Infrastructure news – Page 18
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News‘Landmark’ research project seeks to understand FRMCS-ERTMS integration
EUROPE: The ‘landmark’ FP2-MORANE-2 research project has been launched to test Future Railway Mobile Communication System technology under real conditions in Europe. FRMCS is the emerging telecoms standard being coordinated by UIC and partners to enable railways to make better use of next-generation communications technology including ...
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Metro Report InternationalBrazil: Urban rail projects battle local politics
Examples in Cuiabá and Canoas show how vulnerable Brazilian urban rail projects are to changes in local politics, as well as the temptation of alternative modes which are seen as less complex, even if the benefits are lower. Marcelo Benoit examines the two cases.
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Rail Business UKLondon St Pancras International expansion planning advances
UK: Almost 40 companies have so far expressed interest in a contract to further develop plans for the expansion of facilities for handling international passengers at London St Pancras station. An initial study which infrastructure concessionaire HS1 Ltd commissioned from customer experience design agency Active Thinking ...
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NewsFort Bliss rail yard expansion contract awarded
USA: The United States Army Corps of Engineers has awarded Granite a $71m contract to expand and update the rail yard serving the Fort Bliss military site at El Paso in Texas. This will add loading spurs, expand the vehicle staging area and create a secondary ...
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NewsLeo Express trains to be converted for dual-voltage operation
CZECH REPUBLIC: Leo Express has awarded original manufacturer Stadler a contract to convert its five 3 kV DC Flirt electric multiple-units to also use 25 kV 50 Hz electrification. The dual-voltage capability will enable Leo Express to continue operations on the Prague – Ostrava route after ...
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NewsSaudi Arabia Railways train equipped for ETCS Level 2
SAUDI ARABIA: The first Saudi Arabia Railways train to be fitted with CAF’s latest Auriga ETCS equipment has entered passenger service on Saudi Arabia Railways’ Riyadh to Dammam network, following a two-year programme of design, testing, certification and training. The whole fleet will be able to ...
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NewsSNCF Réseau orders lower emission steel rails
FRANCE: Infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau has awarded Hayange-based Saarstahl Rail a €1bn contract to supply rail rolled from steel which sister company Saarstahl Ascoval will produce using an electric arc furnace in Saint-Saulve. Along with the use of recycled steel this is expected to cut CO2 ...
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Metro Report InternationalBrazil: Salvador turns to the tram
Having dismantled a suburban railway and aborted a monorail scheme, the Brazilian city of Salvador is now developing a tram network using second-hand trams and track assets from Cuiabá. Ana Cláudia Nascimento, CEO of state transport operator CTB, explains the plans to Benjámin Zelki.
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NewsHigh speed line maintenance supervision contracts
SPAIN: The Ministry of Transport & Sustainable Mobility is to award Ineco contracts to supervise maintenance on more than 3 000 km of high speed line. This will cover oversight of all aspects of maintenance, including track, electrification, civil engineering structures, tunnel ventilation and emergency facilities ...
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NewsComposite fishplate certified to latest standard
FINLAND: Exel Composites says it is the first company to obtain the latest EN16843 certification for a glass fibre composite rail joint. The updated EU standard for insulated and non-insulated rail joints includes tougher requirements for mechanical and electrical performance. These are designed to address higher ...
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NewsRolling stock owners call for action on rail’s ‘patchwork of increasingly expensive technologies’
EUROPE: The Association of European Rail Rolling stock Lessors has called for the more co-ordinated deployment of ERTMS, changes to subsidy policies and measures to ensure life-time support of vehicles
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NewsRebuilt section of future Skopje – Sofia railway inaugurated
NORTH MACEDONIA: Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski has inaugurated the first section of a future rail route between Skopje and Sofia which is being developed as part of pan-European Corridor VIII to link the Adriatic and the Black seas. The section of line inaugurated on January 17 ...
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NewsKorean network grows as second Seoul – Busan route completed
SOUTH KOREA: The national network has expanded with the opening of two strategic links in recent weeks. The final 145·1 km section of the upgraded Central main line and the handover of a 166·3 km missing link on the country’s eastern coast has enabled national operator ...
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NewsFunding finalised for first phase of Côte d’Azur railway enhancement programme
FRANCE: Funding has been finalised for the first phase of the Ligne Nouvelle Provence d’Azur project to upgrade the busy Marseille - Nice corridor to support a 66% increase in the number of daily services. The planned launch of Services Express Régionaux Métropolitains operations around Marseille, ...
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In depthTechnology: HS1 explores potential of digital twins
High speed line concessionaire HS1 Ltd has been working with partners to assess an AI-supported digital twin model that can help integrate multiple aspects of its business.
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In depthData-Driven Infrastructure: Intelligent bolts monitor bridge behaviour
Strainlabs’ IoT condition monitoring technology is being trialled to monitor the condition of magnets installed on the Øresund Bridge linking Denmark with Sweden.
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NewsHitachi to acquire Omnicom rail asset monitoring technology business
INTERNATIONAL: Hitachi Rail has agreed to acquire Balfour Beatty’s rail asset monitoring technology business Omnicom. Hitachi said this would form a ‘key strategic pillar’ of the Hyper Mobility Asset Expert platform launched at InnoTrans 2024. Derby-based Omnicom provides hardware and software for surveying, inspecting and monitoring ...
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In depthIndia: Using Lidar to support automated operations
Indian Railways is already using Lidar-generated 3D mapping and exploring the use of geometry inspection systems to improve the safety of infrastructure maintenance. The next step envisages the use of Lidar to support automatic train operation, as Bharti Jain explains.
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In depthSignalling: Low-cost ETCS to support regional roll-out
Kombud Group is developing a range of ETCS products to provide cost-effective interoperability on regional lines. Benjámin Zelki reports from the manufacturer’s newly opened plant in Radom.
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NewsChemins de Fer du Jura interlocking contract awarded
SWITZERLAND: Chemins de Fer du Jura has awarded Stadler Signalling a SFr4·3m contract to renew signalling systems at Tavannes and Orange by 2027. This forms part of the railway’s project to modernise its Tavannes – Le Noirmont line to improve services and cater for the growing ...