Infrastructure news – Page 155
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NewsGroupe Eurotunnel rebrands as Getlink
EUROPE: Channel Tunnel concessionaire Groupe Eurotunnel changed its name to Getlink with effect from November 20, saying the new brand reflected ‘the dynamism of connection and exchange’. Getlink is the parent company for four brands: Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel, French private rail freight operator Europorte, railway training centre CIFFCO, and ...
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NewsThales awarded Egyptian signalling contract
EGYPT: Egyptian National Railways has awarded Thales a three-year contract to modernise signalling and telecoms on the 180 km Asyut – Nagaa Hammadi section of the Cairo – Aswan corridor. Announcing the contract on November 16, Thales said its integrated signalling and communications technology would be designed to work with ...
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NewsNorthern Rail Corridor feasibility study
MONGOLIA: Aspire Mining subsidiary Northern Railways has signed a memorandum of understanding with China Gezhouba Group International to undertake a bankable second-stage feasibility study for the planned Northern Rail Corridor. The proposed mixed traffic line would run from Erdenet to serve coal reserves at Nurstell and Ovoot. A decision ...
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NewsNetwork Rail to sell commercial property business
UK: Network Rail announced plans to sell its commercial property business in England and Wales on November 17. The infrastructure manager said it was the largest provider of small and medium-sized business space in the UK, and the sale of ‘non-core’ property assets, the majority of which are spaces under ...
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Metro Report InternationalWork starts on Istanbul driverless metro extension
TURKEY: Work has started on the second phase of Istanbul metro Line M7. The western section of the driverless line will run from Mahmutbey to Esenyurt, serving 10 stations. A consortium of Akyol, Astur and IC İçtaş was awarded the construction contract for the 18·5 km route on July ...
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Metro Report InternationalPutin approves Moscow RER
RUSSIA: President Vladimir Putin approved the first phase of an RER-style network planned for Moscow on November 15. Earlier this month Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced plans to create links between the existing radial rail routes into the city. At least five such RER routes are to be developed at ...
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NewsResilient rail pads to cut operational noise
BELGIUM: Infrastructure manager Infrabel is to install a new design of resilient rail pad during track renewals from 2018, aiming to equip 120 km a year. Developed in-house over a period of three years, the pads inserted between the rail and concrete sleepers have been proven to reduce operational noise ...
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NewsArmy studies dual gauge
ARGENTINA: Under an agreement signed with infrastructure manager Trenes Argentinos Infraestructura, army engineers are to undertake studies for providing 1 676 mm gauge on a 60 km section of the 1 435 mm gauge Urquiza network between Zárate and Pilar. This will include new junctions and the design of specialised ...
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Metro Report InternationalAlstom wins Singapore signalling contract
SINGAPORE: Land Transport Authority has awarded Alstom a contract to supply signalling for the Circle Line 6 project. Alstom would supply its Urbalis CBTC signalling for the three-station extension of the Circle Line, which is due to be completed in 2025. The 4 km section between HarbourFront and Marina ...
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NewsRhätische Bahn launches double-tracking project
SWITZERLAND: Rhätische Bahn held a ceremony on November 14 to mark the start of work to on a project to provide a second track between Bever, at the junction of the Albula and Engadin lines, and Samedan where the Bernina and St Moritz routes join. As well as increasing capacity, ...
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NewsIncreasing capacity on the BAM and Trans-Siberian routes
RUSSIA: A programme to increase capacity on the Trans-Siberian and Baikal – Amur Magistral routes is underway, to support the development of coal mines in the Zabaykalsky region as well as the growth in long-distance and transit freight traffic. According to Russian Railways, capacity on the two routes has already ...
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Metro Report InternationalRER proposal in Moscow transport investment plans
RUSSIA: Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has announced that the city plans to spend 550bn roubles per year on transport projects in 2018-20. Planned projects include the development of an RER-style network by providing links between the existing radial rail routes into the city. Some existing lines would be upgraded, ...
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NewsUpgrade to handle growth in Asia – Europe rail freight
BELARUS: Belarusian Railway has begun a programme to modernise container transhipment facilities where the 1520 mm gauge and standard gauge networks meet at the country’s western border. An US$8m investment at the Brest Severny intermodal terminal is intended to reduce the time needed to tranship containers on the main corridor ...
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Metro Report InternationalHelsinki orbital light rail contractor chosen
FINLAND: Helsinki transport operator HKL and the City of Espoo have selected a consortium of YIT and VR Track as construction contractor for the Raide-Jokeri orbital light rail line. The contract is expected to be signed by the end of November. The project costs and timescale will be finalised ...
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Metro Report InternationalFinal civils contract awarded for Singapore CCL6
SINGAPORE: Land Transport Authority has awarded the final civils contract for the Circle Line 6 project, it announced on November 10. The Singapore branch of China State Construction Engineering Corp won the S$205m contract for the construction of Cantonment station. Work on the three-level underground station is due to ...
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Metro Report InternationalEIB lends €200m to Madrid Metro
SPAIN: Metro de Madrid announced on November 10 that it had been granted a €200m loan by the European Investment Bank. Being provided over a period of three years on what the metro says are ‘very advantageous’ terms, the loan will fund investment projects. Major projects to be undertaken during ...
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Metro Report InternationalToshkent to build elevated orbital metro
UZBEKISTAN: The proposed orbital urban railway around Toshkent is to be built to metro rather than suburban rail standards, the government has decided after evaluating technical studies compiled by transport institute Boshtransloyiha with the assistance of foreign experts. The original proposal approved by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in ...
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Metro Report InternationalNorthern Line extension tunnelling completed
UK: Tunnelling on the London Underground’s Northern Line extension was completed on November 8, when tunnel boring machine Amy broke through at Kennington. Amy began tunnelling in May, following sister machine Helen the previous month. Helen broke through into a shaft at Kennington Park at the end of October. ...
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Metro Report InternationalStockholm metro resignalling contract terminated
SWEDEN: A contract for Ansaldo STS to resignal the Stockholm metro’s Red Line was unilaterally terminated by transport authority Storstockholms Lokaltrafik on November 7. ‘There are fundamental shortcomings in Ansaldo STS's delivery and we do not trust Ansaldo STS to deliver under the agreement, so we cancelled the contract’, said ...
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NewsNetwork Rail awards Midland Main Line upgrade contracts
UK: The Carillion Powerlines joint venture is to begin work shortly to complete 25 kV 50 Hz electrification of the route from Bedford to Corby. The contract awarded by Network Rail as part of its Midland Main Line improvement programme is expected to generate revenue of £260m for the equally-owned ...