U.S. supports Kazakhstan rail safety

U.S. supports Kazakhstan rail safety    The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has awarded a $655,188 grant to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) to fund a feasibility study on the implementation of rail signaling systems including train control systems on three Kazakh rail lines covering 1,356 kilometers.
   USTDA said the grant comes at a time when Kazakhstan is increasingly a transit hub for rail traffic between China and Europe, and represents an opportunity for U.S. companies to export technologies to help KTZ achieve its growth goals.
   “Improved train control and signaling are needed to enable more efficient and intensive use of railway infrastructure, allowing trains to move closer together, at higher speeds, while reducing delays, thereby increasing network capacity and quality of service on existing railway lines,” said U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Richard Hoagland, in a statement.
   The opportunity to conduct the USTDA-funded feasibility study will be competed on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) Web site. A link to the FBO announcement will be posted to USTDA’s Web site. KTZ will select the U.S. contractor that will complete the feasibility study.
   USTDA will also host a visit later this fall by a delegation of KTZ officials to the United States to allow the officials to observe and become acquainted with the latest U.S. rail sector technology. The delegation will meet with U.S. government and private sector rail experts and will travel to Washington, Chicago, and Pueblo, Colo., to visit rail facilities.