News
Greece launches Trainose privatisation G
REECE’s Hellenic Republic Asset
Development Fund (HRADF) launched an international tender last month for the privatisation of state-owned train operator Trainose. Trainose was established in 2005 as a subsidiary of Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) before becoming a stand-alone company in December 2008. It is currently the only freight and passenger operator on the Greek mainline network. Rolling stock, which is still owned by OSE, will be transferred to government ownership, while an independent company called Rosco will be set up to maintain the fleet. Rosco will initially be 100% state-owned, although in the longer-term the government intends to sell all of its shares in the company.
Prior to the completion of the tendering process, Trainose
will enter into a five-year public service obligation (PSO) contract with the Greek government, which will be worth up to ƒ50m per year. It will also sign track access and rolling stock leasing agreements with OSE, and a
long-term train maintenance contract with Rosco. The bidding process will be split into two phases, starting with the submission of expressions of interest. Following the completion of the first phase and the
Brazilian open-access project moves forward B
RAZIL’s National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) has published the results of a public consultation on the planned 457km Açailândia - Maranhão - Pará line, which will be one of the first railways in the country to operate on an open-access basis.
The studies will now be sent to National Accounts Tribunal (TCU) in preparation for the tendering of the project, which is scheduled for October 18. The Reais 3.25bn ($US
ORTHEAST Indiana Passenger Rail
1.44bn) railway is part of the 11,000km of new lines proposed by the federal government in its Logistics Investment Programme (PIL). The project will include the
construction of 70 major structures, and the line will primarily carry bulk iron-ore, grain, and bauxite traffic, although it may also carry other commodities such as petroleum, sugar, corn, ethanol, and soya. The railway will pass
Association (Nipra) has released a business plan laying the groundwork for a regional passenger rail corridor linking Columbus, Ohio, and Chicago via Fort Wayne, Indiana. Under the proposal, which involves upgrading the existing CSX freight line, the route would be served by 12 passenger trains per day, including at least six fast
6
services. With modern diesel trains operating at speeds of up to 177km/h, the journey time for the 483km trip between Chicago and Columbus would be 3h 45min for express services and four hours for stopping trains. Track improvements in a potential future phase would support operation at up to 209km/h, trimming the Chicago - Columbus express journey to just 3h 20min.
selection of prequalified bidders, HRADF will launch the second phase, which will involve the submission of binding financial offers by shortlisted investors. The closing date for expressions of interest is September 2.
through 11 towns in the states of Maranhão and Pará, with a maximum line speed of 80km/h. The successful bidder must complete construction within four years of signing the contract, and will be responsible for managing and maintaining the infrastructure for a period of 35 years. Brazil’s federal railway engineering and construction company Valec will be responsible for allocating capacity on the new line.
Columbus - Chicago passenger rail study published N
The total cost of the scheme will be around $US 1.29bn, and the project is expected to generate economic benefits worth $US 6.2bn over 30 years, with a benefit-cost ratio of 1.71. The analysis also shows that private operation would be viable without government subsidies, and the service is expected to carry more than two million passengers per year within two years of the start of operations.
Canada bans one- person train crews
T
RANSPORT Canada is to ban one-person train
crews in response to the derailment and explosion of an oil train at Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, on July 6, which killed at least 47 people. Transport Canada also said trains with dangerous goods would not be allowed to be left unattended on main lines, and that hand brakes must be applied to trains left for one hour or more.
As IRJ went to press,
Transport Canada had still to establish the cause of the Lac- Mégantic derailment, although failure to apply a sufficient number of hand brakes is still suspected. The Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the accident, has asked for changes in regulations on rail traffic. The authority is also giving rail operators five days to ensure nobody without authorisation can enter the cab of unattended locomotives on main lines or sidings.
IRJ August 2013
Photo: Keith Fender
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