Main line rail industry news – Page 1362
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News
ICE derailed by worn wheel
PASSING the ICE workshops at Hamburg-Eidelstedt on April 6, we were struck by the large number of power cars awaiting attention. Later that day we learnt that a problem with welds on traction linkages between the power car body and bogies had led to 13 units being withdrawn. With safety ...
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Structure studies
AS ANTICIPATED in RG 2.00 p81, crashworthiness looks set to be a significant issue emerging from the Ladbroke Grove collision 3 km from London Paddington, which killed 31 people on October 5 1999. In its third interim report on the accident, released on April 14, the Health & Safety Executive ...
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TEFNs could slash track costs
IN A PERIOD of 17 years following deregulation under the Staggers Act of 1980, the major Class I railways in the US achieved a threefold reduction in the cost per gross tonne-km of maintaining and renewing their infrastructure. They did it by investing heavily in raising track quality, and in ...
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Ground level air route
CONTRACTS for construction of the substructure of HSL-Zuid in the Netherlands were expected to be signed by May 1 following a ceremonial start of work on March 27. Presiding at the event near Breda, Transport Minister Tineke Netelenbos was joined by her Belgian counterpart Isabelle Durant to underline the international ...
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Californian mega-spend
California GOVERNOR Gray Davis unveiled on April 6 a $15bn Traffic Congestion Relief Plan for the state’s principal cities. Most of the money is earmarked for highway maintenance and improvements, but a surprisingly large amount is proposed for rail projects, some of which are unexpected.Among the proposals is $760m to ...
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Hudson - Bergen Light Rail opens
USA: April 15 saw the formal inauguration of the first 12·7 km of New Jersey Transit’s $1·2bn Hudson - Bergen light rail network by state Governor Christie Whitman. Services are now running from 34th Street in Bayonne to Exchange Place in Jersey City, and on the short branch from Exchange ...
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Metros
Estonia: Tallinn city government is seeking separation of commuter rail operator AS Elektriraudtee from national railway Eesti Raudtee. The aim is to merge the city’s electric railways with the tramways operated by Trammi-ja trollibussikoondis and sell them to the private sector as a single entity.Germany: München airport authorities are proposing ...
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Ballast profiling by GPR
A COMPACT ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system suitable for ballast profiling has been introduced by Geophysical Survey Systems. Weighing 6 kg and housed in a weatherproof plastic case, the SIR 2000 takes power at 12V DC and can be used with a range of antennae with a frequency range of 16 ...
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Plaza Constitución refurbishment starts
BUENOS AIRES suburban operator Metropolitano has begun a US$13·5m refurbishment at Plaza Constitución, city terminus of its Roca network. Due for completion by the end of this year, work includes restoration of buildings dating from 1885 and 1907, and construction of an underground shopping area covering 9000m2. Air-conditioning is to ...
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Finance
Canada: Canadian Pacific Railway reported record earnings in 1999 for the fourth year running. Excluding special items, operating income was up C$42m to C$763m and tonne-km rose 4%.China: Hong Kong MTR has accepted the bid of Sun Hung Kai Properties for the Airport Railway Kowloon station Package 3, the last ...
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Blue mountain, black hole
ALARMING evidence about chaotic safe-working procedures in New South Wales emerged during the official inquiry into the collision at Glenbrook in the Blue Mountains on December 2, when the Indian Pacific was struck in the rear by an inter-urban EMU, killing seven passengers and injuring 51.The EMU driver told the ...
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Names change at Wabtec
FOLLOWING last year’s merger of Westinghouse Air Brake Co and MotivePower Industries (RG 1.00 p55), Wabtec Corp has changed the name of several business units, ’to convey their product lines or association with the corporation more clearly’, according to President & Chief Operating Officer Greg Davies. Boise Locomotive has been ...
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Sidetrack
Training cats and dogsFebruary saw another railway first, when Eurotunnel carried a small party of dogs and cats from France into Britain, heralding the dismantling of Britain’s pet quarantine laws. Introduced a century ago to prevent rabies spreading from mainland Europe, the regulations looked increasingly anachronistic as cases of la ...
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Information Systems
Signs that talkTo improve the provision of information to visually-impaired passengers, Vultron International has developed the Talking Information System which converts a text message in English into synthesised speech using recently-developed software. A control box with an integral processor receives ASCII text data from the PC-based host system, and translates ...
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CKD DS break-up imminent
NEXT MONTH is due to see the formal takeover of Czech rolling stock supplier CKD Dopravní systémy by Siemens AG, with the implementation of a strategic plan announced by the German group last September. This led to the signing of a letter of intent last December under which Siemens will ...
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Passenger In Brief
ZOS Vrútky and DVJ Dunakeszi of Hungary are refurbishing 26 coaches used on international services by Slovak Republic Railways. The first and second class vehicles are to receive new interiors, air-conditioning and plug doors, as well as disc brakes, anti-slide protection equipment and new dampers.The Netherlands transport ministry is ...
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Products In Brief
USF Vacu-Blast has supplied PA05-HP closed-circuit abrasive blasting machines to German Railway rolling stock workshops for tasks including paint stripping, rust removal and weld cleaning, suitable for use with all types of blast media. Dust and debris and are recovered by vacuum with any reusable media recycled.Laminated rubber/metal chevron springs ...
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HK show builds on returning confidence
AS THE Asian economies continue to recover from economic turmoil, attention is turning again to major rail projects. So exhibitors at the Exporail (Asia) 2000 event on May 3-5 will be expecting plenty of interest, not least because of the numerous schemes under way or proposed for the Hong Kong ...
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Industry News
Europe: Brown & Root Services has signed a memorandum of understanding with Holland Railconsult BV, to pursue jointly rail projects in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region and share technical knowledge and resources.Germany: Siemens AG has reported that all groups moved into profit in the first quarter of its 1999-2000 financial ...
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Virgin proposes East Coast ’VGV’
Ambitious plans to bypass a third of Britain’s East Coast main line with new routes designed to carry a fleet of 55 to 60 TGV-based trainsets capable of 330 km/h were unveiled by Virgin Rail Group on March 6. Built to Eurostar fire safety standards, Virgins à Grande Vitesse would ...