Main line rail industry news – Page 1310
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News
Touch-screen ticketing
LONDON Underground ’Queue Buster’ ticket machines being built by Cubic Transportation Systems are to use acoustic-wave touch screen colour displays from Planar.The 10·4 inch TFT active matrix liquid crystal screens are based on similar designs installed on the New York and Singapore metros last year. They feature high back-lighting to ...
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Multi-mode information
XEPHOS is a transport information database, intended to give call centres and ticket agents access to multi-modal public transport timetable and service data for Great Britain.Interchange times are taken into account, and fares and routing data can be added. A demonstration version is running with train operator c2c, showing all ...
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Marketing alliance
MULTIMODAL Applied Systems and Opcom Pty Ltd have entered into an agreement to market jointly their railway service planning and crew optimisation products. Opcom’s OPCrew and MultiModal’s MultiRail scheduling software will be integrated, with timetables and crew data shared between the products.Opcom’s North American marketing and sales support will be ...
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Auxiliary power supplies
AUSTRALIAN train builder A Goninan & Co has ordered nine auxiliary power supply systems from Transtechnik, for use on the fleet of standard-gauge diesel railcars which it is building to replace the existing stock on Western Australia’s Prospector and Avonlink services from Perth to Kalgoorlie and Northam.Each of the nine ...
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Onwards by car
Swiss Federal Railways, DaimlerChrysler and Mobility CarSharing have launched a carpool service designated RailLink, which offers rail passengers local car hire from 42 Swiss stations. SBB has a 55% stake in the venture, which involved an investment of SFr2·5m. Cars can be reserved by telephone or internet, and must be ...
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Bombardier sees revenue improve
BOMBARDIER Transportation has reported revenues of C$1·6bn for the three months to July 31, compared to C$752·7m in the same period last year. Income before taxes and goodwill amortisation was C$77·8m, up from C$37·6m.The increase is the result of Bombardier’s takeover of Adtranz on April 1, and large contracts with ...
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Certification management
BRITISH engineering support consultancy Interfleet Technology has launched a computer service to manage and track vehicle certification for rolling stock owners. Customers connect to their private area on Interfleet’s secure server via a World Wide Web interface. Using their web browser, customers can access all of the certification associated with ...
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Products in Brief
Over 23 km of HDPE pipes with a 50+ year design life made by Bauku have been used on the Bleach Green line reinstatement in Northern Ireland, and a further 5 km on the K
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Cleaning staff management
KØBENHAVN-based cleaning and services group ISS has developed a computer system to manage staff deployment over a wide area. British subsidiary ISS Transport is using the equipment to supervise 1500 staff working on cleaning and maintenance contracts across the London Underground network from a control centre in Docklands. When beginning ...
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Euro-Interlocking promises lower life-cycle costs
INTRO: Europe’s railways are plagued with a host of different mechanical, electrical and electronic interlockings. A pan-European programme to standardise functional requirements and interface specifications will cut costs through the use of common equipment and enable railways to harness emerging technology more easilyBYLINE: Niklaus K
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World Speed Survey 2001: Speeds improve, but no changes at the top
Over 20 countries now operate passenger services at over 120 km/h, with 10 countries exceeding 150 km/h. In our biennial survey of the world's fastest journeys, Dr Colin Taylor finds there are no changes in the top slots, though TGV Méditerranée brings France closer to Japan's lead. Most changes lie ...
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Training signallers through simulation
INTRO: Signalling and traffic control centres continue to grow, with the operator’s task increasingly assisted by features such as automatic route-setting and integrated train scheduling. But the size and complexity of such installations can create problems when incidents occur, making thorough preparation through training essential if staff are to manage ...
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TRA orders ATP package
TAIWAN Railway Administration has awarded an €90m contract to a Bombardier-led consortium for a complete automatic train protection system covering 1200 route-km. The technology will be based on the European standard Ertms, adapted where necessary to local requirements. The order covers on-train equipment for 832 locomotives and multiple-units, 14000 balises ...
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BNSF studies digital radio
INTRO: Life-expired equipment and new regulations governing the radio spectrum are forcing North American railways to adopt and adapt new communications technologies. BNSF is leading the way, testing in a US environment GSM-R equipment developed in EuropeBYLINE: Fred GratkeAssistant Vice-President Burlington Northern & Santa Fe RailwayRAPID CHANGE in the wireless ...
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Distance-to-go signalling rivals moving block benefits
INTRO: When Madrid Metro extends Line 10 next year, trains will be able to run at shorter headways than is possible with the speed signalling in use today. This is achieved by avoiding the need for an empty ’zero speed’ block between following trainsBYLINE: David GillanDirector, Business DevelopmentInvensys Rail SystemsMOST ...
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Distributed control previews the future shape of braking
Early next year Westinghouse Brakes will be launching the EP2002 distributed braking system for passenger vehicles, built around the company's new RBX4 valve. Operational trials on the München Metro have followed an extensive factory testing programme
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Publications
Modern Trains & Splendid StationsEdited by Martha ThorneA study of state-of-the-art station design, aimed at architects, designers and urban planners. With 25 drawings and 216 colour illustrations, this 160-page book focuses on the design and architecture of a number of recent projects across the world. The role of stations in ...
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Lower locomotive fuel costs
FUEL savings and lower emissions are promised by the use of an auxiliary power unit on large American diesel locos. A prototype APU was demonstrated by CSX Transportation on August 9. The diesel-fuelled APU automatically shuts down the main locomotive engine when the train is stopped, but provides power to ...
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Education across the Øresund
INTRO: Staff involved in cross-border railway operation must be able to understand each others’ languages, culture, and procedures. Technology is often emphasised, but education is also of vital importanceBYLINE: Svend PoulsenChief Advisor Birch & Krogboe AS Consulting EngineersWHEN THE Øresund link between Denmark and Sweden opened last year, it was ...
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Wagons for sale
FOLLOWING the merger of Brambles Industries Ltd and the support services division of GKN plc on August 7 to create the Brambles Group, the company is looking to restructure its business portfolio. Brambles Group is negotiating the divestment of its European wagon rental businesses, as it aims to focus on ...