Infrastructure news – Page 15
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NewsReplacement Pamban Bridge inaugurated
INDIA: The new Pamban railway bridge in Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district was inaugurated when Prime Minister Narendra Modi operated the vertical lift span to facilitate the passage of a naval coastguard vessel.
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NewsŁódź high speed rail tunnel contract awarded
POLAND: A consortium led by Porr has been awarded the 1·76bn złoty contract to build the high speed rail tunnel under Łódź as part of the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny programme.
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Rail Business UKGuidance on traction power changeover locations updated
UK: The Rail Safety & Standards Board has updated industry standards and the Rule Book to include requirements and guidance for locations where multi-mode trains switch between external electric power and internal sources such as diesel or battery.
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Rail Business UKCzech rails delivered to British specifications
UK: This month Czech turnout manufacturer DT-Výhybkárna a Strojírna will complete a major contract to supply permanent way specialist Trackwork Ltd with 86 switch rails approved to British specifications.
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NewsRigid Overhead Catenary System ordered for Turkish tunnel
TURKEY: Electrification contractor RESA Yapi Elektromekanik has awarded Alstom a contract to supply rigid overhead catenary for a 7 km tunnel on a new alignment which will enable 200 km/h running on the route between Istanbul and the Bulgarian border. The new alignment is being built ...
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Rail Business UKRIA-led partnership proposes fresh approach to station development
UK: A discussion paper published by the Railway Industry Association calls for a new approach to developing small and medium-sized stations.
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NewsKuwait railway design contract awarded
KUWAIT: Turkish engineering group Proyapı Mühendislik ve Müşavirlik has been awarded a contract to design Kuwait’s section of the planned Gulf Co-Operation Council railway corridor. The US$8·1m contract awarded on April 7 covers an 111 km electrified line running from the Al-Shadadiya area of Kuwait City ...
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NewsGerman coalition agreement includes rail reform and electrification
GERMANY: The incoming coalition government plans to reform state-owned Deutsche Bahn, accelerate electrification schemes and continue to offer the national local transport pass.
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NewsHamburg S-Bahn ATO retrofitting contract awarded
GERMANY: S-Bahn Hamburg has awarded Alstom a contract to complete the fitting of its Class 490 electric multiple-unit fleet with ETCS and equipment for GoA2 semi-automatic train operation with a driver onboard. The €60m contract announced on April 10 covers the retrofitting of 82 three-car EMUs ...
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Metro Report InternationalPilot project looks at low-altitude drones for railway inspection
CHINA: The use of low-altitude drones to enhance the efficiency of railway maintenance is to be explored by Traffic Control Technology and MTR Corp. The project will look at the use of drones to inspect stations, tracks and buildings, supported by artificial intelligence and other technologies ...
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NewsTilting battery trainsets in Bayern’s plan to abolish diesel
GERMANY: The Land of Bayern has announced plans to replace diesel traction on 462 km of non-electrified lines with battery and electric traction by 2036.
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NewsSouth Tirol railway agreement approved
ITALY: The Autonomous Province of South Tirol has approved a framework agreement with national infrastructure manager RFI covering the use of the area’s rail infrastructure until 2035.
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In depthElectrification: The energy-saving capability of transformers
Hitachi Energy has supplied its latest transformers to Indian Railways as part of the national electrification programme, leading to lower carbon emissions and railway operating costs.
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NewsSlovaks welcome government backing for rail, but funding shortfall remains
SLOVAKIA: International co-operation and more funding for infrastructure were key themes emerging from the 19th FKD railway conference held in Bratislava on March 18-19. Toma Bačić reports.
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In depthAutomation: Journey to a driverless future
April is due to see the start of commercial passenger services with an autonomous train in the Czech Republic, as AŽD Praha launches demonstration GoA3 operations on its Dolní Bousov – Kopidlno test line.
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NewsSemmering Base Tunnel slab track contract awarded
AUSTRIA: ÖBB-Infrastruktur has awarded a consortium of Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group and Porr Group a €76m contract to install slab track in the 27·3 km twin-bore Semmering Base Tunnel. The contract covers 55 km of slab track, as well as additional ballasted track, noise protection, substructure ...
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Metro Report InternationalIsrael: NofIt project learns from Karlsruhe
Work is under way on the NofIt interurban light rail line linking Haifa and Nazareth, which will run through complex terrain with gradients of up to 8%. Dan Shenbach, CEO of project promoter TransIsrael, discusses the state of progress with Benjámin Zelki.
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NewsOradea tram-train plan firms up
ROMANIA: Tenders worth €250m are scheduled to be called in the coming weeks covering work to build a 32 km tram-train network around Oradea. Feasibility studies for the project were approved by Bihor county council and Oradea municipality in November 2023. The procurement plans were announced ...
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NewsMomentum builds behind Gdańsk suburban rail expansion
POLAND: A 7·5 km southwestern extension of the SKM suburban service that links Gdańsk with Wejherowo via Gdynia has received environmental permit. Branded as PKM Południe, the extension would run from Gdańsk Śródmieście to Kowale, serving six new stations in the growing southwestern neighbourhoods of Gdańsk. ...
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NewsRail freight coalition calls for EU action
UK: Five CEOs of members of the RailFreightForward coalition of rail freight operators recently met EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas to discuss challenges including a lack of high-quality cross-border infrastructure capacity, an uneven economic level playing field and investments in digital technology. RailFreightForward asked the Commissioner ...