Latest news with #RailLink
Malaysia Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Malaysia Sun
MALAYSIA-PAHANG STATE-RAIL PROJECT
(250601) -- PAHANG STATE, June 1, 2025 (Xinhua) -- People pose for photos at a ceremony to mark the installation of the first communication, information and signaling (CIS) systems of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) at the Kota SAS Station in Pahang state, Malaysia, May 30, 2025. The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project in Malaysia being built by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), marked another key milestone on Friday with the installation of its first communication, information and signaling (CIS) systems at the Kota SAS Station in Pahang state. Designed to meet international standards, the CIS systems form a critical component of the ECRL's overall engineering system. These systems play a vital role in ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable railway operations through functions such as automatic train protection, traffic control, and real-time passenger information, CCCC said in a statement following a ceremony to mark the installation. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)
Herald Sun
20-05-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
Victorian state budget: Myki credit card tap-ons running 18 months late
An upgrade of the troubled myki system to allow for credit card tap-ons across the transport network will cost an extra $137 million and is running 18 months late. The new financial hit is among $3.3 billion in major project blowouts that have battered the state budget in the past year — a total increase of about 2 per cent for the projects impacted. Delays of three months or more have also hit almost a third of projects across the state, as broader construction sector woes continued to hit the Big Build. The taxpayer pain comes as the Allan Government taps the brakes on its Big Build, which is spread across 518 public sector roads and rail, schools, and hospitals, to create a more 'sustainable infrastructure program'. Some of the budget blowouts include $838m on the Metro Tunnel announced last year, more than $410m on regional rail upgrades, $53m on the troubled Murray Basin Rail Project, and $40m on the Tarneit railway station in Melbourne's west. Most of the blowouts are blamed on market forces, with construction costs soaring over recent years. But the $137m blowout on the myki upgrade was due to a 'program reset', which was forced after contractor Conduent complained of unforeseen costs. This included being unable to access source code and other technical information from the previous operator. Budget papers show the full project is not due to finish until the end of 2028, after being due to wrap up halfway through 2027. Despite this, the government has committed to having credit cards in use for full fare passengers on some modes of transport early next year, after it announced it would do a staged rollout. The Herald Sun revealed the project had been thrown into turmoil this year when one of the project partners walked away from the job, following a legal dispute over costs. The budget papers suggest the worst of the material price hikes sparked by Covid-19 and global chaos are behind us, but that risks of skills shortages remain. After annual infrastructure spending hit an unprecedented $24bn a year, capital investments are set to slow to $16bn a year by 2028-29, under what Treasurer Jaclyn Symes calls a 'commitment to a sustainable infrastructure program'. An extra $8.1bn in new projects have been jammed into the pipeline this year, however, ensuring job numbers don't dry up overnight. This includes the previously announced spending on the Sunshine station expansion and untangling of rail lines in the west, which the Allan Government says paves the way to build an Airport Rail Link. It also includes $1.2bn in schools and education, and $214m on hospitals. As Victoria's infrastructure spending slows – albeit to a level that is still higher than prior to the Covid-19 crisis – budget papers also show a significant proportion of spending over the next decade will be on the $34.5 billion Suburban Rail Loop East. The Government now calls the first stage of a 90km orbital rail line 'Australia's biggest housing project' due to plans to build 70,000 new homes around station precincts, including in suburban high rises. The State hopes to secure $11.5bn from the Commonwealth to help pay for the 26km tunnel between Cheltenham and Box Hill, which will be dug from next year and open to passengers in 2035. So far, the Albanese Government has provided $2.2bn, but has baulked at further cash injections until issues with a project business case – raised by its advisory body Infrastructure Australia – have been addressed. State Budget papers take a dig at the Commonwealth for historically underfunding Victorian infrastructure, as a share of population. This includes this year's federal budget, which provides Victoria a 21.4 per cent share of national rail and road funding despite the state housing 25.8 per cent of the country's population. 'Funding received from the Commonwealth is also often not aligned with project milestones, meaning the State is providing upfront cashflows for jointly funded major projects,' the Budget says. It says a co-ordinated effort by the Commonwealth and State is needed to better deliver infrastructure in the national interest including 'investment in the city-shaping Suburban Rail Loop, a crucial transport link and Australia's biggest housing project in its most populous city'.
