News
Australia considers high-speed future T
Mark Carter Regional editor
HE Australian government has released its long-awaited Stage 2 study into options for a future high- speed rail link between the major cities on the country’s east coast.
The study estimates the cost of building a 1748km line linking Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne at $A 114bn ($US 120bn), with an expectation that the government would be required to fund most of the upfront capital cost. It would be built as an electrified, standard-gauge, double-track line with a maximum operating speed of
350km/h. A contributing factor to the significant projected cost is the need for approximately 144km of tunnels, nearly half of which would be under Sydney and surrounding districts. Federal transport minister Mr Anthony Albanese says the report is more than just a feasibility study. “This work has detailed designs, right down to the stations with estimates on costs and benefits, construction schedules, patronage predictions, environmental implications and, importantly, a proposed optimum route,” he says. The study envisages that
construction of the first stage between Sydney and Canberra would not commence until
2027 and operations would begin in 2035, giving a travel time of 1h 4min for the 280km journey. An extension to Melbourne would open five years later with a journey time of 2h 44min for the 844km Sydney - Melbourne journey. A full east coast route linking Brisbane and Melbourne would not be completed until 2058.
The study concludes that once fully operational, up to 84 million passengers would be carried each year. While no funding
commitment has yet been made, Albanese has indicated he will initiate a comprehensive programme of public
consultation and debate on the role high-speed rail could play
in Australia’s transport future. “My department’s HSR Unit is also embarking on detailed consultations with industry, local governments and community groups,” he says. “I am also establishing a high- level HSR Advisory Group to work along with the HSR Unit in directly advising the government on key industry and community issues arising out of the report.”
The minister will also be writing to the state premiers of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, as well as the Australian Capital Territory chief minister, seeking their formal views on the report and assistance in safeguarding land along the proposed route.
Etihad Rail receives first EMD locomotives: The first two of seven locomotives ordered by Etihad Rail from EMD arrived at Mussafah Port in the United Arab Emirates on April 10. The locomotives follow Etihad Rail’s first covered hopper wagons supplied by CSR, China, which arrived in December 2012. The SD70ACS locomotives are designed to withstand the harsh desert climate and keep carbon emissions to a minimum. The units will haul trains of 110 wagons carrying up to 11,000 tonnes of granulated sulphur on a 264km new line being built from Shah and Habshan to the port of Ruwais.
Thailand to establish rail investment body Austria opens Ybbs - Amstetten HSL A
T
HE THAI government has announced plans to
establish a railway investment and regulation unit, taking over functions currently managed by State Railway of Thailand (SRT).
The Department of Rail
Transport (DRT) will be part of the Transport Ministry and is expected to take 18 months to set up. Ministers still have to decide whether ownership of infrastructure should remain with SRT or transfer to the new organisation. SRT will still be responsible for implementing infrastructure projects and around 1000 track staff will
4
remain with the railway. The proposals will be put
before the Public Transport Development Commission within the next six months, before being submitted to parliament for approval. Outlining the restructuring plan, permanent secretary for transport Mr Wichean Potephosree said that the creation of the DRT would ease the future debt burden on SRT as Thailand steps up rail investment. The government is planning to borrow up to Baht 2 trillion ($US 65bn) to fund infrastructure projects over the next seven years, of which 80% will be allocated to rail.
USTRIAN Federal Railways (ÖBB)
celebrated another landmark in the four-tracking of the Westbahn between Vienna and Linz on April 2 with the opening of the 16.7km Ybbs - Amstetten high-speed line. The ƒ490m line closes the gap between the Linz - Amstetten and Ybbs - St Pölten - Vienna high-speed sections of the Westbahn. The new alignment includes the 2.2km Burgstaller Tunnel, which passes beneath the existing line and the A1 highway. This is necessary as the high-speed line west of Amstetten runs to the north of the existing line,
while east of Ybbs the new alignment is to the south. The new line is designed for 250km/h operation, although initially trains will run at no more than 200km/h.
Blindenmarkt and Neumarkt/ Ybbs stations have been completely rebuilt as part of the project, and the old alignment has now been closed for upgrading, which will be completed in 2015. This leaves just the eastern
end of Amstetten station to be rebuilt and with completion of this project in 2016 the entire Vienna - Linz line will be four tracks with two conventional and two high-speed tracks.
IRJ May 2013
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60