Latest news – Page 651
-
Metro Report InternationalTunnelling poised to start on Paris RER Line E extension
FRANCE: Construction of the main tunnel of the RER Line E extension between Courbevoie and Haussmann-Saint Lazare to the west of Paris will commence during the first quarter of 2019. This follows a traditional ceremony held at Courbevoie on November 28 to name the tunnel boring machine Virginie. Present at ...
-
NewsBangkok Sukhumvit Line reaches Kheha
THAILAND: A 10 km extension of the elevated Sukhumvit Line in Bangkok was inaugurated on December 6. The southern metro extension runs from Samrong to Kheha, adding eight stations. A depot has been built 1·5 km southwest of Kheha, and Kheha features a 1 200-space park-and-ride site. Construction ...
-
NewsConnection concerns raised as Ouigo expands
FRANCE: The European timetable change on December 9 marks a further expansion of SNCF’s low-cost high speed operation Ouigo. Routes to be added to the network include three daily return services between Paris-Lyon and Marseille, and three between Lille-Flandres and Marseille. When Ouigo was launched in April 2013, it operated ...
-
NewsSiemens presents first Mireo EMU
GERMANY: Siemens presented the first Mireo electric multiple-unit at its Wildenrath test facility on December 6. The aluminium-bodied modular articulated EMU design is intended for commuter and regional services. DB Regio became the launch customer in February 2017 when it placed a firm order for 24 three-car units. These ...
-
NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Vossloh AG announced on November 30 that it had successfully completed the acquisition of Australian concrete sleeper manufacturer Austrak Pty Ltd from Laing O'Rourke through its Vossloh Australia subsidiary. In future, Austrak will form part of Vossloh’s Tie Technologies business unit, within the Core Components division. Releasing its annual results ...
-
Rail Business UKTranslink orders more CAF DMU cars
UK: Northern Ireland transport operator Translink has ordered a further 21 diesel multiple-unit cars from CAF to cope with increasing ridership on the Northern Ireland Railways network. Funded by £50m from the Department of Infrastructure, the intermediate vehicles have been ordered as an option on the contract under which CAF ...
-
NewsRFI completes Adriatic Corridor gauge clearance work
ITALY: Infrastructure manager RFI opened the double-track Frentani tunnel near Ortona south of Pescara on December 2. Built at a cost of €25m, the tunnel is 523 m long and has been excavated 30 m south of the existing single-bore Castello tunnel. RFI now intends to close this bore ...
-
NewsŠkoda presents Chemnitz tram
GERMANY: Škoda Transportation has officially presented the first of 14 trams that it is supplying to Chemnitz transport operator CVAG. CVAG and Škoda signed a €35m contract in 2016 for the supply of the bidirectional ForCity Classic trams. The first is expected to enter passenger service early next year, ...
-
NewsRhein-Ruhr-Express trains are ready to roll
GERMANY: The first Desiro HC EMUs being built for Rhein-Ruhr Express services by Siemens Mobility are on course to enter service with the December 9 timetable change, following their formal approval by the Federal Railway Office using its new authorisation process. Under a €1·7bn contract from a consortium of local ...
-
Metro Report InternationalAlstom completes last Sydney metro train
AUSTRALIA: Alstom has rolled out the last of the 22 driverless Metropolis trains that it is supplying for the Sydney metro at its Sricity factory in India. Alstom is supplying 22 six-car Metropolis driverless trainsets, together with Urbalis 400 communications-based train control, Iconis control systems and Smartlock 400 computer-based ...
-
Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
The parliamentary Transport Select Committee issued its formal report on December 4 examining the widespread disruption experienced across the network after the May 2018 timetable change. The committee makes a series of recommendations, including the ‘immediate priority’ of establishing national oversight for upcoming timetable changes with independent oversight of the ...
-
Metro Report InternationalRiyadh metro naming rights partners chosen
SAUDI ARABIA: Riyadh Development Authority has selected partners for the naming rights to eight of the 85 stations on the city’s future metro network. The 10-year contracts are worth a total of 1·05bn riyals, which is to be reinvested into metro operations. The sponsors are: The ...
-
NewsKorail-Supreme Railways merger plan back on
SOUTH KOREA: The government has revived plans to combine national passenger operator Korail with new entrant Supreme Railways, Korail’s Vice-President for Passenger Transport Hyungik Cho has told Railway Gazette. The Ministry of Land & Infrastructure has commissioned a feasibility study into the effects of the possible merger, and its conclusions ...
-
Metro Report InternationalIntegrating driverless road shuttles into public transport
INTERNATIONAL: Bestmile and Init announced on November 28 that they will work together to develop technologies to enable the incorporation of driverless road vehicles into public transport operations. Focusing on autonomous vehicles for first and last-mile services connecting to transport hubs, the companies aim to integrate their respective back-end ...
-
News
CP launches next-generation grain haulage fleet
CANADA: Canadian Pacific formally unveiled its next-generation grain trainsets on December 4, during the opening of an upgraded loading terminal near Moose Jaw attended by Saskatchewan’s Minister of Highways & Infrastructure Lori Carr. Designated High Efficiency Product, the 2 590 m long unit trains are expected to carry 44% more ...
-
NewsMore EU funding to enhance the Kosovan network
KOSOVO: A second tranche of EU funding worth €17·2m has been awarded to Kosovo to support rehabilitation of the railway between Fushë Kosovë and Mitrovicë, which is on the main line running south towards the border with FYR Macedonia and is part of pan-European Corridor X. The EU funding is ...
-
NewsKeolis to operate Odense tram line
DENMARK: Odense Letbane has selected Keolis as preferred bidder to operate and maintain the light rail line due to open in the city in 2020. The 15-year contract to be signed by the Keolis Odense Letbane subsidiary is expected to generate cumulative revenue of €230m. The 14·5 km ...
-
NewsBelfort – Delle reopening to revive Franco-Swiss link
EUROPE: The 22 km missing link between Belfort in eastern France and Delle on the border with Switzerland is to reopen for passenger trains with the European timetable change on December 9, following a formal opening ceremony on December 6 to be attended by French Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne and ...
-
Rail Business UKOyster and contactless payment to be extended further outside London
UK: Acceptance of Oyster and contactless payment is to be extended to Hertford North and Epsom next year, Rail Minister Andrew Jones announced on November 30. Ticket barriers will be modified to accept Oyster and contactless cards at Epsom, Cuffley, Bayford and Hertford North early next year. Stations up ...
-
Metro Report InternationalStation moved underground as Tianjin metro extension opens
CHINA: A short extension of Tianjin metro Line 1 was inaugurated on December 3. The 1·5 km southeastern extension has two stations. Shuanglin, the previous terminus of Line 1, has reopened after nearly two years of closure during which it was rebuilt from an elevated to an underground station. ...