Infrastructure news – Page 196
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NewsTrack component research funding
USA: The Federal Transit Administration has provided a grant worth $2·4bn to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to support research into the development of advanced track components. The studies will be led by staff from UI’s Rail Transportation & Engineering Center, who will work with 11 main line and ...
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NewsDB signs first station development framework
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn’s station management business unit DB Station&Service has signed the first of a planned series of framework agreements with the Länder for the development of new stations. Intended to boost ridership on the rail network, these stations would be located in residential and commercial areas and near traffic ...
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NewsElectrification priorities in northern England
UK: An electrification task force set up in December 2013 to produce recommendations for rail electrification in northern England released its final report on March 5. The 32 routes examined have been grouped into three prioritisation tiers, based on their ability to contribute to local economic plans, fit ...
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NewsDelft tunnel and underground station opened
NETHERLANDS: Trains between Rotterdam and Den Haag have started using the new underground station in Delft, following the completion of a week-long blockade to transfer services from the elevated alignment that has carried the main line through the city for more than 150 years. Under the ‘Spoorzone Delft’ project, ProRail’s ...
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NewsLyon – Torino railway project now ‘irreversible’
EUROPE: The governments of France and Italy have formally agreed to go ahead with the Lyon – Torino railway project, including the 57 km Mont Cenis base tunnel. France’s President Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Renzi signed the agreement at a Franco-Italian summit on February 24. This enabled the ...
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NewsIsrael Railways ready to launch first bond issue
ISRAEL: Proposals for Israel Railways to raise private investment to fund infrastructure development are moving forwards, with the company expecting to start marketing its first bond issue at the beginning of March ahead of a formal offering later in the month. Under a framework agreement signed with the government in ...
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NewsNetwork Rail orders third rail compatible ballast cleaner
UK: Network Rail announced a £50m order for a Plasser & Theurer ballast cleaning system on February 26, the fifth in its fleet and the first designed to be used on 750 V DC electrified lines with the third rail remaining in place. Ballast Cleaning System Five is scheduled to ...
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NewsFinland seeks EU rail funding
FINLAND: The government has applied for funds from the TEN-T programme for several railway projects. The application includes €12·2m for planning and €66·8m for the construction of the Helsinki City Rail Loop. This project was approved by the Finnish Transport Agency in February 2012 as a means of relieving ...
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NewsFoundation stone laid for northern Ethiopia line
ETHIOPIA: Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn laid a ceremonial foundation stone for the Mek'ele – Weldiya/Hara Gebeya railway project on February 18. The 220 km electrified mixed-traffic route is being built by China Communications Construction Co under a US$1·5bn contract. At Weldiya it will connect with future lines south to ...
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NewsNetwork Rail announces contingent labour contract changes
UK: Network Rail announced on February 25 that it is to award a series of five-year contracts to supply contingent labour for infrastructure work with a total value of at least £450m, consolidating the number suppliers and implementing a new code of conduct. The contracts represent the provision of around ...
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NewsHitachi agrees to buy Ansaldo STS and AnsaldoBreda
ITALY: On February 24 the Hitachi and Finmeccanica boards announced the signing of binding agreements for the Japanese group to buy Napoli-based rolling stock manufacturer AnsaldoBreda and Finmeccanica’s 40% stake in Genova-based signalling, train control and turnkey transport system supplier Ansaldo STS. Hitachi Rail said the acquisitions would represent a ...
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NewsTesting underway on Honam high speed line
SOUTH KOREA: National train operator Korail has begun trial running on the first phase of the Honam high speed line, which is now expected to open for revenue service in April. Intended to serve the southwest of the country, Phase I of the country’s second high speed line has been ...
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NewsGovernment plans 288bn pesos railway investment
PHILIPPINES: The government has confirmed its intention to press ahead with a major investment in the railway network on the largest island of Luzon, with the intention of developing a 700 km network by the end of the decade. The ‘integrated Luzon’ programme would focus on a large-scale renovation of ...
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NewsBritish consortium wins North–South Railway operating partnership contract
SAUDI ARABIA: North–South Railway project promoter Saudi Railway Co has selected a consortium of three UK-based companies to provide management and technical support for the development of passenger and freight services on its network: Serco: prime contractor and technical support for passenger operations;Freightliner Group: freight expertise and support, technical assistance, ...
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NewsWorld rail infrastructure market February 2015
China: Hong Kong’s MTR Corp has awarded Leighton Asia and China State Construction Engineering an A$929m contract to build Exhibition station and 300 m of cut-and-cover tunnel for the Shatin – Central Link. Croatia: Vossloh Rail Services has signed a €4·5m framework agreement to provide HŽ Infrastruktura with rail ...
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NewsQatar Rail restarts civil works tendering
QATAR: National railway project promoter Qatar Rail launched a new prequalification process for the civil works on the first phase of the planned Long Distance Passenger & Freight Rail network on February 18. A prequalification exercise for a combined civils and railway systems contract was launched last year, but subsequently ...
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NewsAstaldi to complete Napoli Afragola station
ITALY: On February 16, construction group Astaldi announced that it had been awarded a €61m civil works contract by Italferr for ‘completion’ of Napoli Afragola station on the Napoli – Roma high speed line. Although site clearance and other preparatory works were undertaken at Afragola, 3 km north of Napoli, ...
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NewsEvraz supplying rails to Cuba
CUBA: Evraz ZSMK is delivering 4 500 tonnes of 25 m and 12 m R50-N rails to Cuba until the end of February. A contract was signed in December with Empresa Proveedora General del Transporte. The rails are being produced at the steelmaker’s Novokuznetsk plant in Russia and will ...
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NewsWorld Bank agrees Pap - Angren railway project funding
UZBEKISTAN: The World Bank approved a US$195m IBRD 25-year loan to fund the railway systems and technical assistance elements of the US$1664m Angren – Pap railway project on February 13. The 124 km single-track electrified line including a 19·2 km tunnel beneath the 2 200 m Kamchik Pass is intended ...
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NewsThree presidents inaugurate rebuilt Benguela Railway
ANGOLA: The presidents of Angola, DR Congo and Zambia attended a ceremony in Luau on February 14 to officially mark the completion of a US$1·9bn Chinese-backed project to rehabilitate the 1 344 km Bengulea Railway between the port of Lobito and the DR Congo border. The presidents unveiled a plaque, ...