Latest news – Page 1391
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Wagon builder revived
FRANCE: Wagon supplier Arbel Fauvet Rail expects to return to profit this year. Since acquisition by investment company IGF Care in January 2007, the renamed IGF Industries-AFR has reaped benefits from investment totalling €20m. This year's order book stands at 850 wagons, and next year the company hopes to deliver ...
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Pantographs pushed for higher speed
DEUTSCHE BAHN and Stemmann-Technik are collaborating on a project to develop an actively-controlled single-arm pantograph capable of operation at up to 400 km/h. The design will be an evolution of Stemmann's existing DSA380 model that is already in production, which is approved for speeds in excess of 320 km/h. The ...
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Trains in temporary accommodation
TUBE Lines has erected a temporary workshop at Stratford Market depot on London Underground's Jubilee Line to enable trains to receive train control equipment modifications as part of the resignalling of the route. The 1 960 m2 temporary workshop provides a dedicated facility to fit the additional equipment to each ...
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FGC completes upgrade
SPAIN: On February 9 Catalan regional operator FGC introduced a new timetable on its metre-gauge route to Martorell, Igualada and Manresa, having completed a €264·7m programme of capacity enhancements to enable trains to operate every 5 min in the peaks between Barcelona Plaça d'Espanya and Martorell-Enllaç. Trains now operate every ...
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NewsWest Coast upgrade enters the final stage
Launched in 1998, the upgrading of Britain's busiest inter-city and freight route from London to Glasgow has proved a challenging task that Network Rail now expects to complete by 2009
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Branches on Canaries
SPAIN: Work is now underway on the two branches that will form Line 2 of the light rail network in the Spanish city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (RG 10.07 p597). Under a contract worth €11·4m, a joint venture of Acciona Infraestructuras, Comsa, Promotora Punta Larga and Tinerfeña Obras ...
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NewsKeep it simple
NIGERIA: Following the collapse of the agreement for Chinese engineering companies to fund as well as build its ambitious standard-gauge rail network, the Nigerian government has been looking for alternative sources of finance. But a recent approach to the World Bank seems to have come away empty-handed. The bank's advisers ...
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São Paulo airport rail concession
BRAZIL: Bids are to be invited in May for a 35-year concession to build and operate the long-planned Airport Express rail link in São Paulo, with the aim of having the line in service by the end of 2011. The state government hopes to receive bids for the US$800m finance-design-build-operate ...
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Infrastructure market March 2008
Argentina: The federal government has awarded Martínez y de la Fuente SA a contract worth 28·3m pesos to build a new broad-gauge connection to the Port of Buenos Aires, which by using the existing metre-gauge route should enable 300 000 containers a year to be handled. Under the second phase ...
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Through the Andes, not over them
ARGENTINA: At the end of January the governments of Argentina and Chile formally abandoned tendering for the project to restore the rail connection between their two countries, having received a single, non-compliant bid. Originally developed by Argentinian engineering consultancy Tecnicagua, the project would have seen the 225 km metre-gauge ...
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News'The nightmare scenario'
Thalys International's Chief Executive Jean-Michel Dancoisne explains how capacity constraints and cross-border regulatory inconsistency risk making his job anything but a dream.
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NewsBritain announces tram-train trials
UK: Five tram-trains are to be procured for trials on the Penistone line in Yorkshire, Britain's Department for Transport confirmed on March 18. The two-year trial starting in 2010 will 'establish whether tram-trains similar to those operating successfully in Europe are suitable for Britain’s railway network.' The project is a ...
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On the path to competition
FRANCE: Open access freight services are now operating in every region of the French rail network, according to RFF President Hubert du Mesnil. He told the sixth national train paths conference on February 6 that private companies are now running an average of 80 trains a day, and a quarter ...
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SuperCap tests complete
GERMANY: Mannheim tram operator MVV and Bombardier have completed four years of trials with a Mitrac Energy Saver which uses double-layer capacitors to store regenerated braking energy (RG 7.06 p405). Long-term results showed that the tram's traction power consumption was reduced by 30%. Overall power needs including doors, air-conditioning and ...
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Industry News in Brief
Moscow-based European Bearing Corp and Chicago firm Amsted Rail have agreed to form a joint venture which will produce cartridge tapered roller bearings in Russia for the CIS rolling stock market. Miscor Group has expanded its loco repair and remanufacturing capabilities with the purchase of privately-held American Motive Power Inc ...
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Running faster in the Netherlands
NETHERLANDS: Transport Minister Camiel Eurlings published on January 21 a discussion paper on reducing journey times for inter-regional passenger services. He has reserved €70m for this, budgeting €40m for infrastructure improvements and €30m for increasing the maximum speed from 140 to 160 km/h. Four routes have been upgraded in the ...
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NewsAn idea on the move
The Golden State's proposed 1 100 km high speed rail network would be the most expensive and ambitious public works project in California's history. If voters endorse the project in November, the initial phase could open in 2019.
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Djibouti-Ethopien concession talks
ETHIOPIA: Chemin de fer Djibouti-Ethopien has begun talks with Kuwait-based Fuad Algarim Group with a view to awarding a 20-year concession to operate the 781 km metre gauge line linking Addis Abeba and the port of Djibouti. A previous concessioning proposal by the governments of Ethiopia and Djibouti attracted nine ...