Railway Report
Monday, July 10, 2023
"Opportunities don't happen. You create them." - Felix Dennis
News
Sydney Signaller Calls in Sick
Sydney experienced major disruptions in its train network due to a single staff member calling in sick. The delays affected multiple train lines, including T1 Western Line and T5 Cumberland Line, suspending services initially between Parramatta and St Marys and Blacktown to Richmond. The disruptions eventually spread to other lines, causing overcrowded platforms and forcing some passengers to wait up to an hour on trains. The staff member who called in sick was a signaller, a critical role responsible for coordinating train movements. Sydney Trains apologized for the disruptions, explaining that the usual backup resources were not available due to late notice. Replacement buses were arranged for affected passengers. The New South Wales roads minister acknowledged the rostering challenges in the industry and assured that measures were being taken to prevent similar situations in the future. Training signallers typically takes over a year, and the government plans to address workforce shortages in this area.
Full story The Guardian
Three Arrested After Train Crash Kills 275 People in India
Indian authorities have arrested three railway officials in connection with a major train crash that claimed the lives of at least 275 people. The crash involved two passenger trains and a freight train in Odisha state. Initial investigations suggest that a traffic signalling failure may have been the cause, raising concerns about the safety of India's ageing rail network. The government has vowed to hold those responsible accountable, and Prime Minister Narenda Modi expressed his condolences to the affected families. The railways minister has indicated that the accident resulted from a change in electronic interlocking but did not provide further details. The crash occurred when a high-speed train was diverted onto a loop line and collided with a stationary freight train, resulting in a subsequent collision with another high-speed train. The high speeds and heavy weight of the trains worsened the impact. Compensation has been announced for the families of the victims. India's rail network, built during British colonial rule, is one of the world's largest, operating thousands of trains daily across tens of thousands of miles of tracks. Upgrading transportation infrastructure is a priority for the government as it aims to achieve a $5 trillion economy by 2025.
Read More CNN
Fake Ticket Inspectors in Dublin
Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) has alerted the public about individuals impersonating revenue protection officers on their trains. Reports have emerged of people wearing unofficial high-visibility vests on the Northern Commuter and DART lines in Dublin. The rail provider confirmed four incidents on Friday morning. To stay safe, passengers are advised to verify the identification of anyone requesting tickets or issuing fines onboard. Iarnród Éireann emphasized that they would never ask for onboard cash payments for invalid tickets. If passengers fail to produce a valid ticket when requested by an authorized officer, they may receive a Fixed Payment Notice, which includes a fine of €100 (£85) plus unpaid fare. The fine can be paid within 21 days as specified in the Railway Safety Act.
Source BBC
UK Parliament Promises HS2 Will Go Ahead
The future of HS2, Britain's high-speed railway, reaching Manchester is still uncertain, but the project's company is moving forward with preliminary plans. A public consultation process has begun in Manchester, allowing for proposed changes and route specifications to be discussed. HS2 Ltd has submitted a second set of proposed changes to the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill, which is currently under parliamentary review. While construction is already underway between west London and central Birmingham, the UK government has paused work on certain parts of the project, including the redevelopment of Euston Station in London. Opposition to extending the line to Crewe and Manchester remains. Despite these challenges, HS2 remains optimistic, aiming to open the Crewe-Manchester extension between 2035 and 2041. The company emphasizes the goal of providing zero-carbon rail services to Manchester's two new HS2 stations. Public consultation and feedback are crucial in the ongoing design process, with HS2 currently supporting thousands of jobs and businesses across the UK. The consultation focuses on proposed variations and their potential environmental effects. The parliamentary process is expected to take several more years.
Read More at Railtech
Ukrainian Hackers Attack Russian Railways
Russian state-owned railway company RZD experienced a cyberattack, resulting in its website and mobile app being down for several hours. The attack, claimed by Ukrainian hacktivist group IT Army, forced passengers to purchase tickets exclusively at railway stations. RZD managed to restore its operations despite ongoing attacks, although some online services remain unavailable. This is the second attack on RZD since the start of the war in Ukraine, with the previous incident occurring in February and involving intense distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Cyberattacks on railways can significantly disrupt logistics, as seen with a previous attack on the Belarusian state railway, which hindered the transfer of Russian troops into Belarus.
Source The Record
Economy
Weekly Total US rail traffic down 0.2% YOY.
Commodities which posted a decrease were:
Chemicals down 2.9%
Coal down 1.5%
Grain down 24%
Commodities which showed an increase were
Motor vehicles and parts up 21.1%
Metallic ores and metals up 22%
Crushed Stone, sand and gravel up 5.4%
Canadian railroads reported a weekly increase of total carloads of 3.2%. Mexican railroads reported an increase in total carloads of 21.9%.
All the headlines are about China this week as it’s consumer inflation rate remained flat in June, while producer prices continued to decline. The concern is that this deflation will spiral out of control which is putting pressure on the government to introduce drastic stimulus measures. Whatever their decision may be, the outcome of this situation will have a large affect on worldwide markets.
Core inflation, excluding volatile food and energy costs, slowed to 0.4%. Producer prices fell by 5.4%, the sharpest decline since December 2015. The weakening indicators suggest a slowing recovery and deflation concerns, leading to calls for further policy easing. The government faces limited options for stimulus due to concerns about debt risks.