All Railway Gazette International articles in July 2006 – Page 2

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    News

    High speed needs an integrated network, says Pepy

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    THE PROSPECTS for Europe's growing high speed rail sector are 'very positive', according to the Chief Executive of French National Railways, Guillaume Pepy. But operators need to work together more closely if rail is to boost its market share. Looking back over the 25 years since SNCF opened the ...

  • News

    Tunnel vehicle is handed over

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    ON MAY 30 Robel handed over to BLS L

  • News

    Russia rejoins ’global’ UIC

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    AT A MEETING of the UIC General Assembly in Montréal last month, the return to membership of Russian Railways after an absence of 58 years was approved unanimously. A series of joint ’technical discussions’ will now take place, leading to full membership for RZD in about a year.UIC Chairman Benedikt ...

  • News

    Higher productivity to help fund rising renewals spend

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    INTRO: French Transport Minister Dominique Perben has authorised higher government spending on track renewals, and is putting in place a performance contract with RFF to ensure the money is spent effectively. Murray Hughes reports from OrléansHISTORY was made in 1967 on the Les Aubrais - Vierzon section of the Paris ...

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    Four for Saudi Landbridge

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    SAUDI RAILWAYS Organisation announced on May 31 that four consortia had been qualified to bid for the BOT concession to build and operate the Saudi Landbridge railway between Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Jubail. Preliminary tender information was released to the consortia on June 10. 'The Supreme Economic Council, chaired by ...

  • News

    Finland - Russia stock upgrade

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    RUSSIAN Railways has introduced a business class car and restaurant coach on the Tolstoi overnight service between Helsinki and Moscow from June 15.Designed by RZD and Zirkon, the air-conditioned business class car has four compartments, each with a private shower and a DVD player. The restaurant car has separate bar ...

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    Finance

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    Egypt: Minister for International Co-operation Fayza Abul-Naga has announced that the World Bank is to lend US$270m to fund railway development in 2007-08. France: The European Investment Bank has agreed to provide an initial tranche of €60m of a €120m loan towards the cost of building the 15·4 km light ...

  • News

    FrontRunner funding finalised

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    At a trackside ceremony on the site of the future Farmington station, US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta formally signed the $489m Full Funding Grant Agreement for the first segment of Utah Transit Authority’s FrontRunner commuter rail project on June 16.The agreement will fund more than 80% of the $581m capital ...

  • News

    Praha extends

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    PRAHA city transport authority Dphmp formally opened a new station at Depo Hostivar on May 27, extending the operational length of metro Line A by 1033m to 11 km with 13 stations.Built by Metrostav at a cost of KC1·3bn, the project involved construction of a new surface station alongside existing ...

  • News

    EU still pushing for rail reforms

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    ON June 22 the European Commission adopted a ’Communication’ on transport policy. Essentially, this is a mid-term review of the White Paper published in September 2001.In general terms the review finds that change in the European transport sector is much slower than anticipated, with no appreciable shift in the share ...

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    News

    Profit for the environment's sake

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    Swedish freight operator Green Cargo has enshrined sustainable development as a core value, seeing profitability as the path to ensuring that the environmental benefits of moving goods by rail are not lost to society

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    Tianjin - Shengyang to be electrified

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    BALFOUR BEATTY Rail Power Systems based in München has won a second electrification and signalling contract in China covering 619 km of double track between Tianjin and Shengyang in Liaoning province. In addition to supplying and erecting 25 kV 50Hz catenary, 11 feeder stations spaced at 50 km intervals are ...

  • News

    EIB funds high speed routes

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    ON JUNE 15 European Investment Bank Vice-President Isabel Martín signed a loan contract to provide Spanish infrastructure authority ADIF with €400m over a 30-year term for construction of the high speed line between Madrid, Barcelona and Figueres, representing the final tranche of EIB funding for this project which now stands ...

  • News

    Driverless research

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    IN PARTNERSHIP with Barcelona metro operator TMB and the Universitat Politènica de Catalunya who respectively hold stakes of 39% and 12%, Siemens Transportation Systems has established a research and development centre for driverless metro operation at its traction motor plant at Cornellà de Llobregat. Established with the support of the ...

  • News

    Merkel digs her heels in

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel rode a Transrapid maglev vehicle over the 31 km between Shanghai and Pudong airport during an official visit to China in May, but not everything was running smoothly.The stage had been set for Merkel to sign a deal with Chinese authorities that would have seen German ...

  • News

    Dieter

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    Valley Metro Rail has allocated $6·3m to be spent on public art at stations on the 30 km light rail line under construction in Phoenix. Proposals include pre-Columbian figures and bridge lighting which will change as trains pass over. Campbell station will have a gateway consisting of 32 steel arcs ...

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    Dow's Dictionary of Railway Quotations

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    Book review

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    Eurotunnel unveils debt restructuring

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    AFTER 10 months of tortuous negotiations, Eurotunnel Chairman Jacques Gounon was finally able to announce on May 31 that agreement had been reached with the Ad-Hoc Committee representing co-financier creditors on a debt restructuring plan that could avoid the company becoming insolvent in January 2007.A new French holding company would ...

  • News

    Grinding down for longer crossing life

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    GERMAN Railway engineers worked with Robel on the development of the 16.01 rail milling machine, which can be used to repair turnout crossings and prolong their service life. DB standards only permit the repair of rigid crossings with cracks up to 20m depth, with more severe defects requiring expensive and ...

  • News

    European diesel rivals revive electric versus hydraulic contest

    2006-07-01T10:00:00Z

    Demonstration diesel locos aimed at the heavy freight market in Europe are taking to the rails this summer