QUEENSLAND RAIL FIRMS LINE UP MAINTENANCE CONTRACT WITH BOTSWANA RAIL
JOHANNESBURG: A Queensland company is spearheading the State’s push into the lucrative African rail market with another multimillion dollar deal with Botswana Railways. Queensland Premier and Minister for Trade Peter Beattie said Union Switch &Signal had helped open the doors for a consortium of Queensland rail companies to enter the African market.
(Media-Newswire.com) - JOHANNESBURG: A Queensland company is spearheading the State’s push into the lucrative African rail market with another multimillion dollar deal with Botswana Railways.
Queensland Premier and Minister for Trade Peter Beattie said Union Switch &Signal had helped open the doors for a consortium of Queensland rail companies to enter the African market.
Mr Beattie today witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU ) and Joint Venture Agreement between Queensland company Union Switch & Signal and Botswana Railways.
The MOU and the new Joint Venture Agreement will form the basis of an ongoing relationship between the Queensland company and Botswana Railways, commencing with a new contract to maintain the signalling and communications infrastructure for eight years.
“This is a major achievement for Union Switch & Signal and greatly enhances the reputation of the Queensland rail industry in Africa,” Mr Beattie said.
“Union Switch & Signal have a lot of experience in Africa already and in 2005 was contracted by Botswana Railways to introduce the Queensland Rail GPS satellite backed control system as part of an overall solution designed to meet the challenging requirements of the local rail environment.
“Union Switch & Signal is currently in the final stages of a project to replace the signalling and communications infrastructure for the entire Botswana rail network. This project will significantly improve the level of service and safety in the network.
“Union Switch & Signal has also helped open up the market for other Queensland rail companies by being a driving force behind the establishment of Queensland’s Rail Project Group ( RPG ).
“The other members of the RPG include Bombardier Transportation, Connell Wagner, EDI Rail, QR and Mincom.
“I congratulate the RPG on forming a partnership with InfraDEV Botswana to support Botswana Railways’ strategic plans for the rail sector that are highlighted in its Turnaround Strategy.”
Mr Beattie said the RPG-InfraDEV Botswana consortium would participate in negotiations with Botswana Rail management in Gaborone, Botswana, for the contract to implement the Turnaround Strategy and had the full support of the Queensland Government.
The Botswana Government is showing enormous initiative to revitalise its rail network and Botswanan experience is likely to inspire similar initiatives from its African neighbours.
The strategy covers track work, locomotives and rolling stock, operational systems and processes and training. Initial projects under the contract would include construction of a A$240 million railway line linking the Botswana coal fields at Mmamabula to Erasmus in South Africa.
“Queensland has Australia’s largest integrated rail network, with 9,500kms of network operating through climatic extremes from wet tropical regions to arid conditions,” Mr Beattie said.
“QR is Queensland’s government-owned railway corporation, with extensive experience and considerable intellectual property innovation and intelligent rail solutions across passenger and freight including heavy haul narrow gauge.
“For more than 15 years, QR has been providing customised rail solutions to the Asian region including Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.
“Whether it’s the development of intelligent rail systems, providing training, development and safety management answers, or engineering design and specification for specialist civil, track and electrical traction systems, rolling stock, signal and telecommunications infrastructure, Queensland’s rail sector has demonstrated itself to be extremely capable,” Mr Beattie said.
Media inquiries: Premier’s office 3224 4500 21 March 2007
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