the start of consumption market than a technology System (CCSp) Regional ETCS Level 3 the 5GRail project to develop the first revolution market.” concept. ‘Pure’ means the system does FRMCS prototypes. The objective is to begin line trials in France and Germany in 2023. Japan is also trialling the capabilities of 5G (p10) on its I already have 2600 locomotives that for 90% of the trip Shinkansen network while China is actively developing the technology. operate without human intervention, so that’s not my In the United States, Newcomb says challenge. My challenge is all the things that stop trains. work is underway to update UP’s “ communications capacity and Michael Newcomb capability. New radios will soon be available that will support 20 channels rather than six on existing 220MHz While rail automation will certainly not overlap with the national train bands, which will meet future demand benefit from innovations pioneered in control and traditional interlocking for more capacity in busy areas like other sectors, it has to look beyond systems and is based on fixed virtual Chicago. In addition, the railway is set adapting innovations from the road blocks and virtual track circuits with to move data and voice space. In the United States, Newcomb’s the option to deploy moving block to communications for train control into says the most complicated area of ATO increase capacity. the 160MHz band in the next decade. is not controlling the trains, it is the The emphasis on intelligent trains This will also involve the use of sensor package required to work in all rather than intelligent infrastructure additional cellular or low-earth orbiting weather conditions at the distance instructing trains is indicative of a satellites to boost coverage in areas required, which is very different from future shift in the basic concept of which are out of reach of existing cell the needs of road vehicles because they signalling away from the central coverage, effectively creating a do not need to see as far ahead. wayside controller. dedicated private network. “We find that the better partner is the Jourdan says Thales is working on That these two technological military industrial complex,” he says. these concepts for both CBTC and evolutions are taking place in parallel is “The US Navy has created a GPS-denied mainline applications. This includes particularly encouraging. Progress will warfighting capability and the vendor developments in train positioning using take time. But with pressure building to community that built that fits with our radar-based sensors onboard metro get more trains on track, the railway needs. That’s an area where there’s a lot trains and satellite-based positioning for sector needs to make more of what is of research going on in what is the mainline trains. Enhanced obstacle has. Enhanced signalling is the best way higher technical risk area for ATO.” detection is another area of work, which to do this and many of the projects now Ultimately the decision to proceed has already been pioneered in light rail underway offer a window of what with different technologies will come vehicles. Overall, he expects significant future automated networks will look down to economics. Rio Tinto was the progress here within the next decade. like. IRJ first freight railway to proceed with full automation and paid a hefty price for doing so, which was way and beyond the estimate at the start of the project. However, the increased efficiency that it has unlocked is already offering an economic pay back. It is similar with mainline signalling automation. Technologies are now more readily available and proven to enhance rail’s viability as a mode of mass transport by providing greater flexibility, enhancing the business case for adoption. For example, combined with measurements of passenger density, it is possible to easily adapt automated services to spikes in demand at minimal extra cost - it will be possible to deploy fleets of autonomous trains as soon as Copenhagen metro is equipped with CBTC supplied by Hitachi Rail STS and operates at GoA 4. the final whistle blows at a football Photo: Shutterstock/Michael Donnelly 42 IRJ March 2021 IRJMARXX (Speno)_Layout 1 01/02/2021 16:31 Page 1

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60th Anniversary Special | track Making rail harder, better, faster

Track design has evolved a lot since the 1960s as this Voestalpine switch demonstrates. Smart switches can detect their condition while allowing longer intervals between maintenance. Steady increases in tonnages, traffic volumes and maximum speeds during the last 60 years have driven track component manufacturers to develop new products able to meet growing track forces. David Briginshaw reports on some of the key achievements by four of the leading suppliers as they adapt to new challenges. RACK technology has come a long manufacturing rails since the mid-19th providing higher track availability. way in the last 60 years as trains century, says it has steadily tried to Austin says transport and on-site drops have become heavier, longer and combat the issues of weld failures, wear, of >100m single piece rails are now fasterT and operate more frequently. This RCF and corrosion, which has helped to routine on all major rail networks. in turn has pushed track engineers to extend rail life and reduce track “As the first European rail manufacturer develop higher quality rails which maintenance. Mr John Austin, British to introduce a heat treatment process, withstand greater forces and are more Steel’s commercial manager - rail, cites our first heat-treated rail was rolled in resistant to wear and defects such as his company’s top three innovations in Workington in the mid-1980s,” Austin corrugations, spalling and rolling rail design as continuously cast long- says. “After rolling at high temperatures, contact fatigue (RCF). length rail, premium rail grades, and the rapid cooling resulted in a rail that Axleloads have steadily increased to rail corrosion protection. was harder and more wear-resistant, 25, 30 or even 35 tonnes. Fortescue “Our introduction of continuously allowing it to better withstand the rail Metals Group (FMG) went even further cast feedstock for rail manufacture in wear brought on by faster trains and when it opened its heavy-haul line in the mid-1970s has been one of the most heavy freight.” Western Australia’s Pilbara mining influential developments in enhancing In the mid-2000s, British Steel further region in 2008 with a maximum axleload rail performance,” Austin says. “High- developed a metallurgically-engineered of 40 tonnes. This was increased to 42 integrity, clean, continuously-cast steel rail with similar properties to heat- tonnes in 2014 and 43.5 tonnes a year with precise alloy control and low treated rail called HP335 (HP rail). “In later. FMG, working in partnership with segregation is a must for quality rail. addition to its resistance to wear, HP SKF, developed a 45-tonne-axleload Coupled with mill developments since also offered enhanced resistance to RCF, bearing, which is now fitted to its ore the transfer of rail production from resulting in greatly reduced requirements wagons. Workington to Scunthorpe, continuously for rail grinding, and therefore Similarly, train speeds have risen from cast blooms have allowed us to produce extended track life,” Austin says. 160km/h in the early 1960s, to 210km/h much longer rails up to 120m in a single An unfortunate consequence of with the opening of the Tokaido piece, or 216m with a single weld.” increasing rail life is that the potential Shinkansen in Japan in 1964, to 260km/h Delivering rails longer than 100m for corrosion also increases. “That’s in France in 1981, 270km/h two years directly to the site not only accelerated why, working closely with Network later, 300km/h in 1989, 320km/h in 2008, track installation, it also reduced the Rail (NR), we introduced Zinoco, a rail and now 350km/h, with the prospect of number of in-situ welds - known protection system with a durable coating to even higher operating speeds in the future. potential weak spots - by around 80%, withstand corrosive track environments,” British Steel, which has been giving the rail greater integrity and Austin explains. “The zinc-rich coating 44 IRJ March 2021 March Track_Layout 1 25/02/2021 16:23 Page 45

is thermally sprayed onto the rail, in 1992, was the first rail fastening protecting the steel from the harsh system that was both captive on the combination of water and salt. It also concrete sleeper and could be installed Keep your rails provides sacrificial cathodic protection, with high output automated clipping so still works, even if the coating is modules, requiring no manual perfectly maintained damaged. Our latest enhancement intervention,” Peacock says. “This with makes Zinoco the world’s first rail with transformed installation rates for both a super-hydrophobic finish, keeping the new track projects and track renewals, rail dry and free from contaminants. as well as improving worker safety and Zinoco offers a typical life extension of quality standardisation.” LINSINGER five to 10 times.” The need to mitigate track noise and high performance Mr Albert Jörg, vice-president, vibration has become increasingly corporate product management with important. Peacock says the use of high- rail milling Voestalpine Railway Systems, says one quality rubber in products such as of Voestalpine’s major achievements floating slab mats and Pandrol’s QTrack technology was the development of its unique HSH system has helped to minimise noise heat treatment technology for rails and vibration in urban areas, whilst aimed at improving the rail’s resistance under-sleeper pads protect the ballast to degradation without interfering with and mitigate vibration. “Fastening its weldability. systems such as Vanguard, Bonded DFF Trust the Invenntor Another important milestone was the and FCB also help to mitigate noise and www.linsinger.ccom development of cast manganese frogs vibration through the use of engineered featuring tri-metal-weld technology for rubber solutions,” Peacock points out. continuous running surfaces and the Peacock says the invention of the one- EDH explosive depth hardening shot crucible - the world’s first process which has also been applied to disposable crucible - in 1988 “transformed this type of frog. aluminothermic welding.” The one-shot crucible includes a tapping system (thimble) which eliminates the need for Digitalisation separate components and helped to Digitalisation rose to the fore in the improve weld standards and worker late 20th century. “In 1997, highly safety as well as save time. innovative hot box detectors represented “The Startwel ignition system, the start of the development of the developed in 2014, replaced the Phoenix monitoring suite,” Jörg says. traditional ‘sparkler’ igniter used by “Today, this monitoring suite consists of aluminothermic welders,” Peacock says. Phoenix MDS modular diagnostic “The design enables welders to ignite systems, based on various sensor the charge and initiate the pour process technologies, and the Phoenix CMS of the weld easily and safely, increasing central management software. Besides accuracy and eliminating the risk of their classic tasks, both are serving as unintended thermite ignition by stray the basis of the transition of the railway sparks.” towards fully autonomous operation, Vossloh can trace its history back to where real time information on rolling 1883 when Eduard Vossloh, a stock condition is an unquestionable blacksmith, received a contract from the necessity. Furthermore, the condition of Royal Prussian Railway for the the rolling stock and the consolidation manufacture of spring washers for rail of all data measured at any point fasteners. Today, Vossloh produces a Linsinger Maschinenbau GmbH provides the basis for condition-based wide range of rail fastening systems, and predictive maintenance on train turnouts including drive and detection Dr. Linsinger Straße 23-24 fleets.” systems, and concrete sleepers and 4662 Steyrermühl But Jörg says this goes far beyond the bearers. Austria collection of data. “It involves the One of its innovations is its New management of data in a way that big Generation (NG) fastening system data becomes smart data available for which has a higher proportion of plastic Tel: +43 7613 8840 analysis, planning and measurement,” instead of steel, while the design of the E-Mail: offi[email protected] he says. “Point machines are able to modular components results in good detect their condition and allow insulation and lower weight. stretched inspection cycles while Vossloh says the use of glass fibre- significantly improving reliability and reinforced plastic components has avoiding spontaneous interferences.” driven the development of rail Mr Wayne Peacock, global head of fastening systems, such as the 300 NG sales with Pandrol, points out that the for slab track applications which is company invented its PR clip in 1958 - designed to transfer dynamic loads into three years before the first issue of IRJ the concrete substructure. The compact was published. “Fastclip FC, introduced design has a high installation efficiency IRJ March 2021 March Track_Layout 1 25/02/2021 16:23 Page 46

