All Railway Gazette International articles in February 2011 – Page 3

  • tn_us-neworleans-trams-lustig_03.jpg
    News

    New Orleans tram project approved

    2011-02-15T14:16:00Z

    USA: The Regional Transit Authority in New Orleans has approved moving ahead with final design on the French Quarter tram loop from Canal Street to Press Street via North Rampart Street and St Claude Avenue. In addition, a 1·9 km spur would be built on Elysian Fields Avenue to a ...

  • tn_be-brussels-metro-boa_01.jpg
    News

    Metro automation gets green light in Brussels

    2011-02-15T14:08:00Z

    BELGIUM: Presenting its results for 2010 at the beginning of February, Brussels public transport operator STIB unveiled a programme of enhancements to increase network capacity in 2011 and beyond.STIB carried a total of 311·6 million passengers in 2010, up 7% on the previous year, with the metro handling 48% of ...

  • tn_ca-freight-train-cn_04.jpg
    News

    CN announces capital investment

    2011-02-15T05:00:00Z

    CANADA: Canadian National Railway Co announced a 2011 capital spending plan totalling C$1·7bn on February 9. Approximately C$1bn will be allocated to track, bridge and other infrastructure works, with improvements to be made to the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway which was acquired in 2009 to provide a 'missing ...

  • Prototype EP20 electric locomotive for Russian Railways (Photo: TMH/Konstantin Dorokhin).
    News

    EP20 launches a new locomotive family

    2011-02-14T05:00:00Z

    RUSSIA: This year is due to see the rollout of the prototype EP20 electric locomotive for RZD, being developed by Transmashholding and Alstom in association with the Velnii design institute. The single-section dual-system loco is intended to form the basis for a family of asynchronous-motored passenger and freight locos ...

  • tn_generic-tracks-cz_b2d5a1.jpg
    News

    After the deluge

    2011-02-13T05:00:00Z

    POLAND: A new bridge over the Poprad river in Nowy Sacz on the Tarnów – Slovakia route was officially opened on January 15, replacing a structure swept away by flooding on June 4 last year. The replacement bridge was constructed by Intop Tarnobrzeg under a 13·2m złoty contract awarded by ...

  • Zentralbahn train.
    News

    Less steep underneath

    2011-02-12T05:00:00Z

    SWITZERLAND: The abbot of Engelberg Abbey opened the 4043 m long Grafenort – Engelberg tunnel on Switzerland’s metre-gauge Zentralbahn on December 11, with regular services starting the next day. The 10·5% gradient in the tunnel replaces the exceptionally steep 24·6% on the previous route, reducing uphill journey times by 14 ...

  • Impression of Siemens Cityval train for Rennes metro Line B.
    News

    Funding allocated to 78 French urban transport projects

    2011-02-11T14:46:00Z

    FRANCE: Transport Minister Natahalie Kosciusko-Morizet announced the final tranche of light rail, metro and bus funding allocations under the Grenelle de l’Environnement on February 9. The announcement covers a total of €590m allocated to 78 urban transport projects in 54 conurbations outside Ile-de-France. These include 29 tram projects (152 km), ...

  • tn_eu-euro-bank-notes_900c62.jpg
    News

    World rail market February 2011

    2011-02-11T05:00:00Z

    Colombia: Steer Davies Gleave has won a 500m peso contract to revise ridership forecasts for the proposed Bogotá metro, updating a 2008 study by Sener and TMB. France: Egis Rail has won a €32m project management contract for Rennes metro Line B (RG 12.10 p16). India: ...

  • Access to the Region's Core map.
    News

    Gateway Project acceleration to replace ARC trans-Hudson tunnel

    2011-02-10T11:11:00Z

    USA: Amtrak has proposed accelerating its Gateway Project as a replacement for the cancelled Access to the Region's Core trans-Hudson rail tunnel to increase capacity into Midtown Manhattan. Amtrak's plan would incorporate elements from ARC, including the 14·5 km route, a new and expanded Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River ...

  • eu-award-logo.jpg
    News

    Kallas makes call for change at European Railway Awards

    2011-02-10T06:51:00Z

    EUROPE: 500 senior railway executives, politicians and suppliers gathered in Brussels on February 9 for the fifth annual European Railway Awards, organised by CER, EIM and UNIFE. In his keynote address, European Commission Vice-President for Transport Siim Kallas once again emphasised the need for the emergence of a ‘Single European ...

