Main line rail industry news – Page 1292
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News
More Swiss funds in prospect
ON MARCH 8 the Swiss government approved draft legislation covering the second phase of the ambitious Bahn 2000 programme, auguring further development of the national rail network. At the same time it set the financial parameters for a performance contract with Swiss Federal Railways to cover the period from 2003 ...
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Third sector casualties
A CHANGE in the law two years ago that was intended to promote competition has resulted in a rising number of closures among Japan’s ’third sector’ railways. One reason is that passenger service can now be abandoned without getting permission from local government. Another is that many lines taken over ...
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Eurostar trims
Business results for the year ended December 31 2001, published on January 31, showed that Eurostar traffic had fallen year-on-year for the first time since services through the Channel Tunnel began in 1994. Passenger journey volumes fell 3% to 7·5 million, and Eurostar Group sales revenue was €669·7m, down 0·7% ...
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Passenger News in Brief
Passengers on some Amtrak Northeast Corridor, Hiawatha and Californian services can access the internet from carriages equipped with Compaq Pocket PCs and wireless modems.Connex has launched a free SMS service providing Stockholm commuters with Roslagsbanan train running information.A six-month public trial of TransLink multi-modal smart card ticketing in the San ...
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Trenitalia updates visual displays
ITALIAN STATE Railways’ operating business Trenitalia has launched a programme to update its station information displays, in conjunction with Ansaldo. This uses a new design of video monitor developed for FS by CA&G Elettronica, the Vicenza-based subsidiary of Global Display Solutions. GDS was formed last year through the merger of ...
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Maputo concession
SPOORNET Chief Executive Zandile Jakavula visited Mozambique in January to sign a memorandum of agreement for the long-awaited concession to operate the 90 km railway from Maputo from the South African border at Machava, east of Komatipoort. The concession will be held by the newly-formed Ressano Garcia Railway Company, which ...
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Metros
Brazil: São Paulo Metro took delivery on February 14 of its first Alstom Metropolis six-car stainless steel EMU for Line 5. The remaining seven will be delivered by the end of August.France: Toulouse Metro has taken delivery of the first of 14 automated VAL 208 light metro trainsets.RATP is to ...
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Finance
Azerbaijan: The state budget has allocated 40bn manats for the procurement of 25 to 30 carriages for the Baku metro.Belgium: SNCB subsidiary ABX Logistics is expected to receive a €250m cash injection this year. With the aim of moving into profit from 2003, restructuring is likely to include the sale ...
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Pointers
n Indian Minister of State for Railways Digvijay Singh and Iraqi Transport & Communications Minister Ahmed M Ahmed signed a memorandum of understanding in January offering Indian assistance with the development of Iraqi Republic Railways. Konkan Railway Corp has prequalified for work on the Mussayab - Samawa and Baghdad - ...
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Tunnel freight threat grows
A FUTILE gesture, doubtless intended to help SNCF and English Welsh & Scottish Railway cope with strangulation of international freight operations through the Channel Tunnel, saw British Home Secretary David Blunkett lift the £2000 fines imposed from March 1 2001 for each illegal immigrant reaching England on a freight train. ...
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Commander managesstation announcer
CALGARY-based Interalia supplies a range of passenger information systems to urban and main-line rail operators around the world, including on-board and station announcement systems and vehicle monitoring equipment. The digital Commander station announcement system has been installed at London Underground’s busy interchanges at Oxford Circus, Bank/Monument, Embankment and Earls Court, ...
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Products in Brief
Titgemeyer UK has developed two high performance rail screws. Designed for use with BR1 and PAN8 baseplates, the CAMR16000 and CAMR1601 timber screws have undergone five years of trials, and received Railtrack approval. Spare spike holes are used, and existing spikes do not have to be removed. Union Pacific Railroad ...
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London PPP passes value for money test
On February 7 the board of London Transport voted unanimously to ’progress arrangements for all three competitions’ under the London Underground Public Private Partnership (RG10.01 p664). According to LT Chairman Sir Malcolm Bates, the vote demonstrated the board’s belief that the PPP is safe and offers value for money, as ...
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Interlocking deal
PARIS Transport Authority awarded a €7m contract to Alcatel Transport Automation Solutions on January 31 to install new electronic interlockings across the metro and RER networks. The first Series 6271 LockTrac/PIPC installation, which uses a PC platform and software-based data preparation, is due to replace relay interlockings on RATP Line ...
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Market
Australia: John Holland Group is to maintain the infrastructure of WestNet’s standard and 1067mm gauge networks in a five-year A$150m extension of its current maintenance contract.Czech Republic: Lekov Blovice is to supply components including electrical equipment and pantographs to Alstom, for use on locos for SNCF and Class 680 tilting ...
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Deicing fluid sticks to rail
MIDWEST Industrial Supply Inc is supplying anti-icing fluid for third rail electrified railways. Using ’smart fluid’ technology licensed from NASA, the anti-ice treatment is sprayed or poured onto the rail, where it forms a thin film, before the onset of freezing conditions.The fluid prevents ice bonding to metal, and is ...
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German Railway telecom deal
GERMAN telephone operator Arcor AG & Co sold Telematik, its railway-specific telecommunications business, to Deutsche Bahn AG for €1·15bn on January 24. Arcor’s former parent Mannesmann AG had purchased Telematik from DB in 1996.An agreement is expected to be concluded by April 1 for the creation of a joint venture ...
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Ammendorf plant survives
BOMBARDIER has revised its European manufacturing strategy following Deutsche Bahn’s December announcement of a €10bn rolling stock investment programme (RG 2.02 p64).The ex-DWA plant at Ammendorf, which had been proposed for closure (RG 12.01 p859), will be retained for vehicle final assembly. As orders now underway are completed, the factory ...
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Road-rail order
INDO-US joint venture Phooltas Tamper has signed an agreement to supply 30 road-rail maintenance vehicles to Indian Railways. The Rs48m order follows the successful testing of four vehicles on different zonal railways. The 70 km/h units are based on a domestic Tata road vehicles, which has been adapted for road-rail ...