Vom: 11.07.08 Kurhessenbahn gewinnt NVV-Ausschreibung
Die Kurhessenbahn, eine Tochter der DB AG, hat die SPNV-Ausschreibung für die R39 (Kassel –) Wabern – Bad Wildungen gewonnen. Ausgeschrieben hat der Nordhessischer Verkehrsverbund NVV.
Die Entscheidung des NVV erfolgte Ende Juni. Die Übernahme nach dem neuen Vertrag erfolgt zum Fahrplanwechsel im Dezember dieses Jahres. Der Fahrplan umfasst wie bisher ein ca. zweistündliches Angebot an Wochentagen, wobei es zweimal am Tag eine durchgehende Verbindung zwischen Bad Wildungen und Kassel Hauptbahnhof gibt. Am Wochenende wird die Linie tagsüber von fünf Fahrten pro Richtung im Zweistundentakt bedient. Die Leistungen auf der nicht elektrifizierten rund 17 km langen Strecke belaufen sich auf ca. 115.000 Zugkilometer pro Jahr. Derzeit führt die Hessische Landsbahn HLB den Betrieb durch.
Vom: 11.07.08 DB bestellt Voith Gravita
Modell der Gravita
Die Deutsche Bahn wird bei Voith 130 Rangierlokomotiven des Typs Gravita 10BB bestellen. Dies haben die Kieler Nachrichten berichtet.
Im Juli hat die DB AG eine Ausschreibung über 130 Lokomotiven veröffentlicht. Als Favoriten galten von Anbeginn Vossloh mit seiner erfolgreichen Baureihe G 1000 und Voith mit der neuen Gravita. Die ersten Gravita befinden sich in der Endfertigung, auf der InnoTrans wird erstmals die Baureihe vorgestellt, ausgestellt wird die Type 10 BB.
Offiziell ist dazu noch nichts bekannt gegeben worden, laut KN sollen heute die Firmen unterrichtet werden. Anschließend läuft die 14tägige Einspruchsfrist, bevor der Vertrag unterzeichnet werden kann. Die Auslieferung ist für 2010 bis 2013 geplant
NMBS belooft betere service
Omwille van auteursrechtelijke bescherming van krantenartikels heb ik de tekst van dit artikel verwijderd. Het volledige artikel kan wel nog geraadpleegd worden in het archief op de website http://tijd.be
Laatst gewijzigd door thomaslj op 09 jul 2010, 14:19, 1 keer totaal gewijzigd.
EU-commissie neemt NMBS onder vuur
Europa stelt ons land formeel in gebreke. De manier waarop ons land de NMBS-structuren heeft georganiseerd, strookt niet met de EU-regels. Staatssecretaris Schouppe kondigt aanpassingen aan. Dat schrijft De Standaard vrijdag.
(belga) - De Europese Commissie startte vorig jaar een onderzoek naar de manier waarop de spoorwegen in ons land zijn georganiseerd. Met het oog op de liberalisering van de spoormarkt moest het beheer van het spoorwegnet afgesplitst worden van de spoorwegmaatschappij. De NMBS werd in 2004 opgesplitst in een holdingmaatschappij (NMBS Holding) met daaronder een beheerder van de infrastructuur (Infrabel) en een spoorwegonderneming (NMBS).
De Raad van State liet in een kritisch advies in 2004 weten dat de splitsing van de NMBS, zoals die nu was uitgetekend, niet strookte met de Europese eisen. De Raad stelde vooral vragen bij het feit dat de twee werkmaatschappijen geen eigen personeel kregen. Het personeel wordt immers vanuit de holding gedetacheerd.
De Europese Commissie stuurde België op 10 mei 2007 een vragenlijst. Op 24 juli 2007 en 5 februari 2008 antwoordde ons land. Maar die antwoorden voldeden duidelijk niet, want op 26 juni stuurde de Commissie een formele ingebrekestelling. Dat Infrabel en de NMBS, de twee werkmaatschappijen, geen eigen personeel hebben, kan niet. Dat een lid tegelijk lid is van de raad van bestuur van Infrabel en de NMBS Holding, kan evenmin door de beugel.
België heeft nu twee maanden tijd om te antwoorden. Als die antwoorden niet voldoen, kan de commissie een procedure aanspannen bij het Europees Hof van Justitie. Etienne Schouppe (CD&V), de staatssecretaris voor Mobiliteit, is niet verbaasd.
"Het stond in de sterren geschreven. Europa zegt eigenlijk dat onze structuur niet kan. Infrastructuurbeheerder Infrabel en spoorwegonderneming NMBS zijn niet onafhankelijk genoeg." Minister van Overheidsbedrijven Inge Vervotte (CD&V) wil voorlopig geen commentaar kwijt.
Arriva chosen in Sweden
12 Jul 2008
SWEDEN: Arriva Skandinavien has been awarded a contract to run Kinnekulletåget passenger services between Göteborg and Örebro from June 14 next year. The agreement with transport authority Västtrafik runs for seven years, with an option for a two-year extension.
