1414i

BRANCH LINE NEWS INTERNATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL SUPPLEMENT TO BLN 1414 17 DECEMBER 2022

This newsletter covers the World outside the British Isles from information supplied by members.
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Compilers or of the Society.
International Editor: Pete Skelton, 1 rue Traversière, 16450 BEAULIEU SUR SONNETTE, France
to whom all email contributions should be sent. Email: [email protected]
Postal Contributions should be sent to: Paul Stewart, 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX
Deputy International Editor: Derek Woodward, 68 Church Street, MATLOCK, DE4 3BY

Email: [email protected]

On behalf of the production team of Branch Line News International, I would like to take this
opportunity to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. I would also like to thank those
who have contributed throughout the year; we need input from members to keep BLNI going, so
please, more of the same in 2023! [Editor]

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année 2023
Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr Vrolijk kerstfeest en een gelukkig nieuw jaar

Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku Buon Natale e un Felice Anno Nuovo
Feliz Navidad y un Feliz Año Nuevo Καλά Χριστούγεννα και ευτυχισμένο το νέο έτος

EUROPE
[510] European Union – Standard Gauge in All of EU
Every member state of the European Union will need to have a transformation plan to adopt the
1435mm railway gauge by 2025-2026. This was the outcome of a meeting involving the ministers of
transport of EU countries held in Brussel-Bruxelles on 05 December. The European Commission
proposed this summer that all new rail connections to be built as part of the European transport

network (TEN-T) should conform to the European standard rail gauge. The European standard track
gauge has a width of 1435mm. Several other countries in Eastern Europe have tracks with a wider
gauge of 1520 mm: the Baltic States Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and some parts of Poland, Slovakia and
Bulgaria.

Latvia responded to the new deadline in saying that it will need help from the EU. The Latvian minister
of transport, Talis Linkaits, highlighted the role of the TEN-T project in ensuring the proper investments
in missing sections of the network, but stressed the importance of receiving help from other member
states. “We see that the available funding from EU funds is not sufficient to achieve the ambitious
environmental goals and transport network infrastructure requirements”, he added.

In August, Finland rejected the proposal to adopt the standard gauge. “Finland does not accept these
changes to the rail gauge, and I believe that our views will be heard during further discussions”,
Finland’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Timo Harakka, responded to the initial idea. He
said that changing the rail gauge in Finland would not be economically or operationally feasible.

The directive is part of the TEN-T project and mainly addresses the Baltic countries. In these countries,
the wide gauge lines mostly concern the railway lines to Russia. However, as Linkaits pointed out,
under the influence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the transport connections with Russia and Belarus
are cancelled. On the other hand, with the RailBaltica project, the implementation of the European
gauge is already in the plans.

It is noteworthy to add that thanks to the TEN-T project, Baltic States are included in the so-called
North Sea – Baltic Corridor. This corridor will connect the Baltic Sea region with the countries of the
North Sea region. It will run through Belgium, The Netherlands, northern Germany, Poland and then
north through the Baltic States.

[511] Finland – Metro Extension Opens in Espoo
A 7 km extension of the Helsinki metro network west from Matinkylä to Kivenlahti within the
neighbouring city of Espoo opened on 03 December. Espoo Mayor Jukka Mäkelä and Helsinki Mayor
Juhana Vartiainen arrived at the opening ceremony at Espoonlahti station via the new extension.

The wholly underground extension was completed at a cost of €1.16bn. The journey time on the
extension is 10 minutes. There are five stations, with Finnoo’s 78 metre escalator being the longest in
Finland.

Construction of the Länsimetro project started at the end of 2009, and the first 13.5 km section from
Ruoholahti to Matinkylä opened in November 2017. As part of the project CAF was awarded a
€39.9mn contract in February 2020 to supply a further five four-car M300 metro trainsets and provide
spare parts over their expected 40-year life. CAF had previously supplied 20 M300 trainsets in 2016-
17.

[512] France – Work Underway on New Layout at Noyelles
Sunday 13 November was both the final day of the season for the CFBS and the last day of operation of
the existing layout at Noyelles. Increased train lengths to cope with current traffic levels have
outgrown the existing layout that dates from the 1980s. Locomotives have to stop close together
before being detached with little room at the far end of trains for unloading cycles and pushchairs
from the fourgons.

The new layout will see the existing crossover moved further away from the station providing longer
platforms with more width between the two tracks along the entire length of the train. Two new sets
of points and a crossover have been pre-fabricated by Vossloh at their La Fère-en-Tardenois (Aisne)
factory and another two sets of points have been purchased second-hand from Corsica.

