All Railway Gazette International articles in June 2008
All articles published this month.
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NewsAgartala – Akhaura cross-border link inaugurated
ASIA: Revenue services have started operating on the short cross-border rail link between Agartala in India and Akhaura in Bangladesh, following a virtual inauguration by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina in November. Built at an estimated cost of Rs11bn, the 15 km link has ...
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NewsSBB announces Zürich double deck orders
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways announced major rolling stock contracts worth a total of SFr1·5bn on June 30. The competition to supply Zürich's third generation of double-deck coaches has been won by Stadler, which will supply 50 six-car EMUs worth SFr1·02bn. They will be the first double-deck trains to be ...
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Vossloh confirms sale of Infrastructure Services
EUROPE: On June 30 Vossloh Group announced its acceptance of a €150m bid for its Vossloh Infrastructure Services business unit from Vinci Group company Eurovia. Acquired as part of the Cogifer Group in 2002, Vossloh Infrastructure Services undertakes track and electrification construction and maintenance. It has a workforce of ...
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NewsVelaro sets Chinese speed record
CHINA: On June 24 a CRH3 trainset from the Siemens Velaro family of high speed trains set a Chinese steel-wheel rail speed record of 394·3 km/h.
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NewsEdmonton light rail vehicle unveiled
CANADA: The first of 37 Siemens SD160 cars ordered to double the fleet size in advance of the opening of Edmonton's South Line light rail extension was publicly unveiled on June 23. The €77m contract was awarded to Siemens in October 2005, partly funded through fuel taxes. The first ...
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NewsDB Schenker increases BLS Cargo stake
EUROPE: Swiss railway group BLS has sold a 25% stake in BLS Cargo to DB Schenker, which now holds 45% of the freight operator. The deal was an option on the 2002 agreement between DB and BLS to co-operate on north-south trans-Alpine freight traffic. The contracts were concluded on ...
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NewsSympathetic operator wanted
AUSTRALIA: Tasmania's Premier David Bartlett said on June 17 that the state government is keen to find a new train operator to secure the future of the island's rail network. The previous week, Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturgess confirmed that Pacific National was looking to sell its local rail freight ...
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NewsSiemens coaches arrive at Ashdod
ISRAEL: The first six of 87 coaches ordered from Siemens for inter-city and regional services was unloaded at the Port of Ashdod on June 18. ISR expects to have two complete 10-car trains ready for trials by the end of August, and plans to put the first into passenger service ...
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NewsAGV begins dynamic testing
CZECH REPUBLIC: Alstom’s seven-car AGV demonstrator Pégase has begun a four-month programme of dynamic trials at the Velim test track, where the traction package, wheel-rail and pantograph-catenary interfaces will be tested at up to 210 km/h. The trainset was delivered from La Rochelle on May 14, and began test running ...
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Caterpillar buys MGE
MGE: Brazilian electrical equipment manufacturer and rolling stock refurbishment company MGE Equipamentos & Serviços Ferroviários has been bought by Caterpillar, the companies announced on June 24. MGE has plants at two locations in São Paulo state. As well as supplying traction and control equipment, the company maintains and ...
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NewsDedicated Freight Corridors are close to launch
INDIA: Following the approval of a funding agreement with Japanese banks, the first contracts for construction of the country’s two high-capacity dedicated freight corridors are due to be awarded by October, reports Raghu Dayal
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NewsUlrich Gygi named President of SBB
SWITZERLAND: On June 25 the Swiss Federal Council approved the appointment of Dr Ulrich Gygi as Chairman of Swiss Federal Railways. He will succeed Thierry Lalive d'Epinay, who is stepping down after 10 years in the position. Aged 61, Gygi has been Chief Executive of Swiss Post since 2000. Before ...
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NewsCzechs and Slovaks plan freight merger
EUROPE: Czech Minister of Transport Aleš Rebícek and his Slovak counterpart ?ubomír Vážny reached an agreement to plan the merger of national freight operators CD Cargo and ZSSK Cargo on June 23. The ministers agreed to draw up detailed plans and a timetable for the merger, setting out the ...
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NewsWorld infrastructure market June 2008
Bosnia: The OPEC Fund for International Development has signed a US$12m loan agreement with Bhzjk to upgrade the 40 km Sarajevo - Bradina section of the Sarajevo - Ploce line. China: Following the suspension of work during winter, construction has restarted on a 1·2bn yuan rail-served logistics and distribution ...
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Contracts June 2008
Australia: Victoria's Department of Infrastructure has awarded Funkwerk IT York a £2·3m contract to develop timing and fleet management modules for a timetable planning and platform allocation system which will be used by V/Line and Connex. Malaysia: The government has decided not to support an 8bn ringgit proposal by YTL ...
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NewsEssential renewals must pave the way for ambitious expansion strategy
GHANA: Two concessions are under negotiation for privately-funded extensions to open up the north of the country, but Ghana Railways Corp is struggling to operate its residual freight and passenger services. Refurbishment of the Accra - Tema line reflects a welcome government commitment to restore the network to good order, ...
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NewsRolling stock market - June 2008
Bangladesh: Trelleborg Industrial has won a third contract to supply rubber-metal suspension components for the refurbishment of 20-year old wagon bogies. Brazil: Timken has been awarded a long-term contract to provide an on-site bearing reconditioning service for América Latina Logística at its Sorocaba works. Canada: Agricultural products firm Viterra has ...
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NewsBulgaria commissions strategic transport study
BULGARIA: The Ministry of Transport has appointed consultancy Faber Maunsell to produce a national multi-modal transport masterplan. Much of Bulgaria's transport infrastructure is in a poor condition as a result of past underinvestment, but accession to the European Union in January 2007 has made significant funds available, with €2bn ...
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NewsSTAR is born
SWITZERLAND: Stadler has handed over to Aare Seeland Mobil the first Schmalspur Triebzug für Attraktiven Regionalverkehr, or 'narrow gauge railcar for attractive regional transport'. ASM placed a SFr18·5m order for three low-floor three-car EMUs in 2005. They will be used on its 1·2 kV DC metre-gauge line from Solothurn to ...