NEWS
29 Oct 2008 | Capacity boost is needed
DENMARK: September 22 saw the start of a public enquiry into plans by the national rail authority Trafikstyrelsen into ways of expanding capacity on the country’s busiest line between København and Ringsted. The project was launched in 1998, when the former rail infrastructure authority Banstyrelse More...
29 Oct 2008 | World rolling stock market October 2008
Australia: Refurbishment of the 60-car CountryLink XPT fleet has been completed. This included modernising the seats, fitting new toilets and carpets, upgrading the air-conditioning and installing new equipment in the buffet cars. Stage two of the A$42m upgrade is the overhaul of the 19 XPT power ca More...
28 Oct 2008 | US$560m loan for Tikhvin wagon plant
RUSSIA: Vnesheconombank, Eurasian Development Bank and Nomos-Bank have agreed a US$560m loan to ICT Group towards the US$800m development of Tikhvin Railway Car Building Plant, which is due to start production in 2010 on a former Transmash site in Leningrad oblast. Vnesheconombank and EDB are each More...
28 Oct 2008 | LG takes up option on 10 Eurorunners
LITHUANIA: State railway Lietuvos Geležinkeliai has exercised an option for a further 10 Siemens ER20CF freight locomotives, which will be delivered between May and September 2010 in a deal worth more than €35m including maintenance. The 120 km/h locomotives are an option on a €123m order for 34 p More...
28 Oct 2008 | Contracts October 2008
Chile: Zenitel and Sometec are to supply and maintain communication links between train drivers and the control centre on two extensions to Santiago metro lines 1 and 5. China The Ministry of Railways has awarded HLS Systems and Hitachi a contract to provide control systems for the 105 km Guangzho More...
27 Oct 2008 | Lausanne Line m2 opens
SWITZERLAND: Commercial services on Lausanne's automatic metro line m2 began on October 27 when the first train left Ouchy station at 05.26 bound for Croisettes. The 6 km route climbs 338 m during the 18 min journey, with gradients of up to 12%. Line m2 took 4½ years to build at a cost of SFr700m. I More...
27 Oct 2008 | Porterbrook Leasing sale agreed
UK: On October 27 Porterbrook Leasing confirmed reports that the company is being sold by its parent Abbey National. A consortium of three European banks has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the rolling stock leasing company, with completion expected by the end of this year sub More...
27 Oct 2008 | Pilbara open access from November 20
AUSTRALIA: Three heavy haul iron ore railways in West Australia are to be 'declared' permitting third parties to negotiate open access with effect from November 19, Commonwealth Treasurer Wayne Swan announced on October 27. Swan will 'declare' BHP Billiton's Goldsworthy railway and Rio Tinto's Rob More...
27 Oct 2008 | Streetcar operations are returning steadily
NEW ORLEANS: The first of the 24 Canal Street cars damaged by flooding after Hurricane Katrina returned to the tracks in August, although ridership remains well down, as David Lustig reports. More...
26 Oct 2008 | World infrastructure market October 2008
Australia: QR had awarded the Synergy Alliance joint venture of United Group and Ansaldo STS a A$250m signalling contract as part of a coal capacity upgrading programme. Bulgaria: The Ministry of Transport has awarded Pöyry contracts totalling €1·7m to undertake feasibility studies and design for t More...
