All Railway Gazette International articles in January 2021 – Page 2
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NewsVale agrees concession extensions in ‘biggest step in railway history’
BRAZIL: Mining company Vale has agreed terms with the government to extend its concessions to operate the Estrado de Ferro Carajás and Estrado de Ferro Vitória a Minas by 30 years.
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NewsModi inaugurates first section of Eastern DFC and control centre
INDIA: The 351 km initial section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor between New Khurja in Uttar Pradesh and New Bhaupur near Kanpur was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 29. Addressing a socially distanced celebration at New Khurja by video ...
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Metro Report InternationalHigh Capacity Metro Trains enter service in Melbourne
AUSTRALIA: The first of 65 High Capacity Metro Trains being built for the Melbourne suburban network entered service on the Pakenham line on December 26. The seven-car EMUs are being supplied by the Evolution Rail consortium of Downer, CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles and Plenary Group under ...
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NewsIowa Interstate Railroad to be ‘platform for growth’ as investor takes 40% stake
USA: Infrastructure investor iCON Infrastructure Partners V has acquired a 40% stake in regional freight railway Iowa Interstate Railroad from Pittsburgh-based Railroad Development Corp, which remains the majority owner. IAIS was formed in 1984, with RDC acquiring a minority interest in 1991 and owning 100% since ...
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Metro Report InternationalSillim Line operating contract awarded
SOUTH KOREA: Concessionaire NamSeoul Light Rail Co has awarded a 329·5bn won contract to a joint venture of Hyundai Rotem and Gwangju Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corp for operation and maintenance of the Sillim Line automated light metro, which is due to open later this year.
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NewsIndigenous ballastless track for Delhi commuter line
INDIA: Work is underway to build the factory at Shatabdi Nagar which will supply ballastless slab track for the Delhi – Ghaziabad – Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System commuter line. National Capital Region Transport Corp said the RRTS project would include ‘many firsts in terms of technology ...
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Metro Report InternationalTest running begins on London’s Northern Line Extension
UK: The first empty passenger trains have run over the branch of London Underground’s Northern Line which is under construction to serve the Battersea Power Station regeneration area. The branch starts from a step-plate junction with the existing Northern line tunnels at Kennington, then runs 3·2 km ...
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NewsFinnish passenger services secured as VR monopoly ends
FINLAND: The Ministry of Transport & Communications has awarded national operator VR a public service obligation contract for the provision of loss-making but socially-desirable passenger trains during 2021. The agreement takes into account the drop in ticket revenue as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The €30·6m ...
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In depthInterview: ‘We have to win back our customers’
Just when the French national operator’s passenger sector is coming to terms with Covid-19 and the collapse of business travel, it faces the arrival of competition in both the regional and long-distance markets. Chris Jackson asked Christophe Fanichet, President-Directeur Général of SNCF Voyageurs, about his strategy at a time of unprecedented challenges.
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Metro Report InternationalMostaganem tram starts test running
ALGERIA: Test running on Mostaganem tram route T2 began on December 31, ahead of an expected opening in the first quarter of 2021.
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NewsEIB backs CargoBeamer’s modal shift ambitions
EUROPE: The European Investment Bank is providing financing to support the development of three CargoBeamer rail freight terminals at Calais in France, Kaldenkirchen near Germany’s border with the Netherlands and Domodossola near Italy’s border with Switzerland. CargoBeamer’s patented system comprising wagons, transhipment terminals and logistics software enables ...
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Metro Report InternationalToronto Finch West light rail maintenance contract awarded
CANADA: The Mosaic Transit joint venture which holds the PPP concession to design, build, finance and maintain Toronto’s Finch West Light Rail Transit line has subcontracted Bombardier Transportation to provide 30 years of infrastructure and rolling stock maintenance services. The 11 km light rail line from Finch ...
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Metro Report InternationalIstanbul opens first section of Golden Horn tramway
TURKEY: The first section of Istanbul tram line T5 alongside the Golden Horn waterway opened on January 4. The initial section runs 8·8 km from Alibeyköy to Cibali. There are 12 stops, including connections with the TF2 cable car and metro line M7. The line has catenary-free ...
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Metro Report InternationalQingdao opens two metro lines
CHINA: The northern section of Qingdao metro Line 1 and the first phase of Line 8 opened for revenue service on December 24, adding almost 70 km to the city’s expanding urban rail network. The initial 21·5 km section of Line 1 runs north from an interchange ...
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Rail Business UKHull Trains suspends services for a third time
UK: East Yorkshire to London open access operator Hull Trains is to temporarily suspend all services from 00.01 on January 9, following the government’s announcement of a third coronavirus lockdown in England. As an open access operator, FirstGroup subsidiary Hull Trains is not eligible for the financial ...
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Rail Business UKGrand Central suspends services until March 1
UK: Following the government’s announcement of a third national lockdown in England, London to West Yorkshire and Sunderland open access operator Grand Central said it would be suspending all its services from January 9 until March 1. ‘It is hugely disappointing for us to be starting 2021 ...
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NewsMontpellier – Perpignan high speed line inches forward
FRANCE: Initial public consultations are underway on long-standing proposals to build a high speed line between Montpellier and Perpignan, after Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djébbari established a steering committee for the project and commenced the process needed to authorise the 150 km Ligne à Grande Vitesse. Public consultations ...
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Metro Report InternationalUrban transport industry news round-up
This week’s round-up of news from the urban transport sector
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Metro Report InternationalTyne & Wear Metro opens temporary depot
UK: Tyne & Wear Metro has opened a temporary depot at Howdon which will be used to commission the replacement fleet of trainsets which is to be supplied by Stadler from 2022. The facility will also be used for cleaning and servicing of the existing articulated Metrocars ...
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Metro Report InternationalSão Paulo tenders suburban operations
BRAZIL: The São Paulo state government has called tenders for the operation and maintenance of two busy suburban lines, under a programme intended to attract private investment for enhancements. The state’s Secretaría de Transporte Metropolitano has invited bids for a 30-year concession to operate and maintain Line ...