Infrastructure news – Page 6
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NewsMelbourne Suburban Rail Loop tunnelling contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: The government of Victoria has awarded the Suburban Connect consortium of Acciona, CPB Contractors and Ghella the first major tunnelling contract for the Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop East project. The A$3·6bn Tunnels South contract covers the construction of the 16 km Cheltenham to Glen Waverley ...
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In depthBrazil: National Railway Plan will reset project agenda
Government efforts to inject fresh impetus into the rail business and increase its share of the freight market continue, but reliance is being placed on the private sector to fund new projects. Murray Hughes reports.
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NewsFirst section of Mexico’s Trans-Isthmus Railway opens
MEXICO: The newly rebuilt ‘Line Z’ of the Interoceanic Railway of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec was inaugurated on December 22.
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In depthData systems: Managing the transition to next-generation communications
The emergence of packet-based MPLS-TP data networks offers infrastructure managers a means to move away from legacy technology such as Time Division Multiplex, enabling them to keep pace with demands for an increasingly digital railway.
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NewsEIB provides more support to Koper second track project
SLOVENIA: The European Investment Bank has signed a €250m loan agreement with project promoter 2TDK to co-finance the ongoing construction of the second rail track to the port of Koper. A 27 km single-track line on a new alignment will add capacity in conjunction with the ...
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NewsJoint border crossing to speed up Balkan rail transport
EUROPE: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development and the European Union are to fund a joint border crossing on the Corridor X rail route between North Macedonia and Serbia. The new and upgraded facilities will be shared by the two countries, to improve efficiency, reduce ...
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NewsPort link and Trans-Siberian tunnel inaugurated
RUSSIA: A 49·7 km railway line to the port of Lavna, and a 926 m long double-track tunnel on the Trans-Siberian railway line were inaugurated on December 15. The inauguration events were attended by President Vladimir Putin via a video stream. Port link The newly built ...
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In depthResilient Infrastructure: Reducing rail noise with acoustically optimised crossings
The noise generated by trains passing over turnouts can pose problems for railways, particularly in residential areas. Laboratory trials have shown the potential benefits of high-damping polyurethane composites, and a field test is currently underway on the ÖBB network in Austria.
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In depthJapan: Rural railways struggle against a changing climate
Recent storms have caused huge damage in parts of Japan, wrecking some rural railways and forcing others to close. Mike Bent examines how local lines can be revived against the odds.
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NewsChinese task force to draw-up TAZARA revitalisation plan
AFRICA: China Civil & Engineering and Construction Corp has sent a task force to undertake a comprehensive business and technical inspection of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, having being appointed to negotiate a potential deal for a Chinese operator to revitalise the line which was built with Chinese ...
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NewsMazowieckie orders EMUs as greenfield line makes progress
POLAND: Mazowieckie voivodship has signed a 458·5m złoty contract for Pesa to supply 16 two-car Regio 160 electric multiple-units by the end of 2026 for use by voivodship-owned operator Koleje Mazowieckie. The order announced on December 18 includes maintenance and staff training, said Marshal Adam Struzik. ...
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NewsMoldova railway rehabilitation loan signed
MOLDOVA: The government has signed a €41·2m loan agreement with the European Investment Bank’s development finance arm EIB Global to finance rehabilitation of the Vălcineț – Ungheni – Chișinău – Căinari rail corridor. Along with a €12m EU grant announced earlier this year, this will improve ...
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NewsNext stage of Skopje – Sofia rail link financed
NORTH MACEDONIA: A €560m package of support for the construction a rail link between North Macedonia and Bulgaria has been announced by the EU, European Investment Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction & Development. The future route forming part of pan-European Corridor VIII will start at ...
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Rail Business UKDeliver gauge clearance in Kent to boost northern economy, urges Channel Tunnel operator
UK: The Channel Tunnel risks remaining ‘essentially inaccessible’ to rail freight without investment to enhance the loading gauge of the conventional main line through Kent, the CEO of Eurotunnel’s parent company Getlink has warned.
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NewsAgartala – Akhaura cross-border link inaugurated
ASIA: Revenue services have started operating on the short cross-border rail link between Agartala in India and Akhaura in Bangladesh, following a virtual inauguration by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina in November. Built at an estimated cost of Rs11bn, the 15 km link has ...
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NewsNairobi suburban railway construction launched
KENYA: President William Ruto has officially launched construction of the Riruta – Ngong commuter rail line, which is being built to relieve road congestion and lower transport costs in Nairobi. The metre-gauge line is being built by China Road & Bridge Corp under a contract awarded ...
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NewsPresident inaugurates first phase of Tren Maya
MEXICO: Revenue services have started running on the 473 km first phase of the ambitious Tren Maya project between Campeche and Cancún, following a formal inauguration by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Unveiling a commemorative plaque at San Francisco station in Campeche ...
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NewsBurundi – Tanzania railway financing approved
AFRICA: The African Development Bank board has approved financing for the second phase of the Tanzania – Burundi – DR Congo standard gauge railway. On December 12 the bank announced that it would provide Burundi with grants worth US$98·62m, and Tanzania with US$597·79m as loans and ...
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NewsChange in safety rules opens door to more cross-Channel operators
EUROPE: Eurotunnel is working with rolling stock suppliers and safety authorities to simplify the standards that apply to cross-Channel rail traffic as part of its aim to double the number of high speed passenger trains using the Channel Tunnel by the end of 2033.
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NewsBosnian railway reopened
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: The 24 km branch line from Podlugovi to Vareš, north of Sarajevo, reopened after 31 years on December 14. The reopening was initiated by Adriatic Metals, a UK-based company which holds a silver mining concession in Vareš. Adriatic Metals cleared the route, ...