RAIL PROFESSIONAL ASIA PACIFIC DECEMBER 2019

DECEMBER 2019 Issue number 16

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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR RAIL

High-speed rail returns to prominence High-speed railways in Indonesia, Laos and Thailand all continue to power forward

HIGH-SPEED RAIL Progress on the Jakarta-Bandung railway

ELECTRIFICATION Challenging conditions on the Delhi Metro

LATEST NEWS All the latest updates on rail projects throughout Asia Pacific

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MARCH 2019 Issue number 13

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THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR RAIL

A modal shift beckons We speak to the people behind Cambodia’s revitalised railway

HIGH-SPEED RAIL India joins the high-speed club

TRAM AND LIGHT RAIL Enhancing mobility in Shanghai

editor’s note

MARCH EVENTS Two major events taking place this march

AP MARCH 2019.indd 1

19/02/2019 09:35

publisher RAIL PROFESSIONAL LIMITED Hallmark House, Downham Road, Ramsden Heath, Essex CM11 1PU Tel: +44 (0)1268 711811 EditorIAL EDITOR SAM SHERWOOD-HALE editor@railprofessional.com ADVERTISING christian wiles chris@railpro.co.uk BEN WARING ben@railpro.co.uk ADMINISTRATION cherie nugent info@railpro.co.uk LISA ETHERINGTON admin@railpro.co.uk GILLIAN DUNN office@railpro.co.uk DESIGN & PRODUCTION MILES JOHNSTONE production@railpro.co.uk

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W

elcome to our final issue of 2019. It has been a year of cancellations and renegotiations, but both Malaysia and Thailand will enter the third decade of the 21st century with their sights firmly set on Chinese-backed

rail projects.

The East Coast Rail Link is back thanks to recent renegotiations which guarantee equal participation for local Malaysian contractors and back in the summer MyHSR appointed Minconsult and Ernst & Young to work on reducing the cost and making other potential changes to the agreement with China.

The Thai government, fresh off of hosting the 35th ASEAN Summit, has given assurances to industry that they will pursue high-speed rail across the country.

Transport Minster Saksayam Chidchob has spoken of a ‘contract 2.3’ which covers the cost of purchasing tracks, machinery, procurement of train carriages, and the training of staff. As the details get nailed down on the route which will connect the capital city of Bangkok with the northeast, a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement has been signed for the construction of a high-speed railway connecting Bangkok’s two main airports with a third airport on the eastern seaboard.

The focus on high-speed is reflected within these pages also. We have a very interesting feature from our resident expert, Andrea Giuricin who is a Senior Rail Sector Advisor to the World Bank Group. Andrea writes on the lowering of the financial threshold that a country needs to achieve before making the decision to embark on high-speed rail. He uses the example of Indonesia which is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, although if we rank the ASEAN region on a per capita basis both Malaysia and Thailand score almost twice as high.

So, whilst the construction of a high-speed railway line takes massive investment and the commitment of a government to support the project with subsidies, it is also true that the population must be able to actually afford the ticket price to ensure the operating company can make a profit.

Another factor would be geography, the high-speed lines in China have successfully connected the major urban areas in the east of the country, just as they did for Japan decades earlier. In Indonesia all these economic centres are on the heavily populated island of Java, so we could see the connectivity promised by high-speed rail being employed most effectively on that island alone.

My interview this month is with Amy Wei of Ctrip, we discussed the Chinese company’s global expansion with their new offering, TrainPal which is a rail ticketing app.

Sam Sherwood-Hale Editor

Rail Professional

photo: Max Lautenschläger

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issue 16 • DECEMBER 2019

06 News Queensland Rail chooses open destinations’ travel studio system, Commuter rail and MRT expansion in Jakarta, Takanawa Gateway Station nearing completion, Alstom on track to complete first train for Hanoi Metro Line 3, Tunneling success on the Laos high-speed railway, TA Awards Civil Contract to Construct Tengah Depot for the Jurong Region Line, Melbourne Summer works, New partner selected in Yangon train station development project, Financial boost for local contractors in Malaysia, December trials for Bangkok Blue Line, Alstom to supply driverless trains and digital signalling system for Sydney Metro extension to City and Southwest, Teltronic deploys radio communications systems for Sydney Public Transport

15 Interview Sam Sherwood-Hale spoke to Amy Wei, Head of TrainPAL, about the Chinese company’s move to Europe and the culture of train booking in Europe and Asia

26 Electrification

19 High-Speed Rail

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Indonesia is close to having its first high-speed line between Jakarta and Bandung. The project, started in 2015, is expected to be completed by 2021

23 High-Speed Rail Talgo’s newest train uses rodals, a proven solution to offer minimal costs for the whole lifecycle

28 Business Profile Coral Move Vison FR is one of the latest products to now be available to order, from the Forbo Flooring Transport portfolio of rail flooring solutions

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33 Event - Asia Pacific Rail 2020 Asia’s premier rail event will return in 2020 and for the first time will be taking place in Bangkok at the BITEC Arena on 11th and 12th March Rail Professional

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| NEWS

Queensland Rail chooses open destinations’ travel studio system Queensland, Australia – Major Australian railway operator Queensland Rail has selected the Travel Studio enterprise technology platform as the new Travel Booking System for its longdistance travel and tourism business. The multi-million-dollar deal sees Queensland Rail enter into a long-term partnership with travel technology specialists Open Destinations, who have successfully implemented Travel Studio in over 30 countries worldwide. Open Destinations will be supplying a full SaaS solution to Queensland Rail.

This latest partnership further strengthens Open Destinations’ credentials as the leading technology supplier for leisure rail companies worldwide. Queensland Rail joins a growing list of established rail operators including Great Southern Rail, Belmond, and Alaska Railroad currently powering their leisure rail businesses

Commuter rail and MRT expansion in Jakarta Jakarta, Indonesia – A decade after Jakarta’s first commuter rail line opened, talks are in place to expand the network. The country’s railway operator PT KAI Indonesia is planning an extension from Rangkasbitung in Lebak, Banten, to Serang city in Banten, with construction expected to start in 2020. The total length of Jakarta’s commuter network is just under 420 kilometres and carries roughly one million passengers a day. ​In October, Stadler signed a joint venture agreement with PT INKA to set up a joint plant in Indonesia. At least 500 S-Bahn car bodies are to be produced there as part of the joint venture. ​ The Jakarta MRT, which was opened this year, covers 16 kilometres and carries around 88,000 passengers per day. The MRT will soon start accepting QR codes for payments and ticket scanning through the MRTJ app. The system is expected to be up and running by the end of the year. MRT Jakarta is also introducing Multi Trip Ticket cards to speed up payment methods and encourage increase usage of the MRT network. The city-owned operator is now on track to develop its second phase in March next year through December 2024. The route will span 8.3 kilometres with seven underground stations connecting central Jakarta to west Jakarta.

Rail Professional

through Travel Studio.

Aside from rail operators, Travel Studio is the enterprise reservation system of choice for a network of tour operators, destination management companies and wholesalers around the world and offers rich functionality for a variety of travel providers.