2022 was a bumper year for the CFBS with over 214,000 passengers carried beating 2019, the previous

best pre-Covid year. [Courtesy of French Railways Society]

[513] Germany – End of Mandatory Mask-Wearing
Bayern and Sachsen-Anhalt say goodbye to the mask requirement before Christmas. They are taking
the second major step in easing the corona measures within a short period of time. Only recently, the
obligation for people who tested positive to isolate ended there.

Bayern and Sachsen-Anhalt abolished the obligation to wear masks in local public transport last week.
In Bayern, the regulation was lifted on 10 December. In Sachsen-Anhalt, the mask requirement ended
on 08 December. Instead, only a recommendation to wear masks will apply, Bavarian Prime Minister
Markus Söder explains the decision on Twitter. "The proposal by Health Minister Klaus Holetschek is
correct. The infection situation has been stable for a long time. We are using Austria as an example."
Long-distance trains travelling through Bayern and Sachsen-Anhalt are unaffected; mask-wearing on
those is mandated by federal law until, at least, 07 April 2023.
[514] Italy – RFI Tenders Third Airport-Rail Connection in Quick Succession
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) has put out a tender worth €70mn for a new railway line between
Brindisi and nearby Salento Airport. The railway is scheduled for completion in 2026. RFI is carrying
out several projects with the aim of improving rail connections to key airports, such as Venezia Marco
Polo airport and Orio al Serio near Bergamo. Salento Airport, too, is an important hub for tourism,
situated on the Adriatic coast and at close proximity to Lecce and Bari.
The planned works call for the construction of a 6.2-km railway between Brindisi station and the
airport, where a new station will be built with two platforms. The airport station will also gain
connections to Bari, Lecce and Taranto. The total value of the project is €153mn.
Meanwhile, RFI and Ferrotramviaria are working to link the central station in Bari and Bari Palese
Airport to the national network by 2024.
[515] Poland – Częstochowa Trams (Probably Temporary) Reopening
Route 1 had been suspended at its south-eastern end since 1 October 2021 due to condition of track
resulting in no service between Plac Orląt Lwowskich and Kucelin-Szpital so it was a surprise with no
major work undertaken that it was announced as re-opening on 03 November 2022. Allegedly this is
due to a road closure making travel in the Kucelin area awkward and news articles imply this may be
temporary but no end date was quoted. So anyone with an interest in trams may want to visit this 2-
km branch before it closes again...

[516] Slovenia – Stepani Tunnel Completed
Civil engineering contractor Yapi Merkezi has completed the breakthrough of the 335-metre Stepani
Tunnel on the new alignment that will provide a second track on the route between Divača and the

port of Koper in Slovenia. Yapi Merkezi began work on the tunnel in September, as part of a
consortium led by Kolektor CPG of Slovenia and also including Özaltin of Türkiye. The consortium has
been awarded two contracts by state-run project company 2TDK to build the new alignment, worth
€224.7mn and €403.6mn respectively.

[Photo: 2TDK]

The project will involve the construction of seven tunnels with a total length of 37 km by 2024, with
the longest being 6.7 km long, according to Kolektor CPG. The first tunnel breakthrough on the route
took place in June.
Meanwhile, 2TDK has received a single bid for the contract to deliver railway and tunnel systems for
the Divača – Koper project. The €198.5mn bid has been submitted by a consortium of Zeleznisko
Gradbeno Podjetje, Kolektor Koling and YM Construction.
[517] Switzerland – Bern Avoiding Line
From the new timetable there will be a new direct train between Biel-Bienne and Brig. Weekends and
holidays only:

 RE4545 07:34 Biel-Bienne – Brig arr 09:40
 RE4556 16:02 Brig – Biel-Bienne arr 18:20
These trains run direct between Zollikofen and Ostermundigen without calling at Bern.
[It has been brought to my attention that the above information may not be complete/accurate.
Anyone intending to travel is advised to consult the journey planner for the day of travel. I will update
in a later BLNI if more information becomes available – Ed.]
[518] Switzerland – Montreux to Interlaken Through Trains
From 11 December through trains between Montreux and Interlaken Ost began operation, initially just
one each way daily, but it is planned that there will be four daily from June.
The trains operate via a gauge changer at Zweisimmen where there is a change between metre gauge
and standard gauge locomotives. There are a number of special carriages with MOB couplings at one
end and BLS/SBB ones at the other to allow the BLS locomotive to haul the MOB carriages.
[519] Türkiye – İstanbul Sirkeci & Dogu Express
It appears that tracklaying has started on the project to reopen İstanbul Sirkeci, the terminus on the
European side. Target date is April 2023.