60th Anniversary Special | track

and rapid adjustability in the event of track position errors. Another example is the new screw- dowel combination NG where the dowel is made of polyoxymethylene (POM) which does not absorb moisture, which Vossloh says is an advantage in tunnels or areas prone to high humidity. The optimised thread geometry of the dowel ensures that when the screw is tightened, the tangential and transverse forces are primarily directed down into the concrete sleeper. Another innovation is Vossloh’s Protect premium coating to protect the steel components in rail fastening systems from corrosion even under extreme conditions, such as high Vossloh’s 300 NG slab track rail fastening system, which uses glass fibre-reinforced plastic temperatures or large temperature components, is designed to transfer dynamic loads into the concrete substructure. variations, aggressively salty air in design of railway infrastructure Pandrol’s innovation work. “We’re coastal regions or industrial areas with subsystems and components emerges currently focusing on reducing emissions high chemical loads. The coating is from combining design, geometry and through battery-operated tools, using designed to meet the highest protection materials.” recycled materials and improving end- class C5-H according to ISO 12944 and Jörg adds that Voestalpine’s recently of-life reuse.” provides cathodic corrosion protection developed switches feature adjustable Vossloh is currently building what it which ensures that the steel components component geometry to allow foreign claims will be “the world’s most remain rust free even after suffering objects between the switch blade and advanced production plant for rail damage, for example from flying ballast. stock rail to be detected without the fastening systems” at its headquarters The coating can be applied extremely need to use end-position-detectors. in Werdohl, Germany. Vossloh says the thinly to maximise fitting accuracy for “This reduces the complexity of the new factory will be designed to use bolts with metric threads, for example. turnout without reducing its intelligence, alternative energies and efficient burner Vossloh says the coating is free of heavy while also increasing the intelligence of technology, while insulation of the metals and there is no risk of standard turnouts without the need for ovens will be optimised and maximum manufacturing-related hydrogen additional sensors,” he says. use will be made of waste heat to embrittlement. “Digital technology will clearly reduce the carbon footprint. There will continue to be a key driver of future be a comprehensive carbon monitoring innovation in rail,” Peacock says. “Digital system throughout the manufacturing Future challenges innovation is also likely to help our process, which includes suppliers from Economic efficiency and reliability have industry tackle the issue of reduced raw material extraction onwards, which been key drivers for any innovation, but workforce availability. Remote track will consider direct and indirect today the environmental impact of any condition-monitoring and targeted greenhouse gas emissions throughout solution is of equal importance. maintenance intervention using robotics the life of a product in a particular

“The CO2 footprint of a turnout can are both sure to be major areas for application. Digitised processes and the be reduced by 35% and more over its future development.” latest automation technology will help service life just by simply choosing the Peacock says sustainability is a reduce response and cycle times. right turnout design,” Jörg says. “Smart constant theme running through all of However, most infrastructure managers have yet to recognise the benefits of considering the long-term life of components, such as rails, in procurement and all too often still select products on the basis of price rather the most economically advantageous tender (Meat). “Network operators are currently more focused on installation costs rather than whole life cycle costs but specifying the right product for your rail project can make all the difference between trouble-free, longer service life, and a poor performing maintenance- heavy track,” Austin says. “Rail should be a long-term investment. At one test site, the use of HP335 rail had realised a saving of £250,000 in just five years. With results like that, just imagine the savings you could make over the whole British Steel says continuously-cast blooms have allowed it to produce rail up to 120m long. life of the track.” IRJ 46 IRJ March 2021 IRJMARXX (Matisa)_Layout 1 16/02/2021 14:26 Page 1

RAAILWAY, IT’I’S IN OUR DNA

HAPPY 60TH ANNIVER RSARY IRJJ!

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60th Anniversary Special | Japan Rail research in the land of the rising sun

The Shinkansen has pioneered the development of a number of technologies, such as the early-warning earthquake detection system. Photo: Shutterstock Japan’s Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) charts the key achievements in the development of railway technology in Japan during the last 60 years, while looking ahead to new technologies such as autonomous trains. WO of the most important RTRI started to address a number of distributed traction, and automatic train milestones in the development of technical development projects control systems (ATC) with cab Japanese railway technology were including increasing the speed on the signalling systems. These developments theT opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen Shinkansen and conventional lines, laid the foundation for further in 1964, and the privatisation of development of a superconducting improvement of the Shinkansen Japanese National Railways (JNR) and maglev railway and various safety technologies in the following years. the launch of the JR railway companies measures such as seismic measures and The 53.9km Seikan Tunnel, in 1987. damage prediction and recovery connecting Japan’s main island of The opening of the Tokaido support systems for disasters. Honshu with Hokkaido, was built using Shinkansen not only helped railways Our major successes were the the best tunnel construction attract passengers but also helped development of the Shinkansen, the technologies available at that time and people to recognise again the social and construction of the Seikan Tunnel and became the world’s longest tunnel. With economic potential of railways, even the Seto-ohashi Bridge in 1988 resulting the opening of the tunnel, the time though they were losing ground to in Japan’s four major islands being taken to transport passengers and automobiles. Furthermore, the connected by rail for the first time, the freight between the Honshu and development and operation of the development and improvement of the Hokkaido was reduced and the Shinkansen had a great spill-over effect early earthquake warning system, the transport service was stabilised. on a wide range of technologies. development of a contactless smart card The Seto-Ohashi Bridge is the only The privatisation of JNR and the ticketing system introduced by JR East railway bridge connecting Honshu and formation of the new JR railway in 2001, and the development of a Shikoku, and was completed after companies served as a significant boost computerised seat reservation system. overcoming various challenges, such as to motivate the commitment to The opening of the Shinkansen not the need for a structure that could technical development which had been only had a great socio-economic impact withstand the weight of heavy trains, rather stagnant due to the deteriorating on Japanese society but also triggered a while being wind resistant and quake- financial condition of JNR. Following series of technical developments such as proof. privatisation, the JR companies and bogies with excellent running stability, The early earthquake warning system 47a IRJ March 2021 March RTRI_Layout 1 03/03/2021 14:58 Page 48

automatically stops trains when high research capability and specialised = developing simulation technology. necessary by detecting the primary facilities so that it can use its collective The most difficult challenge facing us waves of an earthquake that cause the strength to great advantage. We aim to is to build an environmentally and initial tremors, based on the data make these technologies available for economically sustainable railway by measured by seismometers placed in commercial services in roughly 10-20 accelerating the efforts to stop global many locations including trackside years. Specifically, RTRI, which is led by warming and reduce the carbon areas. Since the 1990s, this system has new president, Dr Ikuo Watanabe, footprint. To this end, RTRI has been been introduced on many lines in Japan started to address the following six focusing on important technical issues including the Shinkansen and has issues in April 2020 under its Research including low-carbonisation of electric contributed a lot to improving safety 2025 agenda: railway systems through cooperative during earthquakes. = enhancing the resilience of railway control of the power network, The contactless smart card ticketing systems against severe meteorological commercial application of fuel-cell system has played a great role in disasters vehicles and improving battery- enabling smoother passenger flows, = autonomous train operation and overhead electrification hybrid vehicles. reducing the cost to replace and control Since the labour shortage in Japan is expected to worsen due to the declining birth rate and an ageing population, the number of railway passengers will inevitably decrease. Covid-19 is also The opening of the Shinkansen not only had a great expected to result in changes in people’s behavioural patterns including socio-economic impact on Japanese society but also the spread of remote working. “ However, it remains essential to further triggered a series of technical developments. improve the efficiency of railway operation and reduce costs by introducing automated train operation. At the same time, the need for autonomous operation is expected to maintain station facilities and = improving labour efficiency through grow as the key technology to attain improving passenger comfort and digital maintenance highly flexible operation and greater convenience. This system has been = low-carbonisation of electric railway energy saving. As autonomous train adopted by many railway operators so systems through cooperative control of operation inevitably entails on-board far and currently the smart cards issued the power network control systems, we also expect that in different areas are interoperable = increasing Shinkansen train running ground facilities will be streamlined nationwide. Furthermore, the smart speeds in harmony with the trackside and maintenance will become more cards are actively used as a means of environment, and labour-efficient. IRJ electronic payment nationally, beyond the boundaries of the railway industry. JNR introduced a computerised seat reservation system in 1960, which by 1964 had become the first fully-fledged online real-time system in Japan, covering the reservation, printing, and statistical processing of tickets. The system later evolved into a comprehensive passenger sales system that also included accommodation and tickets for events.