Queensland Rail Executive General Manager Travel and Tourism Martin Ryan said the demonstrated rail functionality offered by Travel Studio and the experience offered by Open Destinations convinced Queensland Rail Travel to select them as their preferred supplier.

Takanawa Gateway Station nearing completion

Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo’s latest station on the Yamanote line is nearing completion. JR East expects the new station to be open in time for the Olympics in 2020.

JR East is improving its infrastructure to meet the demands of the large crowds the games bring.

The development is also part of a wider plan to create a new town in Tokyo which will attract global business. The opening of the new station is the first step, then the adjoining town will be developed and completed by 2024.

After that, the next major step will be the planned opening of the Linear Chuo

Shinkansen in 2027.

This project goes by the name of ‘Global Gateway Shinagawa’ and JR East have described it as a ‘land readjustment project’.

The area being used for the expansion used to be the JR Shinagawa Station Depot railway yard.

Takanawa Gateway Station will be the first newly built station since Saitama-Shintoshin Station which opened in 2000.

The next newest station is Nishi-Nippori Station which opened in 1971.

More News at www.railprofessional.com

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NEWS |

9

Alstom on track to complete first train for Hanoi Metro Line 3 Hanoi, Vietnam – Alstom, which is manufacturing ten trains for Hanoi Metro Line 3, hosted Deputy General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Tran Quoc Vuong, and his delegation to a visit of its train assembly plant in Valenciennes (France). The plant is working to complete the first trainset by the end of October, marking an important milestone in Alstom’s first integrated metro system contract in Vietnam, signed with MRB (Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board) in 2017.

As part of the visit, Alstom’s Managing Director for China and East Asia, Olivier Loison, and Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee and Mayor of Hanoi, Nguyen Duc Chung, signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the existing contract of Alstom in Hanoi. The agreement

aims to foster further collaborative opportunities between both parties for new systems within the Vietnamese capital.

In 2017, Alstom, as leader of a consortium including Colas Rail and Thales, was awarded a contract to supply an integrated metro system for Hanoi Metro Line 3. Alstom’s share covered the supply and integration of the metro system, including the ten trains and the Urbalis 400 signalling system, as well as the delivery of power supply and depot equipment together with a partner. The new line is 12.5 kilometres long with twelve stations. It is expected to carry over 23,900 passengers per hour and per direction at peak capacity.

Alstom puts the passenger at the heart of its train design process. The four-car Metropolis trains for Hanoi Metro Line 3 will feature wide doors to facilitate

passenger flow, dedicated space for passengers with reduced mobility, as well as ergonomic and easy-to-grab bars. The trains will be fully electric, with lightweight aluminium car bodies. The train’s exterior and interior colour scheme takes local Vietnamese inspiration and includes motifs such as dragon fruit and the rice paddy field – a design that was well-received by the people at a public consultation held in September 2018.

When completed, the first train will undergo a series of static and dynamic tests at the Valenciennes Railway Testing Centre during the month of November. Tests will be carried out on the trains’ automatic control system and on-board audio-visual equipment, this time on Hanoi Metro Line 3 in the second half of 2020. Entry into service is expected in the first half of 2021.

Tunneling success on the Laos high-speed railway Luang Prabang, Laos – The Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Wang Yang, visited Laos in November to inspect the construction work on the Boten to Vientiane high-speed railway.

Wang, who is also a senior advisor to the Chinese government, was in Luang Prabang where a major bridge crossing is being built over the River Mekong.

Elsewhere in the province, China Railway No. 8 Engineering Group (CREC-8) successfully completed the drilling of a tunnel 43 days ahead of schedule. The Houay Han No. 1 Tunnel is one kilometre long, half of its length will be double track and will accommodate a railway station. Earlier in November the 4.5-kilometre-long Ban Ka No. 1 Tunnel near Luang Prabang was drilled through by CREC-8.

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TA Awards Civil Contract to Construct Tengah Depot for the Jurong Region Line Singapore – On 20th November, The Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore awarded the civil contract to design and construct Tengah Depot and its associated facilities for the Jurong Region Line (JRL) at a total contract value of $739.5 million to China Railway 11 Bureau Group Corporation (Singapore Branch). Tengah Depot comprises an Integrated Rail and Bus depot, ancillary buildings and a transport workers’ dormitory.

Located adjacent to the west of Tengah New Town, the at-grade Tengah Depot will be Singapore’s tenth MRT depot. It occupies a 44.5-hectare site and is designed for the stabling and maintenance of 100 four-car trains and 600 buses as well as their associated maintenance facilities. To optimise land use, the depot will also include a four-storey transport workers’ dormitory that can accommodate 450 bus captains.

Construction of Tengah Depot is expected to commence in 2020 and is slated for completion in 2026.

China Railway 11 Bureau Group Corporation (Singapore Branch) is an established and experienced construction company that has completed various rail-related projects worldwide. In Singapore, China Railway 11 Bureau Group Corporation has completed several major infrastructure projects including three MRT stations (namely Tuas Link, Tuas West Road and Tuas Crescent stations) and their

Melbourne Summer works Melbourne, Australia – Over the summer months there will a record amount of work taking place throughout Victoria across the train, road and tram network, including major works on the Metro Tunnel’s eastern entrance in South Yarra and on the Gippsland Line Upgrade.

The AUD$500 million Gippsland Line Upgrade includes: • building a new rail bridge over the Avon River in Stratford • second platforms and station amenity works at Bunyip, Longwarry, Morwell and Traralgon stations • track duplication between Bunyip and Longwarry • extension of Morwell crossing loop • level crossing upgrades • signalling upgrades • drainage structure upgrades along the line • building a larger train stabling facility at or near Traralgon.

New partner selected in Yangon train station development project Yangon, Myanmar – Myanma Railways has announced that Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation will act as financial partner for the Yangon Central Railway Station Development Project, replacing China’s Sino Great Wall as part of a consortium selected to implement the project. The Yangon Central Railway Station, which will take at least eight years to complete, is expected to link the south of Yangon to the downtown business district and promote more extensive trade and economic growth across Yangon.

associated railway viaducts – on the East-West Line’s Tuas West Extension. The company also constructed Singapore’s first integrated Rail and Road Viaduct as part of the Tuas West Extension project.

Financial boost for local contractors in Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – After successful renegotiation of the China-backed East Coast Rail Link infrastructure megaproject, local Malaysian companies are guaranteed to be involved in 40 per cent of the work. Those companies will receive a $240 million from The Entrepreneur Development Ministry’s SME Bank, it was announced at the signing ceremony between SME Bank, Malaysia Rail Link and China Communications Construction (CCC-ECRL) on Monday 19th November. The project was shelved after elections last year but the renegotiated contract led to agreements on local participation and a reduced price.

This December Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) and China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd (CCC-ECRL) will be holding a recruitment drive looking to hire over 16,000 Malaysians for the project.

December trials for Bangkok Blue Line Bangkok, Thailand – A new extension of the MRT Blue Line in Bangkok will begin trials in December. The Bang Sue – Tha Phra extension will close the circle loop around the centre of Bangkok. The extension has seven stations and is expected to be fully opened at the start of next year. 35 new trains will be delivered in February and March next year.