'It is very pleasing that we have won this train operation', said Johnny Hansen, Chief Excutive of Arriva Skandinavien. 'The order corresponds well with our Nordic growth strategy. Sweden is a country where public transport is developing enormously.'
Vom: 14.07.08 Wiehltalbahn: OVG Münster entschied zugunsten der Bahn
Die Wiehltalbahn bzw. die Rhein-Sieg-Eisenbahn GmbH (RSE) als Infrastrukturbetreiber haben vergangene Woche einen wichtigen Sieg errungen. Das Oberverwaltungsgericht (OVG) Münster hat mit Datum vom 7. Juli 2008 den Berufungszulassungsantrag des Landes NRW gegen das Urteil des Verwaltungsgerichts (VG) Köln vom 26. Januar 2007 abgelehnt. Damit ist das Land NRW verpflichtet, der RSE als EIU der Wiehltalbahn eine langfristige Betriebsgenehmigung zu erteilen.
Mit dem rechtskräftigen Beschluss entschied das OVG sich damit gegen die Rechtsauffassung des Landes, aber auch der Kommunen, welche die seit 1999 in Kooperation von RSE, Förderkreis zur Rettung der Wiehltalbahn e.V. und WB WiehltalBahn GmbH privat betriebene Bahnstrecke im Dezember 2006 mit dem Ziel einer anderweitigen Nutzung erworben hatten.
Nachdem die Kommunen den Pachtvertrag mit dem Förderkreis gekündigt hatten, hatte das Land NRW die Auffassung vertreten, die Betriebsgenehmigung der Rhein-Sieg-Eisenbahn ohne zivilrechtlichen Zugriff auf die Strecke, etwa durch einen Pachtvertrag, nicht verlängern zu können. Das VG Köln teilte diese Auffassung nicht, vielmehr ergebe der „klare Wortlaut und systematische Zusammenhang“ des Allgemeinen Eisenbahngesetzes (AEG) einen in sich geschlossenen Katalog von Anforderungen, der den zivilrechtlichen Zugriff nicht beinhalte. Der Eigentümer, hier die Kommunen, müsse „die Eigenschaft seines Eigentums als Eisenbahninfrastruktur zivilrechtlich ... respektieren“. Das Gericht verurteilte das Land, den Genehmigungsantrag hinsichtlich der zeitlichen Befristung unter Beachtung der Rechtsauffassung des Gerichts neu zu bescheiden.
Nachdem bereits im Juni mehrere Klagen der Kommunen gegen den Bahnbetrieb gescheitert waren, ist die Entscheidung des OVG nun diejenige, der von allen Beteiligten zentrale Bedeutung zugemessen wurde. So laufen zwar noch Verfahren zur Entwidmung, aber angesichts der Begründung des OVG gehen RSE und Förderkreis davon aus, dass die Entwidmung, gegen die die RSE Klage erhoben hat, keinen Bestand haben wird.
bron: http://www.eurailpress.de/article/view/ ... _bahn.html
News in Brief
14 Jul 2008
The Czech government has reached an agreement with the Praha city and regional authorities for the construction of a KC28bn rail link to Praha Ruzyne airport by December 2013. A PPP model is proposed, with funding to upgrade the existing line to Kladno to come from the privatisation of the airport in 2009. Metro Line A will also be extended from Dejvicka to the airport by 2018.
Complying with legislation which requires that spending by the national government in Catalunya should match the region's contribution to Spanish GDP, the Ministry of Development is to spend an additional €250m on railway projects, divided equally between upgrading the conventional network and station modernisation.
According to South African Transport Minister Jeff Radebe, a memorandum of understanding is being finalised between the departments of Transport and Public Enterprises and Transnet Freight Rail that will see tourist lines, branches and 'no service' routes transferred to the Department of Transport.
Responsibility for passenger operations on the 75 km electrified line between Zwolle and Emmen was transferred from Netherlands Railways to the provinces of Overijssel and Drenthe on May 19.
The Gatwick Express service linking London Victoria station with Gatwick Airport was merged into Govia's Southern train operating company on on June 22. The UK rail franchise had been operated by National Express, but was merged as part of a plan to make the best use of capacity on the London - Brighton route.
During June as agreement was signed to build a railway to link Kyzyl, capital of Russia's Tyva republic, with coalfields at Kuragino.
The Egypt-Sudan Railway Committee has been formed to promoted the construction of a 450 km link between the Egypt's 1 435 mm gauge rail network and the 1 067 m gauge system in Sudan.
South Africa's reinstated Kei Rail weekends-only passenger service ?between Mthatha and Amabele junction is to run daily from August 1, and an overnight train is to be introduced on Fridays (RG 6.08 p372). Refurbishment of the dormant 282 km line has made it possible for the Phelophepha mobile clinic train to visit Mthatha, providing rural communities with cost-effective medical facilities.
The Spanish Ministry of Development has issued a freight operating licence to Logitren Ferroviaria (RG 4.08 p222), which will be able to operate up 1 million train-km a year once it obtains a safety certificate. This brings to 10 the number of operators licensed to use the national network, including state railway RENFE.
