All Railway Gazette International articles in April 2009 – Page 2
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NewsNorthern Ireland academy opens
UK: Translink’s new £1·7m operational training academy opened on February 19 at Adelaide in south Belfast. It was funded by Northern Ireland’s Department for Regional Development and features driver and signalling simulation equipment. A full-task driver simulator is complemented by a signalling simulator supplied by Manchester-based EDM that fully replicates ...
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NewsBoosting employment
GERMANY: Veolia Cargo Deutschland subsidiary Dortmunder Eisenbahn has expanded its training facilities and introduced a programme to recruit and train local unemployed people. A new 400 m² training centre opened in December close to the freight operator’s base in Dortmund. The facility, equipped with the latest multimedia teaching materials, is ...
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NewsEurostar considering larger fleet?
EUROPE: Eurostar has described as ‘speculation’ French media reports that it has called prequalification bids for the supply of eight new trainsets, with options for 15 more. The French reports suggested that a specification for 400 m long trains would be issued in May, with bids closing in August. ...
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NewsDMU contract could be China South's door to Europe
TUNISIA: China South signed a US$100m contract to supply 20 two-car diesel multiple-units to state railway SNCFT on March 30. The order comprises 12 standard gauge DMUs with a top speed of 160 km/h, and eight 130 km/h metre gauge units. CSR Nanjing Puzhen Rolling Stock Co is hoping ...
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NewsSevilla metro inaugurated
SPAIN: The first phase of Sevilla metro Line 1 was officially inaugurated on April 2 by the President of Andalucía, Manuel Chaves González. He was joined at the event by Minister of Development Magdalena Álvarez Arza and the region’s head of public works Luis García Garrido, together ...
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NewsUnion Pacific targets the gaming generation
USA: Union Pacific Railroad is looking to the ‘gamer generation’ to meet the challenge of a changing workforce demographic. The Class I railroad believes that the computer training programmes it has introduced to prepare new starters for work in its marshalling yards will appeal to those who have grown up ...
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NewsAlstom hybrid shunter trials begin
NETHERLANDS: A two-month long trial of a hybrid shunting locomotive converted by Alstom began in the port of Rotterdam on April 6. Short-haul and shunting operator Rotterdam Rail Feeding expects to see a 40% reduction in fuel consumption, with a halving of particulate, NOx and CO2 emissions. Noise should ...
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NewsSBB Cargo shortlists seven partners
SWITZERLAND: Half of the 14 bidders which submitted firm offers to work in partnership with SBB Cargo last October have been retained for further negotiations. Announcing this on April 2, SBB Cargo said that it is keeping open the option of continuing as an independent operator. Only if a partnership ...
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NewsNorth-South Railway ETCS contract placed
SAUDI ARABIA: A €340m turnkey contract to provide ETCS Level 2 signalling, telecoms, security and fare collection systems for the future North-South Railway has awarded to Thales and Saudi Binladen Group. Announcing the signing of the contract with the Public Investment Fund on April 7, Thales said it ...
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NewsAirport express modelled with military precision
NORWAY: Australian simulator specialist Sydac has teamed up with The Railway Engineering Company, based in Wiltshire, UK, and Swedish company MSE Weibull to deliver six high-fidelity train simulators and three signalling simulators to Norsk Jernbaneskole under a contract worth £4·2m. They will be used in a purpose-built training centre near ...
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NewsBraking joint venture
CHINA: Wabtec Corp and Shenyang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Railways Brakes Co have established Shenyang CNR Wabtec Railway Brake Technology Co as a 50:50 joint venture producing pneumatic control valves and other braking equipment for the Chinese rail market. 'We expect to have a strong impact on the Chinese ...
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NewsEurostar refurbishment design contract awarded
EUROPE: Eurostar has selected Italian consultancy Pininfarina to undertake design work for the mid-life refurbishment of the 28 high-speed trains used on services from London to Paris and Brussels. Announcing the contract on April 8, Eurostar emphasised the extensive rail sector experience of Pininfarina. Although best known for its ...
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NewsMetro tunnellers in trouble
EUROPE: March 3 was a bad day in Köln. Around 14.00 the building housing the city archive in Waidmarkt collapsed, probably as a result of tunnelling work for the north-south Stadtbahn taking place near the structure. Adjacent buildings were also affected, and by March 13 it became clear that two ...
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NewsThales to supply ETCS for dual-fitted route
GERMANY: Thales Rail Signalling Solutions is to supply ETCS Level 2 equipment for the Nürnberg - Ingolstadt route under the company's first commercial contract covering a German high speed line. The €9m order from DB announced on March 31 includes two radio block centres and approximately 1 000 balises. ...
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NewsEurosib buys shunting company Magistral
RUSSIA: Eurosib Transportation Systems announced on April 8 that it had completed the purchase of Magistral, which provides shunting services at Podporozhye in Leningrad oblast. Active in the logistics market since 1992, Eurosib is now one of the 10 largest private rail operators in Russia. It serves the metals, ...
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NewsParis announces MI09 double-deck EMU order
FRANCE: Paris transport operator RATP announced on April 8 that it is to place a €917m order for 60 MI09 five-car double-deck EMUs with a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier. The EMUs will replace MI84 single-deck rolling stock on RER Line A, and there is an option for a further ...
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NewsNorth-South Railway loco and wagon orders signed
SAUDI ARABIA: The Ministry of Finance's Public Investment Fund signed contracts on April 7 for 25 diesel locomotives and 668 wagons for use on the North-South Railway. EMD will deliver 25 SD70ACS heavy-haul diesel-electric locomotives from the second quarter of 2010, bringing the number of EMD locomotives operating in ...
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NewsDMUs shipped to Ghana
GHANA: Two diesel multiple-units built by CNR Tangshan Railway Vehicle Co for Accra - Tema commuter services were shipped from the Chinese port of Tianjin at the end of last month. The 1 067 mm gauge DMUs are expected to be cheaper to operate and capable of more intensive ...
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NewsPointers April 2009
Coal India Ltd has been invited to take a stake in the Beira Railway Co consortium led by Rites and Ircon which is upgrading the 590 km Sena line in Mozambique at a cost of $440m. The route is expected to carry 12 million tonnes a year from the Moatize ...
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NewsOutsourcing is off
CZECH REPUBLIC: Minister of Transport Petr Bendl confirmed on March 10 that he was cancelling plans to outsource maintenance and repair of the national rail network. Announced by SZDC on January 8, the plan had been endorsed by former Transport Minister Ales Rebícek. Bidders were to have submitted proposals by ...