Freight wagon classification In the 1960s and beyond, JNR developed a system to automatically classify freight wagons at classification yards using computers. However, the volume of rail freight continued to decline due to the growth in road transport. By the mid-1980s, the system ceased to play an effective role, as containerisation and direct transport between terminals without the need for wagon classification became main stream. To address the needs of railway operators and a changing society, RTRI Japan National Railways introduced a computerised seat allocation system in 1960, which later is focusing on the areas where it has a supported the reservation, printing and processing of tickets across Japan. Photo: Shutterstock IRJ March 2021 47b March Ticketing_Layout 1 02/03/2021 15:26 Page 48

60th Anniversary special | fare collection

Tickets, please: Photo: Deutsche Bahn AG/Oliver Lang Fare collection meets digitalisation The adoption of new digital technologies has transformed the way we pay for travel. Oliver Cuenca reports on how ticketing has changed in recent decades, and where it could go next.

ICKETING is an often-overlooked Device (BYOD) and Mobility as a “Smartphones and cloud computing, part of the rail industry, and yet Service (MaaS) paradigms.” together with biometrics, Network the sector has undergone some of Anarte says that although many of Computing System (NCS), Bluetooth theT most profound changes in recent these digital ticketing technologies were Low Energy (BLE) and other supporting decades. The industry has adopted developed in wealthier economies, with technologies such as blockchain will travel cards, barcodes and phone apps “contactless cards emerging in Europe, continue to lead the present and future in a relatively short space of time, account-based systems in the United of fare collection,” Anarte says. creating a world in which a physical States, and transit open payments in He also argues that social changes ticket is no longer even necessary. Britain,” digital ticketing is now a such as growing urban populations, However, new technologies could global phenomenon. environmental awareness and the desire offer further advances, enabling trans- “For instance, you can find a specific to travel comfortably without the issues continental travel on a single unified EMV [credit-card] standard for open associated with private transport such fare, or potentially even removing the payments in India, or there are Be- as congestion will also drive further need to consciously pay a fare at all. in/Be-out (BiBo) projects in Asia,” he innovation in the field. “Contactless technology and says. “Nowadays, it’s rare to find a fare “However, technology runs faster advances in computing allowed transit collection bidding process that does not than regulations, and there are many operators to improve the experience of mention open payments, and many of existing legacy systems that require their customers while boosting security, them ask for mobile ticketing or cloud more budgetary efforts to be renewed,” business rules and multimodality in the applications, regardless of whether the he says. “When it comes to MaaS, it’s 1990s and early 2000s,” says Mr José transit network is in Europe, America, not that easy to integrate transit services Carlos Anarte, automated fare collection Asia, or any other continent.” that are traditional competitors. In (AFC) operations director at Indra. For Anarte, the future of ticketing will addition, BiBo has been around for a “Account-based systems emerged in include even further shifts towards MaaS, while, but technology was a barrier, and the late 2000s, enabling a migration but also the adoption of BiBo ticketing legal issues still need to be addressed, from a card-centric approach to a back- technologies which enable passengers especially when it comes to biometric office one with centralised business to automatically check in and out of identification. rules. Then during the 2010s, smartphones, vehicles without having to actively However, beyond just removing open payments and other technologies purchase a ticket at all - potentially barriers for customers, the future of have promoted the Bring Your Own enabling barrier-free public transport. ticketing could see the rise of multi- 48 IRJ March 2021 March Ticketing_Layout 1 02/03/2021 15:26 Page 49

modal ticketing that allows for seamless fares and combines them into a TGV Family Plus ticket? Or, if you can transfer between different modes. consistent booking and ticket. combine them, these are the conditions “In the long-term, the adoption of The UIC says that OSDM is one of the to combine them. All this is stored in mobile technology and ticketing is on the first steps to providing seamless train the protocol, so now marketing people rise,” says Ms Lauren Jochum, global ticket sales and after-sales processes. have all this information.” marketing director for Cubic Transport OSDM aims to simplify distribution, However, Sarfatti says the technology Solutions (CTS). “Journey planning tools improve accessibility for customers and is not limited to just rail and could offer for passengers across multiple modes of efficiency for railways and ticket an easy way to offer intermodal transport will become a priority as we stop distributors looking to sell their tickets ticketing services with other forms of looking at single-mode trips and start internationally. public transport, including buses and looking at entire journeys for travellers.” Under the old system, international aircraft. The integration of mainline, commuter, fares were aggregated only once “Operators such as French National metro, light rail, bus and other public annually. However, under OSDM this Railways (SNCF) and German Rail (DB) transport services could offer potential can now be accomplished several times and others already have busses or opportunities for operators to collaborate. a year. ferries,” he says. “This already exists in But it could also offer opportunities for “It takes ages to aggregate the tariff the offline distribution, so could easily transport agencies to encourage higher and the price, upload them and then be incorporated and extended to other levels of ridership or manage crowds download other ones to your own private local companies. So, we are through custom loyalty programmes system,” says Mr David Sarfatti, senior working very actively with the that integrate branding and advertising. advisor for UIC’s passenger department. International Association of Public “The transport industry must consider “But with the new platform, it could be Transport (UITP) on this.” the entire transport network holistically, done several times a year, which was However, a key aspect of integrating including both public and private previously only possible nationally, local public transport operators into the modes,” Jochum says. “For the transport which will be very important for the larger OSDM system is the compatibility industry to remain resilient in coping market.” of the ticketing technology in use. “We with increasing demand, it must be able OSDM will also support new need to have the same barcodes present to implement comprehensive, multi- combinations of fares. For example, the on the phone so the client can board the agency, multi-modal responses to purchase of a regional ticket for bus and then take the train seamlessly,” journeys.” immediate travel and the booking of an Sarfatti explains. However, this may be easier said than international service for a week later Sarfatti says the technology could done, with potential challenges to the can be carried out simultaneously. The also be developed to offer intermodal, implementation of intermodal ticketing protocol combines price and sales single-ticket connections with airline including the involvement of multiple, conditions under a single standard, services. UIC is currently collaborating potentially competing stakeholders, and enabling the creation of specifically with the International Air Transport the apportioning of revenue; the need tailored fare combinations. Association (IATA) under a memorandum for common shared technologies and “And the fare will contain this of understanding (MoU) signed in the adaptation of legacy systems; the information and say yes, you’re allowed January 2020 for the development of complexity of business rules; and even to do it, or these conditions are totally multi-modal ticketing options between simply the issue of managing such a forbidden, you cannot combine them,” members of the two organisations. IATA large network. Sarfatti says. “Are you authorised to comprises 290 airlines, representing combine this DB Sparpreis with the approximately 82% of total air traffic. Open sales The International Union of Railways (UIC) is trying to address the technological challenges of intermodal ticketing, and aims to launch its new Open Sales and Distribution Model (OSDM) tariff distribution model from April. OSDM will create a unified standard for European transport tariffs, combining ticket sales, price distribution, sales conditions, reservations and aftercare for the first time on a continent-wide level. The project, jointly managed by UIC, rail companies and ticket vendors, fuses technologies developed through the Full Service Model (FSM) and New Tariff Model (nTM) projects. OSDM comprises two components: = an offline database containing price and tariff data provided by fare providers, designed as a successor to the older Price and Fare Information Storage (PRIFIS) database, and Photo: Shutterstock = an online protocol which retrieves Account-based and tap-on/tap-off fare collection systems have become increasingly popular. IRJ March 2021 49 March Ticketing_Layout 1 02/03/2021 15:26 Page 50