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NEWS |

13

Alstom to supply driverless trains and digital signalling system for Sydney Metro extension to City and Southwest Sydney, Australia – The Northwest Rapid Transit Consortium (NRT) has reached contractual close for the extension to the existing NRT Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract on Sydney Metro.

The contract, which was awarded in 2014, has been extended to deliver a seamless customer experience on the new metro, with NRT to operate and maintain the full metro line from Rouse Hill to Bankstown – in total 66 kilometres of rail and 31 metro stations by 2024.

Under the contract, valued at approx. US$388 million, Alstom will be responsible for the project management, design, supply, manufacturing, testing and commissioning of 23 six-car fully automated Metropolis trains and the Urbalis 400 Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system. The trains will be manufactured in Alstom’s manufacturing centre in Sri City, India which successfully delivered 22 Metropolis trains for the Metro North West Line. The contract also includes an option to purchase further trains if required.

As an extension of the existing Metro North West Line, the NRT PPP will provide a fully integrated turn-up and go service along a dedicated 66-kilometre metro network with a total of 31 stations from Rouse Hill through the City and to Bankstown. The Metro North West Line operator, Metro Trains Sydney, will be responsible for the operations and maintenance of the entire line.

The City and Southwest extension includes a 15-kilometre greenfield line with seven new stations plus the conversion of the existing suburban rail line to metro rail standards, covering a further 13 kilometres of track and eleven existing stations. The project also includes expansion of the current Sydney Metro Trains Facility at

Rouse Hill and a new trains facility at Sydenham. Construction of the new line is currently underway with revenue service expected to start in 2024.

The Metropolis trains and digital signalling systems for the City & Southwest project will include the same design and features as the North West Line, designed to meet the specific needs of Sydney.

According to the specifications, the new trains will meet strict sustainability criteria; a robust lightweight structure, low energy consumption, high levels of recoverability and recyclability, technical reliability and ease of maintenance. The trains will also be equipped with remote sensors for optimal maintenance planning.

Teltronic deploys radio communications systems for Sydney Public Transport Sydney, Australia – Teltronic, together with MCS Digital, the Australian integrator of mission-critical radiocommunication systems, has been responsible for the deployment of the TETRA communications network that provides voice and data services to the Sydney North West Line Metro, the first metro line of the Australian city. This transport infrastructure uses, for the first time in the country, driverless trains.

The system is comprised of the TETRA NEBULA infrastructure, with Site Base Stations (SBS) to cover the entire line, mobile and portable terminals, and 66 onboard

RTP-603 radios that comply with the strict railway regulations (EN50155 / EN45545).

In addition, Teltronic has deployed its CeCoTRANS control centre solution specially designed for the transportation environment, with seven operator desks from which communications are managed.

The TETRA network is integrated with both a passenger warning system and an emergency alarm system to contact the control centre. The communications network is integrated with the Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) and the Train Control and Management System (TCMS), systems that allow the correct operation of the vehicles.

In this way, the TETRA system supports voice communications and trainto-ground critical data transmission, sending in realtime the alarms produced on the train in order that the control centre is always aware of any possible event, allowing a quicker reaction and the optimization of the operation.

Teltronic is also responsible for the TETRA

communications system of the Central Business District and South East Rail, a tram line that extends over twelve kilometres and has 19 stations. The deployment consists of the TETRA NEBULA infrastructure, with a central node and Mast-mounted Base Stations (MBS) to provide coverage for the entire route, and 60 RTP-300 on-board units. The installation of the equipment has been carried out with a specific configuration, one onboard radio and two driver consoles, and in addition, the system has been integrated with the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and with public address and intercom systems.

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INTERVIEW |

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Interview : Amy Wei Sam Sherwood-Hale spoke to Amy Wei, Head of TrainPAL, about the Chinese company’s move to Europe and the culture of train booking in Europe and Asia

L

aunched in February 2018, TrainPal is the first app to offer split ticketing for train journeys around the United Kingdom with no booking fees. Building on this success, they have now added Italian trains operated by Trenitalia and Italo, and DB Trains in Germany.

TrainPal is powered by Trip.com, the world’s second largest online travel agency, and has a dedicated team focusing on continuously improving its smart engine and algorithms to offer the best possible travel solutions to all train travellers. TrainPal also offers 24/7 customer service to support customers before, during, and after their travel.

I sat down with Amy in London whilst she was there to meet with UK train operating companies and local customers.

TrainPAL is coming up on its second birthday, how has the journey gone so far?

If we start with our parent company Trip. com, we are less well known in Europe compared to Asia, but Trip.com is the second largest online booking agency and in China we are the largest. Last year we generated US$4.5 billion and regarding monthly active users Trip.com and our other brands have 200 million users, 80 per cent of these were on mobile, in China mobile is so dominant.

So, after we achieved that in our home

country we wanted to expand.

Nearby countries like Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Australia, have a large market for Chinese users and we now offer our service in 19 different languages and over 20 different currencies.

TrainPAL was launched by my team last year and our most popular function is train booking, but we are looking to turn our mobile app into a global booking gateway for all these different transportation methods across all our markets.

Last year my team did some research to find out if potential customers would be interested in booking train tickets through a multi-transport booking platform and

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INTERVIEW |

what are found is that whereas people might book two or three flights per year, the average train passenger might book a ticket ten times as often. So, ease of use and speedy selection and payment options are all important. AliPay and WeChat pay are dominant right now in China and we have already integrated those into our platform.

How does your split ticketing system work?

More than 50 per cent of our bookings are able to be split, especially on cross country trips. Like Glasgow to Nottingham, if we pick a peak hour trip during the morning the backend of our platform will calculate if there is a split ticketing option available and then we can see the recommendation, the journey could be broken into two legs for Glasgow to Manchester and then Manchester to Nottingham, sometimes it is a dramatic saving. But, understanding the UK market, with all the different fares, is extremely difficult as it is so different.

Do you see trends with the certain types of split ticketing that customers opt for?

We are looking at ways to pull in more data to provide better options for customers, we do see some examples where people care more about the cheaper ticket than arriving at a certain time. Mobile technology and adoption are quite advanced in China so that is something that we are trying to build on and bring to more customers globally as a way to offer something extra through product innovation.

In the UK the average heavy split ticket user user made 89 bookings (two split ticket orders counted as one order) in 216 days (21st December 2018 – 25th July 2019) and saved £2,207.15 in total. So that frequency is 2.43 days per order and an average saving of £24.80 per order. The biggest saving user was an Android user who made a total saving

Population wise, every country is smaller than China, but that is not the main difference.

We can obtain decades of traffic data on how entire countries travel on the railways as European countries are train centric and all of the top ten countries in terms of train traffic have hundreds of millions of passengers every year

17

We are looking at ways to pull in more data to provide better options for customers, we do see some examples where people care more about the cheaper ticket than arriving at a certain time. Mobile technology and adoption are quite advanced in China so that is something that we are trying to build on and bring to more customers globally as a way to offer something extra through product innovation of £2,374.65 by splitting tickets (27th August 2018 – 25th July 2019). The total number of orders was 45 with a fixed route: Bristol Temple Meads to Birmingham. This user placed an order almost every weekend and saved £52.77 per order.

