All Railway Gazette International articles in July 2010
All articles published this month.
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NewsQR split goes ahead
AUSTRALIA: July 1 saw the formal split of Queensland’s state-owned railway QR Ltd into two business units as part of the state’s privatisation strategy which will see coal and freight operator QR National listed on the Australian Securities Exchange later this year. QR National takes over QR Ltd’s heavy haul ...
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NewsSNIT makes rail a priority
FRANCE: With the aim of producing a definitive document by the end of this year, on July 12 the government published for consultation its SNIT transport infrastructure plan that should see €170bn invested over the next 20 to 30 years. Allocated 51·9% of this total, rail is the top priority ...
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NewsDeutsche Bahn to run ICE3 to Britain this year
EUROPE: 'This autumn we will send an ICE3 test train through the tunnel beneath the English Channel as part of our preparations for possible train service to London', Deutsche Bahn Chairman & CEO Dr Rüdiger Grube said during his presentation of the German national rail company's half-year results on July ...
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NewsNS agrees to sell Strukton
NETHERLANDS: State railway holding company NS has reached an agreement to sell its civil engineering subsidiary Strukton to Oranjewoud, which is active in the infrastructure, water, safety and sports sectors in Europe and the USA. NS felt there was insufficient synergy between its other activities and Strukton, which has ...
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NewsJapanese loan for second phase of Dedicated Freight Corridor
INDIA: Japan International Co-operation Agency signed a further loan agreement for the 1 483 km Western Dedicated Freight Corridor on July 26, making the planned route between Delhi and Mumbai Japan's largest official development assistance project. The latest loan provides the Indian government with ¥1·6bn repayable over 40 years to ...
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NewsGlobal Railway Industries sells businesses to Wabtec
USA: Wabtec Corp has completed the purchase of the first of two businesses which it is buying from Canada-based Global Railway Industries Ltd under agreements reached on July 14. The acquisition of G&B Specialties Inc for $35m was completed on July 28, and Wabtec expects to close the purchase ...
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NewsVictorian investment
AUSTRALIA: On July 12 Victorian Premier John Brumby unveiled the routes for two rail links in Melbourne as part of the A$38bn Victoria Transport Plan launched in 2009. The A$4·3bn Regional Rail Link involves the development of a new commuter service from West Werribee to the city, entailing construction ...
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NewsInvensys Rail wins Thameslink core resignalling contract
UK: Network Rail has awarded Invensys Rail a £32m contract for resignalling the Thameslink route through central London. On completion, this will allow the operation of 24 trains/h between Loughborough Junction and Kentish Town. Under the contract announced on July 26, Invensys Rail will design, supply and commission the signalling. ...
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NewsSwiss-German cross-border upgrade
EUROPE: Swiss Federal Railways CEO Andreas Meyer and Deutsche Bahn Chairman Dr Rüdiger Grube signed a memorandum in Basel on July 9 committing to upgrade infrastructure, shorten journey times and introduce new trains to step up the quality of passenger services between the two countries from December 2014. Building on ...
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NewsTourist railway becomes local freight operator
FRANCE: TPCF Fret became the first local freight operator (opérateur ferroviaire de proximité) to commence operations on July 27, hauling a 64 tonne consignment of dolomite rock over the 7 km from Cases-de-Pène to Rivesaltes. At Rivesaltes on the main line between Perpignan and Narbonne, trainloads are marshalled by ...
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NewsRZD approves formation of Second Freight Company
RUSSIA: Russian Railways gave its approval for the creation of the Second Freight Company as a new standalone subsidiary on July 26. The necessary documentation will now be passed to the RZD board for approval. Second Freight Company will be a national freight operator using its own rolling stock to ...
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NewsEC stepping up pressure
EUROPE: Last month the European Commission announced it was referring 13 member states to the European Court of Justice for ‘failing to correctly implement various parts of the basic EU legislation’ in the First Railway Package, aimed at opening up the market for competition. States were supposed to have ...
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NewsHigher funding agreed
SWITZERLAND: The Federal Transport Ministry has accepted that a higher level of funding will be needed to maintain the intensively-used national network in good condition. Under proposals published on June 23, the government intends to contribute to SBB’s short-term needs by increasing funding for infrastructure maintenance in 2011 and 2012 ...
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NewsAttiko Metro opens Holargos station
GREECE: Attiko Metro Chairman Christos Tsitouras officially opened Holargos station, between Nomismatokopio and Ethniki Amyna on Line 3, with a ceremony on July 23. The new station 22 m below Messogion Avenue is expected to handle 20 000 passengers/day. Holargos is one of three intermediate stations being built on Line ...
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NewsChicago benefits from job creation funding
USA: More than $500m has been allocated to public transit infrastructure improvements throughout the state from the Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction programme. Over $442m will be spent in the Chicago area, with $253m going to Chicago Transit Authority and $157m to the Metra commuter rail network. The CTA ...
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NewsCAF wins first coach order from Amtrak
USA: Amtrak has awarded CAF USA a $298·1m five-year contract to supply 130 coaches from October 2012. The order announced on July 23 covers 25 sleeping, 25 dining and 55 baggage cars, and 25 baggage/staff cars. The single-deck vehicles will used on long-distance routes in the east of the country ...
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NewsDelhi metro expands Movia fleet
INDIA: On July 23 Bombardier Transportation announced that Delhi Metro Rail Corp had decided to buy a further 40 Movia cars worth €43m, exercising an option in the €83m contract for 74 Movias placed by the operator in June.Delivery of the latest batch will follow on from the previous order ...
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NewsNewag DMU ready to roll
POLAND: Newag has unveiled its first Type 220M diesel multiple-unit at its Nowy Sacz plant. Following acceptance trials in August the DMU is expected to enter passenger service by September. Pomorskie voivodship has ordered six of the DMUs at a cost of 50·4m zloty, with deliveries scheduled to be completed ...
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NewsTram bogie turntable
UK: Mechan has supplied two bogie turntables for installation by specialist contractor Trackwork at the Starr Gate tram depot which Volker Fitzpatrick is building at Blackpool in northwest England. The turntables will be used when transferring bogies to the maintenance areas of the seafront depot, which is being built to ...
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