Main line rail industry news – Page 1359
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News
Mehdorn seeks more upgrading funds
GERMAN RAILWAY Chairman Hartmut Mehdorn does not want much. Speaking at DB’s 1999 annual results press conference on May 10 in Berlin, Mehdorn called for both federal government and the Länder to provide further funding for infrastructure modernisation to deal with a ’huge backlog’ from previous years. The backlog was ...
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Investment pace hotting up
THE LAST month has seen furious activity in Britain as the industry struggles to keep pace with constant change. A ’Rail Summit’ attended by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was scheduled for May 25, prompting many parties across the industry to try and demonstrate that they were pulling their weight.Among ...
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Seetalbahn goes low-floor
SWITZERLAND: On April 28 Swiss Federal Railways announced that it was to order a fleet of 17 low-floor articulated trainsets to operate its Seetalbahn line between Luzern and Lenzburg. The eight-axle GTW cars will be supplied by Stadler Fahrzeuge AG and Adtranz for SFr100m, and will have seats for 160 ...
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Trams return to Croydon
UK: Months of frustration turned to celebrations on May 5 when the first 11 km section of Croydon Tramlink opened between the town centre loop and New Addington. Tramtrack Croydon Ltd’s Chairman Bob Dorey said it was an ‘important day’ when TCL ‘brought trams back to London’, 49 years after ...
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Kaohsiung signs metro contract
CONSTRUCTION of the long-planned metro network in Taiwan's second city is set to get under way by the end of this year, following the award of a NT$172·3bn contract on May 10. The Department of Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit has selected a consortium led by local steelmaker China Steel. Other ...
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Alstom buys Traxis
ALSTOM Transport announced on April 4 that it had acquired Traxis from Royal Begemann Group. Based in Ridderkerk near Rotterdam, Traxis currently employs over 200 people. It has an annual turnover of 35m euros, with an order book that is expected to see a significant increase this year.In addition to ...
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FEVE rebuilds MU fleet
SPANISH metre gauge operator FEVE is spending over Pts6bn this year on rebuilding its DMU and EMU fleet, after investing Pts2·7bn in the programme in 1999. In addition to replacement of mechanical equipment, the work involves comprehensive interior refurbishment, plus installation of air-conditioning, public address systems and passenger information displays. ...
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Porterbrook sold to bank
ON APRIL 3 bus and rail operator Stagecoach Holdings confirmed that it was selling its rolling stock leasing company Porterbrook to British banking group Abbey National for £1·4bn. The deal was subject to approval by the Stagecoach shareholders, who were to vote before the end of the month. Abbey National ...
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Metros
Australia: On March 26 Melbourne’s tram route 86 was extended from Bourke & Spencer Streets along Latrobe Street line to a new terminus at Colonial Stadium.Great Britain: In the budget on March 21, the government allocated an extra £65m to London Underground, mainly to pay for escalator repairs at a ...
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Safer seats
FOLLOWING the collision test with a former Septa Budd Silverliner car staged at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo on November 18 last year (RG 1.00 p16), a second crash test took place at the same location on April 4. As on the previous occasion, the $1m experiment was designed ...
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Talgo XXI makes progress
On April 3 Patentes Talgo demonstrated its 220 km/h gauge-changing BT diesel power car, which ran with seven Talgo XXI cars (RG 7.99 p437) from Madrid Atocha (below) along the 1435mm gauge high speed line as far as the gauge-changing installation at Córdoba, then proceeding to Puente Genil on the ...
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Digital alignment optimisation
SAVING on the cost of construction can make the difference between a project going ahead or being scrapped. Australia’s government scientific agency SCIRO has developed with Quantm Ltd an advanced computer-based tool to define the most cost-effective alignment, and this is already being put to use on the West Angelas ...
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Products In Brief
A production version of the BridgeGuard system developed by Ferranti Technologies is due for release by mid-2000, following two years of trials on five Railtrack structures. BridgeGuard uses accelerometer-based sensors to detect overheight road vehicles hitting rail bridges, with a microprocessor monitoring unit providing an assessment of likely damage.The Silentbloc ...
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Montréal works modernised
Alstom Transport Canada is delivering 50 remanufactured SD40-2 diesel locos (top right), to First Union Rail Corp, which will lease them to CSX Transportation under a multi-year agreement. The locos are being rebuilt at Alstom’s Montréal plant, a former Canadian National workshop which has been extensively remodelled since Alstom took ...
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Pointers
n Expect Canadian Transport Minister David Collenette to announce a package of capital investment for VIA Rail to replace its long-distance passenger coach fleet, together with increased federal operating support.n Look for Myanmar Railways to announce a major investment programme including new diesel locomotives and freight wagons to boost capacity.n ...
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Spread the word
CGEA TRANSPORT is so pleased with the Connex branding used for its British rail franchises that it has decided to extend the name to its other rail and bus operations. Managing Director of the parent Vivendi Group Henri Proglio says studies in five countries have shown that the Connex name ...
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Industry News
Germany: Extending an existing partnership agreement, Lineas Systeme AG has acquired the traffic management and planning systems unit of Adtranz Signal. It will become part of Lineas Verkehrstechnik GmbH, responsible for developing the Optivia product platform for industrial railways that combines vehicle tracking, interlocking and traffic management systems.Great Britain: Rolling ...
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Market
Australia: Last month National Express Group confirmed its order for new rolling stock from Siemens Verkehrstechnik, for delivery between 2002 and 2005. Swanston Trams will get 38 three-section Combino LRVs 19 m long and 21 five-section cars of 29 m. The 62 three-car suburban EMUs for Bayside Trains will be ...
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Finance
France: On March 27 the Aquitaine region allocated Fr310m towards the reopening of the Pau - Canfranc line (RG 4.00 p209).Malawi: New operator Central East African Railways is to invest US$26m over 15 years, including US$4·5m for rolling stock upgrading this year.Pakistan: Following suspension in February of a US$100m World ...
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Industry News
Canada: Progress Rail Services Corp is to acquire the metal fabrication, trackwork and wheel shops at CPR’s Weston works in Winnipeg, becoming the railway’s exclusive supplier for wheel and track requirements.Slovakia: Alstom has signed a co-operation agreement with local maintenance contractor ZOS Zvolen to bid for supply of lightweight diesel ...