SYSTRA Wins Rail and Metro Projects in the Philippines

SYSTRA Wins Rail and Metro Projects in the Philippines

IdentifYing expansion possibilities for Manila’s light rail system

SYSTRA is to carry out a feasibility study for the extension of the capacity of LRT2, the capital’s second light metro line (light metro because it runs on elevated viaducts), on behalf of the Light Rail Transit Authority, and in collaboration with the technical services provider TÜV Rheinland.

It will be used to support the approval of the project by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and its validation by the agencies responsible for overseeing it.

The conclusions, expected within six months, will enable the strategic planning to be calibrated, and the necessary measures to protect and manage the assets to be programmed.

A strategic rail project to connect all the regions of Luzon

On the country’s largest island, Luzon, SYSTRA will be taking part in the North Long Haul Inter-Regional Railway Project, alongside Pricewaterhouse Coopers (Isla Lipana & Co. in the Philippines), and on behalf of the public-private partnership (PPP) Center and the Department of Transport.

The North Haul project is one of the Philippine government’s initiatives to boost the island’s economy. It provides for the financing, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of an inter-regional rail network of more than 800 km connecting the four regions of the island. It also includes passenger stations, freight terminals, maintenance depots, operations and control centres, connections to seaports, and other traffic-related developments.

Our assignment, which will last just over nine months, is divided into three phases:

• project launch and pre-feasibility study;
• feasibility study and project structuring;
• then assistance in obtaining all the necessary government authorizations.

SYSTRA Canada Assists the City of Matagami in Improving Transhipment Yard

The City of Matagami, located in the Jamésie territory in the southern part of the Nord-du-Québec region, wishes to offer its population the best possible living environment, namely by creating permanent jobs at its transshipment center.

The city wants to leverage its long-term mining development potential with the gradual commissioning of three lithium mines, thus generating an increase in rail traffic.

SYSTRA CANADA CONTRIBUTES TO THIS EXITING DEVELOPMENT

As a first step, we developed a trusting relationship with the City and the Matagami Development Corporation during the feasibility phases for required modifications to the transshipment yard. Subsequently, we will be carrying out engineering studies, assisting the City in the selection of the contractor, and ensuring that the works are carried out in accordance with plans and standards.

Tunnels Take Centre Stage

Maximum exposure in Canada

From 24 to 26 September, teams from SYSTRA Canada and SYSTRA SWS took part in the TAC 2023 conference in Toronto, Canada. This major North American event is organised by the Tunnelling Association of Canada (TAC), and this year’s theme was ‘Smart Solutions, Future Growth’. Of particular note this year was a major exhibition showcasing trenchless tunnel excavation technologies, with examples from Canada and around the world.

The TAC 2023 conference was an opportunity for Edoardo Misano, SYSTRA SWS tunnel expert, to demonstrate our skills in conventional tunnel excavation methods under the Seine in Paris. In particular, the case study of lot T3a of line 15 South of the Grand Paris Express, in which SYSTRA SWS was involved, was presented, to show how the state of the soil meant that the shafts and horizontal access galleries had to be redesigned, and then the soil had to be treated appropriately to prevent any instability between the water and the ground.

Spotlight on road tunnels in Colombia

The following week in Medellín, Colombia, the ‘ExpoTúneles y Minería Subterránea 2023’ was held, focusing on the underground and mining markets. Representatives from SYSTRA Subterra were on hand to meet our clients.

Rafael Sanchez, Head of the Safety Installations Department, gave a presentation on the inspection and safety of road tunnels.

Tunnels in the City of Lights

Finally, it was in France that the world of tunnels met for the 17th international AFTES (French Association for Tunnels and Underground Spaces) conference, from 2 to 4 October in Paris.

The SYSTRA France stand was the venue for a host of meetings with all those involved in the underground, public works, and tunnel structure sectors, focusing especially on energy, the environment and digital transition.

A Railway Maintenance Centre Designed by SYSTRA in Chile

SYSTRA is continuing to support Chile’s rail revival, working for the national operator EFE (Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado). In particular, this involves improving connections between the interior of the country and the capital, such as the modernisation of the Santiago-Chillán passenger line, in which our teams were involved until the end of 2022.

SYSTRA has been chosen to design a new maintenance workshop for the new fleet of trains on this line, in a consortium with the Chilean engineering company JEJ. The workshop will be built close to Chillán station in order to offer greater flexibility when repairing Chile’s regional trains.

