RailwayBrazil by Ricardo Escudero Viñas

www.railwaybrazil.com | Argentina's government has taken over the management of the run down Belgrano Cargas freight rail line by ousting concessionaire Soesa. "An important investment in new train cars" comes next, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner said while announcing a government resolution that makes the takeover official. "If we don't integrate production with logistics, we are going to lose competitiveness."

The move puts an end to weeks of uncertainty over the future of Belgrano Cargas.Once the backbone of the country's freight rail transport - with a network of over 10,000km throughout the country's fertile northeastern provinces and some 4Mt/y of goods handled - the Belgrano Cargas has been steadily deteriorating over the last two decades, to the point that it transported less than 369,000t in the first six months of 2012. Today, trucks get the lion's share in the local freight transport market, making the country in one of the region's most expensive in terms of logistics costs.

Source(English):http://www.bnamericas.com/news/infrastructure/cristina-fernandez-takes-over-the-belgrano-cargas-line-vowing-important-investment 

Picture:http://www.flickr.com/photos/56835723@N02/7270299468/sizes/m/in/photostream/ 

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Southeastern Brazil's São Paulo state is seeking expressions of interest for the preparation of an BRL 18.5bn-real (USD 9.26bn) public-private-partnership (PPP) to build and operate a passenger railway network of some 431km, the state announced in its official gazette Diário Oficial.

The call, being carried out through the state's transport secretary and its PPP management council, involves preparing studies for a 35-year concession, which will involve building railways, implementing control systems, purchasing rolling stock and operating and maintaining the system.

Set to last six months, the studies involve preparing engineering designs and a remuneration model for the concession, which include carrying out evaluations for passenger demand and financial viability, as well as those addressing operation and legal aspects.

Interested parties have until February 8 to express their interest. Once a plan is eventually selected, the responsible company will be compensated BRL 5.2mn according to the announcement.

Source(English): http://www.bnamericas.com/news/privatization/sao-paulo-seeks-expressions-of-interest-to-prepare-us926bn-railway-ppp

Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/53420697@N04/5361349207/sizes/m/in/photostream/

www.railwaybrazil.com | CSR Sifang Co. said Saturday that the company has obtained a contract worth over 3.4 billion yuan (539.68 million U.S. dollars) to supply electric multiple unit (EMU) train sets for Argentina.

The deal represents CSR's single largest rail equipment order in South America, the company said in a statement filed to the Shanghai Stock Exchange. CSR Sifang is expected to deliver the first batch of train sets in May 2014, with the remainder to be delivered in six months.

The EMU train sets will be used on the Sarmiento and Mitre train routes in Buenos Aires, the statement said.CSR Sifang, based in the port city of Qingdao, is a subsidiary of China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corporation, the country's biggest train maker.

CSR's overseas orders increased substantially in 2012, as overseas demand for its products outstripped domestic demand. The total value of its overseas orders surged 148 percent year on year in 2012.

Source(English):http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2013-01/12/c_132098276.htm 

Picture:http://www.jxnews.com.cn/zt/system/2008/01/04/002649589.shtml 

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"This country is changing. It's renovating its motor fleet for a more powerful one. As a ministry, we have to respond to this context, retaking a central role in planning, a task that we have delayed for years. In order to recuperate and strengthen that role, we're launching the biggest transformation process since the creation of MTT (Ministry of Transportation), back in 1974," MTT minister Pedro Pablo Errázuriz said.

The national transport policy aims to lead the transport sector to long term objectives, priorities and instruments, including changes to the roads, ports and railroad sectors, the implementation of new investment plans and guidelines to improve the quality of service of public transport, among other things.

Some specific projects included in the national transport strategy include the Santiago 2025 public transport master plan, and efforts to choose the best area and type of large-scale port to construct in the country's central regions.

Both initiatives are expected to be unveiled at end-2013, when part II of the national strategy will be published, the statement reads.

Source: http://www.bnamericas.com/news/infrastructure/chilean-government-unveils-national-transport-strategy

Photo: http://www.emol.com/noticias/nacional/2011/08/13/497663/autoridad-cifra-en-14-las-victimas-por-accidentes-automovilisticos-en-fin-de-semana-largo.html

Peru's private investment development agency ProInversión has kicked off the bidding process for Lima's US$5.37bn metro line 2, the agency said in an official statement.

The tender entails the financing, design, construction, rolling stock supply, operation and maintenance of 27km of the new underground line stretching east to from the Ate municipality to Callao port, with 27 stations along the way.

Total costs are estimated in the order of US$5.37bn, including an additional 8km stretch connecting Callao port with the city's international airport Jorge Chávez, which will represent the first milestone in the development of metro line 4. Spending in infrastructure and rolling stock material will make up US$2.9bn and US$871mn, respectively, while the remaining US$1.57bn will cover construction, expropriation and other risks.

Source(English): http://www.bnamericas.com/news

Foto:http://www.larepublica.pe/23-11-2012/metro-de-lima-el-viaje-mas-rapido-que-tardo-25-anos-para-hacerse-realidad

The Prince of Asturias joined Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, President of the Catalunya regional government Artur Mas and Development Minister Ana Pastor on January 8 to officially open the completed high speed line between Barcelona Sants and Figueres Vilafant. Revenue services were due to start the following day.

Source(English):http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/high-speed-line-opens-between-barcelona-and-figueres.html