Rail Middle East SPECIALREPORT
JANUARY - MARCH, 2012
GREEN LINE
METRO AWARD
BOMBARDIER IN
EtihadRail
SAUDI ARABIA
UAE'S NATIONAL RAILWAY
CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION MARCH 3, 2011
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RAIL MIDDLE EAST
EDITORIAL
Executive Editor Patrick Michael Supplements Editor Suchitra Steven Samuel Reporting Anil Kumar Vijayan
PRODUCTION
Layingdowntracks tothefuture
Designers Mohammad Ejaz Khan Sidharthan Imaging Venugopal Prabhu
The UAE and GCC countries are undertaking several initiatives in cooperation with organisations around the world to establish and improve the railway system as a convenient mode of transport in and around the region
ADVERTISING
Etihad Rail – the developer and operator of the UAE’ s national railway network – has selected Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), one of the world’s largest builders of diesel-electric locomotives, to design and manufacture seven heavy haul freight locomotives for delivery by 2012. A ‘momentous milestone for the Dh40-billion project, the locomotives contract award is perfectly timed to support Etihad Rail’s inaugural service in Abu Dhabi’s western region and reflects the requirement that the UAEwide project will have the first trains running on schedule in 2013′. Following a competitive tender process, Etihad Rail awarded the contract to the US-based company, a leader in the construction of dieselelectric locomotives for all commercial railroad applications including intercity passenger, commuter, freight, industrial, and mining. EMD will design, manufac-
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ture, deliver, test and commission locomotives for stage 1 of the Etihad Rail network, running from Shah to Ruwais. Highlighting the award, Etihad Rail CEO Richard Bowker said: “We are excited to be working with Electro-Motive Diesel as we are confident that they will be able to provide stage 1 of our railway with locomotives designed and engineered to withstand the demanding climatic conditions of this region. Etihad Rail seeks to offer faster, safer, more reliable and more environmentally sustainable services compared to alternative transport systems. “With the expertise of EMD, our locomotives will incorporate the latest emissions compliance technology, enabling the Etihad Rail network to provide many environmental benefits in addition to the positive economic and social impact rail brings as a whole.” Etihad Rail will develop a 266 km-route in the western region that will facilitate trains
transporting up to 22,000 tonnes of granulated sulphur daily from sources in Shah and Habshan for export abroad through the port of Ruwais. This route marks the first phase of the 1,200 km mixedtraffic network that will span across the Emirates, providing a modern, safe, and efficient method of transport for both freight and passengers. The Etihad Rail network will also link the UAE to Saudi Arabia via Ghweifat in the west and Oman via Al Ain in the east. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the vote of confidence placed in EMD by Eithad Rail,” said Glen Lehmann, Chief Marketing Officer, International, for EMD. “The SD70ACS locomotive model is a service-proven locomotive having shown its performance in the most challenging operating conditions on earth. We look forward to proving it out again in partnership with Etihad Rail.”
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RAIL MIDDLE EAST
Proposed Gulf Railway may become reality soon Lloyd’s Register EMEA has been appointed by Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway, as the independent safety assessor (ISA) for the extensive 1,200 km rail line to be constructed across the region, stretching from the Arabian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. As the ISA, Lloyd’s Register will help to ensure the safety of passengers, operating staff and members of the public at every stage of the railway’s development, from design through to the commencement of stage-one freight services in 2014 and the addition of passenger services during stages two and three. Lloyd’s Register, renowned for its risk-management ex-
pertise, will conduct full assessments and audits of the engineering system’s safety plans, processes, activities and documentation during the design, manufacture, installation, testing and trial operations. The assessment will also cover the operator’s performance once services commence. The railway is expected to form the backbone of a new national network linking the region’s principal industrial and commercial centres. It will also be an important part of the proposed 2,000 km Gulf Railway that will connect the six member states of the Gulf Co-operation Council. The route mainly will be double-tracked and open to
passenger and freight use. Passenger services are expected to reach speeds of up to 200 km/h, while the twinstack container freight services will offer a maximum speed of 120 km/h. The project will be developed in three stages. The first stage, providing freight services between Shah and the port of Ruwais, is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2014. The construction of stages two and three will add passenger services and ultimately connect the main cities of the UAE. The Lloyd’s Register team has already begun work on stage one and will continue to provide technical advice and oversight until the project’s completion in 2017.
