Latest news – Page 1369
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NewsGreat Wall train launched in Beijing
CHINA: To coincide with the Olympic Games an upgraded passenger service has been introduced between Beijing and the popular tourist destination of Badaling, the nearest section of the Great Wall to the capital. Launched on August 7, the 16 daily Line S2 services takes around 1 h 20 min ...
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NewsGovernment invests in KiwiRail growth
NEW ZEALAND: Improvements to commuter services in Auckland and Wellington and an overhaul of Tranz Scenic services are included in a five-year NZ$80·2m investment package announced by Finance Minister Michael Cullen, who said he will present a paper to the cabinet proposing an expansion of the role of rail 'and ...
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NewsNSB selects Stadler for largest train order
NORWAY: In the state railway's largest single rolling stock order, on August 18 NSB selected Stadler to supply 50 FLIRT electric multiple-units worth SFr640m, with an option for a further 100. The contract is expected to be signed during September. The Swiss manufacturer will deliver 26 five-car trains with ...
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NewsSouth Central franchise shortlist announced
UK: On August 20 the Department for Transport announced the shortlisted bidders for the South Central rail franchise, which covers passenger services south of London. The bidders are NedRailways South Central (NedRailways), NXSC Trains (National Express Group), Southern Trains (Stagecoach Group) and incumbent Southern Railway (Govia). The ...
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NewsStockholm sets tram sights wider
SWEDEN: Stockholm Transport authority SL has expanded its plans for a light rail line in the centre of the capital. Expressions of interest were invited in 2007 for a BOT concession of at least 15 years covering a line linking Djurgården, Norrmalmstorg and the Central station. This would incorporate ...
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NewsBombardier to supply electro-diesel locos
NORTH AMERICA: Bombardier has been selected to supply New Jersey Transit and Montréal suburban operator AMT with a total of 46 electro-diesel locomotives for commuter services. Announced on August 18, the €178m order from NJ Transit covers 26 locomotives with options for a further 63. These will ...
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NewsSofia metro Line 2 contractors chosen
BULGARIA: Construction of a second metro line in Sofia is expected to begin in September, following the appointment of civil works contractors last month. Turkish firm Dogus Insaat ve Ticaret will build the 3·8 km four-station section running south from Nadezhda to Tsentralna station and through the city centre ...
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NewsRail to serve Russian car terminal
RUSSIA: On August 10 RailTransAuto formally opened a 25 ha car importation terminal at Mikhnevo, 50 km from Moscow. Finland's VR hopes to increase shipment of cars to Russia by rail to 50?000 vehicles a year, and in the longer term aims to carry a third of the 740?000 cars ...
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NewsSwedish studies launched
SWEDEN: Banverket has reached agreement with the local authorities in Västra Götaland, Jönköping and Östsam to undertake a preliminary study of the proposed Götalandsbanan line between Borås and Linköping, which w ould form part of the proposed Stockholm - Göteborg high speed line. The study is intended to identify ...
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NewsNews in Brief
On July 15 the board of Russian private freight operator Globaltrans (RG 5.07 p324) approved the creation of a Ukrainian subsidiary. 'Ukraine provides significant current and future opportunities', said CEO Sergey Maltsev. Steer Davies Gleave is studying business models for the development of a station to serve both Badajoz ...
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NewsPKP seeks 250 km/h trains
POLAND: PKP Intercity has called tenders for the supply and maintenance of 20 electric multiple-units capable of operating at up to 250 km/h. Bids are due by September 25, and PKP Intercity expects to take delivery of the first 14 trains by May 2012, with the rest to arrive ...
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NewsTyne & Wear operations to be tendered
UK: An operating concession for the Tyne & Wear Metro is to be let as part of an agreement under which the government will fund the second phase of a three-stage modernisation programme. The tendering process is due to commence on September 9, with a concession lasting between ...
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NewsBuffer business built up and sold on
AXTONE: Advent International has announced the sale of freight rolling stock buffer and shock aborber manufacturer Axtone to private equity firm IK, which is making its first investment in both the rail and central European markets with the purchase. Advent bought Polish firm Kamax in 2006, and simultaneously acquired ...
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NewsEurosprinter completes tunnel load trials
DENMARK: A Siemens ES64F4 multi-system locomotive has completed trials in the Storebælt tunnel to establish the maximum trailing load which can be hauled in Denmark. Four tests were performed, demonstrating that the locomotive was able to start a train of 36 wagons with a total weight of 2 011 ...
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NewsSyntegra gearless bogie enters service
GERMANY: A metro car fitted with Siemens Syntegra bogies began running in passenger service in München on August 13. The Syntegra concept combines running gear, a three-phase gearless drive system and brakes within a single bogie with fewer mechanical parts than existing designs. 'Syntegra represents a generational change ...
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NewsOre line capacity upgrade
SOUTH AFRICA: Mining group Kumba Resources and Transnet Freight Rail have jointly announced a R4m project to increase the capacity of the Sishen - Saldanha iron ore line from 47 million to 60 million tonnes a year. Kumba is to be allocated 9 million of the additional 13 ...
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NewsWSP appointed Trinidad rail project manager
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Consultancy WSP has been appointed to provide national infrastructure agency NIDCO with technical services during the construction of the Trinidad rapid railway. WSP will act as project manager for the design, build, operate and maintain contract which the government awarded to the Trinitrain consortium of Bouygues ...
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NewsLoco modernisation demonstrated
POLAND: Electric locomotive repair works ZNLE has recently completed a thorough modernisation of an EU07 electric locomotive. There are more than 450 locos of this class in service in Poland, and the contractors hope to win significant volumes of work if they can offer PKP an affordable refurbishment programme. The ...
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NewsInter-regional coach refurbishment
CZECH REPUBLIC: Slovak firm ZOS Trnava has completed the first of 40 Type Bee second class and Type Apee first class coaches which are being modernised for Czech Railways under a KC1·2bn contract. All 40 are scheduled to be delivered by November. Intended for use on fast inter-regional services running ...
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News
Seating in brief
Grammer is to supply its IC3000 range of first class seats for use in the Gold Class cars of the Dubai metro trains, currently under construction (RG 4.08 p225). The leather-upholstered seats will feature a folding table with laptop holder. The seat contours will be trimmed in blue and turquoise, ...