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp's services broke even for the first time during April, when 2·5 million trips were made. Services began in January 2007 (RG 2.07 p55), and will be increased to 140 trains/day this month.
The Zambian government has cancelled its agreement with North-Western Railways, which was to build a 350 km line from the Chingola railhead to serve mines at Lumwana. NWR earlier stated it had raised the US$250m needed, but US financiers threatened to pull out when NWR was unable to secure commitments from the mines to use the line. The government has indicated it intends to find another developer. Longer term plans would see the line extended to join the Benguela Railway in Angola.
On June 16 the governments of Liechtenstein, the Swiss canton of St Gallen and the Austrian Land of ?Vorarlberg signed an agreemnt to ?establish the FL.A.CH S-Bahn, which will provide half-hourly services between Feldkirch and Buchs. Longer-term plans would see services extended to Sargans SG, Chur and Bludenz.
Australian Rail Track Corp has introduced centralised traffic control on the Muswellbrook - Gulgong line in New South Wales, under a project to ?increase the number of paths and allow faster cycle times for coal trains. ARTC Chief Executive David Marchant said it represented a significant boost for the coal industry in the Hunter Valley and would result in greater volumes being transported.
On June 6 Transport Scotland began seeking expressions of interest in building 2 km of new track and upgrading 9 km of existing line under the Glasgow Airport Rail Link project. A contract worth up to £130m is expected to be placed in mid-2009, for completion in 2011.
Short line holding company Patriot Rail Corp is to acquire Louisiana & North West Railroad Co, which operates a 110 km line between McNeil, Arkansas, and Gibsland, Louisiana, in the USA. L&NW also leases a 11 km branch line between McNeil and Magnolia from Union Pacific.
bron: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view ... ef-16.html
Vom: 14.07.08 ICE 3 werden weiter häufiger untersucht
Die regelmäßige Ultraschalluntersuchung der Radsatzwellen der ICE 3 wird auch in nächster Zeit in verkürzten Intervallen durchgeführt. Lag der Grenzwert bisher bei 300.000 km, soll die Untersuchung auch künftig alle 60.000 km erfolgen. Das verkürzte Überprüfungsintervall ist seit dem 11. Juli gültig.
Die Deutsche Bahn hat bis heute Morgen mehr als die Hälfte ihrer ICE 3-Flotte überprüft und wieder in Betrieb genommen. Im Rahmen der Ultraschallüberprüfung wurden bislang keine Sicherheitsmängel an den Fahrzeugen festgestellt. Damit konnte bereits am Sonntag auf mehr als 80 Prozent der betroffenen ICE 3-Strecken der Verkehr sichergestellt werden.
Für Montag wird eine weitgehende Normalisierung der betrieblichen Lage erwartet. Auf nahezu allen ICE 3-Strecken ist dann der Verkehr wieder sichergestellt. Durch den Einsatz verkürzter Züge kann es weiterhin zu Einschränkungen bei Komfort und Platzkapazitäten kommen. Einzelne Züge fallen noch aus und Einschränkungen sind auch im internationalen Verkehr von und nach Amsterdam eingeplant. Der Fernverkehr war insgesamt zu rund 15 Prozent betroffen, vor allem die Verbindungen im Westen und Süden Deutschlands. Im Norden und Osten gab es kaum Behinderungen.
bron: http://www.eurailpress.de/article/view/ ... sucht.html
Madrid - Valencia contracts awarded
14 Jul 2008
SPAIN: Infrastructure authority ADIF has awarded 14 contracts worth a total of €430m for construction of the high speed line that will connect Madrid with Valencia, Alacant and Cartagena. On the branch to Cartagena, two civil works contracts worth a total of €83·3m have been awarded to Pavasal, Obrum and Nortúnel for the 3·5 km Aspe - El Carrús section, and to Ferrovial Agromán for the 4·5 km between El Carrús and Elche.
Tecsa has been awarded a €17·8m contract to undertake tracklaying between Gabaldón and Albacete (74 km), while the 95 km Gabaldón - Siete Aguas section has been awarded to Vías y Construcciones for €31·4m. Four contracts worth a total of €35·4m have been awarded for the supply of sleepers, and Pórfidos is to supply ballast for the 50 km Siete Aguas - Almusafes section under a contract worth €6·6m. Ferrovial Agromán is to build a construction base at Villarrubia de Santiago for €13·8m.
Covering the 220 km between Torrejón de Velasco and Motilla del Palancar, a contract worth €93·7m to install and maintain overhead electrification equipment has been awarded to a joint a venture of Semi, Cobra and Balfour Beatty Ibérica. Work is due to take 24 months to complete. Alstom Transporte, Elecnor, Electrón and Isolux Ingeniería are to maintain traction substations and related ?autotransformer equipment on this section under a separate contract worth €87·7m, while GSM-R mobile telecommunications equipment is to be installed by Nokia Siemens Networks for €53·5m.
