News
European system for rolling stock approvals was made on June 10, when the EU Transport Council adopted a ‘general approach’ on new rules which will introduce a single European authorisation for placing into service (APS) railway vehicles. The proposals are a key part
Standardised rolling stock approvals edge closer A
MAJOR step towards creating a standardised
of the recast of the European Directive for Interoperability, which if approved by the European Parliament would give the European Railway Agency (ERA) a central role in the APS process for rolling stock in all member states. The European Directive for the Interoperability of Railways, as proposed in the Fourth Railway Package, aims to remove technical and administrative barriers in the railway industry, supporting the European Commission’s strategic goal of creating a Single European Railway Area. While the Transport Council
agreed on the proposals, some minor amendments were tabled by member states. These include the concept of defining an ‘area of use’ for a particular vehicle, and the option for national safety authorities to authorise vehicles for use in only one member state. The transitional period for implementing the proposals has been extended. A key question now will be whether the EC should keep the Fourth Railway Package as one, or separate it into the parts which can be easily and quickly approved and others which need more discussion and elaboration. The European Parliament is due to vote on the recast Interoperability Directive in November. Last month four European railway associations plus the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) called on the EU to speed up rolling stock certification, which they say is too costly and harming rail’s competitive position.
“The overall authorisation
process for vehicles in Europe can last longer than two years, immobilising assets worth ƒ1.2bn that are waiting for authorisation and cannot be put in service,” say the UITP, the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), the Association of the European Rail Industry (Unife), the International Union of Wagon Keepers (UIP), and the European Passenger Train and Traction Operating Lessors Association (Epitola) in a joint statement. “The authorisation and certification processes must be simplified as quickly as possible and the ERA must become a one-stop-shop for certification.” The group calls for a plan to expand the competencies of ERA so that it can issue a single safety certificate and vehicle authorisation, rather than having to obtain authorisation for operation in individual member states.
Argentina revokes ALL concessions
CHSRA awards first civil works contract
C
ALIFORNIA High Speed Rail Authority’s (CHSRA)
board unanimously approved a $US 985.1m bid from a California-based joint venture of Tutor Perini, Zachary and Parsons on June 7 to carry out civil works on the initial 48.3km Madera - Fresno section of the state’s high- speed network.
The bid was the lowest of the five submitted for the contract in January, well below the expected $US 1.2-1.4bn price tag, but had the lowest technical and safety ratings of those submitted. In April it was revealed that the authority changed its rules for selecting a bidder without approval from the board which would allow it to choose the cheapest bid. CHSRA said at the time it was concerned that the previous methodology, which would consider only the three bids with the highest technical ratings “could have left hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on the table.” However, following a session of questions from the board to CHSRA staff, members were satisfied and voted 6-0 to accept the bid, with board chairman Mr Dan Richard abstaining because he had previously worked for one of the companies involved.
South Africa plans high-speed study
T T
HE Argentine government announced on June 3 that
it will revoke the two 30-year concessions held by Latin American Logistics (ALL) to operate the former San Martin and Mesopotámico freight networks, which cover a total route length of more than 10,000km. “We have found several
irregularities in the contract, and ALL has failed to make the required investments in infrastructure and rolling
8
stock,” says minister of transport Mr Florencio Randazzo. However, in a statement
ALL said it had not received any official confirmation of the termination from the Argentine government, although it intends to take “all necessary legal measures” when the decision is formally confirmed.
The government claims that
ALL has carried out only 9.75% of the works required in
the contract and has accumulated debts of nearly Pesos 237m ($US 44m). Last year the government initiated a full audit of the ALL Central and ALL Mesopotámico networks, which despite their size carry just five million tonnes of freight per year. Last year ALL announced plans to sell its Argentine concessions to the Italian- Argentine Techint Group, although the negotiations ultimately came to nothing.
ENDERS will be invited later this year by South Africa’s Department of Transport to conduct a study into the likely cost and feasibility of building high- speed lines between the country’s main cities. The announcement was made at the end of May by Mr Mawethu Vilana, deputy director-general for integrated transport planning with the Department of Transport. Trains could run at up to 400km/h to achieve journey times which would be competitive with air. Johannesburg is 722km from Durban making it a likely priority for high-speed rail.
IRJ July 2013
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