Africa – Page 25
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NewsMorogoro – Makutupora standard gauge line contract awarded
TANZANIA: State railway infrastructure authority Reli Assets Holding Co has awarded Turkish company Yapı Merkezi a US$1·92bn contract to build the 336 km Morogoro – Makutupora 1 435 mm gauge line. This is the second phase of a proposed 2 200 km standard gauge network which would connect Dar es ...
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NewsMarrakech trolleybus route inaugurated
MOROCCO: Revenue services on the first trolleybus route in Marrakech began on September 29, two days after an official opening ceremony. The 11 km route between Massira and Gueliz forms the first phase of a larger network that is planned to be commissioned by the end of 2019. Buses ...
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NewsHarsco wins orders in Saudi Arabia and South Africa
HARSCO: The Harsco Rail track maintenance division of Harsco announced two orders with a total value of US$25m on September 27. The first contract covers the supply of rail grinding machines for use on Saudi Arabia’s Haramain High Speed Rail line between Makkah and Medinah, and includes initial operator training ...
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NewsRATP Dev retains Casablanca tram operating contract
MOROCCO: RATP Dev announced on September 18 that it had been awarded a 12-year contract to operate and maintain the Casablanca tram network. The value of the contract, which starts on December 13, was not disclosed. Through its local subsidiary Casa Tram, RATP Dev has been responsible for operating line ...
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NewsIHHA conference considers rail’s role in a changing world
INTERNATIONAL: ‘This is a journey, not just an event’, emphasised Transnet Freight Rail General Manager, Capital Projects, Brian Monakali, welcoming delegates to the 11th International Heavy Haul Association conference which began in Cape Town on September 4. Newly elected as IHHA Chairman for the next two years, Monakali said ...
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NewsEgyptian National Railways plans to form stand-alone freight business
EGYPT: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development has invited expressions of interest in a contract to assist Egyptian National Railways with the planned conversion of its freight business into a stand-alone subsidiary company. The intention is that this would have managerial independence and operate through commercial relationships with the ...
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NewsBearings meet tough specification and tight deadlines
MOROCCO: National operator ONCF has awarded SKF a contract to supply 15 000 passenger and freight rolling stock wheelset bearings over three years. Announcing the win on August 28, SKF said it was the only supplier which could meet ONCF’s strict technical specifications and begin delivering ready-certified bearings with a ...
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NewsGood times ahead as Tazara and ZRL sign open access freight agreement
AFRICA: Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority and Zambia Railways Ltd have signed an open access agreement intended to facilitate the seamless movement of freight trains across each other’s infrastructure. Tazara hopes to gain an additional 200 000 tonnes of freight in the first year of the agreement. ‘In the past, Tazara and ...
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NewsAuckland DMUs shipped to Mozambique
MOZAMBIQUE: Eight diesel multiple-units as well as spare parts are being shipped from New Zealand to Mozambique, where they are to operate passenger services around Maputo. The 1 067 mm gauge two-car units have been surplus to requirements since electrification in Auckland in 2014. ‘Selling the trains reduces Auckland Transport’s ...
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NewsBombardier and Bouygues to sell Gautrain concession stakes
SOUTH AFRICA: Engineering and construction services company Murray & Roberts has signed a memorandum of understanding to acquire the 8·5% stakes in Gautrain concessionaire Bombela Concession Co held by Bouygues Travaux Publics and Bombardier Transportation. Commercial terms for the deal worth a total of R405m have been agreed and agreements ...
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NewsBenguela railway handover
ANGOLA: Construction company China Railway 20 Bureau Group has formally handed over further sections of the 1 301 km Benguela Railway to the government of Angola. Events marking the transfer of ownership were held on June 29 in Kuito and on July 27 at Luau, close to the border with ...
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NewsCairo electric railway agreement signed
EGYPT: The National Authority for Tunnels signed a US$1·24bn contract on August 15 for the construction of a electric railway serving greater Cairo. Work is due to start in two to three months and will be carried out by a consortium of AVIC International and China Railway ...
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NewsTermination of Rift Valley Railways concession agreed
KENYA: The termination of Rift Valley Railways’ concession to operate the Kenyan section of the metre gauge Kenya – Uganda railway network has been agreed ‘by joint consent’ after the high court in Nairobi backed Kenya Railways’ attempts to end the contract. KR had sought to end the concession in ...
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Metro Report InternationalMauritius light rail contract signed
MAURITIUS: The government signed a Rs18·8bn contract with Larsen & Toubro on July 31 for the construction of the Metro Express light rail line, which would link Port Louis with Curepipe. L&T is responsible for civil works, electrification, signalling, the fare collection system and the passenger information system. It ...
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NewsCAF wins second Alger metro train contract
ALGERIA: CAF is to supply 12 six-car trainsets to the Alger metro, the supplier announced on July 27. The trains will be used to augment the existing fleet of 14 CAF trainsets to support the planned opening of metro extensions. Based on the Inneo metro train family, the trainsets ...
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NewsSidi Bel Abbès tramway inaugurated
ALGERIA: The fourth tramway in Algeria opened on July 25, when the 14·3 km route in Sidi Bel Abbès was inaugurated by Minister of Transport & Public Works Abdelghani Zaalane. Yapı Merkezi acted as construction contractor. The Cital joint venture of Alstom (49%), Ferrovial (41%) and Entreprise du Métro ...
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NewsBombardier to develop Cairo metro proposal
EGYPT: The National Authority for Tunnels and Bombardier Transportation signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding for the development of plans for Cairo metro Line 6 on July 11. Under the terms of the memorandum, Bombardier Transportation is to develop a concept for Line 6 and prepare an ...
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NewsFinal Brazilian-built EMU for PRASA completed
SOUTH AFRICA: Alstom Brazil’s Lapa factory has completed the last of 20 X'Ttrapolis Mega electric multiple-units for Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. PRASA placed a R51bn order for 600 of the six-car 1 067 mm gauge EMUs in 2013, with 20 to be supplied from Brazil and the remaining ...
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NewsTest running on next Ethiopian line to start in August
ETHIOPIA: Test running on the first phase of the Awash – Woldiya/Hara Gebeya Railway is on course to begin by the end of August, Ethiopian Railways Corp has announced. In June 2012 ERC signed a US$1·7bn turnkey contract for Turkish firm Yapı Merkezi to build the 389 route-km electrified ...
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NewsEBRD agrees €290m loan for Egyptian locomotive order
EGYPT: A €290m loan agreement to support Egyptian National Railways’ planned acquisition of up to 100 diesel locomotives through a supply and maintenance contract was signed by the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development on June 19. EBRD said the acquisition of new locomotives maintained by a private-sector partner would ...