Main line rail industry news – Page 1343
-
News
AEA buys NSTO
AEA Technology Rail of Great Britain announced on August 25 the purchase of Nederlandse Spoorwegen Technisch Onderzoek, the technical research division of Netherlands Railways. AEA is paying 3m guilders for NSTO, which is based in Utrecht and has 125 staff. The company is to be renamed AEA Technology Rail BV ...
-
News
RegioCom improves DB connections
Following successful trials in northern Bavaria, DB Regio is to roll out the RegioCom system for all its conductors across Germany by May 2001. Developed by the DB consultancy arm TLC, RegioCom is a GSM-based communications system which enables on-train staff to notify a control centre of delays. It also ...
-
News
Passenger News in Brief
VIA Rail Canada has launched VIA eSchedule, an electronic timetable suitable for use on PCs and laptops as well as hand-held devices using the Palm
-
News
Sidetrack
Scent to try usA HECTIC dash by metro across Paris one afternoon during last month’s fuel ’crisis’ reminded us of the hapless British transport minister who got into trouble for preferring his car to public transport because he didn’t like sitting next to ’smelly commuters’. It was hot and crowded, ...
-
News
Signals at yellow
IT LOOKS as if Jean-Yves Leblanc may be going into the signalling business. Outlining progress with the takeover of Adtranz (RG 9.00 p601), Bombardier Transportation’s President & Chief Operating Officer admitted on September 12 that the bids for Adtranz Signal had been ’not interesting’. GE Harris and Harmon are too ...
-
News
Finance
Brazil: América Latina Logística do Brasil has become the first of Brazil’s privatised railways to turn in a profit, achieving net income of R$13m in the first half-year.Bulgaria: Income from asset sales and higher fares were expected to contribute to improved financial results for BDZ in the third quarter, following ...
-
News
Pointers
n Australian aluminium producer Alcoa, one of Westrail’s biggest customers, is to put its rail transport out to tender, a move which could affect bids for the purchase of Westrail’s freight business.n Completion of the long-planned line across the Malawi-Zambia border between Mchinji and Chipata (40 km) is under discussion ...
-
News
Industry in Brief
Canada: Stella Jones International is to buy up the remaining 30% of sleeper manufacturer Stella-Jones Inc that is currently in public ownership. Shareholders will be offered C$3·10 in cash for each share.Czech Republic: The government was expected to approve last month a restructuring plan for engineering group Skoda, which would ...
-
News
Metros
Egypt: National Authority for Tunnels was due to invite bids last month for up to three contracts to build the 2·5 km extension of Cairo metro Line 2 from Giza to Moneib, expected to cost úE300m. A total of 22 companies submitted prequalification applications.Germany: Karlsruhe is planning to build a ...
-
News
Industry News
Mexico: Trinity Industries Inc of the USA has begun work on a 32500m2 wagon factory at Sabinas, Coahuila, which it hopes to open by the end of 2001. Plant closures within Trinity’s Railcar Group (RG 7.00 p406) were expected to contribute towards a charge of up to US$46m in the ...
-
News
RailWorks takes AAI rail
On September 6 RailWorks Corp of the USA announced that it had purchased the Transportation Systems Group of United Industrial Corp, owner of AAI Corp. The AAI plant in Maryland is to be leased by RailWorks, which has assumed the four contracts worth a total of US$200m currently being undertaken ...
-
News
On-line procurement
French engineering consultancy Mercury Consultants is launching an on-line search engine for technical suppliers, aimed initially at the engineering and research departments of railway operators and manufacturers. Research and development departments from any organisation will be able to contact mepax.com free with specific technical requirements for materials procurement or potential ...
-
News
PeruRail refurbishes
ON AUGUST 24 PeruRail announced the start of a US$1·5m programme to refurbish its passenger car fleet, due for completion by March 2001. Work is being undertaken by James Park Associates at the company’s workshops in Cusco and Arequipa.The fleet of eight diesel railcars operating between Cusco and Aguas Calientes ...
-
News
Cost optimisation matches demand and resources
INTRO: From low-budget lines for low-density cities to intensely-operated networks, the variety of light rail lines around the Pacific Rim demonstrates the great flexibility of the mode. Critical for success has been the ability to tailor each application to the specific operating and financial needs of its communityBYLINE: John Schumann ...
-
News
Laser measurement speeds profile gauging
INTRO: The introduction of modern rolling stock requires comprehensive and accurate knowledge of clearance profiles throughout the network where it will operate. Innovative measuring systems will enable accurate data to be collected at up to 200 km/h BYLINE: David M JohnsonManaging DirectorLaser Rail LtdINTRODUCTION of new rolling stock on an ...
-
News
National Express takes root in Melbourne
INTRO: In June 1999 Britain’s National Express Group won three of the five passenger rail franchises in Victoria. Whilst geographically they couldn’t be further away from the Group’s five British franchises, the inheritance, the challenges and the ambitions are remarkably similarBYLINE: Peter StrachanChief Executive, Australia Rail Division, National Express GroupON ...
-
News
Express Rail Link construction in full swing
With 18 months to go before the opening of Kuala Lumpur's airport rail link, civil works are nearing completion and tracklaying is getting under way