What kind of research do you on each market before deciding to enter?

Population wise, every country is smaller than China, but that is not the main difference. We can obtain decades of traffic data on how entire countries travel on the railways as European countries are train centric and all of the top ten countries in terms of train traffic have hundreds of millions of passengers every year.

Until 2017, the number of people travelling on trains in China was lower than Germany, it is just under three billion for both countries. The difference is that the average length of a train journey in China is 470 kilometres whereas in Germany or the UK it is around 80 kilometres, there is more focus on commuting there. China is more about middle- or long-distance travel between major urban hubs.

Do you anticipate that shift towards commuting in China?

I think so, it is a universal part of urbanisation right, the city centre becomes more expensive and people will move to the suburbs and outskirts, so the connecting network needs to be strong. Tokyo has so many satellite towns and they all have expansive metro line connections to the city.

What else have you found from comparing the data from different countries?

It is interesting to look at the different statistics to see why people use trains. Using 2018 data, the daily number of train users in the United Kingdom is seven per cent of the population, if we apply that number to China, it would mean one hundred million people travelling by train every day but that is not the case, it is actually closer to eight million.

So, the frequency is totally different in different countries, that data comes back to help us make our platform as useful as

possible for potential customers. Certain countries require booking on-the-go at a much greater rate, but in the UK people still use desktop computers a lot, so even though the market would seem to require on-thego booking the actual mechanism that the population uses doesn’t support that.

Whereas in China people are taking much longer journeys that you might think they would book in advance, but actually their habit is to book on-the-go with a mobile.

In South Korea we found that they are fond of making calls to a call centre, in the UK most people register their comments via email. We try to push notifications to our customers depending on the different culture in each country regarding compensation or likelihood for delays. In our roadmap for the future we are looking at WhatsApp as a system for alerting travelers.

We have call centres in Seoul and Tokyo and we are accessing where to put our next call centre, Thailand or The Philippines.

Do you have any interest in working with regulators?

Currently we are working with the Rail Delivery Group, but the first place we start when it comes to developing new products is by looking at our customers’ needs and getting the feedback from them. As I am here in London, I will be spending time with LNER (London North Eastern Railway) at the ticket office and gate to see what kinds of issues they face. They have told me about Chinese customers wanting to come and pay with AliPay or WeChat pay, from these experiences we’ve developed a little update where the barcode brightens up the screen when it is about to be placed on the ticket reader. Again, this is a development from this ‘mobile first’ attitude.

What is your opinion regarding nationalisation vs privatisation?

Franchising like in the UK seems to add more complexity, from our perspective managing fares, when one franchise ends the fares are still three in the system and then the new operator comes in and promotes their new fares, so it can create some conflict with our system.

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from 3–300 Watt  EN 50155: Isolation and EMC immunity  EN 45545-2: Fire protection  EN 61373: Shock and vibration immunity  input voltage range: 2:1/4:1/12:1  3 year product warranty

For more information, datasheet and certifications please visite our website www.tracopower.com

BRAKE CONTROL

HIGH-SPEED RAIL |

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GDP level for high-speed entry Indonesia is close to having its first high-speed line between Jakarta and Bandung.

The project, started in 2015, is expected to be completed by 2021

T

he development of high-speed line infrastructure in Indonesia is continuing at quite a pace, even if the project is ultimately delayed. The joint venture company, Kereta Cepat Indonesia China was established on 20th October 2015 and after four years the completion of the construction work currently sits at around 40 per cent.

This is quite fast development compared to other many projects, especially in Europe where it is common for the period of time between the creation of a consortium (first phase of the project) and the completion of the works would be more than ten years. The project is led by Chinese technology and it is important to remember that right now China is a leader in terms of kilometres of high-speed lines in operation.

Right now, around 60 per cent of all highspeed rail infrastructure is in China (more than 31,000 kilometres) and this is one of the reasons why the President Joko Widodo decided to shift from a Japanese project to a Chinese project.

In fact, before 2015, the idea to complete a line from Jakarta and Bandung was developed by Japan. The new project had to be completed in 2019, but several external factors forced a delay: in particular, the

land acquisition process was more complex than expected. The new line from Jakarta to Bandung, with two intermediate stops is 142.3 kilometres long and also includes a depot in Tegalluar.

The interesting points go beyond just the process of construction but includes the business model that the company wants to develop as well.

Concerning the construction and operation, it is important to underline that in recent years, there has been ‘anticipation’ of the development of construction of highspeed rail. The operation of high-speed lines started in the European countries, Japan and South Korea when the level of gross domestic product per capita (at constant US Dollar level of 2010) was between $12,000 to more than $30,000 (for South Korea). Since China has entered into the market the level of a countries’ GDP at the implementation of high-speed rail has gone down.

China, Morocco and Indonesia all had or will have a level of GDP per capita lower than US$5,000 at the point of first operating a high-speed line.

It is a clear trend that in the last year, the GDP limit for the construction of the high-speed lines went much lower than US$10,000.

HSR lines in KM (Jan 2019) 31043

China

3041

2852

Japan

Spain

2814

1571

France Germany

896

887

Italy

South Korea

The operation of highspeed lines started in the European countries, Japan and South Korea when the level of gross domestic product per capita (at constant US Dollar level of 2010) was between $12,000 to more than $30,000 (for South Korea). Since China has entered into the market the level of a countries’ GDP at the implementation of high-speed rail has gone down Rail Professional

rail mancHe finance

RMF is a leading provider of railway reservation based international settlement and clearing services, providing sophisticated revenue and cost allocation, including business critical management information

Times House, Bravingtons Walk, Regent Quarter London N1 9AW Tel: +44 (0)20 7042 9961 david.hiscock@rmf.co.uk

www.rmf.co.uk

Korea

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

HSL: Year of Operation and GDP per capita GDP per capita (costant USD 2010)

40000 35000

Germany

30000

France

25000

Spain

Italy

20000

South Korea

15000

Japan

10000

Turkey

5000 0 1960

China 1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

Indonesia Morocco 2020

Year of Operation

2030

|

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Depreciation and Amortization) of 35 per cent of the revenue and with a continue increasing of the number of the passengers.

In Japan, where the opposite model is utilised, private operator JR East does not only manage the high-speed services, but also regional services and real estate development. Thanks to the competition, the price of a high-speed rail ticket has decreased 40 per cent in the last seven years of competition. In Japan, the yield is almost three times higher than for Italo.

In Indonesia it is not clear what kind of business model will be chosen by the government, but the forecast for the yield is quite high.

In particular the average price of the ticket (for the same distance) will be more than 20 per cent higher than for Italo, but 50 per cent cheaper than in Japan.

It is important to take in consideration the purchasing power of the customers and the forecast of the price of the ticket in Indonesia could be a big risk: in fact, the price is much higher than Italy where the GDP per capita at PPP level is three times higher than in Indonesia.

At the same time, it not only the pricing that could risk losses and subsidies

in Japan. The competition system in Italy started officially in April 2012, when a private competitor, Italo (managed by Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori), entered the market, where Frecciarossa, managed by Trenitalia, was already operating services.

