All Railway Gazette International articles in July 2017 – Page 5
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Metro Report InternationalNJ Transit adopts budget after ‘laser-like look’ at business
USA: ‘NJ Transit is moving forward with a balanced budget that reflects a laser-like look at individual business lines in order to maximise efficiencies and maintain a safe transportation system’, said Executive Director Steven H Santoro when the board adopted the $2·22bn operating budget and a $1·37bn capital programme for ...
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NewsEU funding for Skopje – Sofia link
EUROPE: Two international rail projects in the Western Balkans region are to benefit from European Union funding as part of a package of transport investment agreed at a summit in Trieste on July 12. Under the Transport Community Treaty, the EU has agreed to co-fund seven projects with a combined ...
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NewsPrototype Rhein-Ruhr-Express EMU unveiled
GERMANY: The prototype for the fleet of 82 Desiro HC electric multiple-units which Siemens is to supply for Rhein-Ruhr-Express services was unveiled at the Wildenrath test centre on July 12. Seven pre-series EMUs are to undergo extensive testing ahead of entry into passenger service at the end of 2018. The ...
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NewsSaskatchewan sells grain wagon fleet
CANADA: Three short lines in Saskatchewan have agreed to purchase Saskatchewan Grain Car Corp’s fleet of 898 hopper wagons from the provincial government for C$9·7m, an average of C$10 800 per wagon. The government decided to leave the wagon business and began the process of selling the wagons in March, ...
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NewsGovia Thameslink Railway renews ticket sales system
UK: Govia Thameslink Railway is to replace its current desktop ticketing issuing system with Worldline’s @Station mobile point-of-sale technology. Announcing the contract on July 6, Worldline said @Station would provide the operator with ability to 'queue bust' and to cross-sell and upsell both Rail Settlement Plan and non-RSP products. Roll-out ...
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NewsClass 319 Flex electro-diesel multiple-units for Wales
UK: The Welsh Government is to provide £1·9m and operator Arriva Trains Wales £1m to lease five Class 319 Flex electro-diesel multiple-units for use on the Wales & Borders franchise from 2018 until at least 2021. First announced by Porterbrook Leasing and Northern franchise operator Arriva in December 2016, the ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel has signed an agreement with Carmeuse to reopen a 3∙35 km section of Line 136 from its junction with Line 132 to a new limestone quarry at Hemptinne. Track had been lifted following closure in the 1980s, and the restored branch is due to enter service ...
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Metro Report InternationalMinneapolis calls Southwest LRT bids
USA: The Twin Cities Metropolitan Council has invited bids for the first of three construction contracts to build the 23·3 km Southwest LRT light rail line between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie. Tenders for the main civil works contract are due to be opened on August 15, with the contract expected ...
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NewsHS2 Phase 1 civil works preferred bidders named
UK: The preferred bidders for two-stage contracts to design and build the civil works including bridges, tunnels, embankments and viaducts for High Speed 2 Phase 1 from London Euston to Birmingham and a junction with the West Coast Main Line near Handsacre were announced on July 17. The contracts are ...
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NewsComplete Klang Valley SBK Line opens
MALAYSIA: The second phase of Klang Valley MRT Line 1, also known as the SBK Line, was inaugurated at 16.00 on July 17. A free shuttle service runs between Kajang and National Museum, before the start of full running from Kajang to Sungai Buloh from 06.00 on July 18. ...
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NewsNovocherkassk orders five trams
RUSSIA: Sole bidder Elektrotransport has been selected to supply five trams to Novocherkassk. The model has not yet been announced, but the tender specifications suggest Uraltransmash’s 71-407, despite the trading company having previously worked with UKVZ. The tender specifies 16 m long trams with at least 39% low-floor and ...
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NewsKazan orders seven Uraltransmash trams
RUSSIA: Trading company Fobos-TS signed a 111·3m rouble contract on July 7 to supply seven Uraltransmash 71-407 trams to Kazan transport agency Metroelektrotrans. The price includes worth 8m roubles per tram from the government’s programme of federal funding aimed at encouraging tram purchases. The first two trams are ...
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NewsBrookfield Rail becomes Arc Infrastructure
AUSTRALIA: Western Australia’s infrastructure management concessionaire Brookfield Rail announced on July 17 that the company was changing its name to Arc Infrastructure. CEO Paul Larsen said the move was ‘an exciting time for our business. While we remain a Brookfield company, we’re looking forward to creating our own unique identity’. ...
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NewsHS1 concession sold on
UK: A consortium including South Korea’s National Pension Service has agreed a £3bn deal to purchase the 30-year concession to manage High Speed 1 from the two Canadian pension funds which have managed the line since November 2010. The concession covers the operation and maintenance of the 109 km rail ...
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NewsOptimising rolling stock HVAC energy use
EUROPE: Climate chamber operator Rail Tec Arsenal and Dutch engineering consultancy ADSE are to co-operate to accurately determine the yearly energy consumption of rolling stock heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. RTA will measure HVAC energy usage under different climatic conditions, to produce data which could be combined with meteorological ...
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Metro Report InternationalMelbourne Metro tunnel contractors selected
AUSTRALIA: The government of Victoria has selected preferred bidders for the civil works and railway systems packages of the Melbourne Metro tunnel project. The Tunnels & Stations works package is to be awarded to the Cross Yarra Partnership consortium of Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital. ...
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NewsAbellio takes full ownership of WestfalenBahn as market gets more competitive
GERMANY: The Abellio GmbH German subsidiary of Dutch state passenger train operator NS has reached an agreement to acquire the stakes in Westfalenbahn which are currently held by municipal partners moBiel, Mindener Kreisbahnen and Verkehrsbetriebe Extertal. The transaction announced on July 18 is subject to regulatory approval, and terms were ...
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NewsKyiv orders more Pesa Fokstrot trams
UKRAINE: Kyiv tram operator Kyivpastrans announced on July 17 that it had selected Pesa to supply 40 low-floor trams for 1·8bn hryvnia. The previous tender was cancelled, as there was only one bidder. The second tender attracted bids from Pesa and Elektrontrans. Pesa will supply its 26 m ...
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NewsHigh speed infrastructure manager issues €600m dark green bond
SPAIN: High speed rail infrastructure manager ADIF Alta Velocidad has issued a €600m ‘green bond’ via a syndicate of banks BBVA, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole and Santander. The bond has a six-year term at a 0·8% rate of interest. Green bonds must be used to finance or refinance environmentally ...
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NewsBi-mode trains in prospect as HS2 northern routes confirmed
UK: Transport Secretary Chris Grayling issued a Command Paper on July 17 confirming the planned routes for the northern sections of High Speed 2, which would link London and Birmingham with Leeds and Manchester, including connections to the existing East Coast and West Coast main lines.The ‘majority’ of the route ...