Main line rail industry news – Page 1144
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Dubai Rapid Link underway
ON MARCH 21 the Prime Minister of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, attended a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction work on the Red Line of the Dubai Metro. The 52·1 km Red Line will link Rashidiya and Jebel Ali from 2009. Work is ...
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Stadler wins Alger contract
ALGERIAN national railway SNTF announced on March 18 that Stadler Bussnang AG had won an international tender called last summer for the supply of EMUs to operate suburban services around the capital. The Swiss manufacturer is to supply 64 four-car Flirt electric multiple-units between the second half of 2008 ...
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Strategic thinking can reduce the mass of commuter EMUs
Rolling stock manufacturers are studying the potential for reducing the weight of rolling stock, with a view to cutting energy consumption and life-cycle costs. Experience from Japan suggests that taking a strategic view offers long-term benefits
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AV network opens up commercial opportunities
TRACK and overhead line equipment is already complete on much of the high speed line between Milano and Bologna. The first section is due to open next year, adding a key route to Italy's north-south high-speed/high-capacity corridor. According to Renato Casale, RFI's Financial Director, the AV/AC network offers the opportunity ...
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Fitting the fleet slows high speed start-up
DONATO CARILLO, Head of the Alta Velocita Division at Trenitalia, suggests there are good reasons for the cautious start-up of high speed services between Roma and Napoli.Public services with Trenitalia’s new AV branding began on December 22, although there were just two trains a day each way and no fares ...
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Italian industry on show in Torino
MANUFACTURERS and suppliers from a wide range of countries will congregate at the Lingotto Fiere exhibition centre in Torino for Expo Ferroviaria 06 on May 16-18.Alstom Ferroviaria will feature its Pendolino and AGV trainsets to mark 25 years in the high speed market. Bombardier will focus on its Movia metro ...
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NewsDouble-deck multiple-units arrive on Zürich's S-Bahn network
Due to enter service on S-Bahn routes in Zürich this summer are the first of 35 double-deck commuter EMUs ordered from Siemens in 2003, which offer a high rate of acceleration for rapid journeys between the closely-spaced stops and level boarding from the station platforms
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Fastech 360 twins herald speed-up to the north
JR East's six-car small-profile Fastech 360 Z began dynamic tests on March 26 at the Shinkansen General Rolling Stock Centre in northern Japan. Murray Hughes reports from Sendai
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Series E331 takes ACT concept forward
INTRO: Building upon experience with its Advanced Commuter Train prototype, East Japan Railway has decided to adopt articulation for its latest Tokyo suburban EMUsWHEN the cherry blossom blooms in Tokyo, local residents flock to the parks and green spaces to hold hanami parties under the cherry trees. This year the ...
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University links
NOVOCHERKASSK Electric Locomotive Works, engineering research institute OJSC VElNII and Rostov State University of Transport & Communications have signed a co-operation agreement under which the Transmash Holding subsidiary will identify RGUPS students for a scholarship programme and provide input to the curriculum. The agreement is part of a scheme to ...
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Technicentre Est Europeen opens for business
FRANCE: At 09.00 on April 6, two TGV Duplex trainsets were standing at Platforms 5 and 6 in Paris Est station, well outside their normal sphere of operations. They were laden with 1500 guests, press and VIPs, bound for the inauguration of the new TGV Est rolling stock ...
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Merger agreed in Hong Kong
MTR Corp signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on April 11, setting out terms for the proposed merger with Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp.The deal provides for MTR to make an upfront payment of HK$4·25bn for a Service Concession ’to acquire certain ...
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DB chases a high score in World Cup challenge
INTRO: German Railway has seized on the opportunities presented by this year’s World Cup to promote its services and win more passengers to rail. The north-south tunnel in Berlin and the high speed line from Nürnberg to Ingolstadt open this month in good time to help handle the expected crowds ...
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Transandine tenders by August
DURING her first state visit abroad, President of Chile Michelle Bachelet announced in Buenos Aires on March 21 that tendering for the project to restore the 225 km route from Los Andes to Mendoza in Argentina (RG 4.06 p218) would start before July 31 2006. The preceding week the Chilean ...
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Arica - La Paz changes hands
RESPONSIBILITY for the Chilean section of the Arica - La Paz Railway (RG 2.06 p65) is to be taken over by EPA, the state-owned company which manages the port of Arica. According to EPA General Manager Mario Moya, major investment in track repairs will be required before tenders are called ...
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Pacific concession goes to court
COLOMBIA's national concession agency INCO has begun legal proceedings against Tren de Occidente, which holds the 30-year concession to upgrade and operate the 498 km Pacific network connecting the port of Buenaventura with Cali, La Virginia and Armenia. INCO maintains that the concessionaire has fallen behind with an infrastructure ...
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More suburban spend in Buenos Aires
THE GOVERNMENT of Argentina was expected to begin tendering last month for a programme of electrification, resignalling, track renewals and station refurbishment on the Roca suburban network in Buenos Aires.Due to take two years to complete at a cost of 1·42bn pesos, the work will be funded by the state. ...
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African concessions make progress
ETHIOPIAN Transport Minister Juneidi Sado confirmed on March 29 that Comazar of South Africa had been selected as preferred bidder for a concession to operate the Ethio-Djibouti Railway, ahead of a rival tender from Rites of India. Following discussions with his counterpart from Djibouti Esmael Ibrahim, the minister ...
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Three replacement franchises start
UK: Low-key celebrations were held in London on April 3 to mark the start of three replacement train operating franchises. FirstGroup has retained the First Great Western branding for its expanded ’Greater Western’ franchise which combines the FGW Link suburban services and the Wessex Trains regional services formerly run by ...
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Belgians to install interim ATP
PENDING the long-term introduction of ETCS, Belgian infrastructure company Infrabel is to fit interim automatic train protection equipment across its 3500 route-km network to prevent drivers passing red signals. The programme will cost €306m.Starting next year, the company will install the TBL1+ system at all main line signals on its ...