The result will be optimised maintenance expenditure, a safer network and greater availability for passengers, as well as a new industrial activity for local development.

A comprehensive project for the renewal of a city

The future maintenance workshop is fully integrated into the project to revitalise the city centre, which also includes a new museum, a new urban park and renovated avenues and station. The attractiveness of this town of 160,000 inhabitants will be enhanced by the new workshop, which will not only make more trains available, but also faster trains to Santiago (3h40 min compared with 5h). These are major advantages in convincing the 250,000 or so annual passengers to adopt a more sustainable and more efficient form of mobility than buses, which take over 5 hours.

The teams were responsible for soil studies (topography, geotechnics, hydrology), preliminary and execution studies in BIM for the infrastructure and rail systems (track, power supply, signalling), workshop equipment and architecture, landscape integration, environmental impact management, functional and technical specifications, optimisation of construction and operating costs, and the workshop maintenance plan.

These studies were submitted at the end of 2022 for a construction tender currently being awarded by EFE.

Chile’s rail boom

In 2019, the Chilean authorities launched an ambitious plan: Chile sobre rieles, Chile on the rails, which intends to triple the country’s rail capacity by 2027. SYSTRA is involved in this project, which has been underway in Chile for several years:

• Completion of the Santiago-Melipilla line, with the installation of a new track to the south-west;
• The creation of the new Santiago-Batuco line in the north-west;
• Technical assistance for the construction of the Cerro Chepe tunnel for the Puente Ferrovioario project in the Rio Biobio, for the Concepcion-San Pedro de La Paz line;
• A comprehensive asset management audit of the entire network, carried out between 2018 and 2019, to assess the state of the infrastructure of the entire EFE network.

Experts from SYSTRA Chile and SYSTRA Subterra are continuing to support the development of the Santiago metro with the construction of line 7, systems studies for the extension of line 6 and preliminary studies for lines 8 and 9 for the operator Metro S.A., a long-standing client of the Group for over half a century.

SYSTRA Integrates Three Atkins Entities in Sweden, Denmark and Norway and Strengthens its Presence in Scandinavia

With 770 experts working in 12 offices, including 7 in Sweden, 4 in Denmark and 1 in Norway, these teams have established themselves as key players in the field of infrastructure and consultancy. These acquisitions mark a major step forward for SYSTRA’s development in Nordic countries, where the Group already employs 300 staff.

This strategic reinforcement will enable SYSTRA to respond more effectively to the major projects undertaken in these countries and to offer its clients a wider range of services.

Pierre Verzat, CEO of SYSTRA with Jean-Charles Vollery, COO of SYSTRA and Arnaud Jeudy, CFAO of SYSTRA, in Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 31st to welcome our new colleagues

The SYSTRA Group has been present in the Nordic countries for over 10 years, and has been involved in numerous projects and emblematic ongoing projects such as :

• in Denmark, the Copenhagen automatic metro since 2007, the electrification of the entire Danish rail network since 2013, and the automation of the S-STOG suburban trains since 2021;
• in Sweden, the Ostlänken high-speed line since 2015, the Uppsala tramway since 2021 and the Kolmården since 2023;
• and in Norway, the Follo-Line high-speed line tunnel since 2018, the Vestfold Nykirke – Barkåker line since 2019 and the Grenland bridge since 2021.

SYSTRA Wins Two Major Projects for a Metro in Taiwan

Opened for revenue service in 2008, the Kaohsiung metro is one of the most modern in Asia; currently boasting two cutting-edge metro lines, this system is characterized by its state-of-the-art infrastructure, featuring air-conditioned stations and through the strategic integration of lifts, escalators that provide a comfortable environment for passengers.

Additionally, the network includes a circular Light Rail Transit (LRT) line, meticulously designed to ensure complete accessibility for individuals with reduced mobility and clearly marked walkways. The Kaohsiung metro network continues to expand and has chosen SYSTRA Asia’s expertise to support it.

Over the next eight years, we will be providing support for the extension of the Yellow and Red lines:

A renewed success for SYSTRA in Taiwan

SYSTRA was one of the engineering companies involved in the creation of the Kaohsiung metro, first carrying out a feasibility study and transport plan in the late 1980s, then providing project management assistance from March 2001 to August 2008. We worked with the Taiwanese consultant CECI, assisting the system design management, risk management, interfaces and systems, as well as system design review. Since 2021, we have worked in technical advisory for the creation of the Yellow line.