Tech-based solutions company to assist Turkey and the UAE Ansaldo STS has been awarded contracts to supply signalling systems in Turkey and the UAE. The contracts are worth around €120 million, Ansaldo STS said. In Turkey, Ansaldo STS has signed agreements with the Italian-Turkish joint venture, Salini-GCF-Kolin, to supply rail signalling, automation and telecommunications systems for the Gebze-Kosekoy stretch of highspeed track between Ankara and Istanbul. The new line will be equipped with the standard European ERTMS/ETCS level 1 signalling system, which Ansaldo STS is already supplying in Turkey under another contract. Entry into operation is scheduled for 2014. Also in Turkey, Ansaldo STS is to supply – via Korean multinational Hyundai-Rotem
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– on-board signalling systems for 80 locomotives that Turkish state rail operator TCDD plans to purchase from the Korean supplier to expand and upgrade its fleet. The systems will comply with ERTMS/ETCS level 1 standards and final delivery is scheduled for 2013. These two contracts strengthen the technological leadership and presence of Ansaldo STS in a strategic country with major investment already allocated to modernisation of its rail network. In the UAE, Ansaldo STS has been awarded a contract by the Italian-Indian joint venture created by Saipem-Tecnimont-Dodsal
JANUARY - MARCH, 2012
for the system integration of the newly-constructed ShahHabshan-Ruwais line, the first stretch of the constituent rail network owned by Etihad Rail (the UAE rail operator). The contract is to supply signalling, automation and telecommunications systems, as well as other smaller systems for the management and control of passenger and freight traffic, for a line about 260 km long that will link the Shah industrial complex with the port of Ruwais. The signalling system to be supplied by Ansaldo STS will comply with the ERTM/ETCS level 2 European standard. The works will take 36 months and completion is scheduled in two phases, the first after 24 months and the second after a further 12 months.
UAE’s national railway network nabs locomotive deal Below are a few facts and figures related to Etihad Rail project: What’s the cost of the initiative? Total investment is estimated at Dh40-billion. What is the timeline for delivery? The project will be phased over a number of years, with the first phase due for completion by 2014. How long is the railway network? The network is estimated to extend up to 1,200 km. What fuel will the trains run on? The railway will initially operate diesel trains but will be designed and constructed to accommodate electrification in the future. What is the operating speed of the trains? Freight trains will run at speeds of up to 120 km per hour, while passenger trains will reach speeds of up to 200 km per hour. What studies have been carried out to justify the project? A number of studies covering all aspects of engineering and construction have been carried out in the last year. Environmental, topographical, geotechnical and hydrological studies have also been conducted.