İstanbul Sirkeci Station

The Tourist Dogu Express to Kars started running again on 12 December until March 2023. The
published timings show it doesn't use TR22/10, the Sivas avoiding line.
REST OF THE WORLD
[520] Australia – Moss Vale - Unanderra Line to Finally Re-open
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) re-opened the Moss Vale – Unanderra line in southern
New South Wales on Tuesday, 04 October. The line has been closed since 09 March while ARTC and
contractor partners conducted restoration work on the line after it was severely impacted by heavy
rains.

Moss Vale Station

The Moss Vale – Unanderra line suffered multiple land slips and significant movement of some
embankments on complex parts of the line with steep terrain. ARTC conducted geo-technical
investigations on the line to assess what work was required to be conducted before engaging with
contractors and delivering the substantial restoration programme. While the restoration programme
was carried out as fast as was safely possible, progress was slowed by further heavy rainfall in July.
During the closure of the line ARTC worked with customers and Sydney Trains to develop a freight
schedule for the South Coast line, to carry additional diverted freight services. ARTC has also liaised
closely with stakeholders such as grain growers and train operators to assess the impacts and
appropriate mitigations.
[521] Australia – Sydney Metro Awards $A1.6bn Sydney Metro West Tunnelling Contract
Sydney Metro has awarded a joint venture between John Holland, CPB Contractors (CPB) and Ghella a
$A1.63bn (€1.02bn) contract for the final stage of tunnelling on the Sydney Metro West project.
Sydney Metro West is a new 24 km metro line with stations at Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney
Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock, The Bays, Pyrmont and Hunter Street in
Sydney city centre. The Eastern Tunnelling contract is the third and final major tunnelling package,
and includes works to deliver 3.5 km of metro rail tunnels between The Bays and Hunter Street. The
contract also includes a turn-back cavern to the east of the new Hunter Street Station, allowing trains
to turn around before travelling back towards Parramatta. Preparations for tunnelling on this final
section of the line will start next year.

Work is already under way to prepare for construction of the twin tunnels between The Bays and
Sydney Olympic Park, and between Sydney Olympic Park and Westmead. Tunnel boring machines are
expected to start work in early 2023. The full Sydney Metro West line is on track to be completed in
2030.
[522] China/Mongolia – Broad Meets Standard Gauge at New Border Point
Mongolia has opened a new railway line to the border with China. It connects Zuunbayan to the
border city of Khangi. Once the facilities are completed, this will provide a new, second border
crossing for freight trains between the countries.
The new, 227-kilometre railway line was officially opened on Friday 25 November by the prime
minister of Mongolia, L Oyun-Erdene. He emphasised that the construction started only eight months
ago, in March this year. The expectations of the railway line are high, as the countries currently share
only one border crossing for rail freight, at Zamyn Uud-Erenhot.

Due to the dual gauge terminal at the border, the railway connects the Mongolian Hangji and the
Chinese Mandula Port. This means a much shorter distance for the transport of goods from Yuruu in
northern Mongolia to Bugat in China, which is now done via the other border crossing. According to
the Financial Times, the distance is reduced by 306 km.

This is important for Mongolia as the country relies heavily on its export from mining. With the new
railway line, the transportation cost of raw materials to China will be significantly reduced. Moreover,
another railway line connecting Zuunbayan with Tavantolgoi in the west is expected to open soon.
This will connect to the railway line to the border, thus enabling more export volumes to move by rail.
When the cross-border railway line becomes fully operational, the annual import and export cargo
capacity is expected to increase by 20 million tonnes and the total amount of railway transportation by
65%, according to Dayoo News.
The line is part of Mongolia’s New Recovery Policy, which is focused on strengthening the country’s
economy following the pandemic and making Mongolia into a leading Asian country by 2050.
[523] Japan – Draft Plan Announced for New 東京 (Tokyo) Metro Line
The Tokyo metropolitan government has announced a draft plan to build a new metro line connecting
the city centre with waterfront areas of the Japanese capital. According to the draft plan, the 6.1 km
line will have seven stations and will run from Tokyo Station to Tokyo Big Sight, also known as the
Tokyo International Exhibition Centre. Located in the Ariake Minami district of Tokyo Waterfront City,
this venue is the country’s largest convention and exhibition centre and the metropolitan government
wants to make the surrounding waterfront area a “world-class destination”. The line will also run near
redevelopment areas where the Tsukiji wholesale fish market and the Tokyo Games’ athletes’ village
were formerly located. Since the summer 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games there has been a rise in
development of high-rise apartment blocks along the waterfront, creating a growing transport
demand. The metropolitan government aims to open the new metro line to meet this need by 2040,
with the cost of the project estimated at ¥420-510bn (€2.93-3.56bn).
Also being considered for the future are connections to the Tsukuba Express line which is expected to
be extended to Tokyo Station, and a planned East Japan Railway (JR East) line between the city centre
and Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport.
Meanwhile, during the course of 2024 Tokyo Metro plans to introduce CBTC on the complete
Marunouchi Line between Yotsuya and Ogikubo. Tests began in November on a section of the line in
hours after the normal service had stopped running. The planned CBTC rollout programme for 2023
will see the start of crew operations training in June followed by the start of running tests on all

