Main line rail industry news – Page 1172
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Green Line joins the Trolley network
INTRO: Julian Wolinsky reports from San DiegoONE OF the final pieces of San Diego’s light rail network as envisaged nearly 30 years ago was dedicated on July 8, when an S70 low-floor LRV burst through a banner at San Diego State University station. Built at a cost of $506m, the ...
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Bulgarian wagons rolling again
SEEKING to regain market share lost to road transport while avoiding the costs of purchasing new rolling stock, Bulgarian State Railways is placing contracts for the refurbishment of 3260 wagons with specialist outside suppliers. VRZ-Karlovo is rebuilding Eaos open wagons to as-new condition, ensuring compliance with RIV and UIC standards ...
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MF2000 on test in northern France
RUNNING trials have started with the prototype MF2000 trainset (RG 2.04 p92). Expected to enter service on the Paris metro in 2006, the five-car pre-production set began a programme of tests at the Centre d'Essais Ferroviaires at Petite Forêt near Valenciennes on June 17. The tests began almost a year ...
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UK now plans to install ERTMS in 2011-38
THE LATEST report from the UK's National ERTMS Programme Team revealed on June 23 that plans to fit all lines where the speed exceeds 160 km/h by 2015 have been scrapped. The new strategy sees development continuing, mainly on the single-track Cambrian lines in rural mid-Wales, but even that project ...
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Terror bombers attack London Underground
THREE BOMBS were detonated on the London Underground at about 08.50 on July 7, with a fourth exploding later on a double-deck bus. At least 56 people died and more than 700 were injured in the attack that police quickly traced to suicide bombers from the Leeds area. Two of ...
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Fleet renewal deal signed
OVER 7000 new coaches, EMU cars and locomotives are to be built for Russian Railways over the next five years, under the terms of a framework agreement reached with Transmash Holding in June.The agreement was signed by Transmash Chairman Dmitry Komissarov and the then RZD President Gennady Fadeyev. The Governor ...
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Freight accords
COMMITMENTS to improve service quality on key European intermodal corridors are to be put in place by the end of this year, under the terms of an agreement between the International Union of Railways and the intermodal operators’ forum UIRR announced on July 5.UIRR member companies have been increasingly critical ...
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Concessions revised
NEW concessions to operate 14 regional routes in the Netherlands were awarded to NS Reizigers on July 1, in line with legislation that came into effect on January 1 this year. Most of the concessions are limited to two years or less, giving the transport ministry time to put its ...
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Upgrade funding package in place
RéSEAU Ferré de France President Jean-Pierre Duport participated in a ceremony at Clermont-Ferrand on June 30 to launch upgrading work on the main line to Paris.Under an agreement between the French government, Auvergne region and Puy-de-D
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NSB wins Gjøvikbanan tender
NORWEGIAN railway operator NSB has been awarded a 10-year contract to run passenger services on the Oslo - Gjøvik line from June 2006 until mid-2016.The 123 km Gjøvikbanan was the first inter-city route in the country to be put out to tender, as one of three pilot projects for the ...
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Zimbabwe split
THIS MONTH is due to see the Zimbabwe government take over responsibility for ownership and financing of rail infrastructure, with the implementation of the Railways Amendment Act 1997.The Act provides for the transfer of NRZ-owned infrastructure and land to the state, leaving National Railways of Zimbabwe to focus on its ...
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Ceneri tunnel start
THE SWISS parliament has released an initial SFr1·3bn tranche of funding for the Ceneri base tunnel, which forms part of the AlpTransit Gotthard project. Proposals for the 15·4 km tunnel between Bellinzona and Lugano were approved in 2003, and the final stage of the planning authorisation is due to be ...
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Delhi Metro completes Line 2
CEREMONIES were held on July 2 to mark the completion of the second metro line in the Indian capital. The 7 km section from Kashmere Gate to Central Secretariat was inaugurated by Sonia Gandhi, Chair of the United Progressive Alliance party.The first 4 km of Line 2 from Vishwavidalaya to ...
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PNR study
REHABILITATION of Philippine National Railways’ Main Line South from Calamba to Legaspi moved a step closer with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on July 6.Watched by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and visiting Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka, PNR General Manager Jose Sarasola signed an accord with the President of ...
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What next for the Belgrano?
THE FAILURE of the Argentinian government’s attempt to sell a 79% stake in Belgrano Cargas (RG 7.05 p385) received a degree of official confirmation at the end of June, when Minister of Federal Planning Julio De Vido and Transport Secretary Ricardo Jaime met officials from the 14 provinces served by ...
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New hope for Hope Downs
THE ACQUISITION by Rio Tinto of a stake in the Hope Downs iron ore project, announced on July 1, has cleared the way for construction of a rail link to the mine. Hope Downs is due to start producing ore in 2008, and the promoting joint venture of Hancock Prospecting ...
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Renegotiation draws to a close
A PUBLIC HEARING was due to be held on July 29 or during the first week of August to consider new terms for the two freight concessions held in Argentina by América Latina Logística, operated as ALL-Central and ALL-Mesopot
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Smart card deal
VICTORIA Premier Steve Bracks announced on July 12 that the Kamco consortium had been selected by the Transport Ticketing Authority for a A$494m contract to supply and operate a state-wide smart card fare collection system.Led by US information technology group Keane Corp, the consortium includes ticket machine manufacturer Ascom, Perth-based ...
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Mexico suburban to be re-tendered
THE MEXICAN government has reaffirmed its commitment to the capital’s proposed suburban rail link after both bidders were disqualified from the tendering process. Communications & Transports Secretary Pedro Cerisola insisted on July 11 that the project would not be cancelled, and said that new tenders would be called Civil engineering ...
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French firms take Italian contracts
ON JULY 5 French transport group Transdev confirmed that it had been selected for a six-year contract to operate the metro, funicular, rack railway and bus services in Genova. With 630000 inhabitants making an average of 239 trips per year, Genova is the first Italian city to put the operation ...