Infrastructure news – Page 224
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NewsSBB to consolidate infrastructure fleet maintenance
SWITZERLAND: Following last year's announcement that it is to invest SFr606m replacing its fleet of infrastructure maintenance vehicles, Swiss Federal Railways has decided to consolidate overhauls at Biel from 2014. Light and heavy maintenance of the infrastructure fleet of 2 500 vehicles with an average age of 33 years is ...
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NewsHonam line sleeper contract awarded
SOUTH KOREA: Rail.One has won a contract to supply concrete sleepers for the Honam high speed line. More than 530 000 twin-block sleepers will be installed on the 222 km line from Osong to Mokpo. The sleepers form part of the Rheda 2000 ballastless track system, and will be ...
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NewsSaudi Landbridge consultancy contract awarded
SAUDI ARABIA: The Public Investment Fund has awarded Fluor Corp a 270m riyal contract to provide consultancy services for the Saudi Landbridge project. Under the 84-month contract Fluor is to review engineering designs for the railway in conjunction with Parsons Brinckerhoff, and will define implementation strategies and be responsible for ...
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NewsNetwork Rail publishes 2014-19 Strategic Business Plan
UK: Network Rail published its Strategic Business Plan on January 8, setting out proposals to spend £37·5bn in 2014-19. The plan is the infrastructure manager's response to the publication last year of the UK and Scottish governments' High-Level Output Specifications outlining what the railway is required to deliver in Control ...
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NewsHigh speed line opens between Barcelona and Figueres
SPAIN: The Prince of Asturias joined Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, President of the Catalunya regional government Artur Mas and Development Minister Ana Pastor on January 8 to officially open the completed high speed line between Barcelona Sants and Figueres Vilafant. Revenue services were due to start the following day. RENFE ...
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NewsRailway planned to link Cambodian steel plant and port
CAMBODIA: Under an agreement worth up to US$11bn, a 405 km north-south railway is to be constructed as part of a Chinese-funded investment to build steel production and port facilities in the country. The railway would be built by China Railway Group under contract to the Chinese-backed ...
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NewsTreviglio - Brescia E&M contract awarded
ITALY: Infrastructure manager RFI has awarded a €176m contract to the Consorzio Saturno consortium of Alstom, Ansaldo STS, Balfour Beatty Rail and Sirti to provide electrical and mechanical systems for the Treviglio – Brescia section of the Milano – Venezia high speed line. Being built by Cepav Due as part ...
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NewsStuttgart 21 called into question again
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn’s controversial Stuttgart 21 project to replace its present terminus with a through underground station is under threat once more, because of a steep rise in costs. In a report handed to DB’s Supervisory Board on December 12, the official cost of the scheme is shown as increasing ...
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NewsStandard gauge ambition in Mozambique
MOZAMBIQUE: A local subsidiary of Kazakhstan-based based Eurasian Natural Resources Corp has commissioned Mott MacDonald to undertake studies and is seeking expressions of interest in building a 1200 km standard gauge line from Chiuta in Tete province to a new port at Nacala, bypassing Malawi. Operations could start in 2015. ...
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NewsOpenings increase speeds and capacity
AUSTRIA: Services on the 60 km fast line between Wien Meidling and St Pölten began with the December 9 timetable change, cutting the Wien - St Pölten journey time by 15 min to 25 min, and reducing Wien - Salzburg journey times by 23 min. The double-track route means there ...
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NewsHS2 awards Phase II framework contracts
UK: A further step towards the development of the planned High Speed 2 north – south high speed rail network came on December 24, when the government’s development company HS2 Ltd announced the award of framework contracts covering engineering and environmental services for the second phase of the project, connecting ...
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NewsBeijing - Guangzhou high speed line completed
CHINA: Through high speed trains began operating between Beijing and Guangzhou on December 26, with the completion of the 663 km Beijing – Shijiazhuang – Zhengzhou Passenger-Dedicated Line. Coming exactly three years after the inauguration of the Wuhan – Guangzhou PDL on December 26 2009, and three months after ...
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NewsWorld rail infrastructure market December 2012
Algeria: A consortium of Colas Rail and KOU.G.C has been awarded a €85m contract to extend Alger metro Line 1 by 4 km from Haï El Badr to El Harrach-Centre. Opening is scheduled for November 2014. Australia: Western Australia’s Public Transport Authority has awarded Ansaldo STS Australia an A$17·9m ...
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NewsSecond China - Kazakhstan rail link inaugurated
ASIA: A second international rail connection between China and Kazakhstan was officially inaugurated on December 22, when two special trains were operated to the border crossing at Korgas in Xinjiang province. The break-of-gauge transfer facility forms part of a free trade zone at Korgas, known as the International Centre for ...
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NewsDesign work starts on east-west Laos rail corridor
LAOS: Preparatory works are underway to construct a 220 km double-track electrified railway between Savannakhet on the Mekong river and the Vietnamese frontier at Lao Bao. The project is being undertaken under a PPP concession worth up to US$5bn, which the Laotian government awarded to Malaysian contractor ...
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NewsSignalling Solutions wins Network Rail contracts
UK: Alstom Transport announced on December 19 that its Signalling Solutions Ltd joint venture with Balfour Beatty Rail had been awarded contracts worth a total of €43m by Network Rail. Under a package worth €27m, SSL is to design, supply, install, test and commission new signalling and associated power works ...
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NewsLublin airport rail link opens
POLAND: Rail services from Lublin to Lublin (Swidnik) Airport station began on December 17. This follows completion of a 2·2 km branch from Swidnik station, which was built by PRK Expol with KZA Lublin responsible for signalling and PKP Energetyka for electrification. The new airport has been developed from ...
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NewsTest runs start under Barcelona
SPAIN: RENFE began using the new tunnel between Sants and La Sagrera in Barcelona on December 17, as it commenced test running with Class 103 trainsets on the high speed line between Sants, Girona and Figueres Vilafant. Taking place between 08.00 and 18.00, the test runs are also being used ...
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NewsTendering starts for Brazilian high speed line
BRAZIL: On December 13 federal transport agency ANTT announced the start of tendering for the planned 510 km high speed railway between Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Campinas. Bidders have been given until August 13 2013 to submit their proposals for the operation and maintenance of the route, preceded ...
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NewsBAM Nuttall appointed main contractor for Borders Railway
UK: Network Rail announced the award of a £220m contract for detailed design and construction of the Borders Railway to BAM Nuttall on December 13. Construction is scheduled to get underway in early 2013, for commissioning 'by the summer of 2015'. The capital cost is put at £294m. Work to ...