RAIL MIDDLE EAST
Free invitation All tracks of expertise meet in Dubai The second year of the Middle East Rail Conference and Exhibition is expecting to attract 1,500 rail operators and solution providers from around the world The Middle East Rail Conference held between January 30 and February 2, 2012, in Dubai brings together international and regional rail experts to discuss the vision and strategy for the implementation of state-of-the-art rail networks across the Middle East. Middle East Rail 2012 is a must-attend event encompassing the brands High Speed Rail, Signalling and Train Control, Freight Rail and Metro Rail. Rainer Bomba, State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development says, “The UAE plans for upgrading their railway system are impressive. I can assure you that the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development will do everything it can to support Middle East Rail’s efforts.” Laura Parker, General Manager of Middle East Rail 2012 says, “This is an exciting time for the rail industry in the Middle East. The plans for the next 10 years are incredible, and will change the business landscape of the region. As projects take shape and current operational networks act as excellent examples to the rest of the region, now is an important time to discuss best practice,
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UAE plans for upgrading the railway system are impressive. I can assure you that the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development will do everything it can to support Middle East Rail’s efforts RainerBomba innovation and emerging business opportunities. We are very much looking forward to the event which should be successful and rewarding for all involved.” In its sixth year, the largest dedicated rail conference in the region will take place in the Madinat Arena in Dubai. “The conference will attract around 1,500 international delegates. This event has established itself as the most influential annual event for the Middle East’s rail industry to network and discuss rail infrastructure projects, financing and funding, partnership and
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emerging business opportunities in the region,” said Lynsey Millar, Conference Manager of Middle East Rail. On January 31, the Middle East Rail Exhibition will be opened by Abdulla Al Katheeri, Executive Director of Land Transport Sector at the National Transport Authority, accompanied by Engineer Saad Al Mohannadi, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Railways Company. Tamer Nahas, Exhibition Manager, says, “The exhibition will allow visitors to meet and learn from a range of regional and international companies across every sector of the rail industry. They will also have the opportunity to attend our exhibition seminars which are designed to provide visitors knowledge of the latest innovations and technical advancements in the railway industry.” Special achievements made in the Middle East rail industry will be celebrated on the evening of January 31. As part of the Middle East Rail event, rail operators and rail projects will be recognised for their contributions to driving this industry forward at the second Middle East Rail Awards and Gala Dinner. This red carpet affair
The exhibition will allow visitors to meet and learn from a range of regional and international companies across every sector of the rail industry TamerNahas
will celebrate regional success and honour the contributions made in the journey to build the region’s rail network. “Middle East Rail 2012 will continue to be the leading platform for rail operators and solution providers to explore strategies for future growth and operational excellence. This is the leading platform for all rail businesses to showcase their expertise in providing the solutions to help the Middle East nations create and maintain world class railways,” Parker concluded. Middle East Rail 2012 will be an unparalleled event to develop business networks in the railway industry.
RAIL MIDDLE EAST
RATP and Alstom create Metrolab: Development of ‘automatic metro of the future’ RATP CEO, Pierre Mongin, and Alstom Transport President, Philippe Mellier, announced the creation of Metrolab, a research laboratory dedicated to the development of the automatic metro of the future, at the 59th UITP World Congress and Exhibition in Dubai. Their combined expertise will allow Metrolab to develop complete systems covering infrastructures, rolling stock, signalling, passenger information, operations and maintenance. RATP Group or Alstom Transport will market the solutions developed by Metrolab under the name Optimet. Metrolab will initially have a staff of 15, who are experts in integrating complex urban transport systems, under the directives of François Jasmin (RATP) and Didier Valiere (Alstom Transport).
The company’s budget will be financed in equal parts by the two partners’ capital. The first research results will take shape by 2013 with a demonstration metro trainset. “Alstom is very pleased to combine its 70 years of international metro experience with the expertise of the RATP Group, one of the world’s leading operators,” said Philippe Mellier, President of Alstom Transport. “With Metrolab, we are preparing to meet the future needs of a market that appears particularly promising given that by 2015, over 500 cities worldwide will exceed one million inhabitants.” There is a great deal of renewed interest in automatic metros around the world. The congestion of metro lines, linked to exploding urban demographics, is a real chal-
lenge for cities. One of the most effective solutions for preventing the saturation of networks and increasing their transport capacity is to automate signalling and metro operation. This makes it possible to increase the frequency of trainsets and reduce waiting time between two metros in complete safety and with maximum comfort. The increasing complexity of technical solutions and infrastructure projects is leading more and more customers to demand comprehensive turnkey solutions. It is this type of solution, guaranteeing overall cost and timeframe, that the research conducted at Metrolab will target. Both companies have a great deal of experience in this area, having already carried out similar projects around the world.