60th Anniversary special | fare collection

Despite enthusiasm worldwide for services and define non-discriminatory = Recognise potential needs for consumer the potential of ticketing technologies contracts for interested resellers. protection: consider the installation of an some warn that the implementation of = Guarantee fairness, rights and ombudsman to oversee the commercial complex systems must be carefully obligations for all: any regulation or digital mobility services market and managed to prevent unforeseen policy initiative must be applicable to deal with malicious practices and consequences. all types of transport operators and not customer protection issues. On February 19, an alliance of UITP, be restricted to public undertakings, “Digital services integrating with the the Polis Network of cities and regions and ensure that all vendors are subject mobility system provide great leverage for innovative transport solutions, and to the same rules and regulations. for more sustainable mobility,” says Mr the European Metropolitan Transport = Forestall market asymmetry through Thomas Geier, research and policy Authorities association (EMTA) signed a data reciprocity: ensure authorities and officer for EMTA. “However, sectors in joint statement calling for a central role operators are allowed to demand travel which digitisation is more advanced for public authorities in the governance data as a condition of providing access have shown that digital service markets of the European Union’s (EU) emerging MaaS system. The three organisations argue that this will ensure that “digital solutions Journey planning tools for passengers across multiple support rather than undermine the key role of public transport as the backbone modes of transport will become a priority as we stop of urban mobility” and that “the rights “ looking at single-mode trips and start looking at entire of all citizens to affordable and accessible public transport services are journeys for travellers. Lauren Jochum not diluted.” The organisations also outline a series of principles in the statement which they say will ensure that this continues to their ticketing system; this data are not spared from considerable to be the case: should flow automatically as opposed deficiencies. Especially in mobility, due = Recognition of local diversity and the to being requested. to the sector’s immense physical principle of ‘subsidiarity’: acknowledge = Investment is proportional with impact, such deficiencies risk and strengthen the role of local, regional expected benefits: do not require undermining societal goals, creating and public transport authorities to achieve transport authorities to make problematic outcomes in cities and goals, employing their experience, local disproportionate investments in regions, if not addressed accordingly.” knowledge and legitimacy as elected infrastructure within a tight time frame; The quest for ever-greater efficiency, officials. financial support must be available to functionality and convenience has = Effective governance: oversight and cover infrastructure investments. driven enhancements in how powers to affect the market should only = Respect the collaborative nature of passengers pay for railway journeys be held by legal and democratically public transport: maintain the right of over the last 60 years. Improving access elected institutions, as well as local and transport authorities to award exclusive and breaking down traditional barriers regional transport authorities. rights and financial compensation to between operators and modes is the = Leverage the fare structure: the EU public transport operators for carrying next big challenge facing railway ticketing. should encourage and enable transport out public service obligations-legislation It is likely that as these changes take authorities to describe the conditions on ticketing should not weaken this hold, and technology continues to evolve, for resale of publicly produced and principle and should recognise the new avenues in railway ticketing and funded transport and infrastructure specific nature of contracts. fare collection will emerge. IRJ March 21 Timeline_Layout 1 02/03/2021 18:04 Page 51

60th Anniversary Special | timeline 60 years of headlines For six decades, IRJ has reported the latest developments in an ever-changing industry. IRJ’s editorial team look back on the key events that have shaped our railways. 1960 1963 October: Pilot issue of IRJ April: China draws up a 15-year published. plan to build 33,000km of new Bids are invited for the lines, which would more than 1966 rehabilitation of an 844km double the size of the 30,203km section of the Hedjaz Railway network. from Ma’an, Jordan, to Medina, May: BR chairman Dr Richard Saudi Arabia. (Only the Beeching publishes his infamous Jordanian section was ever report to close lines, cut rebuilt) passenger services and boost freight with new “liner” trains. 1961 June: Swiss study 45km tunnel January: Publication of IRJ as a to relieve the existing St monthly magazine Gotthard tunnel. The new tunnel begins. will ultimately open in 2016. Uif!28/41!Mf!Bscbmfuf!Usbot!Fvspqf!Fyqsftt!)UFF*!tfswjdf!up![vsjdi bxbjut!efqbsuvsf!gspn!Qbsjt!Ftu!po!Kvof!23!2:77/!Upebz!uiftf!tfswjdft bsf!pqfsbufe!cz!UHWt/ Photo: Brian Stephenson 1964JNR begins drilling pilot March: Europe is about to adopt a standard automatic coupler, shafts for a tunnel under the sea January: but it will cost $US 2bn to implement. (IRJ February p29). between Honshu and Hokkaido. France tests Aérotrain on 6km track. Speed was limited to The British and French June: April: 135km/h on first tests in February, but later trials should reach governments agree to proceed 200km/h. with a railway tunnel under the English Channel. “It seems there may be a considerable 500km Gulf railway from Iraq via Kuwait to join the existing delay before the project is started 1970 Maglev trains could line in Saudi Arabia. February: due to numerous problems be flashing at 500km/h between Construction is approved which still have to be settled.” July: Tokyo and Osaka by 1980 if of a 426km heavy-duty line from : London Transport starts proposals by JNR’s Technical July Port Hedland to Mount Newman driverless operation on a 6.4km Research Institute are accepted. in Western Australia. section of the Central Line. Four US railways merge to Canadian National and New May: : Japan opens New form Burlington Northern. October Haven Railroad prepare to The Soviet Union announces a Tokaido Line, the world’s first Work is to start this launch revolutionary TurboTrains June: 15-20 year railway development high-speed railway. The 515km summer on the first 120km of built by United Aircraft Corp programme including the standard-gauge line linking the Rome - Florence Direttissima, (but they are bedevilled by construction of 19,000km of new Tokyo with Osaka has a Europe’s first high-speed line. numerous technical problems). lines in Siberia. maximum speed of 210km/h. Construction starts Work is underway on October: May: IRJ interviews Dr Richard IRJ’s founder, Robert G Lewis, October: this month of the 1852km the first metro line in Mexico City. Beeching, the new chairman of reports from Japan on this Tanzam from Kapiri Mposhi, the British Transport milestone in railway history. Zambia, to the Tanzanian port of Commission, who says the 1968 Dar es Salaam funded by China. system may not be the right size. 1965 February: The Pennsylvania January: Senator Claiborne Pell Railroad and the New York 1962 proposes the introduction of Central are allowed to merge to 1971 January: The 938km Chihuahua 160km/h services on the Boston form the ill-fated Penn Central. March: German Federal Pacific Railway opens in Mexico, - New York - Washington DC June: Budd emus - later known Railway (DB) approves plans to 62 years after construction started. corridor, similar to that provided as Metroliners - for Penn Central’s build 2200km of fast mainline February: Completion of the on Japan’s New Tokaido Line. New York - Washington DC line track and upgrade 1250km over standard-gauge link in the May: Spanish National Railways reach 270km/h in tests. the next 15 years. Australian state of Victoria cuts (Renfe) launches a $US 1.3bn October: The first section of April: Japan’s Railway the Melbourne - Sydney transit 10-year modernisation London Transport’s automated Construction Council approves time for freight in half. programme. Victoria Line opens. the New Tohoku Line, New August: IRJ reports from Berlin July: German Federal Railway Joetsu Line, and the New Narita on the severing of rail links (DB) launches its first 200km/h 1969 Line (which was never built as a following construction of the service using an E03 locomotive. October: The first 12km section high-speed line). wall separating the two halves of Mexico City’s first metro line May: Amtrak took over the of the city in 1961. 1967 opened in September. operation of about half of the November: The world’s first March: JNR launches construction December: Construction of the remaining long-distance crewless freight trains start of the New Sanyo Trunk Line first 9.6km section of the passenger services in the United operation on a 10km line in from Osaka to Okayama. planned 157km Washington States. Only three railroads Labrador, Canada, hauling crude March: The Arab League metro to start this month continue to operate their own ore 24-hours a day. approves construction of a following Senate approval. passenger services. IRJ March 2021 51 March 21 Timeline_Layout 1 02/03/2021 18:04 Page 52

