Main line rail industry news – Page 1240
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News
International EFFORTS complete Korea’s first high speed line
INTRO: French consultants have been involved with South Korea’s high speed line project for the past decade, reviewing engineering designs, training staff and helping to commission the TGV-derived trainsets BYLINE: Jean-Pierre LoubinouxPresident & Director GeneralSNCF InternationalAPRIL 2004 will see the long-awaited start of revenue services on South Korea’s first high ...
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Montenegrin Railways face up to the challenge of independence
Europe’s newest state railway authority has inherited a network in poor condition owing to deferred maintenance of infrastructure and rolling stock. Some EU funding has been agreed for signalling renewal, but Ljubinko Dedovic suggests that much more investment will be required
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Victoria line heads Metronet renewal
OVER THE NEXT 11 years, five of London Underground’s lines are to be resignalled by the Metronet consortium which has acquired the BCV and SSL infrastructure companies as part of the Public-Private Partnership. Work will start with the deep-level Victoria line, followed by the complex network of sub-surface lines - ...
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Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting in Metros
This UITP report stresses the importance of devising an integrated approach to fire safety. It examines the particular risks associated with tunnels, pointing to the importance of risk assessment. The report deals with fire prevention, the detection of fires which do occur, and control methods. Case studies and technical recommendations ...
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Hatfield charges brought
documentary evidence was seized and 1500 witnesses interviewed. The extreme complexity of this case has its roots in the split of responsibility between the infrastructure owner, the different contractors undertaking day-to-day maintenance in specific geographical areas and a separate set of contractors who undertake track renewals over much wider areas. ...
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Lirex to test innovative transformer
BYLINE: Harry Hondius MScNEXT SPRING, the Lirex experimental diesel railcar developed for German Railway is to be converted into a hybrid electro-diesel trainset, with the replacement of one diesel generator set by a 15 kV 162/3Hz transformer. The new medium-frequency ’e-transformer’ is being developed jointly on an exclusive basis by ...
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NewsConnex loses second UK franchise
UK: For the first time since privatisation in the 1990s, a franchise to operate passenger services in Britain has been terminated through default. On June 27, Strategic Rail Authority Chairman Richard Bowker announced that ‘we have given notice to Connex South Eastern that their franchise will terminate ...
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DB backs down on fare structure
FROM August 1 German Railway introduces a revised suite of fares following heavy criticism and dissatisfaction among passengers with the arrangements launched last December. These required advanced booking and compulsory reservations to secure discounts on long-distance journeys, and quota controls limited the number of reduced tickets available. Speaking at the ...
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Electrification ranks high in SNTF modernisation
ALGERIAN Railways is poised to launch a major programme of modernisation that will include electrification of at least half the 3974route-km network. Recognition that rail faces growing competition from road transport has prompted SNTF to make major structural changes, paving the way for financial support from the World Bank. Modernisation ...
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IR safety plan
INDIAN Railways was due to adopt a 10-year Railway Corporate Safety Plan last month, allocating 4% of turnover for investment in safety equipment. The plan was discussed by the IR Board on July 14, following discussions with the railway unions. It will provide around Rs16bn a year until 2013, on ...
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Neubaustrecke funds agreed
GERMAN Transport Minister Dr Manfred Stolpe and DB Chairman Hartmut Mehdorn signed an agreement on June 20 to fund construction of a further section of high speed line in the München - Berlin corridor. Costed at €1·9bn, the 122 km section from Gr
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Belt line backed
FOUR YEARS of negotiations have culminated in an agreement to proceed with a $1·5bn programme to upgrade rail freight corridors across Chicago over the next 12 years. The city is the only place where all six US Class I railroads meet, with 1200 freight trains and 37500 wagons a day ...
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Interlocking orders to flow
TENDERS will be called this year for up to 150 signal interlockings across Europe, following the approval of 34 new Baseline 7.0 standards by the Euro-Interlocking project consortium of 29 railway and supplier organisations. Euro-Interlocking Project Manager Niklaus K
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BC Rail shortlist
THE GOVERNMENT of British Columbia has shortlisted four companies for a concession to operate the BC Rail network. According to BC Transport Minister Judith Reid, the province will retain ownership of the infrastructure but lease out the operation and management of the railway.The province is seeking to divest itself of ...
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Madrid start
SPANISH Development Minister Francisco Álvarez-Cascos joined Mayor of Madrid Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón at Nuevos Ministerios on July 8 to mark the formal start of work on the second cross-city rail tunnel that will carry suburban services between Atocha and Chamartín. The project is expected to cost a total of €259m. Work ...
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Pyrenean project progress
MEETING on July 11, the Spanish cabinet approved bids from four consortia seeking pre-qualification for the concession to build and operate the 45 km route from Figueres to Perpignan in France. A second tender was issued after the intergovernmental commission announced on April 16 that no further progress could be ...
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Doubling to Fuengirola
AS PART of a programme to increase capacity on Renfe’s suburban networks across Spain, tenders are to be called for doubling two sections of the 30·4 km M
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N700 pushes the speed envelope
INTRO: JR-Central and JR-West are developing a trainset that fully exploits line speed limits on the Tokaido and Sanyo ShinkansenMARCH 2005 should see completion of a pre-production N700 trainset for trials on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen. Being developed jointly by JR-Central and JR-West, the N700 is a 16-car train ...
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Motorway ban will favour rail
RAIL TRAFFIC using the Brenner transit route through Austria stands to gain a substantial boost on August 1. From that day the Tirolean regional government is banning lorries carrying specified goods over a 46 km section of the A12 Inn valley motorway. Banned cargoes include cereals, wood, cork, iron and ...