PCM Strescon wins Etihad Rail contract to supply sleepers India-based company PCM Strescon Overseas Ventures, has won a contract to supply sleepers for Etihad Rail, UAE’s national rail network operator and manager. The company will design and manufacture railway sleepers in the UAE. It will also set up the sleeper manufacturing facility for phase one of the railway network construction. The 266 km route will link Shah, Habshan and Ruwais in Abu Dhabi’s western region, an official from Etihad Rail said. “This award clearly highlights that we are moving full speed ahead with the railway network — one that will transform the transport sector in
the UAE. “We look forward to announcing news of further important contract developments over the coming months,” Etihad Rail’s Chief Executive Officer Richard Bowker said. PCM Strescon is a manufacturer of pre-stressed concrete sleepers and has already set up two factories in Saudi Arabia with the world’s highest production capacities. The company will oversee and manage the design, manufacturing, maintenance and storage of the railway sleepers that will support the network’s tracks, carrying the trains transporting granulated sulphur (in partnership with Abu
Dhabi National Oil Company) for export at the port of Ruwais. “The award of this contract marks a major milestone for Etihad Rail and comes ahead of the laying of the first tracks for 1,200 kms network in fourth quarter of 2012,” Etihad Rail said. Etihad Rail’s Dh40-billion railway project is forecast, over the next two decades, to transport up to 50 million tonnes of freight and 16 million passengers per annum, connecting population centres and opening up channels for trade. It will form a vital part of the GCC Railway Network.
Richard Bowker CBE, CEO of Etihad Rail, and Khadim Al Darei, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Al Dahra Agriculture Company
Setting efficient modes of transportation in the agriculture sector Etihad Rail, the master developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network, is continuing to grow its customer base as it recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Al Dahra Agricultural Company. Al Dahra, who are headquartered in the UAE and support agriculture and animal production, will use rail to transport hay — the most commonly-used animal feed in the country — efficiently. The company is ready to switch to rail as soon as Etihad Rail’s second stage, which will connect all principal traffic centres in Abu Dhabi and the Jebel Ali Port, is operational.
JANUARY - MARCH, 2012
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RAIL MIDDLE EAST
RTA to boost French relations
RTA bags prestigious regional award for Dubai Metro Green Line The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) recently received The Big Project and BGreen Award for the ‘Best Sustainable Transport Infrastructure Project of the Year’ at a glittering ceremony held at Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa in the presence of several top business leaders and heads of government and semigovernment entities as well as private businesses in the UAE and the region. The prize was awarded for the Dubai Metro Green Line project that was launched by RTA on September 9, 2011, two years after the launch of the Dubai Metro Red Line on September 9, 2009. Adnan Al Hammadi, CEO of RTA Rail Agency, expressed his deep delight and thrill for scooping this prestigious award by the Agency, which culminates the expeditious efforts made by the RTA in broadening the scope of public transport sector and promoting environmentfriendly sustainable transport
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in Dubai. Al Hammadi dedicated the Award to His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, for his continued directives to develop and preserve the environment as per the corporate policy set for the RTA in the field of health, safety and environment. Without the unlimited support and encouragement, national leaders RTA would not have been able to achieve successive achievements capable of raising the profile of the UAE worldwide in all fields. “The RTA is always committed to the introduction of green, sustainable and environment-friendly solutions to keep pace with the global drive, particularly among the advanced countries, as regards protecting the environ-
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ment in all respects including mobility and transport sector; a key pillar and ingredient of the development and construction drive aimed at providing decent living for all segments of the community. “The leading agencies in today's world are confronted by several challenges which include adapting to a world packed with hectic and successive developments that warrant taking appropriate measures at the right time. This is particularly relevant to an urban city like Dubai which is shaping as a melting pot of all nationalities and bustling with year-long activities running at a fast pace coherent with the diverse cast of events representing different economic, trading, service and financial sectors among others,” said the CEO of RTA Rail Agency. Ali Abdul Qadir, Director of Rail Maintenance at the Agency, had accepted the award from the organiser on Mattar Al Tayer’s behalf.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently discussed ways and means of boosting co-operation and exchanging expertise during the visit of French Consul-General Eric Giraud Telem in Dubai. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), received the French Consul-General in Dubai, accompanied by Jean-Claude de Peru, Economic Advisor of the French Embassy in Abu Dhabi. RTA Board Member Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla and Director of Commercial Affairs and Investment Abdullah Yousef Al Ali were present at the meeting. Al Tayer commended the excellent relationships between the UAE and the Republic of France, which contributed to boosting the commercial exchange between the two countries, flow of joint investments in various fields, and tourist visits between the two. Key projects undertaken by French companies include the Dubai Metro and Al Safouh Tram where Tales Co. has carried out the signal-control system as well as the system of communication between the control room and trains, and between the trains themselves. Systra was awarded a consultancy contract for both the Red and Green lines of the Dubai Metro project and Al Safouh Tram.