60th Anniversary Special | timeline

BR unveils its experimental gas- Construction starts in the Soviet April: Canada’s Via Rail takes turbine Advanced Passenger Union of the 3150km Baikal 1977 control of Canadian National’s Train (APT) with a design speed Amur Magistral (BAM). March: Italian president, passenger fleet and takes over of 250km/h. Giovanni Leone, inaugurates the Canadian Pacific passenger November: Krauss-Maffei’s 1975 first section of the Rome - operations in October. linear motor experimental September: China completes its Florence Direttissima between May: Edmonton becomes the Transrapid maglev train reaches first electrification project Rome and Citta della Pieve. first city in North America of 150km/h at its unveiling in covering the 676km Paoki - May: South Korea reveals less than 1 million inhabitants to Munich. The train is designed Chengtu line. proposal for Seoul - Busan open a light rail network. for 500km/h operation. Britain’s Advanced Passenger high-speed line. 1979 February: Groundbreaking ceremonies are held for April: Amtrak announces the the construction of Japan’s New Tohoku and New withdrawal of 43% of its Joetsu lines, while the 181km New Sanyo Line services, covering 19,000 1972 (pictured) is due to open on March 15. route-km. April: Poland starts construction of the first 143km October: The first 8km stretch section of the Central Trunk Line from Radzice of Hong Kong’s Mass Transit south of Warsaw to Zawiercie north of Katowice. Railway opens. The section is The line is designed for 250km/h operation, a speed part of the 15.6km Kwun Tong which trains have yet to reach. Line. May: Munich opens its first S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines on May 28 in preparation for the opening of 1980 the Olympic Games in August. February: Missouri Pacific and BR rolls out a prototype 200km/h diesel High Speed Union Pacific announce plans to Train. merge, creating a 34,000km June: The first two experimental gas-turbine TGVs network. By July railways with designed for 300km/h operation have been handed 191,000 route-km or 63% of the over to French National Railways (SNCF) for US mainline network, are in testing. merger talks as they seek July: The first section of San Francisco’s Bay Area consolidation to improve profits. Rapid Transit (Bart) broad-gauge network is August: The New Zealand scheduled to open on September 1. government agrees to finance December: Construction of Kolkata metro - India’s electrification of the 410km first metro - begins. North Island Trunk Railway between Palmerston North and Train (APT) sets a new British Hamilton Te Rapa. speed record of 243km/h. 1978 Alice Springs joins 1973 Vienna’s first U-Bahn October: Indian Railways begins Construction starts February: March: November: line opens with the launch of Australia’s standard-gauge construction of the 900km of Hong Kong’s Mass Transit services on the Reumannplatz - network with the opening of the Konkan railway. Railway metro. Karlsplatz section of Line U1. 835km line from Tarcoola. April: Feasibility studies are underway for metros in Delhi, 1981 Bombay and Madras. February: An SNCF TGV sets a July: Iscor, South Africa, awards new world speed record of contracts for the construction of 380km/h on the new Sud-Est the 860km Sishen - Saldanha Bay 1976 high-speed line, beating the iron-ore railway. previous record of 331km/h set November: DB starts work on by SNCF in 1955. Hannover - Kassel - Gemunden September: The initial section high-speed line, while China of TGV Sud-Est, France’s first considers construction of a high- high-speed line, is opened by speed line using Japanese President François Mitterrand technology. on September 22. December: Britain’s tilting Advanced Passenger Train (APT) makes its first revenue 1974 Work starts in Brazil on the so-called Steel Railway, a February: A bill is signed by February: run between London and 403km electrified line linking Belo Horizonte and Redonda. President Nixon to merge Glasgow. Production trains are SNCF orders two 10-car pre-series and between 85 and 95 bankrupt railways in the north April: expected to enter service by series-production 260km/h trains from Alsthom and Francorail- east, including Penn Central, to 1984, but technical problems MTE for operation on the new Paris Sud-Est high-speed line to Lyon. set up Consolidated Rail Corp mean the project is eventually German Federal Railway (DB) has the go-ahead to build the 100km (Conrail) to operate them. scrapped. Mannheim - Stuttgart high-speed line. May: Full automated operation starts of the new 50kV ac Black Yugoslavia’s 476km Belgrade - Bar line opens - construction started in 1952. Mesa & Lake Powell Railroad in 1982A consortium of 17 South African Railways starts running export coal trains on January: the US state of Arizona. May: European companies is selected the new line from the Transvaal to Richard’s Bay. August: Soviet State Railways to build the 380km stretch of the Indian Railways inaugurates electric services on the (SZD) starts trials with ER-200, a September: Trans-Gabon Railway from 1441km Delhi - Calcutta line, the first trunk route to be electrified. 200km/h electric train, on the Booué to Franceville. The line is BR launches the world’s fastest diesel service, the Moscow - Leningrad line. November: completed in 1987. 200km/h HST on the London - Bristol/Swansea main line (pictured). October: The 1852km Tanzam The first section of the Fiat’s new tilting Pendolino train is now operating June: (Tazara) Railway opens, two December: Tohoku Shinkansen opens between Rome and Ancona. years ahead of schedule. between Omiya and Morioka. 52 IRJ March 2021 March 21 Timeline_Layout 1 02/03/2021 18:04 Page 53

The regional railway goes on Transport Services runs a 7.3km- 1985 to play a major part in the long, 70,800-tonne iron-ore train February: Following a bidding privatisation of railways in on the 861km Sishen - Saldanha war with Chicago & Northwestern, Britain, New Zealand, and line. The train consists of 660 Soo Line completes its acquisition Australia before it is swallowed wagons hauled by nine 50kV of the ailing Milwaukee Road. up by Canadian National in 2001. electric locomotives and seven Construction begins on France’s May: Fourteen European diesel locomotives. second high-speed line, TGV railways agree to launch the December: A consortium of US Atlantique. EuroCity network of high- and local companies led by Iowa August: Saudi Railways quality international services to Interstate and Techint is named Organisation opens the 310km replace the TEE network. as the first concessionaire to take direct line between Riyadh and November: Singapore opens its over part of the Argentine Al Hufuf, reducing journey first metro with the inauguration Railways (FA) network. times between the capital and of the Yio Chu Kang - Toa Payoh British and French construction Dammam. stretch of the North South line. teams meet under the Channel for the first time on December 1 1986 1988 with the historic breakthrough July: The Japanese Prime January: Britain and France March: Almost 17 years after of the service tunnel. Minister’s Administrative agree to build a rail-only construction started, Japan Reform Council proposes Channel Tunnel. opens the Seikan Tunnel 1991 breaking up the deficit-ridden Commercial services begin on between the islands of Honshu June: DB launches its ICE high- Japanese National Railways Vancouver’s SkyTrain Expo Line and Hokkaido. The 53.85km- speed network between (JNR) into smaller privately-run automated light metro long tunnel reaches a depth of Hamburg, Hannover, Frankfurt, units. JNR lost $US 4.2bn in the August: Albanian Railways is 240m below sea level, making it Stuttgart and Munich. 1981-82 financial year and spent linked to the European network the world’s longest and deepest SNCF orders its first double- $US 2bn servicing its debts. for the first time with the railway tunnel, a title it will deck TGVs in a $US 1.77 billion retain until the opening of the contract with a GEC-Alsthom- Gotthard Tunnel in 2016. led consortium for 45 trains. May: Germany opens its first high-speed line with the start of 1992 services on two sections of the April: King Juan Carlos of Spain 1983 Hannover - Würzburg line. opens the country’s first high- Suburban networks in north and speed line. Construction of the south London are reconnected 471km Madrid - Seville line with the launch of the began in October 1987 and the Thameslink network. line shaves 103km off the July: Sweden becomes the first existing route. country in Europe to separate September: Tram-train services infrastructure and operations, are launched in Karlsruhe using with SJ splitting from newly- 10 dual-voltage Duewag/ABB formed track authority Banverket. LRVs on DB and tram lines. October: Swiss voters approve 1989 the AlpTransit plan for May: Limited public services construction of the Lötschberg March: Egyptian National Railways (ENR) receives its first 10-car begin on the world’s first and Gotthard base tunnels. Turbotrain from ANF-Industrie, France, for operation on Africa’s 300km/h railway. TGV first scheduled 160km/h service, linking Cairo and Alexandria. Atlantique cuts journey times The first VAL automatic metro line is inaugurated in the 1993 April: between Paris and Rennes/ June: Trial operation begins on French city of Lille. Nantes by 40min to 1 hour. the first section of the Shanghai National Railways of Zimbabwe runs its inaugural October: : SJ begins test Metro. Freedom Train service between Gweru and Harare to celebrate the September operation of its first ASEA/ABB September: The New Zealand completion of 25kV electrification on the Dabuka - Harare line. X2 tilting inter-city train, which government announces the sale December: Canada’s first mainline electrification scheme is is marketed as X2000. A fleet of of NZ Rail to a Wisconsin completed when BC Rail opens its new 129km Tumbler Ridge line 43 X2s enter service in Sweden Central-led consortium for in British Columbia (pictured). Sadly traffic never reaches expected from 1990. $US 219 million. levels and the last electrically-hauled train runs in 2000, with the October: JR East is listed on the line closing completely soon after. 1990 Tokyo stock exchange. January: Cash-strapped Via Rail 1984 opening of the 60km line announces plans to slash its May: China approves the between Shkoder and Titograd. network from 38 routes to just upgrading and electrification Services are suspended two 18. The cuts reduce the number of the 630km Datong - years later. of services from 405 to 191. Qinhuangdao Railway, one of May: A shortened TGV the country’s key arteries for 1987 Atlantique train brings SNCF coal traffic. April: After 38 years, Japanese and Alsthom another world Soviet engineers lay the final National Railways is broken up speed record, reaching 515.3km/h. section of track on the 3150km into smaller units as a prelude to The first scheduled inter-city Baikal Amur Magistral (BAM) at privatisation. service between West and East Balbukhta, Siberia. The first train Soo Line sells its 3140km Lake Germany is launched between travels over the whole route a States division to private investors, Frankfurt and Leipzig, Cologne - month later. forming the new Wisconsin Berlin and Leipzig - September: Beijing opens second Central Transportation Nuremberg/Munich. metro line after a 15-year gap. Corporation. August: South African IRJ March 2021 53 March 21 Timeline_Layout 1 02/03/2021 18:04 Page 54

