Main line rail industry news – Page 1243
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News
Intensive inspection at high speed
Last month Network Rail launched a 200 km/h infrastructure measuring train designed to record the condition of the UK's busiest main lines at two-weekly intervals. The ultimate aim is to give track engineers data that is never more than 48h old
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UFM160 assesses network quality
INTRO: This summer Eurailscout GB Ltd launches the UFM160 high speed infrastructure measuring train on the UK network. The two-car unit is due to inspect most of Network Rail’s Southern Region later this yearBYLINE: Nick OversierTechnical Director, Eurailscout GB LtdEURAILSCOUT GB is a newly-formed joint venture of Carillion Rail and ...
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Building DMUs for extreme conditions
INTRO: Developed to provide a high quality passenger environment on very long journeys through harsh climates, DH4-1 diesel multiple-units are expected to enter service on the Tehran - Mashhad route in summer 2004BYLINE: Dr Gerhard SchmidtGeneral Project Manager, Siemens Transportation Systems Michail Voigt Sales Manager, Commuter Trains,Siemens Transportation Systems Robert ...
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PEOPLE
V Kornienko and N Luhanin have become Deputy Directors General at Ukrainian Railways. S Alenichev is named Director, Commercial; I Malyshko, Director, Power Supply; V Korobenko, Director, Statistics; I Shyber, Director, Rolling Stock; A Fedorchenko, Director, Procurement; G Klucherov, Director, Press & Public Relations; and A Krivopishin, Director, South Western ...
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Intelligence July 2003
Croatia: Transport Minister Roland Zuvanic has introduced a bill into parliament paving the way for restructuring HZ and permitting open access in line with European Union directives, with effect from January 1 2005. Czech Republic: Lostr has completed a prototype Kils 120 km/h high-capacity two-axle covered wagon with 22·5 tonne ...
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Letters
Piling problemsSir - We regret that your Product News report ’Drains become piles’ (RG 5.03 p325) has mixed up two of Cofra’s range of soil consolidation and foundation technologies. MebraDrain has nothing to do with our new AuGeo system.Cofra’s AuGeo system consists of concrete piles formed in the ground to ...
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EurailFreight restates the industry’s old problems
INTRO: Ralf Roman Rossberg reports from the EurailFreight event in München on May 22-23ITALIAN Transport Minister Pietro Lunardi opened the EurailFreight 2003 congress in the German city of München on May 22, launching an event intended to achieve for the freight business what EurailSpeed has done for Europe’s high speed ...
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Energy saving transmission
NOW ON test on a refurbished IC3 DMU in Denmark is an innovative mechanical transmission developed by ZF Bahntechnik GmbH. The AS Rail auto-shift transmission is developed from an automotive version used in the lorry market for around five years. AS Rail is also being fitted to Danish State Railways’ ...
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Palmetto extension opens
THE FIRST extension of Miami’s heavy metro line since Metrorail began operations in 1984 was officially opened on May 30. Passengers were allowed to ride free on the 2·3 km Palmetto extension serving the town of Medley in northwest Dade County until June 29.Miami-Dade Transit began work on the $87·8m ...
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MFV keeps NEL under surveillance
INTRO: A twin-unit multi-function vehicle will undertake regular inspection of Singapore’s automated North East LineFACED with stringent requirements on availability and performance, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority decided to adopt advanced monitoring and infrastructure maintenance technology for the automated North East Line which was due to open in June (Metro Report ...
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Line 3 launched
INDIAN Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani laid a foundation stone for Delhi Metro Line 3 at a ceremony on June 3. The 22·8 km third line forms part of Phase 1 of the city’s metro network, and will link Barakhamba with Dwarka, serving 22 stations. The first section between ...
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Airport links will go ahead
TAIWAN’S government has decided to take responsibility for building three long-planned rail links to Chiang Kai-shek International Airport near Taipei. The change from promoting them as build-operate-transfer concessions was announced by President Chen Shui-bian on May 24 as part of an effort to boost the economy, which has been hit ...
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Privatisation called off
CANADIAN National has terminated negotiations to acquire Ontario Northland Railway, blaming the provincial government’s demands for seven-year job guarantees. Ontario had hoped to privatise ONRail, which serves Northern Ontario and northwest Québec, but wanted to ensure staff received employment assurances similar to those enjoyed by civil servants. Last October CN ...
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Jamuna bridge opens
BANGLADESH Railway was expecting to link its West and East zones with the introduction of a Rajshahi - Joydepur through service via the Jamuna bridge from June 25 (RG 6.02 p326). East of the bridge the broad gauge trains will use dual-gauge track which has been installed as far as ...
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Bulgaria upgrades
INVITATIONS to tender are expected to be issued in September for upgrading the first 38 km of Bulgarian State Railway’s main line from Plovdiv to Svilengrad and the frontier crossings into Turkey and eastern Greece. Tendering for the remainder of the line will follow in December. Phase 1 between Plovdiv ...
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DB orders ET423s
GERMAN Railway confirmed on May 28 that it had ordered a further build of Class ET423 EMUs for S-Bahn operations in various cities. The batch of 60 four-car articulated trainsets will bring the total fleet ordered to 456 sets, of which over 300 have already been delivered. Deliveries of the ...
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Government backs integrated DB
GERMAN Railway has won its battle to keep vertical integration of train operations and management of the infrastructure, at least under the umbrella of the holding company. The need to retain a structure like that introduced in 1999 - which sees five subsidiaries responsible for long-distance passengers, regional and local ...
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Merseyrail passes to PTE control
JULY 20 will see the control of Liverpool’s 750 VDC suburban lines passed from the UK Strategic Rail Authority to the local Passenger Transport Executive, Merseytravel. On the same day the Merseyrail Services consortium of Serco and NedRailways will take over the operation of the Merseyrail Electrics franchise from Arriva ...
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Upgrade on the way to 230 km/h
WITH plans to build a high speed maglev route between Berlin and Hamburg now forgotten, German Railway is forging ahead with upgrading of its main line between the two cities to allow 230 km/h running. Work during 2003 alone is costing €220m. From July 14 to September 27 the main ...
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Chinese boost
CHINESE Railways has started double-tracking work on the 224 km Xuangcheng - Hangzhou line linking Zhejiang and Anhui provinces southwest of Shanghai. Work began in May, and is due for completion in 2005.Meanwhile, neighbouring Jiangsu province has confirmed plans for a 220 km local railway along the south bank of ...