31 January - 1 February 2012 Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE
Free invitation Meet rail operators, consortia, government and
Exhibition opening times Tuesday 31 January 2012: 11.00am - 5.00pm Wednesday 1 February 2012: 10.00am - 5.00pm
transport authorities a gain Register for free with promotion code EXHIB at www.terrapinn.com/merail Registration closes Sunday 29 January
invaluable knowledge in the free technical seminars Title sponsors
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VOESTALPINEVAE
RAIL MIDDLE EAST
VOESTALPINE VAE: “With focus on customer’s needs and regional demands and challenges, a world market leader as your local partner”
Based on highest quality standards Turnouts are crucial for efficient and safe modern railway infrastructures and voestalpine VAE is a leader in these solutions Voestalpine VAE, the global market leader for railway turnout solutions with over 40 manufacturing plants worldwide, is providing customised solutions for one of the core and most crucial elements of a railway system — the turnouts. Based on the company’s experience of more than 160 years, its cultural origin and its philosophy, voestalpine VAE is applying and assuring highest quality standards for all its products and international manufacturing facilities. While the assurance of such quality standards is one of the top priorities, this has to go along with a focus on customer’s needs and regional demands. Particularly, as the emerging Middle East railway market has special challenges, trends and aspects, which are to be considered and incorporated in the system solutions, thus to ensure a success story of this emerging market with its various new industrial rail-
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Pre-fabrication under ideal factory conditions
Transport solutions of completely pre-fabricated turnouts way networks and public transport systems planned within this region.
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As the success factors to implement such new transportation means in the Middle East will be to design, build, operate and maintain an efficient, reliable and safe railway infrastructure, the key to this will be to cope with the environmental and regional challenges. Such as the desert environment with its sand accumulations on the railway track, the dust impacting mechanical and electrical systems and the high corrosive and aggressive ambience in the costal regions, which calls for voestalpine VAE’s desert-proofed, completely sealed and dust- and watertight hydraulic and/or electro-mechanical track components to ensure a safe, reliable and enduring systems operation. To surmount other regional aspects and challenges, such as the heat impacting site installation works and consequently the final product quality, or the logistic challenges,
with the lack of workspace in congested urban areas or extremely remote construction sites, voestalpine VAE established its regional manufacturing facilities. Thus to maximise a prefabrication process, to supply completely pre-assembled turnouts, ready to install and commission in a minimised time frame and to ensure the factory quality to be conveyed to installation site. Accomplishing quality assurance all over the entire supply-chain-process by providing further just-in-time deliveries, installation and maintenance services, by voestalpine VAE’s experienced, local installation and maintenance teams, combined with special turnout design solutions (particularly for heavyhaul and high-speed rail applications) and the focus on low life-cycle-costs (LCC), voestalpine VAE is not only the renowned world market leader, but moreover the ideal local partner for the Middle East.