sections of the Marunouchi Line in September. Commercial operation using CBTC will then begin on
the Marunouchi Line at some point in 2024 and will then be extended to the Hibiya Line in 2026.

Tokyo Metro Series 2000 trains on the Marunouchi Line, where testing of the CBTC system has begun

prior to its introduction on commercial services [Photo: MaedaAkihiko]

In April of this year Tokyo Metro received government permission to build two other extensions; one
adding a 4.8 km branch to the Yurakucho Line from Toyosu north to Sumiyoshi and the other adding
2.5 km to the south of the Namboku Line from Shinagawa to Shirokane-Takanawa. Both are due to be
completed in the mid-2030s.

[524] Morocco – A Member’s Recent Visit
I was on a Ffestiniog Travel tour of Morocco from 03 to 16 November. During the tour much of the
classic network was covered but did not include any unusual track as it was all on service trains. The
highlight was a private visit to the new high speed train depot in Tangier on 14 November. I will
therefore focus on this visit and the high-speed service. These notes appear to be timely as at the
AGM it was indicated there may be a society trip to Morocco next year.

The main depot for the RGV (Rames à Grande Vitesse) is about 1 kilometre south of the relatively new
Tangier station on the west side of the RGV tracks. For those wondering it could not be called TGV as
the French have trademarked it but Rames also means trains. [Being pedantic, in everyday French
usage the word Rame = Unit whilst Train = Train – Ed.]. The train service is marketed under the name
Al Boraq. Al Boraq references a creature in Islamic tradition that transported some prophets including
Mohammed from Mecca to Jerusalem. The service commenced public running from Tangier to
Casablanca on 26 November 2018. There is a new high-speed line separated from the classic tracks at
Tangier which runs to Kenitra where at a grade separated junction it joins the classic tracks. It then
runs on the classis tracks to Casablanca Voyageurs. To the west of the line at Casablanca are stabling
sidings for the RGV but no depot buildings.

The service and depot are operated by SIANA (Société Marocaine de Maintenance des Rames à
Grande Vitesse). This is a joint venture by SNCF and the Moroccan railway company ONCF. The ONCF
is the junior partner. Upon arrival at the depot, we were greeted by what seemed to be most of the
company’s senior managers. They gave us a warm welcome and explanation of the project and it
helped that two of our group were fluent in French.

Once we were given safety clothes, four staff took us around the site; there were only 12 of us!
Altogether there are 12 Alstom built train sets each comprising 2 power cars, 7 double deck coaches

and 1 single deck cafeteria coach. At the time of our visit 6 sets were on depot, although they said 7
sets are needed to cover the normal service. Two of the sets on depot did appear to be stabled only.
Inside the depot main building were sets 1206, 1208 and 1212. In the separate small shed used for
dropping wheels, bogies and motors was set 1205. Whilst they undertake most maintenance on site,
some is done in France and we were shown wheelsets that were going to Lille in France. As an aside
there was a very nice staff coffee machine for which they had to pay 3 dirhams, about 25p. Once the
tour was complete an extensive buffet was provided for us with a separate member of staff just to
serve us. It was delicious but we really couldn’t do it justice. They made us feel like VIP’s. The
landscaping at the site was also immaculate and very well maintained.