60th Anniversary Special | timeline

July: A Munich - Hamburg ICE August: Alstom is bailed out by crashes killing 98 passengers the French government. 1994 2002Swiss Federal Railways January: DB and DR are unified near Eschede. (A broken tyre is May: Hitachi wins its first (SBB) launches ETCS Level 2 on December: to form German Rail. cited as the cause) European train contract to build a 35km line between Sempach March: Construction starts on GEC Alsthom becomes 30 six-car 225km/h EMUs for August: and Zefingers, the first to enter the 204km Rome - Naples high- Alstom following a successful domestic services on Britain’s HS1. service. speed line. flotation on the New York, 177km Frankfurt - April: Railtrack assumes control London and Paris stock exchanges. August: Cologne high-speed line opens. of British Rail’s infrastructure At FFr 25 bn it is believed to be 2005Iran opens $US 405m Leuven - Liège May: assets, marking the start of the the biggest ever sell-off of a December: 805km Mashhad - Bafq line, well section of Brussels - Frankfurt break-up of the national railway. private company in Europe. ahead of the original 2007 date. high-speed line opens. May: Queen Elizabeth II of Eastern US Class 1 Japan suffers its worst September: Delhi opens its first metro line, June: Britain and French president, railway, Conrail, is taken over by accident since 1963 when a JR an 8.3km stretch from Shahdara François Mitterrand, officially Norfolk Southern and CSX. West EMU derails and hits a to Tis Hazari. open the Channel Tunnel. building near Osaka, killing 107. Freight shuttles begin in June : The first cross-border and car shuttles start in October 1999 October March: DaimlerChrysler buys 2003 ETCS application is activated on October: Plans for a rail link to ABB’s 50% stake in Adtranz for February: Electrification of the the 245km Vienna - Budapest line. Stockholm Arlanda Airport are $US 472 million. Trans-Siberian railway is completed. November: Testing begins on approved. Series 700 Shinkansen train July: Privatisation of the rail the 1142km Qinghai - Tibet November: Eurostar launches enters service achieving speeds network in the Australian state railway which took just four London - Paris/Brussels high- of 280km/h. of Victoria fails. years to build and is the highest speed services. May: Japanese Maglev train September: The southern section railway in the world. reaches 552km/h. of Britain’s 70km High Speed 1 September: Øresund link rail link from the Channel Tunnel to London opens. between Denmark and Sweden 2006 IRJ celebrates the Spain opens the January: is completed. November: success of its campaign to save first section of the Madrid to November: Britain suffers its the Penzance - London Barcelona high-speed line a year worst railway accident in 30 Paddington sleeper service. later than planned. years when 31 people are killed July: Berlin’s new central station, and 520 injured at Ladbroke which provides a high-capacity Grove, near London Paddington. 2004 mainline terminal for the first The accident brings into January: Australia’s 1420km time since World War II, opens. question the priorities of the Alice Springs - Darwin line opens October: Siemens breaks the privatised railway. five months ahead of schedule. world speed record for an February: Bordeaux light rail electric locomotive, reaching 2000 network opens partly utilising 357km/h. March: DM 10bn Maglev Innorail, a ground power supply November: Laos begins project between Berlin and system instead of catenary. construction of its first 3.5km Hamburg is abandoned. May: Europe agrees to the railway link. ERTMS specs agreed. Second Railway Package paving Maglev accident in Germany A double-deck1995 TGV February: : Spain announces the way for open-access freight kills 23 and calls into question is tested for the first time. August Pesetas 19bn investment plan, services and the creation of the the use of the technology and its Burlington September: paving the way for the European Railway Agency. safety credentials. Northern and Santa Fe merge in development of dedicated Korea’s first high-speed line is a $US 4bn deal, while Union December: Taiwan’s first high- 1435mm-gauge high-speed lines. inaugurated between Seoul and Pacific and Southern Pacific also speed line, the 345km Taipei - September: Bombardier agrees Daegu. Kaohsuing link, is inaugurated. merge in a deal worth $US deal to purchase Adtranz for 5.4bn. BNSF and UP are now the $US 725 m. sole Class 1 freight railways in : China builds 305km/h than half a century travel across the western United States. October Blue Arrow, its first high-speed the demilitarised zone between train. North and South Korea. TGV Est, the 300km route 1996Thalys launches high- July: June: 2001 2007 from Paris to Strasbourg, opens speed services between Paris, January: Japan completes - the first in France designed for Brussels and Amsterdam. privatisation of JR East, commercial 320km/h operation. JR East says it has December: JR Central and JR West. The 34.6km Lötschberg base been profitable since 1990 thanks The Acela passenger service is tunnel opens, 24 years after the to privatisation. launched on the United States’ project was originally proposed, northeast corridor. and eight years after construction March: Contract awarded for a began. 1997Fire breaks out on a January: maglev line in Shanghai, China - European Parliament freight shuttle, seriously August: the first and last commercial and Council announce details of damaging the Channel Tunnel. application of German maglev the Third Railway Package Great Belt fixed link between technology. which includes laws to promote eastern and western Denmark July: Reforms of Russian greater competition, opens. Railways (RZD) are approved. interoperability and passenger November: Britain’s private May: French smash world rights. It came into force in 2009. 1998 infrastructure manager Railtrack speed record when a TGV/ December: The northern January: Australia establishes a collapses after amassing debts of AGV hybrid test train reaches section of HS1 opens to a national track authority for the £3.3bn. Network Rail is formed 574.8km/h on TGV Est. substantially rebuilt London St standard-gauge inter-state to take its place in April 2002 as June: The first trains for more Pancras. network. a not-for-profit company. 54 IRJ March 2021 March 21 Timeline_Layout 1 02/03/2021 18:04 Page 55

Train Administration and gradual push to vertical Communications System (Atacs) integration, and calls for the debuts on the Senseki commuter liberalisation of all domestic line in Sendai. passenger markets from 2009 December: Westbahn launches December 2019. Full market open-access services on the opening is not now scheduled Vienna - Salzburg route in direct until 2023. ERA will issue competition with ÖBB. vehicle authorisations, which it assumed for all EU member 2012 states in October 2020. January: The British government March: China abolishes the approves construction of the Ministry of Railways, shifting first 191km phase of HS2 administrative responsibility to between London, Birmingham the State Railways Administration, and Crewe. The cost has since which is part of the Ministry of exploded to more than £80bn. Transport. China Railway January: France announces plans to construct four high-speed Banedanmark selects a joint Corporation is established to lines totalling 699km for a total of ƒ13.4bn. venture of Thales and Balfour operate the national network. March: Hitachi is selected as the preferred bidder for Britain’s IEP Beatty, and Alstom for contracts April: SNCF launches its Ouigo programme, a deal potentially worth £7.5bn. to resignal Denmark’s entire low-cost high-speed service. May: Mr Hartmut Mehdorn resigns from DB amidst an employee 2132km network with ETCS July: A derailment at Santiago spying scandal. He is replaced by Dr Rüdiger Grube. Level 2. The project is now de Compostela, Spain, kills 79 July: Belgium opens a 42km high-speed line from Liège to the scheduled for completion in 2030. people after a high-speed train German border. April: The world’s first open- passes through a curve designed October: Dubai’s first metro line, the Red Line from Emirates to access high-speed operator, NTV for 80km/h at 180km/h. An Rashidiya, is inaugurated. Italo, launches between Milan, investigation found that the November: Sweden launches Trafikverket, a comprehensive Florence, Rome and Naples in accident was caused by driver transport authority. competition with Trenitalia. error and a lack of a functioning December: Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway purchases the May: Fred Green is ousted as onboard ETCS system. remaining 77.4% stake in BNSF for $US 26.6bn. president and CEO of Canadian Three contracts worth $US Russian Railways launches Moscow - St Petersburg Sapsan Pacific (CP), as hedge fund 22.5bn are awarded for the high-speed services (pictured). Pershing Square capital prevails design and construction of the in efforts to reform the Class 1, six-line 176.7km Riyadh Metro. the Daegu - Busan high-speed installing former CN chief, The first lines are due to open 2008 line in Korea, the final section of Hunter Harrison, the pioneer of later this year. June: New Zealand returns Toll, the Seoul - Busan line. Precision Scheduled Railroading October: Turkey inaugurates the country’s largest rail operator, The 124km Madrid - Valencia (PSR). Harrison is installed as the 13.3km Marmaray tunnel to state ownership. Toll becomes high-speed line opens. CEO of CSX in 2017 as PSR beneath the Bosphorus, KiwiRail in November. Helsinki - St Petersburg Allegro expands across the Class 1s. connecting the Asian and Argentina signs contract with Pendolino service starts. ETCS Level 3 enters operation European sides of Istanbul by Alstom-led Veloxia consortium on the Västerdal freight line in rail for the first time. for the proposed 710km Buenos 2011 Central Sweden. It remains the December: EC adopts the É1bn Aires - Rosario - Cordoba high- March: Major earthquake in only commercial deployment of Shift2Rail public-private seven- speed line. The economic crisis northeastern Japan causes the moving block technology. year research project through means the project fails to secure widespread disruption to September: The European Court which the EC more than triples funding. Tohoku Shinkansen. of Justice rules in favour of the its funding for railway research. August: China opens 115km May: DB and Siemens sign a integrated railway structure Beijing - Tianjing high-speed contract worth up to É6bn for adopted by DB and ÖBB. 2014 line, its first 350km/h railway. ICx long-distance trains, which December: Siemens announces January: A 1500m freight train Beijing opens three metro lines would later be branded ICE4. plans to purchase Invensys Rail operates in Europe for the first ahead of Olympic Games. The first train enters service in for $US 2.8bn. time as part of the Marathon September: A collision in Los September 2016. project. Angeles claims 25 lives after a June: Chinese premier, Mr Wen 2013 March: JR East’s first battery Metrolink commuter train Jiabo, inaugurates the 1318km January: Perpignan - Figueres EMU enters service on the partly collides with a Union Pacific Beijing - Shanghai high-speed 1435mm-gauge line opens across electrified line between freight train, prompting federal line. Construction on the $US the France-Spain border. Utsunomiya and Karasuyama. legislation mandating the rollout 34bn project began in 2008 and EC unveils the Fourth Railway June: Mumbai opens its first of Positive Train Control across was completed ahead of Package, which breaks from the metro line, the first in India to the United States. schedule. use a PPP model. July: A crash at Wenzhou, China, General Electric buys Alstom’s 2010 in which 40 people died, is the power division, with Alstom May: DB takes over British operator first fatal accident on a high- purchasing GE’s railway Arriva, which has passenger speed railway and prompts the signalling division. operations in five countries. Chinese government to review July: The 245km Eskisehir - July: CSR unveils 380km/h high-speed train operation, Istanbul section of the 533km train CR380A, and the 301km cutting the maximum speed Ankara - Istanbul high-speed Shanghai - Nanjing 350km/h from 350km/h to 300km/h. line opens. Trains beneath the line opens. August: Turkey opens its second Bosphorous are introduced August: Thirteen EU states face high-speed line, the 212km link following the completion of the court over liberalisation failures from Ankara to Konya. reconstruction of Gebze - Istanbul under the terms agreed in the Jerusalem opens the 13.8km Red - Halkali line in March 2019. First Rail Package. Line, the city’s first light rail line. August: Kazakhstan opens the December: Services begin on October: JR East’s Advanced 988km east-west Kezkazgan - IRJ March 2021 55 March 21 Timeline_Layout 1 02/03/2021 18:04 Page 56