Within a budget of €32·3m, ADIF is to call tenders for a contract combining civils and track work for the first phase of the programme at Valencia that will see high speed services initially accommodated at a temporary station. Work is expected to take nine and a half months to complete.
bron: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view ... arded.html
Vom: 14.07.08 HGK beschafft zwei Rangierloks
Die HGK beschafft zwei weitere Loks des Typs G1000; Foto: C. Müller
Die Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG wird zwei Rangierloks vom Typ G1000 von Vossloh Locomotives in Kiel beschaffen. Dies ist das Ergebnis einer europaweiten Ausschreibung.
Die Mittelführerstandsmaschinen haben eine Leistung von 1100 kW für den Einsatz im Zug- und Rangierdienst. Sie bieten die von der HGK in der Ausschreibung geforderte Doppeltraktionsteuerung mit dem bestehenden Lokpark sowie eine möglichst hohe Ersatzteilkompatibilität mit den bestehenden Maschinen. Der Gesamtwert der Beschaffung liegt bei 3,4 Mio. EUR.
bron: http://www.eurailpress.de/article/view/ ... rloks.html
Fortescue opens the world's heaviest haul railway
14 Jul 2008 | John Kirk
AUSTRALIA: A remarkable iron ore railway has been built across the Pilbara region in record time. John Kirk reports.
The Fortescue River is the only permanent watercourse in the Chichester Range of the remote Pilbara region in northwestern Australia. The area is famous for its mineral deposits, and in 2003 the Fortescue name was adopted by a mining company with ambitions to compete in the booming market for iron ore.
The market is being driven by insatiable demand from China, and Fortescue Metals Group arrived on the scene to compete against established giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. Defying the odds, the weather and the critics, FMG shipped its first iron ore to China in mid-May. Exploratory test drilling had begun just 42 months earlier - in that period FMG managed to plan, design and build a mine with ore processing facilities, plus a 260 km heavy haul railway and a port for Cape-size ships with ship loader and train unloading plant.
FMG has holdings or tenements spread over 40 000 km2 - about the same size as Switzerland. This far exceeds the combined tenement areas of both Rio Tinto (11 000 km2) and BHP Billiton (7 000 km2).
The Fortescue story is as much about its CEO Andrew Forrest as it is about iron ore, the Pilbara, open access infrastructure and China. Forrest is passionate about the Pilbara and about Australia's role in the global economy. When he first announced his dream to become a significant iron ore producer in the Pilbara, the experts laughed, but the jokes have since stopped. Forrest has proved his detractors wrong, and in the process he has built the world's heaviest haul railway.
Originally, Fortescue had no intention of building its own line. The company made numerous attempts to secure access for its trains on the existing Pilbara iron ore railways owned by BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. Despite winning several legal battles, they eventually lost the war through political intervention and had to invest an estimated A$2·5bn to build their own 260 km railway linking their mine at Cloud Break with their new Herb Elliott Port near Port Hedland.
The market
The original plan was to produce 45 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of iron ore, but this was subsequently lifted to 55 mtpa. Remarkably, this first-phase production has sold out, and agreements have been signed for an additional 50 mtpa. A long-term agreement was signed in March 2007 with Baosteel, China's biggest steel producer, for up to 20 mtpa, as well as a joint venture to mine magnetite.
Since then, more than 35 sales agreements have been signed, and the top 10 Chinese steel mills have all agreed supply contracts. In a clear indication of the importance of its Chinese customers, Fortescue has opened its first offshore office in the Pudong business district of Shanghai.
In March this year FMG announced that it was going to ramp up production to meet increased demand from the Chinese steel mills with the expectation that once the project was fully completed and commissioned, it would be looking to produce over 100 mtpa.
In an expression of confidence in the future, Forrest predicted that once new deposits in the Solomon region were developed, annual production could increase to around 200 mtpa. This compares with BHP's current output of about 135 mtpa and Rio Tinto's estimated 115 mtpa.
First shipment
On May 15 2008, the conveyors at Herb Elliott Port completed loading 180 000 tonnes of high quality 'Rocket' iron ore on to the Cape-size vessel MV Heng Shan, which translates as Everlasting Mountain. This marked the culmination of an extraordinary achievement by around 12 000 people who have worked on the project. Celebrated as the 'First Ore On Ship', it was the first official shipment to China, quickly following a trial consignment of 70 000 tonnes that had been dispatched as part of the port's commissioning process.
FMG had celebrated another landmark moment on April 5 2008 when it carried its first load of Cloud Break ore to Port Hedland. The train, named the Alannah MacTiernan Express after Western Australia's transport minister, carried the first ore 185 km from Hunter Siding to the port.
On the next day, a manual team and the Plasser & Theurer SUM2000 tracklayer placed the last sleepers and connected the final piece of rail linking Cloud Break to the mine. In a letter to the Australian Stock Exchange dated April 8 2008, FMG reported 'as of 02.30 this morning its railway is fully connected between Cloud Break and Port Hedland. The last of the rail sleepers and rail line have been laid along the main line between Fortescue's Herb Elliott Port through to the ore preparation facility at Cloud Break, some 260 km to the south.'