The following day we travelled first class from Tangier to Casablanca Voyageurs in set 1207 on the
09:00 departure, arriving at 11:10. The sets are very spacious and even the 2nd class would put a
British 1st class to shame. The ride was very smooth, even on the classic tracks from Kenitra. There is a
scrolling screen which, every few minutes, tells you the speed of the train. The maximum I saw was
312 km/h. On the high-speed line, the sets are limited to 320 km/h using 25Kv, whilst on classic tracks,
which are electrified at 3Kv; their limit is 160 km/h. Out of interest the highest speed achieved was on
test in May 2018 when a speed of 357 km/h was recorded, an African speed record.

Set 1207 at Tangier station on the 09:00 service to Casa Voyageurs

For the future they are hoping works will start on the new line from Marrakesh to Agadir in 2025.
They will need additional trains for this increase in services. As Alstom no longer make their current
trains, they will be different and not necessarily French. The pinch point on the current service is Salé
where there are severe curves between Salé and Rabat. We could see from the train a new alignment
being constructed just north of the Oued Bou Regreg river crossing. It was assumed this related to
the high speed upgrade.
If the Society does run a Moroccan trip next year, I can thoroughly recommend visiting the depot. Just
one piece of advice though; have a light breakfast so you can fully enjoy the excellent buffet. We were
given a copy of a 4-page pamphlet about SIANA. It is in French but was broadly understandable with
my limited schoolboy French.
[525] Paraguay – South Korean Consortium Set to Build Asunción Light Rail Line
A Korean consortium is set to win a contract to build a light rail project in Asunción, the capital of
Paraguay, which will be the Asian country’s first railway contract in the export market. The Korean
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on 02 December that the previous day the
upper house of the Paraguayan Congress, the senate, had passed a special bill for the light rail project.
According to the bill, the consortium due to undertake the project will be led by the Korea Overseas
Infrastructure and Urban Development Corporation (Kind). However, the bill has still to be passed by

the lower house of the Paraguayan Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, and so the contract is
expected to be concluded during 2023.

How a tram-train on the light rail line may look once the system is operational

The $US1.6bn (€1.52bn) project comprises $US600mn (€571mn) in construction costs and $US1bn
(€951mn) in operation and management costs. It involves building a 43 km line eastwards between
Asunción and the lakeside town of Ypacaraí. The consortium is expected to take four years to build
the line, which will be called the Ypacaraí – Asunción Commuter Railway (Asunción Light Rail System).
The consortium will also operate the line for 30 years.
A feasibility study into the project was completed by Kind in May 2021. At the time, the line was to be
built in four sections. The route would be double track over the 15 km from Asunción Central to Luque
and then single track over the remaining 28 km from Luque to Ypacaraí.
[526] South Africa – Prasa Reopens Johannesburg - Naledi Commuter Rail Line
Electric trains started to operate on the Johannesburg – New Canada – Naledi (Soweto) line on 28
November following a gap of more than two years. Twelve trains per day are running on weekdays
using the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (Prasa) fleet of EMUs supplied by the Alstom Gibela
consortium.

South Africa’s commuter rail networks suffered extensive damage during the Covid-19 lockdowns with
much of the infrastructure heavily vandalised or stolen but work is underway to restore services.

This follows the reopening of the Umlazi line on the Durban commuter rail network on 21 November.
A peak-time shuttle service is running from KwaMnyandu to Reunion where passengers can connect
with trains to Durban. The line was closed due to vandalism and flooding.

Prasa has also welcomed a ban on the trade of scrap metal in South Africa. The operator says the ban
will make it more difficult for vandals to ransack railway assets. “We have beefed up our security,
introducing military grade fencing to protect our most valuable assets,” says Hishaam Emeran, Prasa
acting group CEO. “Since we implemented the integrated security plan, asset-related crimes have
dropped significantly. However, it is not economically feasible to install fencing across our entire
network and this policy change on the trade of waste scrap and semi-processed metals will assist our
efforts.”

[527] Uganda/Kenya – African Development Bank Group commits $301mn (€286mn) to Renovations
The African Development Bank Group is providing $301mn (€286mn) to overhaul the Kampala –
Malaba Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) in Uganda. The railway line is part of the East African
Community’s Northern Corridor linking the capital, Kampala, to Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa. The
East African Community Railway Rehabilitation Support Project will bolster rail services and lower
transportation costs in a region endowed with agricultural land, minerals and petroleum production
and manufacturing.

The financing approved by the Group’s Board of Directors consists of loans and grants from the Africa
Development Bank and its concessional lending window, the African Development Fund. The works
entail the immediate rehabilitation of 235 km of MGR tracks between Malaba and Mukono, including
the line to Jinja Pier and Port Bell on Lake Victoria. The project incorporates training and skills
development for the railway workforce. It also will integrate nature-based solutions, including tree
planting, to enhance the climate resilience of the tracks.