Trenitalia is an enterprise held one hundred per cent by the national railway company Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, that is currently a holding of the different divisions Yield (service, infrastructure,(Average revenue of the ticket per passenger KM in USD cents) transportation of goods, etc.) of the railway sector, as provided 21.6 for by the European legislation about the separation between the infrastructure manager and the service operator.

In 2018, around 17.5 million customers10.1 used Italo trains around a 8.2 wide network and in Indonesia. In the next two years it is this year the private railway company will important to develop customer-oriented have more than 20 million of passengers on technology for the business model of the board. Italo is now very profitable with an EBITDA (Earnings Before Italo Interest, Taxation, KCIC railway company.

JR East The concept of efficiency in the railway industry has really changed with Italo. A Data: last available (2017 or 2018) good use of the assets (higher productivity of the rolling stock), innovation in the (Average revenue of the ticket per passenger KM in USD cents) relationship with the customer (one-to-one customer relationship management), a wider use of the revenue management, capability 21.6 to reduce the operational cost thanks to the innovation are some of the elements that can make a difference in the railway business.

The big question is if the railway operator in Indonesia is ready for these innovations and if it is clear the strategy to reach the 10.1 customers whilst avoiding losses or relying 8.2 on subsidies in the high-speed rail business.

The good news is that Indonesia still has two years to reach these targets, but two years is very short period in the development of this technology.

This is an interesting way to understand what level of development a country needs to achieve in order for its population (potential customers) to be willing to pay for high-speed rail if the business model could work with a marketable idea. The first element to be taken in consideration is the yield, the average revenue of the ticket per passenger in kilometre.

We can find different business models around the world, but if we take private rail companies, there are not many cases.

For example, in China the average price of the ticket is around US$0.08 per passenger kilometre, but many lines are losing money even if the access charge (which is one of the main costs for all railway undertakings) is not included in the cost.

In Japan and Italy, we find two different business models: open access in Italy and vertically integrated railway companies

In Indonesia it is not clear what kind of business model will be chosen by the government, but the forecast for the yield is quite high

Yield

Italo

KCIC

Data: last available (2017 or 2018)

JR East

Andrea Giuricin is the CEO of TRA Consulting and Senior Rail Sector Advisor to the World Bank Group. He gives speeches on the rail sector around the world from Bangkok to Lisbon

Rail Professional

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

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Avril: affordability and resilience in very high speed Talgo’s newest train uses rodals, a proven solution to offer minimal costs for the whole lifecycle

F

ixed axles have been a standard for the rail industry since the opening of the Liverpool to Manchester line in 1830. The Midland Railway began mounting bogies on its rail coaches as early as the mid-1870s.

The reasons for their widespread use were multiple back then, but in the high-speed rail era operations have reached a critical threshold in which the conventional rolling assembly is no longer able to deliver the expected production levels at a controlled cost.

This is exactly the main driver behind the development of Avril, a long-distance rail platform engineered by Talgo and whose name stands for the acronym of ‘Alta Velocidad Rueda Independiente Ligero’, or ‘Light, High-Speed, Independent Wheel’. The project was formally announced in late 2008 and the unit was first presented at Innotrans 2012, with final train certification obtained in 2016.

Avril uses Talgo’s specific rolling assembly called rodals, a proven solution to offer minimal costs for the whole lifecycle of the asset by allowing the variable usage charge (VUC) to be paid by the operator to the rail infrastructure managers, and dramatically reducing maintenance costs on both sides of the track-wheel interface – a very much needed feature when the rolling stock is conceived as one of the most important components of the rail system.

The use of the independently rotating and self-guided wheels reduces track wear and settles per-seat maintenance costs at levels never seen before in the high-speed rail segment. This provides the TOC with a priceless tool to introduce unparalleled predictability in its future income statements, as national Spanish operator Renfe has already discovered with Avril: in a competitive tender held in 2016 and where all the major Western rail manufacturers were present, Talgo emerged as the only rail solution ready to offer the lower per-seat prices in a contract for the supply of 30 high-speed trains and their maintenance during 30 years.

The Renfe Avril trains are now under production and expected to enter commercial service in 2021 in some of

the busiest high-speed lines in Spain, just in time for Renfe to take the lead in the passenger market liberalization. They will be tri-voltage – 25 kV 50 Hz AC, 3 kV DC and 1.5 kV DC – and will be equipped with ERTMS and Asfa Digital signaling systems, with ten of them having also the French TVM signaling system, and 15 variable

track-gauge wheelsets. The trains will be able to run at a maximum commercial speed of 330 kph.

Each Renfe Avril composition would have two power heads units, a business end car with 44 seats, another business car with 36 seats, an accessible business car with 25 seats (two PRM seats), a cafeteria car, Rail Professional

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

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supply of Britain’s train fleet for High Speed Two (HS2) Phase One, a rail project unique in every way and with the potential to transform mobility and make a significant impact in many communities across the UK, ‘the kind of opportunity which societies can only take or leave once in a century’ in the words of Talgo UK Managing Director, Jonathan Veitch.

four tourist cars with 49 seats each, three tourist cars with 54 seats and an end tourist car with 58 seats. Inside it will hold 521 passengers and two spaces for wheelchairs in a typical composition with 80 per cent of seats in tourist class and the remaining 20 in business class. Tourist class seats will be arranged in rows of two-plus-three, on either side of the aisle, so that the twelve-car composition can have as many as 550 seats if the operator later opts for a declassified composition, with only tourist class cars.

A first time for Renfe, the Avril contract covers the maintenance across the entire lifecycle of the trains, in order to ensure that the winning bid guarantees the lowest operating costs for the operator during no less than three decades. Renfe has reserved secondary maintenance and main

components repair activities for its own subsidiary which are calculated to around a 30 per cent of the total maintenance the new fleet will need, making it possible to preserve know-how and technology transfer of the rolling stock within the operator.

Apart from the Renfe project, Avril as a product is designed to be a flexible platform, with fixed track-gauge (1,435 mm, 1,520 mm and 1,668 mm) and variable gauge versions, allowing multiple power supply system (different voltages, diesel-electric, or bi-mode), with the possibility of a standard wide body, and the capacity to change the number of coaches while maintaining the same performance.

Earlier this year Talgo confirmed that Avril is the basis for the company’s bid – submitted on 5th June 2019 – for the

Avril ES -­‐ Technical Features Max. Speed

360 km/h

MAX. COMMERCIAL SPEED

330 km/h

PASSENGER CAPACITY

521

Track gauge

1,435 and/or 1,520 and/or 1,668 mm

Floor height (from rail head)

760 mm

Bodyshell width

3,200 mm

Supply

25 kV 50 Hz / 3kV / 1,5kV

Power

8,000 kW / 6,500 kW / 4,300 kW

Train configuration

100% modular

TSI/EURA-­‐compliant configuration (AVRIL ES)

Power head + 12 cars + power head

Length

200 m

Unladen weight

320 t

Number of axles

21

‘Dr. Avril’: Talgo inspection trains Spain’s Rail Infrastructure Manager Adif, last October awarded Talgo a contract to supply a state-of-the-art laboratory train that is designed specifically to inspect and maintain railway lines across the country.