Rail infrastructure
The railway is built for 40 tonne axleloads, making it the heaviest haul railway in the world. For comparison, the other Pilbara railways operate with axleloads of 35 tonnes and 37·5 tonnes, while the trans-Australian main line was recently upgraded to operate at just 21 tonnes.
Unlike the other Pilbara railways, FMG's line was built for open access. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary and railway owner, The Pilbara Infrastructure Pty Ltd (TPI), FMG will negotiate access to the line with other Pilbara-based mining companies. This reflects the company's philosophy of providing infrastructure to develop its assets for the benefit of the Pilbara, Western Australia and Australia.
The key design objectives and philosophy of the railway were to limit its impact on the environment, to make the line as short as possible, to minimise adverse gradients and to ensure efficient maintenance to the highest standards.
Construction began in November 2006 with infrastructure specialist Laing O'Rourke's rail team in charge. The completion deadlines were tough - the entire railway had to be built from scratch and operational in less than 18 months.
Cyclone threats, wet weather, finding skilled people and maintaining machine availability in a remote area of Australia all provided challenges to the construction team.
Two manual tracklaying crews at each end of the line complemented the SUM tracklayer, and productivity of the machine was improved during construction to enable it to lay up to 3 km of track a day.
Cyclones in March 2007 cost the company considerable construction time and caused the death of two workers. The delay prompted FMG to accelerate the work programme to get the railway back on schedule. Work forged ahead at more than six sites, and Fortescue's own mine team provided 40 people and 18 pieces of equipment to help complete earthworks and capping.
The 1 435 mm gauge line used 38 000 tonnes of continuously welded 68 kg/m rail supplied by China's Panang Steel; 420 000 concrete sleepers made by Austrac in Port Hedland; countless Pandrol clips; eight bridges and 360 culverts. There are four short 250 m long sidings, three 3 km passing loops, and one balloon loop at the port, plus a siding at the Cloud Break mine with a 3 km spur on the south end.
From Cloud Break the line heads northwest to the Chichester Range, running parallel to BHP's Mount Newman Railway for around 100 km and crossing it using a flyover. It then runs directly towards the coast. The unloader is located just south of BHP Billiton's Boodarie yard, and a conveyor takes the ore over the Finucane Island road and the Goldsworthy Railway to the ship loaders.
Laing O'Rourke's Rail Regional Manager (West) Graeme Spragg summed up the kind of hurdles the team had overcome to meet the deadline. 'A radiator on the SUM tracklaying machine blew, so the team came up with an innovative stop-gap measure, plumbing up a series of 200 litre drums and filling them with water and ice until a replacement arrived. This saved several days' lost production and typified the determination of the whole project team in meeting the target milestone dates.'
Spragg said the decision to operate two independent materials trains instead of one also helped increase productivity. 'Within two days of using the two materials trains we set what we believe to be a new Australian tracklaying record of 3 292 m in a single day', he said. In all, 285 km of track was laid and eight bridges were built.
Locomotives and rolling stock
The initial order of 816 ore wagons was manufactured in China by CSR in Zhuzhou Rolling Stock Works and shipped from the port of Zhangjiaga. The wagons are in permanently coupled pairs and are fitted with rotary couplers for tippler unloading. After arrival, the wagons were deployed over completed sections of track as part of the company's dry commissioning process. It is understood that another 160 wagons are on order.
In full operation, FMG will run 2·5 km long trains of up to 240 wagons hauled by two GE Dash 9-4400CW diesel locomotives - a design that is already proven in the harsh Pilbara environment. Setting a new benchmark in heavy haul railways, the wagons have a tare weight of 23 tonnes and can carry up to 137 tonnes of ore. Each trainload will consist of about 30 000 tonnes of ore.
The fleet of 15 locomotives was supplied by United Group in partnership with GE Transportation. The locomotives and wagons are equipped with electronically-controlled air brakes from New York Air Brake. According to NYAB, their EP-60 technology improves braking performance, allowing long and heavy trains to operate at higher speeds with improved safety and fuel economy. Stopping distances are shorter and in-train forces are considerably reduced.
Four former Robe River and Hamersley Iron C-636R Alco units were rebuilt by GTSA Engineering in Perth and used to haul tracklaying and construction trains. Owned by Coote Industrial, the locomotives were leased to Australian Rain Mining Services, a subsidiary of South Spur Rail Services. All four were fitted with 'Pilbara cabs', painted in FMG's colours and given individual names.
Operations and unloading
Simplicity and efficiency are the keys to FMG's railway operation. When the line is fully operational, two banker locomotives will assist the two train engines to haul the loaded ore train to the top of the Chichester Range grade and will then return to the mine. The bankers will in turn be replaced by the locomotives off the next empty train arriving from Port Hedland, ensuring that motive power with adequate fuel is always available. Currently, trains are operating with three Dash 9 locos hauling up to 240 wagons.
