Latest news – Page 1284
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NewsPortuguese high speed concession signed
PORTUGAL: Minister of Public Works, Transport & Communications António Mendoça participated in ceremonies on May 8 to mark the formal signing of the 40-year PPP concession contract covering construction of the country’s first high speed line. He was joined by Assistant Secretary of State Paulo Campas, Transport Secretary Correia da ...
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NewsHajj trains shipped to Makkah
SAUDI ARABIA: Chinese manufacturer CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles has shipped the first 24 of 204 metro cars which will be used to transport pilgrims around Makkah, Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat during the 2010 Hajj (MR 9.09 p12). The cars were due to arrive in Jeddah on May 20. The order ...
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NewsGroundbreaking in Boston
USA: A groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 3 marking the start of a $17·4m project to double-track 6·4 km of the Haverhill commuter line between Lawrence and Andover. Transportation Secretary Jeffrey Mullan led a group of local elected officials in wielding shovels at Andover station, the starting point of ...
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NewsMünchen unveils refurbished tram
GERMANY: The first of München’s 50 Type R2.2 low-floor trams to undergo a mid-life refit was revealed by operator MVG on May 17. Supplied in 1994-97, the three-section cars are all to be refurbished by the end of 2011 under a programme valued at €15m. Following a European tender, the ...
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NewsWorld rolling stock market May 2010
Canada: At a cost of C$12·6m Industrial Rail Services is to rebuild six Budd RDC railcars used in northern Ontario and Vancouver Island. Accessibility will be improved, and they will get LED lighting, new HVAC and rebuilt Euro-II compliant Cummins N14E-R engines. China: ContiTech is to supply Bombardier ...
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NewsFiltration agreement signed
CANADA: Bombardier Transportation and Noveko International have signed an agreement for the joint development of rolling stock air filters. Montréal-based Noveko said its washable and recyclable filtration equipment has antimicrobial properties and can offer train operators cost savings by cutting the number of filters used and reducing the energy consumed ...
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NewsTram testing starts in Alger
ALGERIA: On May 15 Algerian Transport Minister Amar Tou witnessed the start of trial running on Alger’s first tram project, which will run from Carrefour des Fusillés, near Hessein Dey railway station, to Dergana in the eastern suburbs of the capital city. The initial trials are being carried out ...
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NewsPesa presents Warszawa Swing tram
POLAND: On May 12 Pesa Bydgoszcz presented the first Swing Type 120Na 100% low-floor tram for Tramwaje Warszawskie’s standard gauge network. The vehicle will be shipped to Warszawa at the end of May to start trial running. The five-section tram is 30·1 m long and 2 350 mm wide with ...
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NewsPrivate finance to the rescue
SPAIN: Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero joined Development Minister José Blanco at Madrid Chamartín station last month to unveil an emergency infrastructure plan that aims to revive the national economy and create jobs by investing €17bn in 2010-11. Rail is expected to account for 70% of this spending. Tendering ...
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NewsRegioJet launches its yellow spring trains
CZECH REPUBLIC: After more than two years of campaigning and having obtained a passenger operating licence last October, the RegioJet subsidiary of travel agent and coach operator Student Agency has managed to finally enter the local rail market, albeit briefly, and to acquire a fleet of electric locomotives to support ...
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NewsNews in Brief
The Bulgarian government has published a draft strategy for the development of transport infrastructure through PPPs; concessions could be awarded covering the main stations in Sofia, Poduyane, Plovdiv and Varna. The European Commission has published a Best Practice Guide for Railway Network Statements, giving recommendations for drafting Network Statements which ...
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NewsTransnet five year plan
SOUTH AFRICA: State-owned rail, port and pipeline group Transnet set out proposals to invest R52bn in rail under its R93bn 2010-15 business plan. The biggest challenge is moving greater volumes of iron ore, manganese and coal, said acting CEO Chris Wells. Ore capacity will be increased from 47 to 60 ...
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NewsTrams return to Washington
USA: Plans for a 60 km, eight-route tram network were formally unveiled by District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty and other city officials on May 5, at the start of a four-day DC Tram Showcase. Centrepiece of the event was one of three low-floor cars purchased from Czech supplier Skoda-Inekon ...
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NewsMarseille metro extended
FRANCE: Line 1 of Marseille’s rubber-tyred metro was extended to La Fourragère on May 6. Construction of the 2·5 km extension from La Timone, with intermediate stations at La Blancard, Louis Armand and Saint-Barnabé, started in September 2005 and cost €417·5m.The new service to the predominantly residential western suburbs ...
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NewsTramwaje Warszawskie signs EBRD loan
POLAND: Tramwaje Warszawskie signed a loan agreement with EBRD on May 11 which will provide up to 200m zloty towards the operator’s 3·2bn zloty investment programme. EBRD will provide 50% from its own funds with the rest syndicated to commercial banks. The programme includes buying 186 trams to replace part ...
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NewsDouble-deck in Delhi
INDIA: Rail Coach Factory rolled out its first double-deck coach for trials between Delhi and Muradabad on March 31. A double-deck train is expected to be in service by the end of the year. The stainless steel car was developed by RCF and Research Design & Standard Organisation over nine ...
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NewsToronto orders more Rockets
CANADA: Toronto Transit Commission on May 6 approved an order for another 186 Rocket subway cars from Bombardier. The cars will be formed into 31 six-car trainsets, 21 of which will replace life-expired rolling stock. The other 10 sets will equip the Spadina subway extension to York, which is now ...
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NewsAlstom opens new Pendolino depot
UK: A purpose-built depot designed to maintain and service Virgin Trains' Class 390 Pendolino trainsets was formally inaugurated by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool Councillor Mike Storey on May 12. Owned and operated by Alstom's West Coast Traincare business, the depot at Edge Hill will provide the extra capacity needed ...
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NewsLahore - Karachi resignalling advances
PAKISTAN: The consortium of Bombardier Transportation and China Railway Signal & Communication Corp which is resignalling the 328 km Bin Qasim - Mirpur Mathelo section of the Karachi - Lahore main line has been awarded two additional contracts. Consortium leader Bombardier has a €46m share of the €102m value of ...
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NewsNorthern secures two-year franchise extension
UK: Northern Rail announced on May 13 that it had exceed the performance targets necessary to trigger a two-year extension to its franchise to operate passenger services across the north of England. Northern Rail is owned by a joint venture of Serco and Abellio, the subsidiary of Dutch national rail ...