The contract amounts to a total €39 million.

Under the contract, Talgo will also be responsible for providing a five-year long integral maintenance service, the onboard systems, subsystems and spare parts, as well as hi-tech inspection and detection equipment.

With six cars and two power heads (locomotives), this variable track-gauge train will have a power of 8,000 kW and maximum speed of 330 kph in normal operation.

Informally nicknamed as ‘Dr. Avril’ following the Japanese custom of designating such inspection trains as ‘Doctor’, this train will have all the technologically distinctive features of the Avril very-high speed passenger train already developed by Talgo.

Avril has level access (with no step) from the platform, and a continuous lowfloor throughout the train. The train is also roomier inside, thanks to the innovative design principles of Talgo coaches. The extra space will allow to a better layout for the advanced inspection systems and the best ergonomics for Adif engineers working onboard at very high speeds.

The fully interoperable design of the Avril train, with dual electrification for AC and DC, will also ensure a seamless and transparent operation of this unit on the new very-high speed, dedicated passenger lines, and over the conventional ‘legacy’ lines.

‘Dr Avril’ will be able to inspect almost every single line in Spain, maximizing the return on Adif’s technological investment, and keeping the Spanish railway network in ‘mint condition’. ‘Dr Avril’ completes Adif’s own rolling stock roster, by joining three other three high-speed units –all of them provided by Talgo.

One of those three existing units (Adif 330 Series) is based in the Talgo 350 and has standard track-gauge wheelsets and electric traction for up to 363 kph. The remaining two units are high-speed DMUs (Adif 335 Series) with dual track-gauge systems (1,435 & 1,668mm), capable to operate on all of the rail lines managed by Adif.

Visit: www.talgo.com Rail Professional

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| ELECTRIFICATION

Improving Delhi’s electrification performance Furrer+Frey is an engineering company like no other, with electrification experience accumulated from the development, construction and maintenance of overhead contact line systems since 1923

P

assing this knowledge on from one generation of engineers to the next, building an understanding through the capital of the company: the engineers and staff.

The company understands that experience and competency need to be aligned with the requirements of the project. Here, we look at a project in India that Furrer+Frey has successfully delivered.

Furrer+Frey has a long and successful relationship with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC). DMRC operates a modern mass rapid transit system in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India. With the commencement of first service in December 2002, the DMRC network has now expanded to 377 kilometres which include ten corridors. The system is fully electrified and utilise 25kV overhead equipment for the entire network.

Overhead equipment on some of the DMRC corridors faces challenging conditions: excessive pollution, significantly high number of pantograph passages, low headway between trains, longer service hours, increasing service load and interference from external elements such as birds and kites. After almost 15 years in service, the overhead equipment on these corridors is facing reliability problems originating because of a number of factors.

Furrer+Frey worked with DMRC to review the overhead equipment on these corridors for restoring the reliability of the system and improving maintainability.

Furrer+Frey collaborated with TÜV SÜD who reviewed and modelled the traction power supply equipment along these corridors.

Furrer+Frey was chosen for the task of improving DRMC’s electrification

performance for two key reasons. Firstly, Furrer+Frey has almost one hundred years of electrification experience. Secondly, the work was undertaken by the Furrer+Frey UK team, who have expertise in maintaining, renewing and improving the UK’s ageing Network. The experience from the UK was critical; maintaining performance on a densely operated network is a key skill in demand around the world.

The first task involved reviewing the existing operation and maintenance processes and manuals of DMRC for these corridors. Furrer+Frey’s UK team then spent several weeks on-site with the DMRC maintenance teams looking at specific recurring issues on overhead equipment and interacting with DMRC personnel to understand their real maintenance regime. As a company that has worked in over 30 countries, Furrer+Frey was also able to utilise its international experience, specifically not only from the UK, but also from other metro projects to make specific recommendations for system improvement.

Furrer+Frey also reviewed DMRC maintenance practices against industry benchmarks from the UK and across Europe.

Component lifespan A significant issue in Delhi is the extremely high level of pollution, and this is also a major factor affecting life of certain components of the overhead equipment.

Excessive pollution coupled with high electrical load leads to reduced component life and led to unexpected early failures.

Rail Professional

ELECTRIFICATION |

Furrer+Frey carried out metallurgical and metallographic examination of samples recovered from polluted sections, which helped it in making recommendations based on extent of material loss due to accelerated corrosion and levels of surface contaminants such as sulphur-containing compounds.

In the long run India’s electrification programme, will also partially help to reduce this pollution.

DMRC has also been considering the use of different conductor sizes and tensions, that could potentially have a positive impact on the reliability and availability of the overhead equipment.

Furrer+Frey created a digital twin of the DMRC electrification system and was able to model scenarios for DMRC, and what

outcome changes would make on long-term performance. Furrer+Frey used its dynamic simulation software PCaDA, a simulation tool accredited to EN 50318. Based on the modelling outcomes validated against the requirements set in EN 50119, DMRC was able to understand the impact of change in conductor tension and configuration on system performance. Variable pantograph pressure was also simulated as part of this exercise.

A review of the adequacy of existing traction power supply system for these corridors was carried out by TÜV SÜD Schweiz AG, along with power supply simulations for future traffic scenarios. The output of these simulations i.e. electrical load on various overhead conductors was

27

then utilised by Furrer+Frey to review the adequacy of existing conductors and making recommendation on conductor sizing in case the existing conductors are not suitable.

Another area of importance for DMRC is to reduce maintenance and repair times due to short maintenance windows.

Furrer+Frey owns an extensive construction and maintenance plant fleet in Switzerland and Germany and has also worked with a number of modern railroad plant in the UK. Based on this experience, the company was able to provide a recommendation to DMRC on a variety of modern railway plant that can help in efficient maintenance planning and also significantly reduce time on track.

When it comes to adopting new, improved railway equipment; DMRC is at the forefront among the Indian rail asset owners and operators. But this could also result in a number of new components in the system without proper training and tools to maintain them. Jointly DMRC and Furrer+Frey identified such components where hands-on training would improve performance. Furrer+Frey then delivered the training at Delhi Metro Rail Academy in Shastri Park Depot. Having a hands-on maintenance academy is also part of DMRCs long term plans to improve reliability.

Furrer+Frey GB’s Engineering Manager and lead for the project Ankur said: ‘Working with DMRC is always collaborative, and everyone is aligned to a common goal of improving the network. It was also good to be able to give hands-on training, too often consultancy work is about writing reports that people don’t read. To see straight away a light switch in someone’s mind and they realise they can improve working practices and improve reliability is a delight.’

The collaborative efforts of DMRC, Furrer+Frey and TÜV SÜD Schweiz AG are expected to boost the reliability of DMRC’s overhead electrification system, paving the way towards efficient maintenance regime for DMRC personnel. Ultimately the purpose of the whole work is to improve operational performance and make travelling better for the 6 million people who use DMRC network daily.

Noel Dolphin, Director at Furrer+Frey GB said: ‘It is always exciting working on projects in India. There is a can-do attitude on all projects, and the huge growth in urban metros shows there is a desire for sustainable development. India is also pioneering electrification and plans to have a one hundred per cent electrified network.’