KAPSCH
RAIL MIDDLE EAST
Solutions specifically adapted to railways Kapsch, a Platinum Partner at the Middle East Rail 2012, is a leading supplier of Global System for Mobile Communications Railway Kapsch CarrierCom, one of the world’s leading suppliers of GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications Railway) will showcase its solutions, services and applications based on technologies specifically adapted to railways at the Middle East Rail exhibition in Dubai. “Middle East Rail is the perfect trade show to present Kapsch CarrierCom to the railway community in this exciting economic region. We have approximately 30 years of experience in analogue and digital wireless train communication and we continue to develop our solutions further. GSM-R technology, services and applications are not an “add-on” for Kapsch CarrierCom, instead they are a key business as this technology is integral for the further development of international railway networks, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East. GSM-R increases the cost effectiveness of the railway and creates an important competitive advantage for the railway operators against road traffic,” says Selim Bouri, Kapsch CarrierCom’s Middle East, Africa and Turkey Railways Sales Leader.
railway communications system. This network must withstand great heat, work over long distances and is also compatible with the international EIRENE standards. On December 8, 2011 the first Algerian, and therefore African, GSM-R call took place. Kapsch CarrierCom is the first supplier to have this important reference on the African continent. Kapsch’s participation in all tenders for infrastructure development between strategic major cities in Africa and the Middle East also highlights the importance of these regions for Kapsch.
First GSM-R railway-infrastructure implemented in Algeria Kapsch CarrierCom successfully implemented a GSM-R infrastructure in Algeria and was confronted with extremely difficult desert conditions. The 2.5-million square kilometre area has a starkly differing landscape with many valleys and mountains. Consequently, the Kapsch engineers had to precisely analyse the system’s requirements for each section. Despite these challenges, the 1,000-kilometre route between Algiers and Béchar was implemented using the most modern wireless
GSM-R enables borderless communication GSM-R revolutionises international railway traffic. With the inter-connection of the European GSM-R networks and using internationally standardised end-user terminals, cross-border communication using the same equipment is possible for international trains. In the past, trains had to be equipped with various wireless communication systems depending on the routing. Individual railway specific operating procedures also complicated the communication. Due to these complexities,
this reason, Kapsch CarrierCom is permanently developing new solutions and enhancing existing ones. The applications are offered to customers as end-to-end solutions, which further expands Kapsch CarrierCom’s global GSM-R market leadership.
GSM-R was defined as a uniform wireless communication system for the European railways as part of a Europeanwide convention (TSIEIRENE). Numerou s countries in North Africa and the Middle East also plan to use GSM-R because the unique system ensures that only one communication system is required on international freight and passenger trains. The time-consuming operation of different, national systems is no longer required. Freight and passenger trains are dispatched faster at the border and are more quickly handed over to the neighbouring country’s railway operator. Numerous additional functions for more convenience during rail travel GSM-R offers the security of a well-proven technical system (GSM) as well as a number of additional functions such as the gang warning system or electronic passenger information in a train. Many value-added applications such as ticket sales in the train, seat reservations as well as freight tracking can be implemented using GSM-R. Applications present an interesting growth market for Kapsch CarrierCom in the coming years. For
Kapsch CarrierCom is a reliable partner for leading railway operators Kapsch CarrierCom provides its railway customers with the development and implementation of telecommunication solutions and the deployment of access, core and transmission networks. The worldwide supplier has successfully proven its expertise in the implementation of GSM-R solutions in Europe, USA and Africa. The leading company offers not only the implementation of GSM-R technology for network infrastructure, but also the development and maintenance of software for services and applications. Local customer support is an essential part of Kapsch CarrierCom’s project implementation and the establishment of an office in Abu Dhabi is currently being planned. Kapsch CarrierCom expanded its customer base during the past years and its technology is present in multiple markets around the world. The close collaboration with the railway operators strengthens the company’s innovation, as new and individual solutions are constantly being created based on customer needs. Kapsch CarrierCom is one of the most important participants within the EIRENE process to introduce GSM-R Europe-wide and is a major contributor in developing applications in authoritative institutions such as ETSI TC-RT, GSM-R IG, UIC und ERA.
