All Railway Gazette International articles in April 2018 – Page 3
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NewsCompetition comes to Swiss long-distance network
SWITZERLAND: The Federal Office for Transport has decided to split the concession to operate long-distance passenger services on the national network, although Swiss Federal Railways will continue to be responsible for all but two routes. BAV announced on April 19 that it expects to award a concession to SBB to ...
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Metro Report InternationalQingdao opens Line 11
CHINA: A 57·8 km suburban metro line in the coastal city of Qingdao was inaugurated on April 23, augmenting the existing two-line metro network. Starting from an interchange with Line 2 at Miaolinglu, close to Laoshan Bay, the new Line 11 runs northeast from the city through the Laoshan district ...
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NewsRamboll acquires DEG Signal
UK: Engineering company Ramboll has acquired specialist signalling firm DEG Signal Ltd, which is based in Wiltshire and has 17 staff providing consultancy and design services for mainline and urban rail operators. DEG Signal’s customers include Network Rail, Transport for London Thales, Ansaldo STS, Amey and Siemens; recent projects have ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Swedish operator Green Cargo announced on April 19 that it had ordered a further six Transmontana electric locomotives from Romanian manufacturer Softronic for delivery in autumn 2019. This follows from a July 2017 order for two of the six-axle locos, which are scheduled for delivery in autumn this year. Slovakia’s ...
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Metro Report InternationalSustainable transport app for Limassol
CYPRUS: As part of the EU-backed Civitas Destinations project, Limassol Tourism Co has launched a smartphone app designed to help visitors and residents plan journeys using sustainable modes of transport and thus minimise transport-related environmental impact. The Limassol Mobility app includes information about cycling routes, electric vehicle charging ...
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NewsUNIFE prepares InnoTrans 2018 speaking programme
UNIFE: European railway supply industry association UNIFE will be representing 14 national associations and 95 direct member companies at InnoTrans 2018. ‘We are currently preparing an interesting four-day speaking programme on European initiatives such as Shift2Rail, investment and financing planning for 2030, the implementation of the technical pillar of the ...
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NewsWorld rail market - April 2018
Chile: SICE and software partner GMV are supplying 80 standard and 150 compact customised ticket vending machines for the Santiago metro. Europe: RB Rail has awarded ETC Transport Consultants a €499 340 contract to prepare short, medium and long-term operational plans for the future Rail Baltica line. France: ...
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NewsPraha – Harrachov direct service launched
CZECH REPUBLIC: A weekends-only direct service between Praha and the resort of Harrachov close to the Polish border in the Krkonoše mountains was introduced by national operator ČD on April 14. There are two trains each way on Saturdays and Sundays, offering a journey time of 3 h 15 min ...
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News
First Amber Train links the Baltic States
EUROPE: The first Amber Train branded intermodal freight service left the Šeštokai transhipment facility in Lithuania for Riga in Latvia and the Paldiski terminal in Estonia on April 19, carrying 43 containers which had originated in France. Operations in the Baltic States were managed by Lithuanian Railways, Latvia's LDz Cargo ...
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NewsSNCB inaugurates Kinkempois workshop
BELGIUM: Celebrations were held in Liège on April 19 to mark the opening of SNCB’s new rolling stock maintenance workshops at Kinkempois. Intended to maintain locomotives, EMUs and coaches, the facility has been developed on the site of a former freight depot, incorporating a wagon repair shop dating back to ...
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Metro Report InternationalChicago Blue Line resignalling contract awarded
USA: The Chicago Transit Board has awarded a Kiewit-Aldridge joint venture a $152·9m contract to undertake signalling renewal works between Jefferson Park and O’Hare on the Blue Line. Announcing the contract on April 18, CTA said this would be the first major signalling renewal since the section of the Blue ...
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NewsToulouse metro project assistance contract awarded
FRANCE: A consortium of Systra and Arcadis has been awarded a systems project management assistance contract for the third line of the Toulouse automated metro. The planned 27 km line with 20 stations would link major centres of employment and offer interchanges with metro Lines A and B, two tram ...
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NewsEuskotren planning high speed commuter services
SPAIN: Basque regional operator Euskotren is planning to launch high speed commuter trains over the 1 435 mm gauge ‘Basque Y’ high speed network linking San Sebastián, Gasteiz-Vitoría and Bilbao. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Metro & Light Rail Congress in Bilbao on April 19, Euskotren Chief Executive ...
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Metro Report InternationalBrussels Airport to test self-driving bus in mixed traffic
BELGIUM: Flemish local transport operator De Lijn and Brussels Airport Co have approved a two-stage pilot project which could see a self-driving electric bus operating in mixed traffic. Flemish Minister for Mobility, Public Works, the Flemish Periphery of Brussels, Tourism & Animal Welfare Ben Weyt said driverless vehicles were already ...
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NewsGWR to lease Class 769 Flex 'trimode' trainsets
UK: Great Western Railway has announced an agreement to lease 19 Class 769 Flex electro-diesel multiple-units from Porterbrook Leasing. The four-car Class 769 units are to be produced from refurbished Class 319 dual-system EMUs displaced from Thameslink services by the delivery of new Siemens Desiro Class 700 EMUs. They will ...
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NewsNova 1 trainset for TransPennine Express sets off from Japan
UK: The first of 19 five-car AT300 electric-diesel trainsets which Angel Trains has ordered from Hitachi Rail Europe for use by TransPennine Express has set sail from Japan, the manufacturer confirmed on April 20. The journey to the UK is expected to take two months. The unit will then undergo ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
The Malaysian Rail Industry Consortium has put forward proposals for the development of an rail-sector industrial park and export hub in Rawang. 'The cluster-based park will involve infrastructure sharing as well as co-operation between companies as it would be a good way to develop the industry further, creating a platform ...
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Metro Report InternationalNaumburg trams to return to the Hauptbahnhof
GERMANY: Work is expected to start in May on the construction of a short extension of the Naumburg tramway to the forecourt of the town’s main station. While the extension will be just 80 m long, bringing the trams to the front of the station will provide a more convenient ...
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NewsThales wins Egyptian contract
EGYPT: Egyptian National Railways has awarded Thales a contract to modernise signalling and safety equipment on the 48 km Cairo – Benha section of the main line from Cairo to Alexandria. This builds on ongoing work on the Benha – Alexandria section of the corridor, and will enable the traffic ...
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NewsLuton DART airport peoplemover construction begins
UK: A groundbreaking ceremony on April 17 offically launched construction of the £225m Luton DART peoplemover which will link Luton Airport Parkway station with the airport terminal. Civil works for the 2·1 km line are being undertaken by a joint venture of VolkerFitzpatrick and Kier. The double-shuttle, fully-automated cable-driven ...