Furrer+Frey has been creating innovative overhead line solutions for almost one hundred years and has become synonymous with all things electrification from battery charge stations to high-speed overhead line, working around the world on a multitude of interesting and challenging projects.

Tel: +44 (0) 203 740 5455 Email: ankur@furrerfrey.ch Visit: www.furrerfrey.ch/en Tweet: @FurrerFrey Rail Professional

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| BUSINESS PROFILE

Coral Move Vision FR = Design Freedom Coral Move Vison FR is one of the latest products to now be available to order, from the Forbo Flooring Transport portfolio of rail flooring solutions

O

ffering total design freedom, this luxurious cut pile carpet is digitally printed in high definition in a virtually limitless number of aesthetic styles, ranging from abstract designs with intricate colour combinations to realistic representations of natural materials.

Coral Move Vision FR carpet offers the following technical characteristics: • extensive customisation possibilities, using high definition digital printing • premium cut-pile carpet specification achieves luxurious ambience and underfoot comfort • durability and appearance retention due to one hundred per cent nylon construction

• one hundred per cent of Coral Move Vision FR yarn is Econyl® • natural latex backing from rapidly renewable source • carpet pile density delivers slip resistance and outstanding acoustic properties • ease of maintenance due to open cut pile construction • reaction to fire EN 45545-2: HL3 • available with Pro-Fit backing for quicker installation.

Coral Move Vision FR uses a digital printing process, as opposed to pre-dyed yarns being tufted in different design styles, which allows for far greater customisation possibilities in terms of design and colour.

The digital printing process makes non-linear type designs possible, is perfect for more complicated designs or when there are many different colourways within a design. Pantone and RAL colours can be matched.

Designed by you Clients work with our dedicated in-house design team on an individual project basis to ensure their Coral Move Vision FR carpet meets their precise design and colour requirements.

The design step-by-step process: • design brief and samples are sent in via your local Forbo representative • Forbo design team develop the design • graphic design to be sent to the customer to enure that the brief is fulfilled • matching pantone/NCS/RAL or material samples supplied • a physical sample is then produced and sent to the customer for their approval • once all is approved by the customer, the order can then be produced.

Cut to size - speed and down time At Forbo we have the inhouse technology to pre-cut any order to suit the customers’ requirements. We can cut detailed and complex saloon layouts to improve installation speed and down time. Orders can also be bagged and tagged into sections, to ease the installation process.

To find out more about the full range of Forbo’s flooring and wall covering solutions available to the rail segment, which include Flotex FR flocked flooring, Coral Move FR carpet, Coral FR entrance flooring, Marmoleum FR2 linoleum flooring and Tessera FR carpet, or if you wish to look at our latest rail brochure then please visit www.forbo-flooring.com/rail And to allow us to keep you updated with new products or designs as well as key installation references then sign up to the quarterly TRANSPRESS newsletter here www.forbo-flooring.com/transport For further details please contact us; Forbo Flooring Systems UK Ltd High Holborn Road, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3NT, UK Email: transport@forbo.com

Rail Professional

BUSINESS PROFILE |

29

Fleet FR wall and ceiling covering The robust, hard wearing properties of Fleet FR wall and ceiling covering, meets the demands of high traffic rail environments that require long lasting performance and ease of maintenance

F

leet FR is available in 8 colourways or can be manufactured in custom colourways to match any NCS/ RAL reference. Fleet FR reduces ambient noise, making it ideal for use in places which require a tranquil atmosphere and a minimum of noise distraction. Fleet FR is ideal for many areas onboard your rail vehicle, such as: • walls • ceilings • luggage storage areas • stairways.

Lightweight and durable Fleet FR has a self-adhesive backing allowing for quick and easy installation, saving you time and money.

As weight has becomes an ever increasing factor in rail design and refurbishments, Fleet FR was designed with this in mind weighing 550g/sqm.

Durable, high quality fibres are used in the construction, meeting fire test EN45545-2 (R1): HL2 compliant.

Custom colouration Custom colourations are available, we can match to any NCS/ RAL colours to complement any design scheme.

To find out more about the full range of Forbo’s flooring and wall covering solutions available to the rail segment, which include Flotex FR flocked flooring, Coral Move FR carpet, Coral FR entrance flooring, Marmoleum FR2 linoleum flooring and Tessera FR carpet, or if you wish to look at our latest rail brochure then please visit www.forbo-flooring.com/rail And to allow us to keep you updated with new products or designs as well as key installation references then sign up to the quarterly TRANSPRESS newsletter here www.forbo-flooring.com/transport For further details please contact us; Forbo Flooring Systems UK Ltd High Holborn Road, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3NT, UK Email: transport@forbo.com Rail Professional

BUSINESS PROFILE |

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HL3 Compliant – 2 Marmoleum FR Marmoleum is over 150 years old and is a natural floor covering that is associated with sustainability, durability, high quality and innovative design

F

or the rail sector Marmoleum FR2 is a new product that offers total versatility in terms of colour and design, but what makes this floor covering special is the fact that it is created using a high percentage of natural raw materials, with renewable and recycled content.

Reasons to choose Marmoleum FR2 for your saloon flooring: • reaction to fire EN 45545-2: HL3 • a sustainable floorcovering • homogeneous durable construction • low life cycle costs – can be renovated and repaired • wide range of colourways per design • aquajet cutting service available • suitable for all modes of rail vehicles including underground and sleeper vehicles.

Environmental leadership • 72 per cent natural raw materials • 40 per cent recycled material content

• 29 per cent of raw materials are rapidly renewable.

Marmoleum FR2 has a unique suitability for a diverse range of environments where hygiene and control of bacteria are important. Marmoleum FR2 is also an Allergy UK approved floor covering.

All Marmoleum FR2 floors include Topshield2, a double layer, UV-cured finish that is: • scratch and scuff resistant • easy to maintain • ensures long lasting appearance retention.

With its natural bacteriostatic properties and resistance to chemicals, Marmoleum FR2 is the ideal solution for heavy traffic rail vehicles. The design team can prepare a flooring design that is transferred electronically to the aquajet cutting machines. Whether it is a complete rail saloon layout to help with quick installation,

company logo, signage or thematic design, the possibilities are limitless with aquajet cutting.

Five designs in the Marmoleum FR2 collection: • Fresco FR2 • Real FR2 • Walton FR2 • Vivace FR2 • Concrete FR2 In addition to the five designs in the Marmoleum FR2 collection, Marmoleum Striato FR offers a distinctive directional design. An additional palette that has neutral and bright colours with warm tones and grey-infused hues spanning from light to dark, delivering natural looking floors.

Marmoleum Striato FR has the same product characteristics as Marmoleum FR2 and also meets EN45545-2: HL3. By removing wet and dry soiling from the soles of shoes and wheel treads, an effective entrance system such as Coral FR reduces premature wear and tear to interior floor coverings and finishes, minimises cleaning and maintenance costs and protects passengers by reducing slip hazards.

