THREE new European Union (EU) railway research projects, which will form the preliminary work of the future core activities of the Shift2Rail joint technology initiative, were launched at an event held in Brussels last week.

NETWORK Rail (NR) has awarded Siemens Rail Automation a contract to develop system architecture and a deployment strategy for the rollout of an ETCS Level 2 overlay on the Great Western Main Line.

BRITAIN's infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) has awarded a contract to Jacobs Engineering Group, United States, for surveying work and design for a new western rail link to London's Heathrow Airport.

BRITISH infrastructure manager Network Rail has awarded Signalling Solutions (SSL), a 50:50 joint venture between Alstom and Balfour Beatty Rail, a £43m contract to carry out resignalling work on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) as part of London's new east-west Crossrail link, which is due to open at the end of 2018.

NORTHERN Rail began operating electric services between Manchester and Liverpool on March 5, marking the completion of the second phase of Network Rail's North West electrification programme.

BRITAIN's Rolling Stock Strategy Steering Group (RSSSG) chaired by Mr Richard Brown has published its third annual update of its passenger rolling stock strategy for the next 30 years which calls for the national fleet to be expanded by between 52% and 99% to meet growing demand.

BRITISH infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) has placed a £50m order with Plasser & Theurer for a new ballast cleaning machine, taking its total to five. Dubbed BCS5, this is the first unit to utilise third-rail operation and is designed to enable the conductor rail to remain in place during operation.

SAUDI Railway Company (SAR) has awarded a £120m five-year contract to provide operational management and technical support services on the North-South Railway to a British consortium of Serco Group, Network Rail Consulting, and railfreight operator Freightliner.

SIEMENS Rail Automation began work on January 26 on a 22-month project to renew life-expired signalling on the Heyford – Leamington Spa section of the Didcot – Oxford – Birmingham line, which is being carried out under a £40m contract awarded by infrastructure manager Network Rail.

A British project to evaluate the performance of battery-powered rolling stock reached a milestone on January 12, when a specially-adapted Bombardier 25kV 50Hz ac class 379 Electrostar EMU operated under battery power for the first time in passenger service.