All Railway Gazette International articles in January 1997 – Page 2

  • News

    S-Bahn expansion in full swing

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    INTRO: Despite changes in funding arrangements for investment in Germany’s already extensive S-Bahn networks, new construction and modernisation are forging ahead. Hubertus R Jäger assesses the state of playNEARLY ALL Germany’s S-Bahn networks are expanding. Funds are still flowing from federal sources under the Community Transport Financing Law (GVFG), which ...

  • News

    Intermodal expansion

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    SWISS intermodal operator Hupac inaugurated a terminal at Singen on November 15, replacing its site at Rielasingen. The yard took 18 months to build, and is designed to cope with projected traffic growth for the next 10 years.Described as a hub for southern Germany and a gateway for the transalpine ...

  • News

    Leasing explosion demands registration

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    IN THE LAST five years there has been an astonishing increase in the amount of leased rolling stock running on Europe’s railways. Much of the impetus has come from the US, where cross-border leasing brings substantial tax avoidance benefits. Michael Kershaw of HSBC International told a Frankfurt conference on Commercialising ...

  • News

    Skirmishes over Conrail turn to war

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    THE BATTLE raging for the control of Conrail has hotted up, with the alarums and excursions of the early weeks changing to a full-scale war in the courts. On November 20 a federal judge denied Norfolk Southern’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt the first step in CSX’s attempt ...

  • News

    TFM wins Noreste concession

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    ON DECEMBER 5 the Mexican government accepted a US$1·4bn bid from Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana for the 50 year concession to operate the Ferrocarril del Noreste (RG 12.96 p805). TFM will also pay 0·5% of net operating income in each of the first 15 years and 1·5% for the remainder. There ...

  • News

    GSM data link research completed

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    Improved passenger information and emergency communications are in prospect following a research programme funded by Britain’s Department of Trade & Industry. Details of the Hiflirts project are to be unveiled by ERA Technology on January 24. The High Intensity data For Light Rail Transport Systems concept uses GSM radio links ...

  • News

    Heathrow Express completes commissioning trials

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    INTRO: Murray Hughes rides the first three-car Heathrow Express set on the Velim test track in the Czech RepublicSTREAKING through the birch forest on the circular test track at Velim northeast of Praha, the first train for Britain’s Heathrow Express service was clocking 160 km/h as part of an intensive ...

  • News

    Smart cards: too much hype?

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    INTRO: With smart card ticketing being tested in London, Manchester, Paris and Hong Kong, the concept is generating considerable interest among transport operators. But investing in contactless fare collection has risks as well as benefits, suggest Matthew Lawson and Bill Steinmetz from the Railway Technology Strategy Centre at London’s ...

  • News

    Smart card revolution under way at last

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    INTRO: Market developments are encouraging the long-awaited introduction of smart cards to a ticketing industry which has been dominated by magnetic stripe technology. Roger Ford looks at the technical and operational implicationsENCODED MAGNETIC stripes on tickets were seen as a key technology in combating fraudulent travel. In practice the forecast ...

  • News

    Six-axle car to power NS double-deck EMU

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    INTRO: Netherlands Railways unveiled its first Bo’Bo’Bo’ power car at Leidschendam on November 12; the 2·4MW vehicles will work with double-deck coaches in four or five car sets. Harry Hondius reportsBETWEEN 1992 and 1994, Netherlands Railways put into service 258 double-deck coaches for commuter operations in the Randstad region. Built ...

  • News

    Fireproof cable protection

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    THIS month PMA of Switzerland plans to launch a range of ’banana-angle’ cable connectors. Developed primarily in response to demand from Adtranz, the connectors will be available in a range of sizes and materials.Later this year PMA will add to its range nylon-based cable protection conduits that meet the demanding ...

  • News

    In Brief

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    n Netherlands Railways is taking steps to cut shunting and engine noise at its principal yards, in a bid to reduce the noise affecting 100000 houses by 5dB(A). The measures will cost NS Reizigers 40m guilders and NS Cargo 3·5m.n Cisalpino AG announced on November 26 that it is to ...

  • News

    Commuter rail boosts mobility

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    INTRO: Opening of the Green Corridor route across central Madrid in 1996 concluded an important phase in a major investment programme that has transformed the Spanish capital’s commuter services. Construction of new lines to dormitory suburbs has been matched by rolling stock deliveries to create the most modern commuter train ...

  • News

    Blue Tiger stalks world market

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    LOCOMOTIVE: Adtranz and GE Transportation Systems unveiled a prototype lightweight diesel at a spectacular premiere in Kassel on November 12. The two companies were also celebrating their first order: 30 locos with 3000hp engines will be built for Pakistan Railways for delivery in mid-1998. Development of the family of modular ...

  • News

    Bursa LRT bidders shortlisted

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    CONSTRUCTION of the long-planned 55 km light rail network in the Turkish city of Bursa moved a step closer in November, when the Municipality shortlisted five consortia to build and equip the 20·6 km initial stage. The five are:

  • News

    Bright and light beneath two capitals

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    INTRO: Robert Preston reports on station design concepts on London Underground’s Jubilee line extension and the Paris Météor lineARCHITECTS and engineers working on major extensions to the metro networks in Paris and London have sought to create a better environment for passengers. In both cities the aim has been to ...

  • News

    Bangkok calls EOM bids

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    BANGKOK Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority has invited bids for supply of electrical and mechanical equipment for its initial 22 km heavy metro route from the city centre near Hua Lampong to Bang Sue via Asok, Huai Khwang and Lat Phrao. The aim is to award the contract on the basis ...

  • News

    Changi branch approved

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    SINGAPORE’s Mass Rapid Transit network is to be extended to Changi Airport by 2001, at a cost of S$700m to S$800m. The long-awaited decision was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on November 15. The 6·4 km branch from Tanah Merah was proposed as part of the initial ...

  • News

    Amtrak in focus

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    Metroliner upgradeAmtrak has started upgrading 90 loco-hauled Amfleet coaches in a bid to increase ridership on the Northeast Corridor Metroliner trains between Washington and New York. In the year to September 30 1996 the Metroliners carried 2 million passengers and earned $155·7m in revenue, 10% up on 1995.Two refurbished seven-car ...

  • News

    Barcelona agrees transport authority

    1997-01-01T11:00:00Z

    ON NOVEMBER 4 the Catalan regional government, Ministry of Development, Barcelona council and local transport operator EMT signed an agreement to create a new metropolitan transport authority for the greater Barcelona area. When new legislation is in place, Autoridad del Transporte Metropolitano will be responsible for investment; the current contract ...