To find out more about the full range of Forbo’s floor and wall covering solutions for the rail segment, which include Flotex FR flocked flooring, Coral Move FR carpet, Coral FR entrance flooring and Tessera FR carpet then please visit www.forbo-flooring.com/rail

Rail Professional

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| BUSINESS PROFILE

Tessera Nexus FR Tessera FR tufted carpets are renowned for their aesthetic styling and outstanding performance, even in the most demanding of heavy traffic environments

T

essera FR is a collection of attractive, hardwearing broadloom carpets, all designed to deliver specific aesthetic and performance benefits. The installation of carpet in a rail vehicle adds significant warmth, comfort and acoustic benefits.

Tessera Nexus FR is a brand new design that merges a metallic web overlay with a sophisticated striated ground, creating a network of connections. Available in

nine neutral and classical colours covering light and dark options, but also with the possibility for custom colourisation.

• durability and appearance retention made from 100% nylon • slip resistance • reaction to fire EN 45545-2: HL2 • cut to size/shape option • available with Pro-Fit backing for quicker installation • reduction impact noise: 25dB.

By removing wet and dry soiling from the soles of shoes and wheel treads, an effective entrance system such as Coral FR reduces premature wear and tear to interior floor coverings and finishes, minimises cleaning and maintenance costs and protects passengers by reducing slip hazards.

To find out more about the full range of Forbo’s flooring and wall covering solutions available to the rail segment, which include Flotex FR flocked flooring, Coral Move FR carpet, Coral FR entrance flooring, Marmoleum FR2 linoleum flooring and Tessera FR carpet, or if you wish to look at our latest rail brochure then please visit www.forbo-flooring.com/rail And to allow us to keep you updated with new products or designs as well as key installation references then sign up to the quarterly TRANSPRESS newsletter here www.forbo-flooring.com/transport For further details please contact us; Forbo Flooring Systems UK Ltd High Holborn Road, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3NT, UK Email: transport@forbo.com

Rail Professional

EVENT |

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Asia Pacific Rail 2020 Asia’s premier rail event will return in 2020 and for the first time will be taking place in Bangkok at the BITEC Arena on 11th and 12th March

O

ver the last 21 years, Asia Pacific Rail has brought together more than 22,000 rail leaders from across the globe for the most exclusive and influential railway gathering in the region. 2019 was the biggest event ever, with four premium tracks of content, over 150 speakers, more than 70 sponsors and exhibitors with over 2,000 attendees. ​ This is an opportune time for Thailand to play host to Asia Pacific Rail 2020 to showcase their newest developments and share opportunities on the upcoming projects. At the same time, to stage a world class railway exhibition in Bangkok bringing the best in solutions and technology to Thailand.

In addition, Asia Pacific Rail have also confirmed the support and participation from leading metro operators including MTR Hong Kong and LTA Singapore. Asia Pacific Rail remains a key platform attracting railway authorities and operators from around the region to convene annually to discuss the latest opportunities and share best practice. ​ Event overview Visionary keynotes will lay the foundations for two days of intensive learning, discussion and networking. Leading C-Level

Asia Pacific Rail have also confirmed the support and participation from leading metro operators including MTR Hong Kong and LTA Singapore. Asia Pacific Rail remains a key platform attracting railway authorities and operators from around the region to convene annually to discuss the latest opportunities and share best practice

executives will share case studies from around the world, ensuring you can learn from the best of the best. And as always, there is the busy exhibition floor, packed full of networking opportunities, on-floor presentations across multiple seminar theatres, product demonstrations and more. ​ Talk will cover the latest innovations in signalling and communications, passenger experience, rolling stock and new rail projects across the region, as well as brand

new content on: • Digital Rail – Technology and innovation for a digital intermodal future • Intelligent Infrastructure Management – Predictive maintenance and asset management technology for rail operations • Rail Freight – Disruption and modernisation of rail freight • Rail Security – Cybersecurity for rail operations.

Rail Professional

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| EVENT

A plethora of new rapid transit lines will greet those of you who haven’t visited in recent years. The Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) is now reachable by the BTS Skytrain Sukhumwit Line, just a few minutes from Bang Na station

New beginnings in Bangkok Following the decision to move the event to the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre, the organisers met with key stakeholders from Thailand including, Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited (BEM), State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and SRT Electric Train Company (SRTET) and received their word of support and endorsement for Asia Pacific Rail 2020 to be held in Bangkok.

Thailand is in the midst of multiple ambitious railway development projects with these recent announcements: • a US$7 billion high-speed train project linking the three major airports • a US$4.1 billion high-speed rail project spanning 252.5 kilometres from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima • a US$6.6 billion high-speed rail project spanning 355 kilometre from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai on Thailand’s northeast border with Laos • a US$1.2 billion light-rail project spanning 58.6 kilometres on the southern island of Phuket planned for 2023 • a US$1.3 billion light-rail project spanning 34.93 kilometres in the northern city of Chiang Mai planned for 2027 • a new Blue Line extension from Tao Pun to Tha Phra • upcoming bids for the western Orange Line (Thailand Cultural Centre-Bang Khunnon) and southern Purple Line (Tao Pun-Rat Burana).

Rail Professional

Speakers The current list of speakers combines a huge roster of top-level officials from transport operators across the region with senior executives at consulting companies and experts from across the industry.

Senior officials from Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority, Malaysia’s MRT Corporation, Taiwan’s Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation and Thailand’s Ministry of Transport.

There will also be presentations from rail experts and professionals from companies in Japan, China, Australia, The Philippines as well as the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain.

What visitors can expect The Bangkok that exhibitors, speakers and attendees will be greeted by will be much changed even compared to just a year ago.

A plethora of new rapid transit lines will greet those of you who haven’t visited in recent years. The Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) is now reachable by the BTS Skytrain Sukhumwit Line, just a few minutes from Bang Na station. That line now runs for 37 stations from east of Bangkok to the north, with four new stations opening for test runs just this month.

There are currently five lines in operation, the BTS Sukhumwit and Silom

lines which meet at Siam Station in the centre of the city. The two MRT lines, the Blue Line which connects with both BTS lines at various stations along its west to north route and the Purple Line which serves the northern suburbs. There is also the Airport Rail Link Line which runs from Suvarnbhumi Airport to a central station just north of Siam.

So, make sure you get out and explore the city by rail whilst you are here and take the time to check out all the sights along the Skytrain routes and the Purple MRT line which also runs above ground. You can reach the Purple Line by taking the Blue Line all the way north to the connecting station at Tao Poon. If you stop one station earlier you can explore the new Bang Sue station which connects to its namesake railway station. Also called Bang Sue Grand Station, when completed it will be the largest railway station in Southeast Asia with 26 platforms connecting to five rapid transit lines serving greater and downtown Bangkok and four cross country lines.

About BITEC Asia Pacific Rail will take place on 11th and 12th March at The Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC). There are multiple five-star hotels perfect for the business traveller within easy reach of the centre. Located just a few minutes from Bang Na Station on the BTS Sukhumwit Line and less than thirty minutes from Suvarnbhumi Airport, the address is 88 Bang Na-Trat Rd, Bang Na, Bangkok 10260, Thailand.

Contact Limited sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are available, contact Bastiaan van der Heijden today at bastiaan.heijden@terrapinn.com or call +65 6322 2726

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