Main line rail industry news – Page 1290
-
News
Publications
Telematics in Public Transport in GermanyTelematics is the combination of telecommunications and information technology, and has found applications with many German operators. In this 588-page book, 15 authors discuss current state-of-the-art applications, including mobile radio communications, locating vehicles, traffic management, passenger information systems, electronic payment, vehicle supervision and security, as ...
-
News
Service pattern not yet agreed
PLANS are being finalised for the domestic and international inter-city services which will use HSL-Zuid, but Managing Director of the NS-KLM High Speed Alliance Nol D
-
News
Randolph Street refurbishment
RANDOLPH Street station in Chicago is to undergo a $15m multi-phase refurbishment. Served by Metra Electric District and South Shore commuter trains, the station will be expanded by 1300m2, with improved lighting, larger passenger concourses, more convenient ticket sales, revamped toilets and modern information systems. Waiting areas will be air-conditioned, ...
-
News
Roving staff on mini-metro
Michel Richardot, formerly a senior French police officer who worked for Interpol, has been appointed to oversee security with French-based contract operator Keolis. Speaking during a visit to the automated metro in Rennes on March 12, Richardot said his company’s policy was to provide a ’firm presence’ that deterred criminal ...
-
News
INTELLIGENCE
Brazil: Tenders closed on March 5 for construction of a 57 km section of the North-South Railway between Ribeirão do Campo Alegre and Ribeirão do Coco. State construction authority Valec is evaluating bids for the work, expected to cost US$60m. Work began in January on the section between An
-
News
Tunnel freight all but stopped
ON MARCH 8, SNCF informed neighbouring railway administrations in Belgium, Italy and Spain that it would not accept any freight bound for Britain until a backlog of 17 trains in transit through France had been worked through the Channel Tunnel. While a few subsequently made it to the other side, ...
-
News
Alstom boosts confidence
ON MARCH 14 Alstom announced details of its ’Restore Value’ plan to investors and analysts. Aimed at strengthening the balance sheet and generating cash, the plan prompted an immediate rise of 7·5% in the share price quoted in Paris.’Key challenges’ facing Alstom include high gearing following internally-funded acquisitions, insufficient cash ...
-
News
French delays compensated
TWO sections of 25 kV overhead line on SNCF’s Paris - Lyon high speed line were damaged on the evening of March 2, a peak day for holiday traffic, leading to long delays for many TGV services. Operations to rescue passengers in two stranded TGVs were put in hand, but ...
-
News
Revival in prospect
THERE IS encouraging news for rail users in Nigeria. The Ministry of Transport has given details of plans to lease motive power from South Africa to haul freight, while 50 more locos are being acquired from China for passenger trains. Recent developments include the launch of a regular passenger service ...
-
News
Operators grasp state funds
EXTRA funding to keep Melbourne’s local rail and tram services going was announced by the Victorian government on February 26. The transport ministry said the ’interim agreement’ would bring ’greater certainty and stability’, with Transport Minister Peter Batchelor justifying the funds ’because of the financial problems facing the operators who ...
-
News
Poles no longer apart
BOMBARDIER Transportation has reached agreement with Polish State Railways over the purchase of high-performance EU11 electric locomotives, originally ordered from Adtranz on December 23 1996. The contract was for 50, of which eight were to have been dual-voltage units able to accept 15 kV 162/3Hz as well as PKP’s 3 ...
-
News
PEOPLE
Amtrak President & Chief Executive Officer George D Warrington announced on March 7 that he was resigning; he is to return to New Jersey Transit, becoming Executive Director in succession to Jeffrey Warsh. John Robert Smith has been elected Chairman of Amtrak in place of Tommy Thompson, who stood down ...
-
News
Bolt from the green
MARCH 15 saw the opening of a 375m light rail line in Los Angeles, linking the Farmers Market tourist complex and a new outdoor retail and entertainment centre dubbed The Grove. The 'environmentally-friendly transit system' is worked by a double-deck, open-top tram carrying up to 62 passengers at a top ...
-
News
Maglev projects may flop
TWO YEARS ago the German government decided to call time on plans to build a high speed magnetic levitation line between Berlin and Hamburg. It was, of course, out of the question to abandon 30 years of research and development paid for by the German taxpayer, so the government promised ...
-
News
Austrians debate separation
ARGUMENTS over separation of infrastructure and operations continue to dominate the rail policy agenda in Austria. Last month Austrian Federal Railways’ Director General Rüdiger vorm Walde defended the concept of the integrated railway in response to comments from newly-appointed Transport Minister Matias Reichhold about the need for ÖBB to stay ...
-
News
Sevilla tender
BY THIS SUMMER the regional government of Andalucía expects to invite bids for a concession to build and operate Line 1 of the light metro network proposed for Sevilla. Expected to cost €360m and running east-west from Mairena de Aljarafe to Dos Hermanas via the city centre, this would be ...
-
News
Bilbao to invest i1·5bn
AIMING to increase the number of passengers using public transport in Bilbao from 90million in 1999 to over 200million by 2025, the Basque regional government has unveiled an infrastructure investment programme totalling €1·5bn. Expansion of the metro, expected to carry over 134million passengers a year, has been allocated €115m; projects ...
-
News
Barcelona LRT
BIDSHAVE been invited to build, finance and operate two light rail routes from the centre of Barcelona to Sant Adrià de Bes
-
News
Pajares base tunnel contract
GIF has awarded Ineco and Geoconsult a €5·18m contract to design a 50 km high speed line running between La Robla and Pola de Lena on the Madrid - Oviedo main line. The new alignment includes a 25 km twin-bore base tunnel under the Pajares pass that is intended to ...
-
News
Hitachi test train
HAVING been shortlisted with Alstom and Bombardier to supply 180 cars for the Connex South Eastern ’Metro’ inner-suburban EMU project, Hitachi has launched a test project with UK consultants AEA Technology Rail, Babcock & Brown, and leasing company HSBC Rail.Preliminary work in Japan has included crashworthiness tests to UKRailway Group ...