Main line rail industry news – Page 1446
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News
Paris opening launches next round of French tram projects
PRESIDENTS Louis Gallois of French National Railways and Jean-Paul Bailly of Paris Transport Authority joined Minister of Transport Claude Gayssot to inaugurate the French capital's second modern tramway on July 1. Originally intended to open last year, the 11·3 km Tram Val de Seine links La Défense to Issy-Val ...
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Tunnel still afloat
EUROTUNNEL’S efforts to drum up support from shareholders for the complex financial restructuring intended to make its £8·5bn debt more manageable were rewarded at an extraordinary general meeting on July 10 in Paris. After 6 h of debate, the resolutions needed to approve the restructuring were passed by a majority ...
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Bringing back the fish
ANNOUNCEMENT on July 16 that 2500 freight wagons will be built for US-owned freight operator EWS over the next five years - at the former carriage works in York in association with Thrall Car - is one of the most encouraging events on the British scene in the traumatic five ...
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Amtrak could go bankrupt next year
A WORKING GROUP of 13 set up by Bud Shuster, Chairman of the House of Representatives Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, reported on June 23 that ’Amtrak is now awash in red ink, buffeted by conflicting missions and ballooning debt, and virtually starved of capital in both political and financial terms.’ ...
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Sidetrack
Oooh! Aaah! Eurostar?READERS of our regular Passenger Portfolio feature will no doubt be familiar with the continuing efforts of train operators worldwide to keep their business clintele supplied with the creature comforts that they have come to expect. Eurostar (UK) appears to have gone one better than at-seat video or ...
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Finance
Canada: Short line operator RaiLink Ltd plans a C$25m share offering, and is due to be listed on the Toronto stock market this month.Estonia: The European Investment Bank is providing half of the estimated US$35·5m cost of track repairs on 70 km of EVR main line between Tallinn and the ...
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Swazis prepare to go west
SWAZILAND Railways has unveiled plans to build a western link into South Africa, to provide a direct route to Johannesburg and the Gauteng region. Chief Executive Officer Gideon Mahlalela said in Mbabane on May 29 that he hoped the line would be open within five years.The new link would use ...
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Queen opens Storebaelt link
JUNE 1 saw the formal opening of the fixed rail link across Denmark’s Great Belt. The ceremonies were held at the Halsskov portal on Sjaelland, to which around 400 guests were taken from København by a special train formed of IC3 DMUs. Transport Minister Bjørn Westh (right) made a ...
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Russians to test smart cards
MOSCOW Metro has awarded an A$8·4m contract to AES Prodata, part of Australia’s ERG group, for installation of advanced fare collection equipment at 153 stations. The system is intended to reduce fraud and handle rising traffic. It will be based around the V3000 ticket reader which combines magnetic stripe and ...
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Hollands Spoor refurbished
May 23 saw the completion of a key stage in an ongoing rebuilding programme undertaken by Netherlands Railways and the city authorities at Den Haag Hollands Spoor, as the station’s main hall and passenger subway were officially re-opened following comprehensive refurbishment. This phase of the Hollands Spoor programme has cost ...
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States stay execution
The Boston segment of the Lake Shore Limited has been rescued by a complex deal between Amtrak and the state of Massachusetts which is designed to expand the operator’s non-passenger revenue. The train had been scheduled to be discontinued on May 10 owing to Amtrak’s on-going financial crisis (RG 5.97 ...
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QR woos passengers with tilting trains
INTRO: Radical concepts in engineering and interior design are being applied to the tilting trains due to take over Brisbane - Rockhampton services next yearBYLINE: Don Heumiller and Jerry Jirasek*BYLINE: * Don Heumiller is an independent rolling stock design engineer advising Walkers Ltd. Jerry Jirasek is Senior Design Manager for ...
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Barter to revive Benguela
RECONSTRUCTION of Angola’s 1304 km Benguela Railway is getting under way in the port of Lobito, following the signing of a barter deal between the government and Italian construction company Tor di Valle. Restoration of the corridor is expected to take 14 years, at a cost of US$500m, although trains ...
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Lakeside lines upgraded
ON JUNE 9 Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf formally opened Banverket’s reconstructed Svealandsbanan regional main line between S
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JR Freight helps to build intermodal landbridge across China
BYLINE: Shigeho NimoriPresident, International Freight Railway System Co Ltd*CONSIGNMENTS of freight moving to and from Japan will be accelerated thanks to a partnership between China Railway Foreign Service Corp and Japan Railway Freight Co. A formal agreement was signed with JR Freight by CRFSC Vice President Shi Yulin in February ...
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BA projects vie for attention
DIFFERENCES have emerged between the Buenos Aires city authorities and Subte concessionaire Metrovías over expanding the five-line metro network. Two lines are currently on the drawing board: a 10·8 km Line H from Retiro to Nueva Pompeya via Plaza Miserere and Jujuy, and a 7·6 km Line F from Plaza ...
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Sidetrack
Last month Sidetrack reported on the various ways which the activities of birds have caused problems for railways. Now we have photographic proof to show how Hondekop and stork can live in harmony in the NetherlandsCAPTION: Dieter offers an alternative to plans to link cities in south and east Australia ...
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Market
Algeria: SNTF is negotiating to buy signalling equipment for 33 stations between El Affroun and Oued Tlelat from Siemens Austria for Sch1bn.Australia: Queensland Rail has awarded two contracts worth A$217 to Walkers-Adtranz Pty Ltd for 90 EMU cars for Brisbane. Westrail has ordered 10 EMU cars from Walkers-Adtranz for the ...
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DWA wins Finnish metro car race
HELSINKI City Transport announced on May 30 that it had selected Deutsche Waggonbau AG to negotiate final terms for supply of 12 metro trainsets, at a cost of FM240m including VAT. The trains are needed to provide extra capacity, and to cover services on a 4 km branch to Vuosaari ...
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Reserve Le Shuttle
Eurotunnel’s Le Shuttle car-carrying service has been relaunched following the repair of fire damage to the Channel Tunnel (RG 1.97 p21), starting with several weeks of special events under the ’Happy Summer’ banner. Managing Director Bill Dix announced on June 10 that 60 to 65% of capacity would henceforth be ...