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RAIL MIDDLE EAST
Bombardier awarded contract for INNOVIA automated system in Saudi Arabia Bombardier Transportation has signed a contract to design, build, operate and maintain a Bombardier Innovia APM 300 automated people mover system for the King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) Development Project in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The total value of the contract is US$96 million and was signed with Saudi Arabian construction company, Saudi Binladin Group. The Saudi Binladin Group is the contractor responsible for the design and construction of the KAIA Development Project and was awarded its contract by the Saudi Arabian General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) in 2011. KAIA is expanding its existing passenger facilities with an additional Passenger Terminal Building to meet the requirements of rising volume of passengers. The new Innovia APM 300 system will serve as the backbone for the smooth transportation of pas-
sengers between terminal areas at KAIA. Completion of the system is scheduled for the beginning of 2014. Bombardier’s recently established subsidiary in Saudi Arabia will act as subcontractor to Saudi Binladin Group. They will lead the project to design and supply all of the system-wide Electrical and Mechanical (E&M) elements for the 1.5 km, dual guideway automated people mover (APM) system. The contract includes 10 Innovia APM 300 cars with Bombardier CityFlo 650 automatic train control technol-
ogy for driverless operation as well as providing project management, systems engineering and integration, testing and commissioning. In addition, Bombardier will provide operation and maintenance services for four years followed by a two-year discretionary option to extend to 2020. The new Innovia APM 300 driverless system incorporates Bombardier’s many successful years of reliable experience in automated transit operations in some of the world’s busiest airports and urban environments.
Saudi-Spanish group land a role in Haramain High Speed Rail Project The Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) has announced that Al-Shoula consortium has been awarded the contract to provide the superstructure, systems, rolling stock, signalling, operation and maintenance for the Haramain High Speed Line linking the two Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah. This consortium is a SaudiSpanish group that will implement the successful highspeed line model and technology applied in Spain to this new line. As a member of the AlShoula consortium, Invensys Rail will provide the full turn-
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key signalling and train control systems, including its FUTUR 3000 and FUTUR 2500 Level 2 ERTMS solution and also includes centralised traffic control, electronic interlocking, LED wayside signals, train detection systems and on board ETCS equipment for the 34-strong train fleet. The contract includes a 12-year maintenance period. Invensys Rail’s share of the three year construction phase is valued at €298 million (around £260 million). Its share of the 12-year maintenance phase is €185 million (around £160 million). The Haramain railway is a
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new 444 km section of a high speed line designed to provide a fast, comfortable, reliable and safe mode of transport for passengers travelling between Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah – particularly relevant for the Hajj pilgrimage period. Trains will travel at a commercial speed of 300 km/h under a 25kV overhead electrification system using Invensys Rail’s Level 2 ERTMS technology for train protection. This state-of-the-art railway will provide pilgrims with a journey time between the two Haramain cities of less than two and a half hours.
Talgo to build high-speed trains for new Saudi Arabia rail line
A Spanish consortium, led by Talgo and Renfe, has signed a contract for a high-speed rail line connecting Makkah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia. The contract is valued at €6.9 billion. The contract involves the construction, operation and 12-year maintenance of the Haramain High Speed Rail line. On the 450 km line, trains will operate at speeds of over 300 km/h and will provide services to more than 160,000 passengers per day, linking the two Holy Cities in two hours. Talgo will be responsible for the construction of 35 ‘Talgo 350′ train sets and 12 years of maintenance services, with a future purchase option of 20 additional trains. The Talgo 350 is the best-in-class high speed train in terms of energy consumption, accessibility, comfort and safety, and is fully adapted to the severe climatic conditions of Saudi Arabia. The trains will be specially adapted to the desert conditions.