60th Anniversary Special | timeline

Shalkar - Beinue, and 214km - Gwanju high-speed line. the Hbujnbbo service from Delhi transition to the entirely north-south Arkalyk - Shubarkol August: Wabtec agrees $US 1.8bn to Agra, its first 160km/h automated operation of its lines. deal to acquire Faiveley Transport. passenger train. 1500km iron-ore railway in the October: Vienna inaugurates September: CRRC breaks June: Switzerland inaugurates Pilbara region of Western Australia. new É987m Main Station. ground on Springfield, the 57.1km Gotthard Base Tunnel, September: CRRC Zhuzhou The governments of Estonia, Massachusetts, plant. the world’s longest tunnel. agrees to buy Vossloh Locomotives. Latvia, and Lithuania establish November: 11 people die in an Construction of the É25bn December: China opens the RB Rail, which will oversee accident during testing of the Grand Paris orbital express 174km Beijing North - construction of the 728km Rail TGV-Est high-speed line between metro network begins. Zhangjiakou line, the world’s Baltica standard-gauge project, Paris and Strasbourg following a : Nigeria inaugurates the first automated high-speed line. July

which will open in 2026. derailment at Eckwersheim, 185.5km Abuja - Kaduna standard Featuring: Philippe CitroënJosef Doppelbauer Howard Collins Unife ERA Sydney TrainsJoão Alberto AbreuNick Brooks AllRail Etihad Rail launches trial 12km north of Strasbourg. gauge line. Michael PeterRumo Matthias Müller François Davenne Siemens Flixtrain Marco D’AngeloUIC Libor Lochman Norimichi Kumagai CUTA CER Conor Feighan RTRI operation of the 264km Shah - Hitachi concludes deal with : China’s high-speed ERFA September January 2020 www.railjournal.com| Volume 60 Issue 1 | @railjournal Habshan - Ruwais line, the Finmeccanica to purchase network surpasses the 20,000km IRJInternational Railway Journal UAE’s first railway. AnsaldoBreda and Ansaldo STS. mark with the opening of the December: China’s CNR and Indian Railways finalises orders 360km Zhengzhou - Jiangsu line. The Railway in CSR agree terms of merger, with GE and Alstom worth a The Moscow Central Ring which will create CRRC, the combined Rs 450bn to purchase railway is opened by Russian world’s largest railway 1800 locomotives, which will be president, Vladimir Putin. equipment supplier. manufactured at two new plants October: The 752km Ethiopia - 2020 in the country. Djibouti electrified standard- 2015 December: Germany’s É2.74bn gauge line is inaugurated. January: California officially Erfurt - Leipzig/Halle high- Austrian Federal Railways breaks ground on the Central speed is inaugurated. (ÖBB) and DB reveal plans for Valley section of the high-speed ÖBB to take over several night- project, although construction is 2016 train routes in Germany. Looking ahead to a new decade in rail transport underway on a 45km section of January: Construction begins on the Fresno - Madera line. Indonesia’s first high-speed line 2018 2020 February: Cosan Logistics’ $US between Jakarta and Bandung. January: Privately owned US February: China National 3bn takeover of Brazilian rail The line is scheduled to open in operator Brightline launches Railway (CR) reports year-on- freight operator Latin American the second half of 2021. services between West Palm year reductions in passenger Logistic (ALL) through its Rumo March: High-speed services on beach and Fort Lauderdale. traffic of more than 80% as the Logistics subsidiary is approved. the 148.8km Hokkaido February: Govia Thameslink government tries to curb the March: The 228km Hokuriku Shinkansen from Shin-Aomori Railway, in cooperation with spread of Covid-19 following an Shinkansen from Nagano to via the 53.8km Seikan tunnel to Network Rail and Siemens, outbreak in Wuhan, which Kanazawa opens. Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto begin. operates a train in passenger results in a city-wide lockdown. MTR Express begins operating Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent service using ATO GoA 2 over Two drivers are killed and 31 Stockholm - Gothenburg announces plans to close its ETCS. people are injured when a services in competition with SJ. 90km tram network and sell its July: Cambodia’s Phnom Penh - Trenitalia ETR 1000 high-speed April: KTX Honam services fleet of 80 trams. Thai border line reopens after 45 train derails south of Milan, the begin on Korea’s 182.3km Osong April: Indian Railways launches years. first fatal accident involving a September: Saudi Arabia commercially operated inaugurates the 453km Haramain European high-speed passenger high-speed line from Mecca to train on a high-speed line. Medina. March: The Covid-19 pandemic The first two Coradia iLint sparks national lockdowns 2017 hydrogen multiple units (HMU) across the world. Passenger rail enter service in Lower Saxony, traffic plummets by up to 95% as the first time that hydrogen- governments step in to prop up powered trains have been used ailing operators and transit for commercial passenger services. authorities. Passenger numbers October: Transnet Freight Rail remain suppressed for the (TFR), South Africa, completes a remainder of the year and in successful test run with a 375- early 2021. wagon train, with the 4km-long September: Switzerland train carrying 22,500 tonnes of officially opens the 15.4km manganese ore. Ceneri Base Tunnel ahead of the February: Saudi Railway Company (SAR) launches passenger November: The 183km Tangiers start of passenger services in services on the Riyadh - Al Qassim section of the North-South - Kenitra high-speed line is December. Railway. officially launched. Africa’s first December: Rollout of Positive May: The inaugural service on Kenya’s 472.3km Standard Gauge high-speed railway cost É1.8bn Train Control (PTC) is completed Railway from Nairobi to Mombasa is flagged off. and took seven years to build. on all 92,575 required freight July: SNCF opens two extensions to its TGV Atlantique network: and passenger railway route-km, TGV Océane from Tours to Bordeaux and TGV Bretagne-Pays de 2019 which is used by 41 railways la Loire from Le Mans to Rennes. February: Wabtec completes including Amtrak and all seven August: The Karlsruhe - Basle Rhine Valley line is closed $US 11.1bn takeover of GE Class 1s. following the collapse of the line at Rastatt, causing widespread Transportation The Singapore - Kuala Lumpur disruption to European rail freight services. March: Jakarta opens 15.7km high-speed project is cancelled. October: A ceremony is held at the Port of Baku to mark the metro Line 1. official completion of the 826km Kars - Tbilisi - Baku railway. May: Denmark opens the 2021 December: The final section of the 623km Berlin - Erfurt - Copenhagen - Ringsted line, the January: Alstom completes its Nuremberg - Munich high-speed line opens. country’s first high-speed railway. acquisition of Bombardier June: Rio Tinto completes the Transportation. IRJ 56 IRJ March 2021 Mar Ad Index_Ad Index 02/03/2021 11:30 Page 57

