All Railway Gazette International articles in April 2009 – Page 4
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
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 with representatives from ...
-
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 ...
-
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. ...
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
NewsRestructured Brussels metro network launched
BELGIUM: The final section of Brussels Metro's inner ring between Delacroix and Gare de l'Ouest was officially opened on April 2 by Pascal Smet, Brussels Minister for Mobility. The event was held in the presence of King Albert II and Laurette Onkelinx, Deputy Prime Minister and President of Beliris ...
-
Metro Report InternationalKeolis to operate Bergen light rail line
NORWAY: The Fjord1 Partner AS consortium led by Keolis has been awarded a seven-year contract with a two-year extension to operate the 9?8 km Bybanen light rail line in Bergen. The operating contract is valued at NKr400m, although this does not take into account the value of ...
-
NewsAlex orders double-deck coaches
GERMANY: Bombardier Transportation has received a €10m order to supply seven double-deck coaches to Regentalbahn. Announcing the order on April 3, the manufacturer said the Arriva Deutschland subsidiary is first private operator in Germany to order its double-deck coaches. They will be delivered from the Görlitz plant in the ...
-
NewsThree-stage programme to update RZD’s fleet
RUSSIA: Plans to give Russian Railways a fleet of modern diesel and electric locomotives are being implemented as part of a two-phase network expansion strategy. Boris Lukov reports.
-
NewsGrube nominated to replace Mehdorn
GERMANY:?Rüdiger Grube has been nominated by the federal government to replace Deutsche Bahn’s Chairman & Chief Executive Hartmut Mehdorn, who tendered his resignation on March 30 in the wake of further revelations about the covert surveillance of DB staff. Grube is currently Director of Corporate Development at car manufacturer Daimler, ...
-
NewsBombardier signs Stansted airport train order
UK: Preferred bidder Bombardier Transportation has signed a £173m contract to supply and maintain a fleet of 120 EMU cars for services between London and Stansted Airport, the company announced on April 2. The trains are worth £155m, and will be built at Derby for delivery between March and ...
-
NewsRDC in French freight venture
FRANCE:?Transport minister Dominique Bussereau announced on March 31 the creation of a joint venture to promote local and wagonload freight services. The company is intended to provide expertise, financial and project planning assistance and operational input to encourage small businesses to transport freight over short distances by rail - the ...
-
NewsThe bloodbath is coming
EUROPE: Liberalisation of international passenger services is intended to boost customer choice, but fierce competition between rail and air could result in consolidation, says Christian Rossi.
-
NewsCrossrail selects Bechtel as Project Delivery Partner
UK: Crossrail Ltd announced on April 1 that it intends to appoint a team of Bechtel, Halcrow and Systra as project delivery partner for the construction of the central section of the east-west route across London. Under the terms of the £400m contract they will be responsible for overseeing ...
-
NewsAmtrak plans fleet refurbishment
USA: A programme for the repair and return to service of stored passenger coaches and locomotives was presented to the Federal Railroad Administration by Amtrak at the end of March, all to be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which has $1*middot;3bn set aside for the passenger operator. ...
-
News
Kolkata projects launched
INDIA: The Kolkata Mass Rapid Transit SPV, a consortium of Srei Infrastructure, West Bengal Transport Infrastructure Development Corp and Czech-based Amex International, was launched by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on February 18 to implement a Rs60bn light rail project in Kolkata. The 40 km north-south route from ...
-
News
Grant concluded
USA: A US$900m full funding grant agreement for Washington’s Dulles Metrorail extension was signed by US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on March 9, clearing the way for work to start. The FFGA covers Phase 1 of the $5·2bn, 37 km project from East Falls Church to Wiehle Avenue ...