All Railway Gazette International articles in December 2014
All articles published this month.
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NewsCNR and CSR agree merger terms
CHINA: In a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on December 30, the two state-owned rolling stock manufacturers China CNR Corp and CSR Corp confirmed that they had agreed terms for a merger to create the world’s largest rail vehicle supplier, subject to final ratification by the State Council. The ...
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NewsChinese cities open 10 more metro lines
CHINA: No fewer than eight new metro lines or extensions were opened for revenue service in four cities on December 28, followed by two more on December 30, as the various administrations continue to expand their urban rail networks in a bid to alleviate growing traffic congestion. Four lines began ...
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NewsWorld rail market December 2014
Afghanistan: AfRA has extended from 300 km to 700 km the scope of a feasibility study for a northern west–east rail corridor which is being undertaken by Canarail and Appleton Consulting under a contract awarded in December 2013. Phase 1 now covers a route from Aqina (for Turkmenistan) to Mazar-i-Sharif ...
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NewsIR financial review completed
INDIA: A report into the restructuring of Indian Railways’ finances was submitted to the Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu on December 30. Compiled by a high-level committee headed by D K Mittal, the recently-retired Secretary of Financial Services, the report had been commissioned by the minister at the beginning of ...
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NewsChicago to introduce mobile ticketing
USA: Cubic Transportation Systems and GlobeSherpa are to supply mobile ticketing to the Chicago Transit Authority and commuter rail operator Metra, as well as bus operator Pace. A mobile app would allow purchase, top-up and contactless payment using NFC technology. The app will also feature a journey planner and ...
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NewsUrumqi – Lanzhou PDL completed as five lines open
CHINA: The 1 223 km eastern section of the Urumqi – Lanzhou Passenger-Dedicated Line between Hami and Lanzhou was opened for passenger service on December 26, little more than a month after the 553 km western section between Urumqi and Hami was opened on November 17. Designed for 250 km/h ...
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NewsRigid catenary speed record
AUSTRIA: Installed by Furrer+Frey in partnership with HC-Electric, the rigid 15 kV AC overhead conductor rail fitted in the Sittenberg tunnel on the Wien – Linz route is the first in Europe to comply with the high speed infrastructure TSI for speeds of 250 km/h or higher. In contact force ...
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NewsHigh speed studies funded
RUSSIA: The government has allocated 6bn roubles in the federal budget for 2015 to finance further development of the proposed Moscow – Nizhny Novgorod – Kazan high speed line, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced on December 23. Noting that ‘foreign investors have shown great interest in the project, including our ...
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NewsWarszawa trams extended to Tarchomin
POLAND: The next stage of Tramwaje Warszawskie’s extension to serve the capital's rapidly-expanding Tarchomin district was opened for revenue service on December 24. The first stage of the new line was completed as far as Marii Curie Skłodowski bridge in January 2013, and the latest extension to Kościelny adds a ...
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NewsSound Transit approves 2015 budget
USA: The Sound Transit Board approved a $1·2bn 2015 budget for public transport projects in the Seattle area on December 18, including several light rail developments. The budget includes $121m to complete station construction, fit-out and testing for the University Link extension, due to open in early 2016. A ...
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NewsBanknote processor reinvented
SWITZERLAND: Swiss engineering company CI Tech has unveiled its next-generation banknote processing unit. Developed over the past three years, the CI Note Line is intended to replace the supplier’s BIM and Lobby 90 designs, with a specific focus on ticket vending machines in the transport market, as well as retail ...
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NewsWorld rail infrastructure market December 2014
Australia: The first stage of TasRail's A$11m Advance Network Train Control System rollout has been completed on the Melba line. ANCS is supplied by Siemens, with radio telecoms from Tait Communications and project support from Australasian Railway Consultancy Services. TasRail has awarded Hazell Bros the civil works contract for ...
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NewsWorld rolling stock market December 2014
Canada: The province is providing C$17m for Ontario Northland to refurbish 16 cars used on Polar Bear Express services, fitting leather seats, accessible toilets, modern flooring and power sockets. China: Jilin Midas Aluminium Industries has won a 152m yuan contract to supply CNR Changchun with high speed train body ...
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NewsRailway Directory 2015
INTERNATIONAL: Marking its 120th year of publication, the latest edition of Railway Directory includes extensively-updated listings and contact details for almost 5 000 companies and organisations around the world. Covering every sector of the railway industry, it includes details of around 22 000 senior executives. Separate sections cover government and ...
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NewsOsaka Loop trains
JAPAN: JR West announced on December 8 that it is to procure 21 eight-car electric multiple-units for the Osaka Loop Line. The Class 323 trains are to replace the older Class 103 and Class 201 EMUs. The Class 103 EMUs, delivered in 1964-84, are to be withdrawn completely from the ...
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NewsFinnish open access operator prepares to launch
FINLAND: Privately-owned company Fennia Rail has ordered three diesel locomotives from Czech supplier CZ Loko to support its plans to launch open access freight services in southern Finland by the end of 2015. Fennia Rail is currently negotiating with potential customers in the forest products sector, and hopes ...
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NewsPolish borders high speed rail study
POLAND: Infrastructure manager PKP PLK has awarded Idom a 2·3m złoty contract to undertake feasibility studies for possible extensions of the proposed Warszawa – Poznań/Wrocław Y-shaped high speed rail network. The study will investigate continuing the branches of the future high speed line to the German and Czech borders, ...
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NewsStrukton Rail pulls out of German track construction
GERMANY: Strukton Rail is to end its small-scale track construction and renewal activities in Germany, where the market ‘offers insufficient prospects’. Strukton Rail has been active in the German track construction and renewal sector since acquiring Georg Reisse GmbH in 2007. Its turnover from small-scale activities in Germany amounted ...
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NewsLB Foster to distribute Tracksure fastenings
INTERNATIONAL: Following two years of testing and research, LB Foster Co has signed an agreement to sell Tracksure’s range of rail fastenings in North America. The UK firm’s patented fasteners are designed to prevents nuts loosening through vibration and settlement. Once the nut has been tightened to the accepted ...
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NewsBeograd - Budapest railway upgrade agreement signed
EUROPE: Co-operation agreements for an upgrade of the 350 km Beograd – Budapest corridor to cut journey times from around 8 h to 2 h 40 min were signed by representatives of the Serbian and Hungarian railway authorities on December 17. The agreements were signed in the presence of the ...