Features & Analysis – Page 64
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Bursaray is open for business
The Y-shaped first phase of Bursa's light rail network is now carrying around 150000 passengers a day. Planning is underway on the next 4 km of a network that is projected to reach 55 km by 2015
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A ‘huge opportunity’ in open access
Rail Traction Company was the first open access freight operator to begin running in Italy. Founder and Director-General Giuseppe Sciarrone explained his strategy to Chris Jackson
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Cinderella becomes a Princess
WHATEVER pain Virgin may be suffering over its Pendolinos on the West Coast main line, its other franchise achieved a notable milestone with the start of the winter timetable. From Monday September 30, weekday services run by the Virgin CrossCountry (VCC) franchise jumped to 215, more than double the 90 ...
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‘In five years it will be necessary to think very differently’
Two years after it came into existence, Italy’s state-owned train operator has laid the groundwork to cope with liberalisation in its domestic market. Trenitalia Chief Executive Roberto Renon outlined his vision to Chris Jackson
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Leuven - Liège brings the European high speed network a step closer
Belgium's second purpose-built 300 km/h line will bring the capital of Europe closer to the east, and improve communications between the Ile de France and the Ruhr
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Spain's high speed construction strategy forges ahead
As an agency of the Ministry of Development responsible for the construction and management of high speed lines, GIF is playing a key role in delivering the objectives set down in the 2000-07 Infrastructure Plan. This aims to increase the rail share of the passenger market to 30% by ensuring ...
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Jamuna bridge and dual-gauging unite the BR network
Work to join the two halves of the Bangladesh Railway network across the Jamuna river will be completed this year
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Advanced Automatic Train Control pioneered in San Francisco
This month Bay Area Rapid Transit will put its Advanced Automatic Train Control moving block control into revenue service. Radio-based technology helps keep down installation costs in the $40m project to reduce headways and increase capacity on the busy A and M lines
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Ikea launches furniture 'pipeline'
Swedish-based Ikea Rail AB is one of the first private companies to have bought train paths across two borders. Richard Hope finds out how the train will cover 1044 km in three countries at an average speed of 65 km/h, using three drivers and two locomotives
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Rolling stock evolves to meet the demands of a competitive market
The arrival of a vigorous market economy means that Chinese Railways is facing growing competitive pressures. This is forcing the pace of change in the design and development of traction and rolling stock as the strategic emphasis swings towards a commercially profitable railway
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NewsKuala Lumpur's airport in the city opens for business
The 57 km standard gauge rail link serving Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Malaysia’s new administrative capital opened last month. Andrew Grantham sampled the ride
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Investment drives western China rail expansion
With traffic forecast to grow by 9% a year until 2010 as the focus of national economic development turns west, over 125bn yuan will be invested to expand China’s western rail network in the next five years. By 2005 CR is due to complete 3000 km of new line, double-track ...
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Super Voyager completes tilt trials in France
A Virgin Trains Class 221 tilting trainset was put through a stiff programme of trials on SNCF's corkscrew line between Brive and Cahors. Murray Hughes reports from the test site
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Eritrea's rail renaissance takes an international dimension
As work to re-open the route between the Eritrean capital Asmara and the port of Massawa continues, studies for a new line across the border from Kassala in Sudan are now under way. Peter Badcock reports
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News‘The situation in Holland is critical’
Seven years after the separation of infrastructure and operations, the punctuality on Netherlands Railways hit a post-1995 low, fuelled by labour and rolling stock shortages. Chris Jackson spoke to NS and the ministry of transport about their recently-agreed five-year recovery plan, which provides for a 23% growth in passenger traffic. New legislation will see the formation of a state-owned infrastructure management company and the award of long-term operating concessions, in a bid to restore quality and support high levels of investment in the rail network.
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AGV becomes a reality
Running trials with the experimental Automotrice à Grande Vitesse began last month, and the train should reach 320 km/h on the Lille – Calais TGV line in early November
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Lyon - Torino moves ahead
LAST MONTH saw the legal formation of a company to manage preliminary engineering works for the proposed Mont Cenis base tunnel. Formally announced in mid-September, Lyon Torino Ferroviaire is owned 50:50 by Réseau Ferré de France and RFI. Headed by the local Préfet François Lepine, it has a registered office ...
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World Speed Survey 2001: Speeds improve, but no changes at the top
Over 20 countries now operate passenger services at over 120 km/h, with 10 countries exceeding 150 km/h. In our biennial survey of the world's fastest journeys, Dr Colin Taylor finds there are no changes in the top slots, though TGV Méditerranée brings France closer to Japan's lead. Most changes lie ...
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Distributed control previews the future shape of braking
Early next year Westinghouse Brakes will be launching the EP2002 distributed braking system for passenger vehicles, built around the company's new RBX4 valve. Operational trials on the München Metro have followed an extensive factory testing programme