Time Out
19-05-2025
- Time Out
Yes! All public transport is officially free for kids in Victoria from next year
Public transport is a contentious topic, especially in Melbourne. It's not unusual for the topic to spark a heated debate – just the mention of the Airport Rail Link will make any Melburnian's blood pressure rise. But now, the state government has made an announcement that we're sure everyone will agree is good news: public transport in Victoria is being made free for kids. There's no caveat here – this change will apply to anyone under 18 across the whole state, on all forms of public transport. It'll come into effect on January 1, 2026 – which aligns with around the time that bank card payments will start being used on public transport, with new compatible Myki readers currently being installed around Melbourne. The move was announced as a teaser for the latest state budget, which is set to be fully revealed on May 20. For it to become a long-term change, the Labour government will need to be reelected in the Victorian election later next year. It's an effort from the government to ease the pressure of the relentlessly rising cost of living for Victorian families, as it's estimated that public transport fares can cost around $1,000 a year per child. A new youth Myki will be introduced as part of the changes, so that children can still tap on through ticket gates at train stations. The youth Myki will stay valid until the child turns 18. Young Victorians living in regional and rural areas where Mykis aren't used will also be able to use public transport for free. Plus, Victoria's older generation will also benefit from a change to public transport fares next year, as anyone with a seniors card will be able to travel for free on weekends. This also applies to all forms of public transport, anywhere in the state. So passengers who use a Senior Myki won't be charged when they touch on – how good. Now, there's even less stopping families from getting out and about to enjoy the most of what Melbourne has to offer. If you're looking for things to do with the kids, look no further than this guide.
New Straits Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Loke: New measures to safeguard wildlife, road users on East–West Highway
PUTRAJAYA: The Transport Ministry will collaborate closely with the Public Works Ministry and the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to enhance safety measures on the East–West Highway, following a tragic accident in which a lorry fatally struck an elephant two days ago. Minister Anthony Loke said that the incident, which has garnered widespread public attention, highlighted the urgent need to better protect areas frequently used by wildlife. "Among the measures under consideration are improved lighting and the construction of wildlife crossings to reduce the risk of such incidents in the future. This was a heartbreaking accident, and we are all deeply saddened by it," he said at a press conference following the Cabinet Committee meeting on Road Safety and Traffic Congestion. Also present at the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah. Loke said that proactive steps were being taken by the ministry to reassess road and railway routes identified as high-risk areas for both wildlife and humans. He said that the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project already included mitigation features such as dedicated wildlife tracks, crossings, and tunnels beneath the railway lines to facilitate safe animal passage. "We will also explore incorporating similar features along the Gemas–Johor Baru rail line, as there have been previous incidents of elephants crossing the tracks in that area. These efforts are critical, as high-speed trains pose serious dangers to wildlife, and collisions can result in severe consequences for both animals and people," he added. On May 11, a male elephant calf was struck and killed by a lorry early in the morning while travelling along Jalan Gerik-Jeli, also known as the East–West Highway. The mother elephant remained at the scene, refusing to leave her calf until she was sedated and relocated.
NZ Herald
08-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Getting the City Rail Link approved may be John Key's lasting Auckland legacy
English was, of course, the Finance Minister and Joyce the Minister for Economic Development at the time. The then National Government's priority, expressed publicly, was to pay off debt. That is certainly a hard sell when embarking on a tunnel dig costing multiple billions of dollars. But Key, then Transport Minister Simon Bridges and the Super City's first Mayor, Len Brown, 'wore down' the naysayers to announce a commitment to funding the project in 2016. The CRL has been Auckland's missing link in its rail network for decades, and digging under the rapidly growing city was first suggested a century ago. A project of its size had never been undertaken in New Zealand before, and Joyce had warned against fans of the CRL to avoid 'wishful thinking'. We don't have to look far to see how similar projects have greatly benefited cities. Sydney has always invested in its public transport infrastructure, the latest being the enormously popular high-speed metro lines. Sydney has a population three times that of Auckland, but it has less congestion. Auckland's traffic congestion is projected to cost us $2.6 billion a year by 2026. This must certainly have been a huge factor in Key and his allies wanting to start construction as soon as possible. We must build to grow, a belief future Governments should continue to be reminded of. The opening of the City Rail Link next year is expected to be transformative, particularly for Auckland's midtown, which has in recent years gone through a period of decay. Key said: 'I guarantee you, in five years people will forget all about the cost and the problems of getting it built and say, 'Thank God we've got it.'' Getting the project over the line may well be his lasting legacy in the City of Sails. Sign up to the Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
