Infrastructure news – Page 161
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Metro Report InternationalGuangzhou metro maintenance vehicle rolled out
CHINA: Baoji CRRC Times Engineering Machinery Co has rolled out a track maintenance vehicle for use on the Guangzhou metro. The vehicle uses ultrasonic technology to detect rail flaws, and features an air-conditioned interior.
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NewsAlameda Corridor East grade separation trench opens
USA: A 2·3 km long, 9 m deep and 20 m wide cutting built at cost of $313m as part of a grade separation project designed to ease traffic congestion in the San Gabriel Valley east of downtown Los Angeles was officially opened by the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority on ...
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Metro Report InternationalBasel tram network extended to French border
SWITZERLAND: Basel tram operator BVB opened the first phase of an extension into France on July 31. The 500 m extension of Route 3 from its previous northwestern terminus of Burgfelden Grenze to Burgfelderhof brings it to the border. Burgfelden Grenze stop closed on July 14, with buses replacing ...
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NewsFederal funding to revive border crossing
USA: Texas Department of Transportation has a received a US$7m grant from the US Department of Transportation towards a US$16∙2m ‘public and private partnership’ to replace the bridge connecting Presidio with Ojinaga in Mexico, and upgrade 115 km of the connecting South Orient Rail Line. The bridge has been closed ...
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NewsRussia completes railway to bypass Ukraine
RUSSIA: Construction of the Zhuravka – Millerovo bypass line which removes the need for trains from Moscow to Rostov-na-Donu, Krasnodar and Sochi to transit a short section of Ukrainian territory has been completed, Minister of Defence General Sergei Shoigu announced at a ceremony on August 7. The new 122·5 km ...
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NewsPacific concession could revert to state
COLOMBIA: During the course of a public hearing held on August 3, national infrastructure agency ANI declared the concession held by Ferrocarril del Pacífico SAS to have lapsed. The concession covers the upgrading, maintenance and operation of freight services on the Buenaventura — Cali, Cali — La Felisa and Zarzal ...
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Metro Report InternationalBarking Riverside extension approved
UK: The Secretary of State for Transport issued a decision letter on August 4 approving an order under the Transport & Works Act to grant Transport for London legal powers to build the 4·5 km Barking – Barking Riverside extension of the Gospel Oak – Barking line in east London. ...
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Metro Report InternationalMauritius light rail contract signed
MAURITIUS: The government signed a Rs18·8bn contract with Larsen & Toubro on July 31 for the construction of the Metro Express light rail line, which would link Port Louis with Curepipe. L&T is responsible for civil works, electrification, signalling, the fare collection system and the passenger information system. It ...
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Metro Report InternationalPalermo rail project restarts
ITALY: Work on the Anello rail line in Palermo restarted on July 29 following the government allocating an additional €50m to the project in April. The project to create a circular line around the city centre is now 80% complete. This will use a former freight branch to the ...
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Metro Report InternationalMexico City studies airport rail link
MEXICO: Metro operator STC has begun tendering for studies of an express rail link to Mexico City’s new airport, which will include defining route options to make the best use of existing rights-of-way and minimise disruption to the urban fabric. The preferred bidder will also consider the civil engineering and ...
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NewsBelgrano upgrade completes first 100 km
ARGENTINA: Transport Minister Guillermo Dietrich announced on July 26 the completion of the first 100 km of track renewals under the programme to upgrade the 1 000 mm gauge Belgrano network for freight traffic. Under the first phase of the programme, track renewals are being undertaken on 535 km. The ...
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NewsNetwork Rail announces ‘sweeping’ reform to attract private sector participation
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail announced ‘sweeping new reforms’ on July 31 which are intended to enable third parties to become ‘heavily involved’ in delivering railway investment projects. At the same time it published the Unlocking rail investment – building confidence, reducing costs report commissioned from Professor Peter Hansford in ...
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NewsTGV resurgence in SNCF first half results
FRANCE: The SNCF group reported a €119m net profit in the first six months of 2017, driven by strong growth in high speed ridership.Amid concerns about the competitive threat facing the French national operator from long-distance buses and ride-sharing apps, SNCF reported on July 28 that overall group revenue was ...
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NewsWorld rail infrastructure market July 2017
Argentina: Indra has supplied a Tetra digital radio network for the Sarmiento, Mitre, San Martín, Belgrano Sur and Roca suburban lines serving Buenos Aires under a US$214m contract awarded by Sofse in 2014. Agreements to fund the purchase of Nippon Signal Automatic Train Stop equipment for the Buenos Aires ...
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NewsFive new stations funded
UK: The allocation of £16m from the New Stations Fund to enable to the construction of five stations was announced by the Department for Transport on July 28. All of the stations will be fully accessible and are scheduled for completion by March 2020. This is the second round of ...
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Metro Report InternationalHitachi to supply Baltimore metro trains and signalling
USA: Maryland Transit Administration has awarded a $400·5m contract for the supply of metro rolling stock and signalling. The supplier is the Hitachi Ansaldo Baltimore Rail Partners joint venture of Hitachi Rail Italy, which will supply 78 metro cars, and Ansaldo STS’s US subsidiary, which will replace ...
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Metro Report InternationalRanken wins Chinese metro contracts
CHINA: Sapphire Corp subsidiary Ranken Railway Construction Group Co has won four contracts for metro projects in China, the group announced on July 24. The largest is a 224m yuan civil engineering contract covering three further sections of the Ningbo metro, which are due to be completed by mid-2020. ...
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NewsTehran – Mashhad electrification loan signed
IRAN: A US$1·5bn loan agreement to finance electrification of the 926 km Tehran – Mashhad main line was signed by China EximBank on July 25. Iran’s Bank of Industry & Mine will act as the Iranian government’s guarantor. The 25 kV 50 Hz electrification project forms part of a programme ...
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NewsWork begins to electrify Caltrain
USA: California Governor Jerry Brown was among those present at a ceremony at Millbrae station on June 21 to mark the start of work on the Caltrain Electrification Project. ‘Today marks the beginning of a faster, cleaner, better Caltrain, a Caltrain that will allow tens of thousands of people ...
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NewsStudies still underway for trans-Pennine electrification
UK: No decision has been taken on the scope of the project to electrify the trans-Pennine route from Stalybridge near Manchester to Leeds, York and Selby, the Department for Transport told Railway Gazette on July 24. Network Rail’s electrification programme has seen significant cost overruns, and on July 20 the ...