No signals are operational as yet, so train orders called Proceed Authorities are issued to the driver of each train for safe working. The PAs are issued over a UHF radio network via 10 repeaters sited along the line. Each locomotive is equipped with two radios and a satellite phone.
Track Access Authorities are issued for trackwork and maintenance by train control currently located in Port Hedland, but with a planned move to Perth once the operation is up and running. Like the other Pilbara rail operators, FMG will use single person crews.
The twin-cell rotary dumper at Anderson Point was supplied by Metso Minerals and was manufactured and assembled at the AGC workshop in Kwinana, south of Perth. The cells incorporate a fixed beam and onboard hydraulic clamping. The wagons are positioned using an indexer, two wagons at a time. The system then rotates the two tippler cells through 160° to ensure a fast dump. Metso Minerals designed the system to accommodate a throughput of 80 wagons/h, with a cycle time of 90 sec.
The infrastructure at Anderson Point is designed to handle the first phase of FMG's 55 mtpa output, and it is expected that later expansion will include a second and third train unloading system.
Community development
FMG is committed to building strong local communities in this remote part of Australia. In August 2007 Forrest announced an important housing programme, promising to build 250 high-quality, environmentally-friendly homes in Port and South Hedland in his 'battle against fly-in fly-out, socially de-stabilising work practices'.
The housing 'directly swings the tide back against fly-in fly-out which exacts such a heavy toll against sustainable local communities and the families of all involved', he said, adding that 'the Pilbara is not a short term quarry. It will sustain major wealth generation for Australians for hundreds of years. The Pilbara therefore can and must host long-term, fully-sustainable and high-quality living Pilbara communities.'
Construction is now underway, and the first homes are expected to be ready by mid-2008, defying the shortage of builders in many WA mining towns.
The open access battle
FMG has taken a strong stand in support of open access infrastructure in the Pilbara, believing that access will open up a number of isolated iron ore deposits in the region.
The company is practising what it preaches. After signing an infrastructure agreement with the Western Australian State Government in December 2004, Fortescue set about designing and constructing rail and port facilities that would meet its own requirements as well as support the development and sale of the Pilbara's stranded iron ore bodies.
The company website proclaims that 'Fortescue's open access infrastructure will increase the throughput capacity of Port Hedland and remove a fundamental barrier to entry for junior mining companies. As a result, increased production, competition and efficiencies will result for the bulk mineral exports in the Pilbara region.'
Looking at its own future, Fortescue is facing considerable investment to expand its existing rail infrastructure to link new mines with its port.
Through TPI, FMG has made three applications to the National Competition Council to open up lines owned by Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton under Part IIIA of the Trade Practices Act 1974. The company wants access to BHP Billiton's Mount Newman line for its proposed Mindy Mindy project, which it owns in a joint venture with Consolidated Minerals. The other applications were to open Rio's Hamersley Iron rail network and the BHP Billiton Goldsworthy rail network. Both BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto have argued, so far unsuccessfully, that the rail line was part of the production process and therefore proprietary.
In an application to the National Competition Council in January this year to open up Rio Tinto's Robe River Railway, Fortescue Executive Director Graeme Rowley said 'Fortescue is seeking to open the tremendous transport logistic synergies available in the Pilbara to all Australian mining companies. There are sufficient stranded iron ore deposits in the Pilbara, which alone many not be of sufficient scale to support their own infrastructure, yet could become viable with access to existing infrastructure such as the Robe River railway.'
Although FMG has won the major legal battles to gain access to BHP Billiton's Mount Newman rail lines, the success has been undermined by federal government intervention, particularly former treasurer Peter Costello's decision not to support the National Competition Council decision in 2006 that Fortescue be given access. 'Three decisions, one by the National Competition Council and two by the Federal Court, have now ruled in favour of Fortescue's attempts to gain access to a railway our planning forefathers always intended would be open to third-party access', Rowley said.
Nor is there much support from the new Labor government. BHP scored a small victory when federal resources minister Martin Ferguson indicated that he would review the Trade Practices Act legislation that governed third party rail access, particularly in relation to the public interest provisions. 'We've got to work out a framework which guarantees further investment by BHP ... and further investment by Fortescue, but not on terms which destroy what is the best mining logistics chain in the world', Ferguson was quoted as saying.
FMG has vowed to press on with its attempts to gain access to the other Pilbara railway lines and has in the meantime signed up a three-part Pilbara port handling, ship loading and rail haulage memorandum of understanding with Atlas Iron. The one-year deal starting in March 2009 will see TPI rail 3 mtpa of ore from Atlas's Abydos project. Product from the company's Pardoo mine will be transported by road to Port Hedland and shipped out through Fortescue's port facilities. 'While Atlas is planning to haul Pardoo iron ore to Port Hedland by road, we believe that rail is the safest and most commercially viable means to haul iron ore', said Atlas Managing Director David Flanagan. 'Wherever we can work with infrastructure owners to achieve a workable rail solution, we will.'
It is too early to predict the future for FMG. Forrest is certainly upbeat about expansion plans to meet the growing demand for Pilbara iron ore, and the share price at the time of writing reflects this optimism - FMG shares were trading at A$10·71, up from A$5·66 in November 2007.
