PROJECTS & INFRASTRUCTURE
22 May 2008 | Kuwait finalising ambitious metro plans
KUWAIT: Tenders for the construction of a 165 km metro network are to be called in July, Dr Hussain Al-Sayegh, Chief Consultant at the Kuwait Overland Transport Union, told the Rail Infrastructure MENA conference in Dubai. The government will finalise its specification for the proposed four-line m More...
22 May 2008 | China Gateway rail contract awarded
KAZAKHSTAN: Eurasian Natural Resources Corp has signed a US$775m 28-year concession agreement to build and operate the 298 km Zhetigen - Korgas rail link between Kazakhstan and China. The China Gateway Project to create a second rail link between the countries is a key element of the Kazakh governm More...
17 May 2008 | Consultants appointed in Oman
OMAN: Consultants have been appointed to undertake a study into the feasibility of building a 200 km freight railway between the port of Suhar and a planned container terminal at Birka to the north of the capital Masqat. Minister of National Economy Ahmed Macki told the local media on April 13 that More...
08 May 2008 | Inland Railway study
AUSTRALIA: The federal government has commissioned an economic feasibility study to develop an optimum alignment for an inland railway between Melbourne and Brisbane. Transport & Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese announced on March 28 that A$15m has been allocated for the study, which ART More...
07 May 2008 | Upgrade package approved
AZERBAIJAN: The World Bank has approved a US$450m financing package to support the modernisation of the national rail network, with particular focus on the 550 km east-west corridor linking Baku with the Georgian capital Tbilisi (RG 1.08 p50). The Bank said on March 27 that the Railway Trade & Tra More...
06 May 2008 | Double track makes progress
PAKISTAN: This month trains are expected to begin using a second track laid on the Kachakhuh - Chichawatni section of Pakistan Railway's Karachi - Lahore main line. The 1 676 mm gauge route is being doubled throughout and upgraded for 140 km/h operation under a project due to be completed by Ju More...
03 May 2008 | Broad gauge to Austria
EUROPE: A protocol setting out plans to study the feasibility of extending a 1 520 mm gauge line to Bratislava and Wien has been signed by the national railways of Slovakia, Austria, Ukraine and Russia. The hope is that a through broad gauge route will help to attract freight traffic from Asia More...
01 May 2008 | Big bridge flies in
UK: As part of the East London Line Extension project (RG 2.07 p89), the UK's largest mobile crane placed a 350 tonne bow-string bridge in place across Shoreditch High Street on March 29. The 35 m long and 11 m high bridge was assembled on site from components produced by Fairfield Mabey in Chepst More...
29 Apr 2008 | Veloxia signs Argentine high speed deal
ARGENTINA: On April 29 President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner formally signed a turnkey contract with the Veloxia consortium for the construction of a 320 km/h line between Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba. The consortium had been selected for the concession on January 16, having submitte More...
29 Apr 2008 | Gotthard base tunnel E&M contract
SWITZERLAND: A contract covering the supply of railway systems for the Gotthard base tunnel was signed in Luzern on April 29 by AlpTransit Gotthard and the Transtec Gotthard consortium of Swiss and European suppliers, paving the way for the start of electrical and mechanical installation next year. More...
