Within a rather interesting NZ Herald article on what rail works have been progressed during the holiday period, there’s also mention of a rather important upcoming milestone in the rail electrification project – the signing of the contract for the main electrification works. Here’s the relevant parts:
Transport Minister Steven Joyce will announce a key contract for the region’s $1 billion electrification project on Thursday, as well as formally opening Newmarket’s $35 million replacement station, ready for trains to start using it the following Monday…
… The contract to be announced by Mr Joyce next week will be for the supply and installation of train traction wires and their masts within a $500 million Government funding envelope for electrification infrastructure, from which $90 million was committed last year for track signalling.
A further $500 million of government money has been allocated for electric trains, for which KiwiRail is finalising specifications before inviting bids from international suppliers.
The electrification project will begin in stages between now and 2013, starting on the sections of railway between Otahuhu and Britomart, and between Newmarket and Morningside.
For a long time the pessimistic part of my brain could not believe that electrification would happen until I saw the signing of the contract for the wires to go up. That happens Thursday – so there’s definitely no turning back now!
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I was wondering if you ever connsidered changing the structure of you site?
Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect
with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or
two pictures. Maybe yyou could space it out better?