The Kampala – Malaba MGR is part of the multi-modal Northern Corridor route, which includes road
transport from Mombasa in Kenya to landlocked Uganda and neighbouring countries, including
Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Eastern DR Congo. The corridor also has maritime links with Lake
Victoria’s inland waterways.

Rail is viewed as a safer and more affordable mode of transport than road, but currently, more than
90% of the traffic along the northern corridor is carried by road, with a mere 7% moving by rail
because of poor infrastructure. As a result, transport costs along the corridor are comparatively high.
The project is expected to directly benefit nearly 1.2 million people, about 40% of them women.

The project is aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 National strategy as well as the East African
Community’s Vision 2050, which aims to deepen trade and transform East Africa into a globally
competitive upper-middle-income region. The East African Community Railway Rehabilitation Support
Project also advances the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and three of the African Development Bank’s
High 5 operational priorities: Integrate Africa, Industrialize Africa and Improve the Quality of Life for
the People of Africa.

[528] USA – LACMTA: East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Project Underway
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) on 01 December held a
ground-breaking ceremony for advanced utility work on the East San Fernando Valley, California, light
rail project’s first segment.

The first segment is a 10.8 km street-level alignment that includes 11 new stations, traction power
substations and a new maintenance and storage facility, which will house general administration,
operation, and support services and be equipped to perform LRV inspections, body and heavy repairs,
and cleaning and washing. It is designed to connect the communities of Van Nuys, Panorama City,

Arleta and Pacoima along the median of Van Nuys Boulevard, one of the Valley’s busiest corridors,
according to LACMTA. Service is expected to begin between 2028 and 2030.

LACMTA has issued a $9mn (€8.56mn) contract to W.A. Rasic Construction Company, Inc. of Long
Beach to begin relocating existing Los Angeles Department of Water & Power vaults and associated
conduit infrastructure along Van Nuys Boulevard. It anticipates awarding the main construction
contract early next year.
Another 2.5-mile, three-station segment is planned to further extend the line from Pacoima to the
Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station. Design options for that project segment are now under
study, the transit agency said. It will be built on LACMTA-owned right-of-way along San Fernando
Road in a second construction phase.
The total project cost is estimated at $1.6bn to $2bn (€1.52bn to €1.9bn). It will be the first street-
running, local-stop rail service in the San Fernando Valley in 70 years. The last Pacific Electric Red Cars
discontinued service along Van Nuys Boulevard in 1952, LACMTA reported.
The new line is planned to connect with the Van Nuys Metrolink/Amtrak Station in addition to the
Metrolink station at Sylmar/San Fernando. It will also provide key links with LACMTA bus lines,
including the G Line (Orange) in Van Nuys and municipally operated bus lines.

[529] USA – Long Island Railroad Finishes Great Neck Pocket Track Extension
The Long Island Railroad, part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), has announced
that work crews have completed an extension of track east of Great Neck that will ensure greater
service reliability on the Port Washington Branch with the projected service increase associated with
the opening of MTA's new Grand Central Madison station.

Great Neck Station

The segment of track underneath the recently replaced Colonial Road Bridge was extended 335 metres
to enable the storage of an additional train of up to 12 cars, an upgrade from existing track in the area
that already accommodated one train of up to 12 cars. This extension allows the Long Island Rail Road
(LIRR) to store and turn more trains on the Port Washington Branch and stage an additional train to
operate extra service from Mets – Willets Pt. According to a LIRR source this infrastructure
improvement enables the LIRR to run more trains more reliably on the Port Washington Branch.
The track extension supports better rush hour service. Under the draft schedules that include service
to Grand Central Madison, Port Washington Branch customers will specifically benefit from 36% more
Morning Peak services and 42% more Evening Peak services. The number of local trains terminating or
originating at Great Neck and making all local stops in or from Manhattan will increase to 20 per
weekday after the opening of Grand Central Madison, up from 11 today, an increase of 82%.
Although the opening of Grand Central Madison was not contingent upon completion of this project, it
is part of the LIRR’s East Side Access Readiness Plan to enhance reliability of service that is
commensurate with the increase of trains. The project was comprised of three main segments:
replacement of the previous century-old bridge that carries Colonial Road over the Port Washington
Branch in Great Neck, improvement of drainage at track level and the track extension.