Smart Cities Dive’s Post

7 best practices for delivering high-speed rail featured in Construction Dive. Alternate construction and funding methods help make these complex projects a success, according to our new report: From Vision to Reality - A new high-speed rail playbook:

Having worked on numerous rail projects throughout my career, I found this article on the evolution of rail construction to be particularly interesting. The article highlights 7 best practices for delivering high-speed rail and provides valuable information for those in the industry. Check out the article here to learn more: #BORtheTour #railconstruction https://lnkd.in/dE2YAfA6

Alternate construction and funding methods help make these complex projects a success, according to a new AECOM report.

AECOM's research highlights the challenges of high-speed rail projects, including delays and cost overruns, but offers insights on smooth execution. The report, based on a survey of 112 industry decision-makers, emphasizes the importance of new funding models, political leadership, and user-centric design. Despite obstacles like political changes and funding gaps, innovations in construction methods offer hope for efficiency. Energy-efficient design and low-carbon materials are expected to shape the future of rail projects, aligning with the goal of decarbonizing transportation. Successful examples like Brightline underscore the significance of strong leadership and stakeholder engagement in driving rail project success.

Alternate construction and funding methods help make these complex projects a success, according to a new AECOM report.

🌏 Bringing world-class rail solutions to Australia 🚆 After five years of operation in Australia delivering major rail tunnelling and road projects, Gamuda is expanding our local operations to incorporate full turnkey rail capabilities. Our Gamuda Project Director Simon Hussey recently sat down with Rail Express Editor Josh Farrell to outline Gamuda’s plans to bring our global expertise and local delivery to take on larger and more complex rail infrastructure projects. “Now that we have come to Australia and delivered a number of projects, we are looking to expand our local offering to match what we do overseas,” he said. “We are taking that step into rail construction. Whether it is line wide, stations or other parts of track construction, we are building the business in Australia around that vertical integration. We want to provide those full turnkey capabilities and value engineering work.” Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gcZ48Hdr #GamudaAustralia #Gamuda #GlobalExpertise #LocalDelivery #Rail #RailIndustry #RailInnovation #Construction #Infrastructure

🚄 California High-Speed Rail: A $100 Billion Megaproject on the Fast Track The California High-Speed Rail project, set to be the first high-speed rail system in the U.S., has become a symbol of the challenges megaprojects face. Spanning 800 miles, this rail network is designed to connect California's megaregions, enabling travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles in under 3 hours at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour. Phase 2 aims to extend the line to Sacramento and San Diego, making the project a game-changer for U.S. transportation. 🚄🌍 However, despite its potential, the project has encountered significant setbacks. Initially budgeted at $33 billion when approved in 2008, the cost has since skyrocketed to over $100 billion. Delays and cost overruns have plagued the project, with the Kings County segment alone seeing a 62% budget increase, amounting to $800 million in additional costs. This is just one of the many obstacles that have delayed the rail's completion. 🛠️💸 The project was originally slated to be operational by 2020, but the new deadline has now been pushed to 2030, with concerns it may face further delays, potentially extending into 2032. These issues are exacerbated by earlier decisions to accept the lowest bid from a design contractor, which led to inaccurate cost estimates and numerous expensive change orders. Strategic planning and cost accuracy should be fundamental in projects of this scale, a lesson learned the hard way. 📉⚠️ Despite these challenges, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) remains optimistic. In their latest business plan, they assert that by the end of 2021, construction was either completed or underway on 83 of 93 structures and 106 of 119 miles of the guideway. Progress continues, but effective project management, budget control, and timeline adjustments are critical to bringing this visionary project to fruition. 🚧📅 #CaliforniaHighSpeedRail #MegaprojectChallenges #SustainableTransport #ProjectConsulting #InfrastructureInnovation #USTransportation

With two high-speed rail projects under construction in the U.S. and many others in the planning stages, a study published Monday by New York University’s Marron Institute of Urban Management cautions that “domestic high-speed rail’s future depends on acknowledging that existing institutions and practices have not produced the desired outcomes.” The study, based on interviews with 66 experts in the field, makes five recommendations for the federal government, industry, universities and project leaders at the state and local levels to accelerate the process of implementing high-speed rail projects. “There is an opportunity to transform intercity travel and American cities” by following the recommendations laid out in the report, the study concludes. I have often raised concerns with high speed rail in Canada and United States due to many factors: Our rail infrastructure combines freight and passenger in many parts of the country, and that can be a real hurdle because freight is always prioritized. If the trains are going fast, then there is the potential issue of bottlenecks and traffic that the system cannot handle. I think the focus should be more on leveraging existing rail systems through LRT, Optimization of transit based on urban planning, and funding model for transit. Blog – Transit - Regional Municipality of York – Net Zero Transit - https://lnkd.in/gT7xPzeb

Construction on America’s First High-Speed Rail Has Begun

Global infrastructure leader AECOM has partnered with Rejlers to win a strategically important contract with the Swedish Transport Administration. The contract is for the development of the North Bothnia Line, one of Sweden’s most important infrastructure investments. The collaboration includes the development of railway plans and public roads within Piteå municipality north and south of Piteå urban area. #railnews #railways #ukrail #rail