ENR 2023: Further Progress for SYSTRA

SYSTRA has once again risen in the ENR rankings, both in the transportation engineering category and in terms of international turnover in 2022.

SYSTRA continues to grow in its benchmark category

In the Transportation ranking, which brings together the 2022 sales figures of the ten largest engineering companies in the mobility sector, we have moved up one place to 8^th position, after already having moved up one place last year. We are the first French engineering company in this ranking.

In the Top 225 International Design Firms, which includes companies’ international turnover (generated outside France for SYSTRA), the Group moved up one place to 24^th, after winning 4 places last year, which anchors us in the Top 25.

These two rises confirm the effectiveness of our strategy of excellence in the transport sector and our focus on the most attractive countries.

Moreover, we also moved up 2 places in the rankings based on the total sales (including France) to 45^th place, confirming our place among the world’s Top 50 engineering companies.

The rankings for the Mass Transit & Rail and Bridges categories will be announced in December when the Global Sourcebook is published.

Find out more on Engineering News-Record ranking on their website.

Double Success for SYSTRA in Kochi, India

The 600,000 inhabitants of Kochi in India will benefit from a second metro line called the Pink Line. From east to west, it will link the city centre to the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium and the InfoPark, the largest IT centre in Kerala, via the Kakkanad industrial hub and the Kochi Special Economic Zone. Metro experts from SYSTRA India have successively been awarded the General Consultancy and Systems detailed design studies assignments for the new Kochi Metro Pink Line.

Wide-ranging responsibilities

SYSTRA India, in a consortium with SYSTRA, has been appointed as General Consultant for the Pink Line. The scope of work includes overall Project Management including evaluation of the proposals submitted by the design consultant and contractors. We are also responsible for ensuring quality and safety standards in construction works. The appointment of the General Consultant is considered a significant stage before beginning the construction phase.

A strong focus on Systems

In addition to the General Consultancy, SYSTRA India is also in charge of the detailed design studies for the systems of the Pink Line, including the power supply by third rail, the electrical substations, and the architecture of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).

SYSTRA Expands in Scandinavia with Three Acquisitions in Sweden, Denmark and Norway

SYSTRA has reached an agreement with Atkins, part of the SNC-Lavalin Group, to acquire its Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian engineering businesses, which specialise in infrastructure design and project management consultancy, as well as its rail verification services in Denmark.

With 770 experts working in 12 offices, including 7 in Sweden, 4 in Denmark and 1 in Norway, these teams have established themselves as key players in the field of infrastructure and consultancy. Once completed, these acquisitions will mark a major step forward for SYSTRA’s development in Nordic countries, where the Group already employs 300 staff.

This strategic reinforcement will enable SYSTRA to respond more effectively to the major projects undertaken in these countries and to offer its clients a wider range of services.

From left to right: Pierre Verzat, CEO of SYSTRA and Eva Rindom, Managing Director Atkins Denmark;
Jean-Charles Vollery, COO of SYSTRA, Bruno Susak, CEO of SYSTRA Nordics, and Johannes Erlandsson, Managing Director Atkins Sweden; Arnaud Jeudy, CFO of SYSTRA, and Magnus Eriksson, Managing Director Atkins Norway.

Pierre Verzat, CEO of SYSTRA, said: “We are delighted to welcome these new expert teams to SYSTRA. These acquisitions are in line with our growth strategy in Europe and strongly confirm our presence in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, where governments are investing massively in transport infrastructure, particularly railways. Together, we will be able to contribute to major sustainable mobility and resilient infrastructure projects in the region.”

The SYSTRA Group has been present in the Nordic countries for over 10 years, and has been involved in numerous projects and emblematic ongoing projects such as : in Denmark, the Copenhagen automatic metro since 2007, the electrification of the entire Danish rail network since 2013, and the automation of the S-STOG suburban trains since 2021; in Sweden, the Ostlänken high-speed line since 2015, the Uppsala tramway since 2021 and the Kolmarden since 2023; and in Norway, the Follo-Line high-speed line tunnel since 2018, the Vestfold Nykirke – Barkåker line since 2019 and the Grenland bridge since 2021.

The acquisitions should be completed in Fall 2023, once administrative authorisations have been obtained.