All Railway Gazette International articles in August 2012
All articles published this month.
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NewsFree rides celebrate opening of Sofia metro Line 2
BULGARIA: The first phase of Sofia metro Line 2 opened on August 31, with President Rosen Plevneliev, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso attending the celebrations. Musical entertainment was laid on at the National Palace of Culture, with the public able to ...
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NewsTrack maintenance in the desert
SAUDI ARABIA: Plasser & Theurer has announced orders to supply a range of track maintenance and sand removal machines to Saudi Railway Co, Saudi Railways Organization and two contractors. North-South Railway developer SRA has bought four SRM 500 sand removal machines, three 08-16 SH levelling, lifting, lining and tamping machines, ...
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NewsWork starts on Ho Chi Minh City metro Line 1
VIETNAM: Transport Minister Dinh La Thang and representatives from the Japanese embassy attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the future Ho Chi Minh City metro Line 1 on August 28. Completion is planned for late 2017, with six months of testing and commissioning to be followed by regular services in ...
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News1950 tonne truss bridge span moved into place
USA: A 120 m long bridge installed on August 25 is claimed by the Chicago Department of Transportation to be the largest truss bridge span ever to be moved into place following off-site assembly. General contractor Walsh Construction used four self-propelled mobile transporters to move the fully-assembled 1 950 tonne ...
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NewsMoscow metro extended to Novokosino
RUSSIA: A 3·2 km eastern extension of Moscow metro's Kalininskaya Line 8 from Novogireyevo to Novokosino opened on August 30. Novokosino is the 186th station on the metro network. It has single vaulted underground hall, with black, grey and white marble and granite cladding combined with coloured ceramic tiles. ...
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NewsTransport Reform Network launches investment debate
AUSTRALIA: Representatives of more than 30 organisations attended the launch of the Transport Reform Network on August 29. TRN is a cross-industry coalition which aims 'to address Australia's looming transport crisis by seeking changes in the scoping, funding and pricing of transport infrastructure'. Australasian Railway Association CEO Bryan Nye warned ...
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NewsNetwork Rail awards traffic control system prototype contracts
UK: Network Rail has awarded three contracts for the development of prototype traffic management systems. National deployment is an integral part of the infrastructure manager's strategy of consolidating control of the rail network from more than 800 signalboxes to 14 control centres over the next 30 years. Contracts each worth ...
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NewsSwedish high speed lines to go ahead
SWEDEN: The government announced on August 29 that the 150 km Ostlänken high speed line is to be constructed as part of a SKr55bn railway investment package intended to create jobs and economic growth. Given parliamentary approval the construction of the double-track line between Järna and Linköping could begin in ...
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NewsRegional trains to use high speed lines
FRANCE: Pays de La Loire region is funding a €15·8m programme to modify eight SNCF TER electric multiple-units to operate regional services on the high speed line now under construction between Le Mans and Rennes. Modifications will raise the maximum speed of the EMUs to 200 km/h. According to infrastructure ...
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NewsGuatemala passenger revival plan
GUATEMALA: Railway authority FEGUA has signed an agreement for Spanish metre-gauge operator FEVE to undertake studies for passenger services including a new route from Guatemala City to La Aurora international airport and Antigua. FEVE will also provide assistance for projects to introduce 'urban and suburban' services on the ...
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NewsADB provides US$150m to boost Bangladesh Railways
BANGLADESH: The Asian Development Bank is to provide a further US$150m for projects to increase capacity and improve safety on the Bangladesh Railway network, following the signature of a loan agreement in Dhaka on August 26. This should enable BR to complete double-tracking of the 64 km Tongi – Bhairab ...
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NewsHelsinki tram extension opens
FINLAND: Helsinki tram Route 9 services began running to the Länsisatama ferry terminal on August 13, completing a €7·5m extension project. Trams run every 10 min during the day, with late-night services co-ordinated with ferry times. The 4·1 km double-track extension has 11 stops. Construction was undertaken by city transport ...
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NewsCycle-Rail Toolkit published
UK: The Association of Train Operating Companies has published a 'Cycle-Rail Toolkit' containing guidelines to help railway managers and local authorities make it easier for passengers to combine cycling with rail travel. Devised in consultation with train operators, the Department for Transport and cycling organisations, the publication draws on international ...
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NewsGE Transportation unveils Tier 4-compliant diesel locomotive
USA: In a ceremony at its plant in Erie, Pennsylvania, GE Transportation unveiled the prototype for its next generation of Evolution Series diesel locomotives on August 24. This is claimed to be the first to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s stringent Tier 4 emissions standards without needing a urea additive ...
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NewsSharing knowledge globally
INTERNATIONAL: The UK’s Rail Safety & Standards Board and UIC signed a memorandum of understanding last month to develop an online web portal known as Railway Research to foster global co-operation. The web application, which will be hosted by UIC’s International Rail Research Board, is an extension of the Spark ...
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NewsFurka Tunnel rescue train enters service
SWITZERLAND: Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn officially inaugurated new fire and rescue vehicles for the 15·4 km Furka Tunnel with a ceremony at Oberwald on August 7. Fire-fighting and rescue vehicles have been stationed at Realp and Oberwald since the Furka base tunnel opened in 1982, and MGB decided to update the ...
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NewsOff-the-shelf signalling trials
UK: Trials are underway with Virtual Lineside Signalling, which is being developed by Park Signalling with the aim of using off-the-shelf technology including commercial mobile phone networks, industrial standard RFID tags and iPads to provide signalling at a fraction of the cost of conventional or Ertms implementations. Trials on the ...
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NewsFRA launches Railroaders' Guide to Healthy Sleep
USA: Funded by the Federal Railroad Administration, an interactive web portal has been launched by the Department of Transportation to help railway staff to monitor their sleep patterns. Entitled ‘the Railroaders’ Guide to Healthy Sleep’, the site provides a range of tools to enable staff to record their sleep patterns ...
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NewsWorld rail market August 2012
Belgium: Rail Service Net has ordered a Rafamet UFB 125 N wheel lathe for delivery next year. France: RATP has signed an agreement with telecoms operator SFR that should see 3G and 4G available by the end of 2014 at the 170 busiest stations on the Paris metro and ...
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NewsCAF wins Sydney tram order
AUSTRALIA: Spanish manufacturer CAF has been awarded a A$20m contract to supply six new and four leased trams to Sydney, New South Wales Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian announced on August 16. The new light rail vehicles will be delivered from next year. They are needed for the 5·6 km ...