Latest news – Page 1324
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NewsIndustry News in Brief
Ontario based pension investor Omers Private Equity has acquired Nordco from The Riverside Company, which has owned the track maintenance equipment manufacturer since 2003. Financing has been provided by GE Capital, Allied Capital and Omers Administration Corp, but terms have not been disclosed. Nordco has plants in Wisconsin and Ontario, ...
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NewsPointers July 2009
Canadian consultants are to start work this month on a 12-month feasibility study into the proposed railway linking the Mmamabula and Morupule coalfields in Botswana with Walvis Bay in Namibia. The World Bank has provided a US$44000 grant, and the two countries will each contribute US$82000. The New Zealand ...
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NewsVeolia prepares to expand
EUROPE: Changes in the regulatory landscape are opening up opportunities for Veolia Transport, according to CEO Cyrille du Peloux. Speaking to Railway Gazette International on June 10, he highlighted the Public Service Regulation which comes into force in December, and the liberalisation of international passenger rail services from January 1 ...
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NewsGovernment to take over National Express East Coast franchise
UK: Secretary of State for Transport Lord Adonis announced on July 1 that the government was taking back control of the Inter-City East Coast franchise currently operated by National Express Group. The move followed publication of the group's pre-close trading statement ahead of its half-year results due on July 30, ...
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NewsCompetition gets going
SWEDEN: The first open access trains on the national inter-city network began running on June 22, when Veolia Transport launched an overnight service between Malmö, Göteborg and Narvik using traction supplied by Hector Rail. The launch follows a decision by the Swedish government to end the monopoly enjoyed by ...
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NewsTaipei Neihu Line inaugurated
TAIWAN: On June 29 Mayor Hao of Taipei City hosted the official ceremony to mark the inauguration of the Neihu Line, an extension of the existing Muzha Line. The project involved the design and supply of the 15 km line and a fleet of 202 vehicles, as well as ...
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NewsConsultants appointed for København capacity increase
DENMARK: Infrastructure manager Banedanmark has appointed Atkins and Grontmij Carl Bro as design and engineering consultants for a DKr800m project to increase capacity on the western approach to København's main station. A 5 km double track line designed for 120 km/h running will be built from Vigerslev to København ...
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NewsThree shortlisted for LGV Bretagne
FRANCE: Réseau Ferré de France President Hubert du Mesnil announced on June 22 that three groups had been shortlisted to bid for construction of LGV Bretagne - Pays de la Loire, following scrutiny of the prequalification offers. The three candidates retained for the second round of the PPP competition are: ...
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NewsCarajás Railway to use biofuel
BRAZIL: Mining group Vale has announced plans to become self-sufficient in the production of B20 biodiesel for its locomotives, which since 2007 have run on a B20 mix of 20% palm oil and 80% ordinary diesel. On June 24 Vale announced details of a consortium with Biopalma da ...
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NewsTangshan begins maglev testing
CHINA: CNR Tangshan Railway Vehicle Co has announced the start of tests of a domestically produced magnetic levitation train for medium and low-speed urban applications up to 120 km/h. The prototype has been developed by China Northern in conjunction with Beijing Enterprises Holdings Maglev Technology Development Co and the ...
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NewsJR East unveils Series E5 trainset
JAPAN: East Japan Railway has unveiled the pre-mass production Series E5 trainset for 320 km/h operation on the Tohoku Shinkansen. It will undergo performance and endurance tests later this year, ready for the series-build trains to enter service on the high speed line extension from Hachinohe to Shin-Aomori when it ...
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NewsDedicated to the traction motor
INDUSTRY: After a complex realignment of electrical suppliers across Europe, Traktionssysteme Austria has emerged as an independent manufacturer dedicated to the development and supply of traction motors. Dr Harry Hondius reports from Wiener Neudorf.
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NewsMelbourne tram and train operators selected
AUSTRALIA: The Victorian government has selected Metro Trains Melbourne as the preferred bidder for a contract to operate Melbourne's rail services, and Keolis Downer EDI Rail to run the city's trams. Both contracts are expected to be signed in August and will run for eight years from December, with optional ...
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NewsCairo sticks with French suppliers
EGYPT: The National Authority for Tunnels has signed a contract for the construction of the second phase of Cairo metro Line 3 with a consortium headed by Vinci Construction Grands Projets. The consortium is already working on phase 1, which is 60% complete and set to open in October 2011. ...
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NewsLevel Crossing Awareness to reduce risk from road users
EUROPE: Level crossing accidents account for 2% of road deaths but a third of all rail fatalities, according to the organisers of the pan-European Level Crossing Awareness Day on June 25. At least 600 people fall victim of accidents at European level crossings every year, and according to UIC calculations ...
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NewsVoestalpine opens turnout plant
FRANCE: Voestalpine companies VAE and JEZ Sistemas Ferroviarios began production of cast manganese crossings at an €18m state-of-the-art plant in southwest France on June 18. The partners each hold a 50% interest in Materièl Ferroviaire d'Aberats, which will have an annual capacity of 3 500 units and employ 73 ...
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NewsMakkah metro contracts signed
SAUDI ARABIA: Thales is to supply Seltrac Communications-Based Train Control, an operations control centre, CCTV, SCADA and passenger information systems for the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro in Makkah under a contract announced on June 24. The €130m contract was awarded by China Railway Construction Corp, which is responsible ...
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NewsZaragoza light rail partner selected
SPAIN: The municipality of Zaragoza announced on June 10 that it had selected the Traza consortium of Tuzsa, CAF, FCC Construcción, Acciona, Ibercaja and Concessia as its preferred partner to build Line 1 of the city's light rail network. By the end of June it was hoped to form the ...
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NewsEuropean Railway Agency headquarters inaugurated
FRANCE: The new headquarters for the European Railway Agency was officially inaugurated by Valenciennes Métropole on June 22. By the end of July the building will be occupied by around 120 ERA staff drawn from 20 countries. Following the December 2003 decision to base the ERA in Valenciennes and Lille, ...
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NewsRailpower Technologies assets bought
RJ CORMAN: The Kentucky-based RJ Corman Railroad Group has finalised its acquisition of Québec-based Railpower Technologies Corp and its wholly owned US subsidiary Railpower Hybrid Technologies. 'We are pleased and honored to be able to continue the development and production of the Railpower genset locomotives for the railroad industry', ...