CAPTIONS: Three GE Dash-9 locos haul a loaded train from Cloud Break mine.
A ballast train waits to deliver its load as construction makes progress in February.
FMG's ore wagons were manufactured in China and are fitted for ECP braking. Equipped with rotary couplings for the tippler at the port, each pair of wagons can carry 274 tonnes of iron ore.
Planned extensions from Fortescue's main line include branches to Christmas Creek and the Solomon area; when the Solomon mines are in production, FMG could be railing 200 mtpa to Port Hedland.
An empty train leaves Herb Elliott Port; the BHP Billiton hot pellet plant in the background is to be dismantled.
Track on the Fortescue main line consists of 68 kg/m rail supplied by Panang Steel from China with Pandrol fastenings and concrete sleepers made by Austrac.
The ore and the mine
Commercial mining of high-grade Marra Mamba haematite ore commenced at Cloud Break in late 2007. Marra Mamba ore was originally rejected by early miners as 'fool's gold' because they didn't believe it was possible to make steel from the crumbly yellow cakey-looking ore - it didn't look like the hard, blue-grey haematite ores. However, Marra Mamba ore is relatively high grade with around 62% iron content, has lower impurities than some Australian iron ore, and its low silica content makes it particularly attractive in iron making processes.
FMG is using a mix of traditional mining methods and a few innovations of its own. It is the first iron ore mine in the world to use surface mining rather than the traditional drill, blast and crush, deep open-cut method. Surface mining has a number of advantages, including reduced downtime due to blasting; cleaner pit floors resulting in less damage to vehicles and tyres; and environmental restoration can be undertaken almost immediately after mining has occurred.
Mining commenced during December 2007 with four Wirtgen surface miners operating on a single shift in the first two of Fortescue's four start-up pits, Daydream and Hayman. Both pits produced about 650 000 tonnes of ore in the first three months, and by the end of this year the Green and Hook pits should also be in operation. At full production 14 Wirtgen surface miners will be running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Milestones in the Fortescue story
Early 2003 The Metal Group Pty Ltd acquires Allied Mining & Processing and changes name to Fortescue Metals Group.
May 2003 Fortescue acquires first tenements at Cloud Break and Christmas Creek.
Oct 2004 Iron ore sales agreement with Hebei Wenfeng and Ping Xiang Iron & Steel.
Dec 2004 Infrastructure WA State Agreement signed.
Jan 2005 FMG raises A$70m through convertible note issue.
Feb 2005 FMG discovers significant iron ore mineralisation in the Cloud Break area.
Oct 2005 FMG signs sales agreements for 38% of initial planned production of ? 45 mpta and begins trial mining at Cloud Break.
Dec 2005 Mining State Agreement signed.
Feb 2006 Commencement of earthworks at Anderson Point, site of the port.
Apr 2006 Feasibility study for Cloud Break and Christmas Creek completed.
Jul 2006 Federal Environmental Approval granted.
FMG signs a Subscription Agreement with Leucadia National Corp of the USA; dredging commences at port.
Aug 2006 FMG settles A$3·2bn capital raising and A$2·7bn debt underwriting.
Nov 2006 Railway construction commences with earthworks and the marshalling yard.
Dec 2006 Detailed Proposals for Mining Approval agreed.
Mar 2007 Iron ore sales agreement with Baosteel, taking sales of initial 45 mpta output to 100%.
May 2007 Iron ore sales agreement with Tangshan and agreement with Fengli.
Vom: 14.07.08 Bayern: KVG soll regional übernommen werden
Der Freistaat Bayern plant, sich von den letzten Beteiligungen an Verkehrsunternehmen zu trennen. Konkret zur Disposition steht der 67%-Anteil an der Kahlgrund-Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH, Schöllkrippen (KVG). Nun will der Landkreis Aschaffenburg ein regionales Konsortium bilden, die das Verkehrsunternehmen übernehmen sollen.
Man wolle die Gesamtsteuerung des ÖPNV im Landkreis wesentlich im öffentlichen Einfluss belassen. Die Beteiligten an dem Konsortium sind noch nicht bekannt, neben dem Landkreis, der bereits 5 % an der KVG hält, werden aber auch die Stadtwerke Aschaffenburg (StwAB) genannt, die das Stadt- und Vorortbusnetz in der Kreisstadt betreiben. Die übrigen 28 % des KVG-Kapitals werden von DB Regio gehalten. Angeblich prüft das Bayerische Finanzministerium die Möglichkeit eines Verkaufs an das Konsortium ohne vorherige Ausschreibung.
bron: http://www.eurailpress.de/article/view/ ... erden.html
Vom: 14.07.08 Elektrifizierung der Strecke Wulkaprodersdorf - Neusiedl am See
Am 11. Juli 2008 erfolgte im Bahnhof Eisenstadt der offizielle Spatenstich für die Elektrifizierung der Bahnstrecke Wulkaprodersdorf – Neusiedl am See. Durch die Elektrifizierung und Streckenerneuerung der 34 km langen Strecke verkürzen sich die Fahrzeiten merklich. Die Fertigstellung ist für Ende 2009 geplant.
