Main line rail industry news – Page 1193
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News
Dropper tool to cut delays
CORROSION failure of the droppers supporting 25 kV 50Hz contact wires has been a cause of delays to trains on Network Rail’s East Coast Main Line. The engineers responsible for overhead line maintenance are now using a tool that allows a man standing on the track to replace droppers ...
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Cross-city tunnel holds the key to Leipzig S-Bahn project
INTRO: After many years of delay, the long-planned cross-city tunnel in Leipzig is finally under construction. The 4·3 km twin bores serving four stations will be used by S-Bahn and regional express services. Ralf Roman Rossberg reportsIT HAS BEEN a long wait. But now, after more than a century of ...
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Customers stand to benefit most from metro automation
With 19 fully-automatic metros now in operation, the technology is well-proven and mature. The next step will be to justify the conversion of existing networks, based on flexible operation, lower costs and better customer service. Chris Jackson reports from Nürnberg
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Blast off
BOMBARDIER is using a Vacu-Blast mobile abrasive blasting system to prepare the surfaces of complex aluminium formed panels used in the construction of multiple-units and light rail vehicles.The SHA03 and the larger SHA04 machines are installed at Bombardier’s Litchurch Lane plant in Derby, where they are used to produce an ...
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The man who never returned is back
MASSACHUSETTS Bay Transportation Authority's smart card has been named CharlieCard in honour of a fictional passenger who was trapped in the metro when he did not have an extra 5 cents to exit the station after a fare increase while he was travelling. The song 'Charlie on the MTA', was ...
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Europe's latest S-Bahn EMUs go head-to-head in the race for orders
The Swiss Flirt, Austrian Elektro-Talent and Polish EN95 are all intended to operate suburban services. Harry Hondius MSc offers a technical comparison
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GM-EMD sale confirmed
GENERAL Motors Corp announced on January 12 that it had reached a definitive agreement to sell Electro-Motive Division to an investor group led by Greenbriar Equity Group and Berkshire Partners. Transaction terms will not be disclosed. The manufacturing facilities at LaGrange, Illinois, and London, Ontario, are included in the agreement, ...
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Joetsu Shinkansen fully restored after earthquake damage
THROUGH services between Tokyo and Niigata on JR East’s Joetsu Shinkansen resumed on December 28, more than two months after a train travelling at around 200 km/h was derailed by an earthquake (RG 12.04 p826).JR East has now released further details of what happened and the measures it has taken ...
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Shinkansen construction to be stepped up in 2005-06
AN AGREEMENT announced on December 16 between the government and ruling coalition parties means that investment in the construction of Shinkansen lines will rise by ´2bn in the fiscal year commencing April 1 2005. In the three previous years from 2001-02 to 2004-05 the trend has been downwards. Total ...
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TTCI opens London office
Transportation Technology Center Inc has launched a company to handle engineering consultancy in Europe. A subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads, TTCI operates the testing facility at Pueblo, Colorado. President Roy Allen said on January 5 ’we will be able to better meet the needs of our growing customer ...
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Barcelona prepares for AVE arrival
THE SPANISH Ministry of Development has given its approval for tenders to be called for three contracts to undertake civil works on 8·9 km of the Madrid - Barcelona high speed line on the western approach to Barcelona. A budget of €316·4m has been set for the works, comprising Sant ...
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High speed line programme
PLANS TO build 3000 km of high speed line have been unveiled by China’s Ministry of Railways. The ministry is seeking bids from foreign consultants to advise on the development of lines for operation at between 200 and 300 km/h.According to Vice-Minister of Railways Lu Dongfu, the high speed network ...
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Evergreen II to boost Chiltern
WORK STARTS this month to double peak-hour capacity at London’s Marylebone station, as part of the first investment package to be funded by a UK train operating franchisee through a privately-financed special purpose vehicle.Chiltern Railways’ Evergreen II project was launched on December 20 by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling and Laing ...
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Logistics terminals
INDIAN Railways confirmed last month that it was drawing up plans for public-private partnerships to improve and operate many of its 7000 freight depots.Under the proposal, IR would lease its existing yards and goods sheds to private developers who would build and operate state-of-the-art logistics terminals. The railway believes that ...
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Gauge-convertible electric loco
AT THE end of December, Patentes Talgo unveiled a prototype for the series of 44 gauge-convertible electric locos that Renfe has ordered to operate through services off its AVE network. To be designated L-9202, Virgen del Buen Camino is 19·4 m long and weighs 74 tonnes. It is equipped with ...
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Nacala concession completed
ON JANUARY 10 private-sector operators took over Mozambique's Northern Railway and the port of Nacala, with the start of a long-awaited 15-year concession. The handover marks the completion of the second phase of the Nacala Corridor concessioning process. It also paves the way for the start of upgrading on the ...
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Siemens signs Russian deal
DECEMBER 21 saw the signing of a formal agreement between Russian Railways, Siemens Transportation Systems and New Transport Technologies setting up a joint venture to build high speed trains for the RZD network (RG 12.04 p812).RZD President Gennady Fadeyev and NTT President Alexei Lamanov participated in the discussions with Siemens ...
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Kenya-Uganda accord
TRANSPORT Ministry officials from Kenya and Uganda signed an agreement at the end of December to form a dedicated fleet of container trains to operate ’seamless services’ between Mombasa and Kampala.The accord was signed in Kampala by the Permanent Secretary of Uganda’s Ministry of Works, Transport & Communications Charles Muganzi ...
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NewsUK refranchising progresses
THE STRATEGIC Rail Authority is pushing ahead with awarding of new franchises for passenger train operations in the UK. On January 17 SRA issued an invitation to tender for the Integrated Kent Franchise to the four bidders who were prequalified in December 2003 (RG 2.04 p63). The ITT was ...
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Line 5 goes further
UNDER AN agreement signed on December 28 with the Ministry of Development and the regional government, Renfe’s suburban route between Valencia and Riba-roja de Túria is to become part of the FGV metro network. Involving the removal of 16 level crossings, conversion of the route from Quart de Poblet to ...