Contacts | editorial Fresh faces

Mr John Larkinson has been confirmed as CEO of 46 Killigrew Street, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3PP, UK Britain’s Office of Rail and Road (ORR), after holding Tel +44 1326 313945 the role on an interim basis since October 2018. Larkinson Editor-in-Chief Kevin Smith MA [email protected] is an economist by background, spending most of his Consulting Editor/Associate Publisher career in a range of transport-related posts in David Briginshaw CMILT [email protected] consultancy and central government, including as News & Features Writer David Burroughs [email protected] director of network regulation and affordability at the News & Features Writer Oliver Cuenca [email protected] former Strategic Rail Authority. Production Manager Sue Morant [email protected] Mr Daniel Schafer has been appointed as the new Regional editors CEO of BLS, effective from September 1, following the resignation of Mr Bernard Guillelmon in October Australia Tony Duboudin [email protected] 2020. Schafer has served as CEO of energy and water Chile Ian Thomson Newman [email protected] utility company Energie Wasser Bern since 2008, and David Haydock [email protected] France previously held a number of different positions at Germany Keith Fender [email protected] Italy Marco Chiandoni Tel +39 347 4413235 [email protected] Alstom Hydro Schweiz. Japan Yoshihiko Sato Tel +81 3 5721 6616 [email protected] New Zealand Richard Worrall [email protected] Spain Ferran Torga [email protected] Letters USA/Canada William C Vantuono Tel +1 212 620 7240 [email protected] Correspondents No silver bullet to increase rail’s market share (IRJ January 2021, p24) Austria Erwin Reidinger Israel Jeremaya Goldberg Sir, to use an old expression, this headline “hit the nail on the head!” Brazil Renata Passos Korea Andy Tebay Although worthwhile, the five initiatives mentioned in this article Denmark Denis Bowers Netherlands Quintus Vosman will not, by themselves, significantly increase rail freight’s market Eastern Europe Roma Nazarov Pakistan Rashid Ali share. When addressing the freight market, it is important to Hungary Ferenc Joo Poland Mykola Zasiadko remember that freight shippers make the modal choice. Above all India Srinand Jha Ukraine Alexander Kava else, shippers want reliable, seamless siding-to-siding/dock-to-dock services. Trucks meet this requirement, rail in general, does not; thus trucks handle 76% of the tonne-km versus 18% for rail. Executive offices Another important fact is that freight, unlike passenger, is largely an international business. This means that over 1000 interdependent Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp service providers (operators, infrastructure managers etc) must 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005, USA harmonise their business processes in order to meet shipper needs. Tel +1 212 620 7200 Fax +1 212 633 1165 But rather than being harmonised, each of these service providers President & Chairman A J McGinnis currently use their own unique business processes resulting in poor Publisher, Rail Group Jonathan Chalon service and low productivity. Circulation Director Maureen Cooney [email protected] Perhaps you can start a dialogue with key stakeholders on this fundamental issue that is essential to market share gains for rail freight.

Contacts | advertising Eldon Horsman Canada For all areas except those listed below contact: Jerome Marullo, Business Development Manager Advertisers Index Tel +41 732 887 5562 [email protected] 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005, USA

Austria, Germany, German-speaking Switzerland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, DB Engineering & Consulting 11 Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. Michael Boyle, Dorfstrasse 70, 6393 St Ulrich, Austria Device Technologies 50 Tel +43 676 708 9872 and +49 163 830 8088 [email protected] Goldschmidt Holding IFC ITALY & Italian-speaking Switzerland Hitachi-Johnson Controls 15 Dr Fabio Potestà, Elda Guidi Mediapoint & Communications srl, Corte Lambruschini, IRJ Pro 35 Corso Buenos Aires 8, Vo Piano, Int 7, 16129 Genova, Italy Kago 9 Tel +39 010 570 4948 Fax +39 010 553 0088 [email protected] Kirow 41 JAPAN Katsuhiro Ishii, Ace Media Service Inc Knorr-Bremse 5 12-6, 4-chome, Nishiiko Adachi-ku, Tokyo 121-0824, Japan Kontron 31 Tel +81 3 5691 3335 Fax +81 3 5691 3336 [email protected] Linsinger 45 CHINA and AL, KY, TN Jonathan Chalon, 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005, USA Matisa 47 Tel 212 620 7224 [email protected] Pandrol 13 AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NM, Plasser & Theurer BC NV, OH, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan) PowerRail 23 Heather Disabato (Chicago Office) Tel 312 683 5026 hdisabato@sbpub- Chicago.com Progress Rail 29

CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT, Speno 43 WV, Canada (Ontario, Quebec & Eastern Canada) Stadler 37 Jerome Marullo, 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005, USA Tel 212 620 7260/732 887 5562 [email protected] Trinity IBC

Classified Advertising Sales Ultimate Europe 19 Jennifer Izzo (New York) Tel 212 779 7172 [email protected] Wago 7

IRJ March 2021 57 March TLW_Layout 1 26/02/2021 12:16 Page 58

The last word | IRJ @ 60 Celebrating 60 years of railway publishing To mark IRJ’s 60th anniversary, David Briginshaw takes a look behind the scenes to chart the major changes in the way the magazine is produced and the development of IRJ’s website and railway data service, IRJ Pro.

WO farsighted and well- ears on the ground. This is still face-to-face interviews, Modern desk-top publishing travelled Americans - the the case today despite the rise railway managers have often has cut the production time lateT Robert (Bob) Lewis and of the internet. gone out of their way to show dramatically, reduced the Luther Miller, who edited The way we gather news us the working railway, opportunity for errors and Railway Age - first came up has changed radically. Initially, including visits to signalling allowed the magazine to be far with the idea to publish a news arrived by mail or the control centres, workshops, more topical. Of course, our magazine for the global occasional telegram, stations and cab rides ranging digital edition now means railway industry. They were supplemented by trips abroad from the first scheduled TGV readers can access the both strong believers in a to interview senior players in service in France to an magazine as soon as it is future for rail transport at a the industry or attend events. inspection trolley in published. time when rail was rapidly The ability to telephone Zimbabwe. I have also visited The internet has also losing ground to road and air. abroad without the need to many construction sites transformed the way we A pilot issue of IRJ was book a call via the operator including tunnels and bridges. gather and disseminate news - produced in 1960 and was combined with the arrival of a I remember stepping across the only limitation is our well received by delegates telex machine were the first voids on the lower railway ability to interpret the news as attending three congresses. signs of progress in deck of the Tagus suspension it arrives and present in a way This gave our publisher, telecommunications. A tape bridge in Lisbon, or being clad that is easy to understand by Simmons-Boardman Publishing with punched holes was in white overalls for a visit to readers around the world. We Corporation in New York, the produced in order to send the new Eole RER line in Paris. also benefit from the fact that confidence to start monthly telexes quickly, and it was English has become a world publication in January 1961. possible to telex live which language, which was not the The magazine was initially was usually reserved for The computer era case in 1982 when I joined IRJ. edited in Netherlands, before booking hotel rooms or The way IRJ is produced has IRJ has always had to adapt moving to Britain where it has arranging meetings. changed radically. It used to be to changes in the market, such been produced ever since. IRJ journalists never left the a laborious process involving as the huge contraction in the IRJ has only had three long- office for a trip abroad without many stages. Copy written on number of manufacturers, term editors: John (Jack) Levitt a sheaf of telexes confirming a typewriter would then be which has impacted advertising from the early years until his hotel reservations and retyped on a photo-type- and revenue. The launch of IRJ sudden death in December appointments. Not that this setting machine to produce Pro, our subscription database 1981, followed by Mike was fool proof. A booking for galleys which would be cut up business, has allowed us to Knutton until I took over in a hotel in Copenhagen turned and pasted onto large sheets of expand the business. 2001. I edited IRJ until last out to be a Chinese restaurant paper, together with bromides Coronavirus has stopped all year when I handed over the on one trip, while I had to of scanned photos and travel for the time being reins to Kevin Smith, who has spend the night on a camp bed transparencies. This would forcing us, like everyone else, been with IRJ for 11 years. in the manager’s office of a then be reproduced at a repro to use programs like Zoom. IRJ’s mission was and hotel in Ankara on another house and sent back for IRJ has always been remains to enable the railway occasion because the hotel approval. Every step was an fortunate to have a loyal community to exchange ideas, receptionist denied all opportunity for errors. In the readership, and this has given share experiences, and solve knowledge of the booking. early days, colour was usually us the confidence to start problems for the betterment of IRJ has always been held in limited to one colour in a charging for access to the rail transport, while reporting high regard and I have often section of the magazine, while news, features and opinion on current events and trends. been delighted by the full colour required long-term pieces on our website. All IRJ’s editorial team has generosity shown to us by planning and the use of a businesses have to adapt to always been supported by railways during a visit to a specialist company. Finally a survive, and IRJ will continue correspondents around the particular country. Apart from set of films would be shipped to do so with your continued world who act as our eyes and taking the time to conduct to the printer. support. IRJ

29/01/2021 11:43 Page 1

February 2021 | Volume 61 Issue 2 www.railjournal.com | @railjournal

IRJInternational Railway Journal

TheRiyadh metrohome nears stretch completion

A new player in town Digital coupling Ilsa prepares to launch Spanish Establishing the framework high-speed service in 2022 for a revolution in rail freight

Exclusive: Alstom CEO talks Bombardier takeover

58 IRJ March 2021 IRJMARXX (Trinity)_Layout 1 17/02/2021 09:37 Page 1 IRJMARXX (Plasser)_Layout 1 08/02/2021 11:09 Page 1

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