Latest news – Page 941
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NewsFirst X’Trapolis Mega EMU arrives in South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA: The first pre-series X’Trapolis Mega electric multiple-unit that Alstom is supplying for Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa arrived at PRASA’s Wolmerton depot in Pretoria on December 18. The second pre-series trainset is due to arrive in early 2016. The six-car 1 067 mm gauge EMUs are ...
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NewsBuenos Aires Line H extended
ARGENTINA: On December 18 President Mauricio Macri joined Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, head of the Buenos Aires city government, to officially open the extension of metro Line H from Corrientes to Las Heras. Bringing metro services to over 75 000 inhabitants, this latest extension to Line H currently serves one intermediate ...
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NewsGold Coast double-tracking contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: The Queensland government announced on December 16 that it had awarded Golding Contractors a contract for civils works related to double-tracking of part of the Gold Coast – Brisbane line. Due to begin in March, the A$163m project would double 8·2 km of the 1 067 mm gauge ...
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NewsFunding to develop Old Oak Common station plans
UK: The European Commission is providing €4m to Transport for London towards planning new stations at Old Oak Common in west London. The funding comes from the Connecting Europe Facility and will be match-funded by TfL. The funding will support development of options for new stations on Old Oak ...
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NewsFaster to Salamanca and Zamora
SPAIN: On December 17 national operator RENFE introduced Alvia services from Madrid to Salamanca and Zamora, following the completion of high speed infrastructure between Olmedo near Medina del Campo and Zamora, as well as upgrading and electrification of the conventional route between Medina del Campo and Salamanca. The fastest journey ...
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NewsMoscow approves new tram lines
RUSSIA: The Moscow city government approved the start of planning for two new tram routes in the south of the city on December 8. The first project is an extension of a route approved in June 2014. Construction of the 8·3 km, 10-stop line from Krasnogo Mayaka to Biryulyovo ...
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NewsShift2Rail issues first open call for research proposals
EUROPE: The Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking issued its first open call on December 17, inviting proposals for a range of research projects expected to have a total value of €170m. Proposals have been invited for nine packages in three of the five Shift2Rail Innovation Programmes (below). An information day is to ...
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NewsNTV unveils ‘futuristic’ Pendolino styling
ITALY: Open access operator NTV has revealed the appearance of the eight 250 km/h Pendolino trainsets which it ordered from Alstom in October. Deliveries are scheduled for late 2017 and entry into service for early 2018. The design was created by Alstom's Design & Styling Centre, which was responsible ...
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NewsTrenord boosts fleet spend
ITALY: Regional passenger operator Trenord has announced that it is to invest an additional €170m on new rolling stock to enter service in 2017. Funding is being provided by the Lombardia region and FNM, which owns 50% of the Trenord joint venture with Trenitalia. Trenord is to acquire 18 trainsets, ...
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NewsBNDES funds VLI rolling stock
BRAZIL: Federal development bank BNDES has approved funding of R$587⋅8m for the acquisition of 16 diesel locomotives and 1 916 wagons by freight operator VLI Multimodal. BNDES is to provide R$392⋅9m directly, and Banco Safra R$195m. By acquiring new rolling stock in 2016, VLI is looking to increase freight capacity ...
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NewsInnsbruck orders Regionalbahn LRVs
AUSTRIA: The city of Innsbruck, the Land of Tirol and transport authority IVB signed a contract on December 16 for the supply of rolling stock for the city’s Regionalbahn light rail project. Bombardier Transportation is to supply 20 Flexity light rail vehicles, along with maintenance support under Bombardier’s FlexCare ...
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NewsWellington chooses suburban rail operator
NEW ZEALAND: Greater Wellington Regional Council announced the selection of a joint venture between Transdev and Hyundai Rotem as preferred bidder for a contract to operate the capital’s suburban rail services on December 17. Formal award is planned for March. A Keolis Downer-KiwiRail joint venture and Serco had also ...
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NewsKampala light rail agreement signed
UGANDA: The government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government for the construction of a light rail network in Kampala. To be built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp, the first phase would cost US$440m to build and would extend for 35 km on an elevated ...
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NewsQingdao metro opens
CHINA: The first metro line in Qingdao opened for trial passenger operation at 11.00 on December 16. Services on Line 3 operate between 06.30 and 21.30 using six six-car trainsets. The 12 km northern section of Line 3 links Qingdao North railway station with Shungshan in the city centre. ...
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NewsWaldenburgbahn to be regauged
SWITZERLAND: Plans to convert the 13·1 km Waldenburgbahn from 750 mm to 1 000 mm gauge by 2022 were approved by Basel’s construction and planning commission last month. The single-track line from Liestal to Waldenburg opened in 1880 and was electrified at 1·5 kV DC in 1953. It is ...
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NewsNASA selects Abellio to operate services
GERMANY: Sachsen-Anhalt transport authority NASA has selected Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland to operate Dieselnetz Sachsen-Anhalt passenger services for 14 years from December 2018. NASA is procuring the services on behalf of the Länder of Sachsen-Anhalt, Thüringen and the greater Braunschweig region. The preferred bidder was named on December 14, with ...
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NewsBEG confirms National Express as Nürnberg S-Bahn operator
GERMANY: Bayern railway authority BEG confirmed the National Express Rail GmbH subsidiary of UK-based National Express Group as the winner of the two Nürnberg S-Bahn operating contracts on December 15, after reviewing bids following an appeal by incumbent DB Regio which had blocked the award of the contracts. Subject ...
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NewsChinese consortium to complete Malaysian electric spine
MALAYSIA: Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai announced on December 11 that the contract for electrification and double-tracking of the Gemas – Johor Bahru route is to be awarded to a consortium led by China Railways Corp.Lai said that the award of the contract would accelerate the programme to enable a ...
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NewsHessische Landesbahn orders 30 EMUs
GERMANY: Alstom announced on December 15 that it had been awarded a €160m contract to supply 30 Coradia Continental electric multiple-units to Hessische Landesbahn. Alstom said these would be the first Coradia Continental units to meet the Locomotives & Passenger Rolling Stock Technical Specification for Interoperability. The order covers ...
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NewsTesting starts on Bangkok’s Purple Line
THAILAND: On December 14 concessionaire Bangkok Metro Public Co started test running on the first section of the Purple Line in Bangkok, in the presence of Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha. The 23 km elevated route linking Bang Yai in northwest Bangkok to Tao Pun in the city centre ...