All Railway Gazette International articles in August 2016 – Page 3
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NewsSwiss railways to improve maintenance efficiency
SWITZERLAND: The government is to provide SFr13·2bn to cover maintenance and renewals on the national network under the 2017-20 performance contract with Swiss Federal Railways and other operators, although this must still be ratified by parliament. The railways pledged in August to improve maintenance efficiency, with fewer overnight possessions ...
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NewsBetter data to build better gangways
HÜBNER: To ensure its train gangways meet customers’ requirements, Hübner has developed a track geometry recording system which provides real-world data which can be used by its design engineers. At InnoTrans 2016 Hübner will be highlighting the latest step in the development process, a simulator which uses this real-world data ...
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NewsNew Den Haag Centraal RandstadRail platforms open
NETHERLANDS: A new set of RandstadRail Line E platforms opened at Den Haag Centraal station on August 22, after nearly two years of construction. The platforms sit above the main station and bus station, from which they are accessible by a covered walkway. Line E trains have to climb ...
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NewsSBB decides not to bid for operating contract
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways and its RegionAlps subsidiary have decided not to bid to run regional services between Iselle and Domodossola. They consider that the annual payment of €360 000 proposed by the Piemonte region to cover the cost of extending services from Domodossola to Visp, Sierre and Sion ...
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NewsEmergency batteries for Tokyo Metro trains
JAPAN: Nippon Sharyo Series 1000 trainsets operating on Tokyo Metro's Ginza Line have been fitted with Toshiba onboard emergency batteries so that they can reach the next station under their own power in the event of a traction supply failure. Toshiba says the SCiB lithium-ion battery is well-suited to emergency ...
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NewsOleo to launch coupler range
OLEO: The Sentry range of rail couplers is to be launched by Oleo International at InnoTrans 2016. Entering the coupler market is a logical next step for the UK-based firm, according to Engineering Director Peter Lee. ‘We’ve spent many years manufacturing buffers and deformation tubes for rail, which we have ...
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NewsLütze launches compact relays
SWITCHES: Lütze Transportation has added four relay modules to its Microcompact series, suitable for safety-critical on-board circuits operating at 24, 36, 72 or 110 V DC. Just 17·5 mm wide to fit in restricted spaces, the relays have up to four sets of positively-driven contacts. The relays are designed ...
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NewsCRRC hands over Transnet diesel locomotives
SOUTH AFRICA: The first two of 232 Class 45 diesel locomotives have been handed over to Transnet by CRRC Vice-President Sun Yongcai during a ceremony in Durban. In March 2014 Transnet awarded CNR Dalian a US$900m contract to supply the locomotives as part of wider order for a total of ...
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NewsKharkiv metro reaches 30 stations
UKRAINE: President Petro Poroshenko officially opened Kharkiv metro’s 30th station, and the first with disabled access, on August 19. When revenue service begins in the coming days, Peremoha will become the new northern terminus of Line 3, also known as the Oleksiivska Line. The 400 m extension of Line ...
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NewsCrossrail infrastructure maintenance depot contract awarded
UK: A joint venture of Alstom Transport (UK), TSO and Costain has been awarded a £26m contract to build a depot at Plumstead which will house track and infrastructure maintenance equipment for the Crossrail tunnels below London. Scheduled to be fully operational in August 2018, the depot will have ...
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NewsBiasca intervention centre completed
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has completed its second maintenance and intervention centre for the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which was presented by SBB CEO Andreas Meyer earlier this month. The two Erhaltungs- und Interventionszentrum have been built at Erstfeld, to the north of the base tunnel in canton Uri, and Biasca, ...
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NewsIzmir receives first tram
TURKEY: The first of 38 trams that Eurotem is supplying for the two lines under construction in Izmir has arrived in the city. It will be on public display until September 4. The five-section low-floor tram is 32·2 m long and 2 650 mm wide with capacity for 285 ...
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NewsTesting begins on Treviglio – Brescia high speed line
ITALY: Testing has started on the Treviglio – Brescia high speed line using a Frecciarossa 1000 trainset running at 330 km/h. An operating speed of 300 km/h is envisaged when revenue service begins in December. The 39·6 km route, which is connected to an 11·7 km bypass of Brescia ...
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NewsRail freight news in brief
Rail Cargo Group is to provide logistics services for the 40th anniversary tour of Circus Roncalli, including support within Germany for the first time. The circus travels on 50 two-axle flat wagons formed into a 700 m block train, with the complex loading procedures taking 15 h across two days. ...
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NewsFlexible conduit for critical cable connections
FLEXICON: Flexible conduit for electrical and data cables will be displayed on Flexicon’s stand. The patented Flexicon Ultra has all-round teeth to provide the tensile strength up to 70 kg along with high levels of anti-vibration and shock protection. It is easily installed using a simple push and twist ...
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NewsTreadmaster illuminating the Way
AUSTRALIA: The 450 electric multiple-unit cars which Bombardier is supplying to Queensland under the New Generation Rollingstock PPP contract will be the first rail application for a photo-luminescent material which has been developed by UK company Treadmaster Flooring to highlight evacuation routes in the event of a main power failure. ...
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NewsBaltimore Penn station redevelopment partner sought
USA: This month Amtrak is to begin a two-stage process to appoint a master developer for a comprehensive redevelopment of Baltimore Penn station. Amtrak is seeking parties capable of undertaking the planning, design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of non-rail assets at the station, and commercial development of surrounding properties ...
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NewsMoorman named as Amtrak President
USA: Former Norfolk Southern Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Charles W ‘Wick’ Moorman has been named as the next President & CEO of Amtrak with effect from September 1, the national passenger operator announced on August 19. He succeeds Joe Boardman, who has served as President for the past eight ...
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NewsFirst Vancouver SkyTrain Mark III vehicle enters service
CANADA: The first Mark III trainset for the Vancouver SkyTrain entered passenger service on August 18 on the Expo Line. The remaining six four-car trainsets are due to enter service in the coming months. Regional transport authority TransLink ordered the Innovia 300 vehicles from Bombardier for C$91m as part ...
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NewsCincinnati Streetcar becomes Cincinnati Bell Connector with naming rights sale
USA: Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority announced on August 18 that Advertising Vehicles, its advertising sales contractor for the Cincinnati Streetcar, had signed a naming rights contract for the 5·8 km line that is due to open on September 9. Local telecoms company Cincinnati Bell will pay $340 000 ...