  • Alstom Citadis tram in Istanbul.
    News

    Low-floor trams in service as Istanbul extension testing begins

    2011-02-10T05:00:00Z

    TURKEY: The Mayor of Istanbul attended a ceremony on February 3 marking the entry into service of the first 14 of 37 Citadis trams being supplied by Alstom Transport. The remainder will enter traffic in the coming weeks. The €73m contract for the trams was awarded by operator Istanbul Ulasim ...

  • tn_us-amtrak-acela-bombardier_06.jpg
    News

    Six-year US high speed rail programme proposed

    2011-02-09T12:23:00Z

    USA: Vice-President Joseph Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood unveiled an ambitious $53bn six-year high speed and inter-city passenger rail programme on February 8. Biden said that clarifying the role of federal funding would provide states and cities with the certainty needed to make long-term plans, however the proposal ...

  • TGV.
    News

    Southern LGV projects make progress

    2011-02-09T05:00:00Z

    FRANCE: Visiting Montpellier on February 7, Transport Secretary Thierry Mariani signed an agreement with local authority representatives covering the programme for construction of the planned Contournement Nîmes - Montpellier bypass line which will carry high speed and freight trains around the two cities as an extension to the Nîmes branch ...

  • MI09 double-deck train for Paris RER Line A (Photo: Alstom).
    News

    Alstom unveils Paris RER Line A double-deck train

    2011-02-08T15:44:00Z

    FRANCE: The first MI09 double-deck electric multiple-unit for Paris RER Line A was officially unveiled on February 8. Certification testing is underway with three MI09 trainsets, ready for entry into passenger service by the end of the year. A consortium of Alstom and Bombardier signed a contract to supply ...

  • tn_us-bnsf-locos_01.jpg
    News

    BNSF announces $3·5bn 2011 capital programme

    2011-02-08T11:34:00Z

    USA: BNSF announced a $3·5bn capital programme for 2011 on February 7, with the largest element being $2bn allocated to investment in the core network and related assets. BNSF will spend $450m acquiring 227 locomotives and $350m on wagons and other equipment. The federally-mandated PTC programme will require $300m, and ...

  • tn_generic-tracks-cz_bbcf55.jpg
    News

    CSR Zhuzhou to supply Ningbo metro cars

    2011-02-08T05:00:00Z

    CHINA: CSR Zhuzhou signed a contract to provide 22 six-car metro trains for the first metro line in Ningbo on January 27. The 21 km east-west Line 1 with 20 stations is expected to open in 2014, the initial phase of a planned six-line network in the port city in ...

  • Demonstration of Stations d’Attaque du FEu fire suppression station inside the Channel Tunnel (Photo: Eurotunnel).
    News

    Eurotunnel demonstrates €20m fire suppression system

    2011-02-07T05:00:00Z

    Eurotunnel has completed installation of the first of two pairs of SAFE fire-fighting points designed to suppress fires on lorry shuttles. Richard Hope reports from inside the Channel Tunnel.

  • tn_generic-tracks-cz_99.jpg
    News

    Delcan launches Rail & Transit group

    2011-02-06T05:00:00Z

    CANADA: Transport, water and IT consultancy Delcan Corp launched a Rail & Transit group headed by Vice-President Alan Rumsey on February 1, bringing together in one business unit its activities in rolling stock, track, signalling, communications, controls, traction power, systems integration, commissioning and safety assurance. Delcan was founded in 1953 ...

  • Unterinntal Tunnel in Austria.
    News

    Brenner Base Tunnel boring to start this year

    2011-02-05T05:00:00Z

    AUSTRIA: Excavation of the main bores of the Brenner Base Tunnel is set to start this year, after the government gave the formal go-ahead as part of the 2011-16 railway investment framework approved on February 1. Work on the 55 km twin-bore tunnel will be launched from Innsbruck in the ...

  • Impression of Midland Metro extension.
    News

    Government confirms local transport project funding

    2011-02-04T15:17:00Z

    UK: Following a review which has brought a 14% reduction in the total cost, on February 4 the Department for Transport confirmed the allocation of funding that will enable nine rail and other local transport projects to go ahead. Additional schemes have been invited to bid for funding which is ...