Das Projekt „Elektrifizierung Wulkaprodersdorf – Neusiedl am See“ sieht nicht nur die Errichtung einer Oberleitung vor. Im Rahmen dieses Bauvorhabens erfolgen auch Korrekturen der Trassenführung sowie umfassende Erneuerungen der Gleisanlagen und die Sanierung von Brücken und Durchlässen. Dadurch ist die Anhebung der Streckenhöchstgeschwindigkeit von 80 km/h auf 120 km/h möglich. Mit Fahrplanwechsel 2009 wird es eine Direktverbindung nach Wien über die Ostbahn sowie nach Fertigstellung der Eisenstädter Schleife über die Pottendorfer Linie geben.
Im Zusammenhang mit der Modernisierung des Sicherungssystems zwischen Eisenstadt und Neusiedl am See werden, neben der Errichtung von drei Stellwerken, auch 39 Eisenbahnkreuzungen technisch gesichert. Das bedeutet, dass entweder Lichtzeichenanlagen und/oder Schrankenanlagen errichtet werden. Investiert werden rund 32 Mio. EUR investiert. 40 % der Planungskosten trägt das Land Burgenland und 60 % die ÖBB-Infrastruktur Bau AG. Von den Baukosten finanziert 20 % das Land Burgenland und 80 % die ÖBB-Infrastruktur Bau AG. Weiter fließen zusätzlich rund 16,5 Mio. EUR in die Errichtung des Fernsteuerbetriebes und in die technische Sicherung von 39 Eisenbahnkreuzungen. Diese Kosten werden von der ÖBB-Infrastruktur Bau AG getragen.
bron: http://www.eurailpress.de/article/view/ ... m_see.html
Vom: 14.07.08 Österreich: railjet-Testfahrten mit 275 km/h erfolgreich
Nach den erfolgreich absolvierten Schnellfahrten am Pfingstwochenende mit 255 km/h erreichten die Schnellfahrten vergangenen Samstag ihren Höhepunkt. Eine vierteilige railjet-Garnitur war mit 275 km/h zwischen St. Valentin und Amstetten unterwegs. Bereits bei der Ausschreibung für den railjet war eine mögliche Höchstgeschwindigkeit von 250 km/h festgelegt worden.
Seit dem 28. April 2008 wird der railjet auf Herz und Nieren geprüft und hat dabei über 20.000 km in Österreich, Deutschland und der Schweiz zurückgelegt. Für die Testfahrten wurde eine railjet-Garnitur verwendet, die je nach Test aus ein oder zwei Taurus-Loks und zwei bis sieben Wagen bestand. Diese Schnellfahrten stellen zugleich den Abschluss aller Lauftechnikfahrten dar. Auch sämtliche Bremsfahrten wurden bereits erfolgreich absolviert. Somit stehen dem railjet nur noch Schall- und Störstrommessungen und ein Test in der Klimakammer bevor.
Das Prüfprogramm wurde von der ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG gemeinsam mit der ÖBB-Traktion GmbH, den zuständigen Behörden in Österreich (bmvit), Schweiz (BAV), Ungarn (FFK) und Deutschland (EBA), den jeweiligen Gutachtern für Lärm, Bremse, Lauftechnik, Klima-Heizung etc. und dem Hersteller Siemens AG Österreich festgelegt. Die einzelnen Fahrten wurden gemäß den international gültigen Normen für den Eisenbahnbetrieb im jeweiligen Land durchgeführt. Die einzelnen Prüfinstitute vergeben nun noch die verschiedenen Zulassungen.
Ab dem Fahrplanjahr im Dezember 2008 wird der railjet Wien mit München und Budapest verbinden. Ab dem Fahrplanwechsel im Dezember 2009 ist er auch auf der Strecke Wien – Salzburg – Innsbruck – Feldkirch – Bregenz resp. Zürich unterwegs. Die Verbindungen Wien – Graz – (Ljubljana/Zagreb) und Wien – Villach – (Venedig) kommen voraussichtlich ab 2010 dazu. Bis 2013 werden die Passagiere von Wien nach Innsbruck nur mehr etwas über vier Stunden fahren, nach Salzburg gar nur mehr zwei Stunden und fünfzehn Minuten.
bron: http://www.eurailpress.de/article/view/ ... reich.html
Make your own information display
15 Jul 2008
USA: San Francisco metro operator BART is encouraging local retailers, offices and coffee shops to use spare computer screens to provide their customers and staff with real-time train running information.
A simple file available to download from www.bart.gov enables almost any internet-linked computer to display departure information for a chosen station.
BART aims to make travel information more widely available to help passengers plan their journeys better, and business can also benefit. 'It's good for us because it's another way to draw BART riders into our cafe and give them a sense of timing so they don't have to rush to their train', said Lev Kilun, owner of Café Lyon near Rockridge station.
bron: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view ... splay.html
