Main line rail industry news – Page 1458
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News
Siemens wins first Combino order
POTSDAM Transport (ViP) ordered a fleet of 48 modular Combino trams from Siemens Verkehrstechnik on December 12. They will be delivered in annual batches of four between 1998 and 2009. The Potsdam version is 30·5m long and 2·3m wide, with 74 seats and room for 110 standees at ...
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Spiked copper could halt theft
Spoornet is developing techniques for reducing theft of copper cabling, in particular overhead line equipment on electrified routes. Conventional techniques, such as surveillance equipment and security patrols, were ruled out as prohibitively expensive to protect the 9000route-km electrified network.Instead, OHLE engineers have investigated ways of reducing the scrap value of ...
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Subte expansion proposals
BUENOS AIRES plans to call bids later this year for a 9 km addition to the Subte metro. Expected to cost US$360 to US$450m, Line H would improve connections between the predominantly east-west routes, running under Avenida Jujuy and Avenida Pueyrredón before heading up Avenida Córdoba to the Cid Campeador ...
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First phase of TGV Est approved
FRENCH Prime Minister Alain Juppé announced on December 23 that construction of the first phase of the long-planned TGV Est project will start in 1998. With the declaration of public utility agreed in May 1996, the way is now clear for SNCF to proceed with detailed design and land acquisitions.Although ...
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Industry
Bulgaria: Bulgarian State Railways and VAE are to establish a joint venture to manufacture points at BDZ’s Sofia works, which is to be modernised at a cost of Lev116m.Czech Republic: CKD and Skoda have signed a co-operation agreement covering foreign and domestic markets.Europe: In conjunction with the management and employees ...
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Akita shinkansen opens next month
JR EAST will launch direct shinkansen services on March 22 between Tokyo and Akita. Marketed as Komachi, they will be formed of Series E3 trainsets (RG 10.95 p663) running over the Tohoku shinkansen as far as Morioka and then on the regauged Tazawako line from Morioka to Omagari and Akita.Of ...
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Debts of winter
THOUSANDS of passengers were stranded in TGVs and other trains when a freak wave of icy weather paralysed rail services across the south of France last month. One typical story related a nightmare TGV trip from Paris to Nice that took 31h; staff at one stage abandoned the train for ...
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Channel Tunnel Rail Link gets Royal Assent
ON December 18 the Act authorising construction of the 108 km Channel Tunnel Rail Link to St Pancras in London received Royal Assent. London & Continental Railways, which won the concession to finance and build CTRL in February 1996, is now free to acquire land, undertake detailed design, and prepare ...
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TNT-Toll deal threatens NRC
DECEMBER’S announcement that TNT and Toll Holdings were forming a consortium to exploit Australia’s nascent open access regime by operating freight trains between major cities means that National Rail Corporation could follow Australian National into what amounts to liquidation (RG 1.97 p8). Conceivably, the joint TNT-Toll operation could become so ...
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Intelligence
CAPTION: Amtrak has begun revenue operation of RoadRailer bimodal vehicles designed to run at 160 km/h. Attached to passenger trains, the RoadRailers carry US Mail trafficCAPTION: London Transport Chairman Peter Ford, Jubilee Line Extension Project Director Hugh Doherty and Minister for Transport in London John Bowis (right) rode one of ...
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Metros
China: Shanghai metro Line 1’s extension from Jinjiangleyuan to Xinzhuang opened on December 28. In conjunction with Monotraction Pty Ltd of Australia, a 13 km feeder costing US$300m is proposed from Xinzhuang to Shanghai’s Minhang suburb by 1998.Germany: Rhein-Main Verkehrsverbund has identified a Frankfurt outer ring route for development as ...
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Fed-up feds demand end to subway shambles
CONTROVERSY has never been far from the Red line metro in Los Angeles. Tunnel collapses, frequent delays and rows with contractors have all attracted attention. Things went from bad to worse in Decem-ber, and when LA Metropolitan Transit Authority CEO Joseph Drew announced his resignation, it was a sure sign ...
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Market
Australia: BHP Iron Ore has ordered a wagon dumper from Strachan & Henshaw valued at A$7m for its Port Hedland terminal.Bulgaria: A US$23·8m contract to refurbish 50 BDZ passenger coaches has been awarded to Adtranz and MAV DVJ Kft of Hungary.Czech Republic: Vodni Stavby AS has won a Kcs969m contract ...
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Intelligence
Austria: Work began on December 10 on the 6·5 km Siegberg tunnel on the 13·6 km Haag - St Valentin cut-off on ÖBB’s Wien - Linz main line.China: CR plans to introduce a Shanghai - Hong Kong express before the British colony reverts to Chinese rule on July 1. The ...
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1997 marks milestones for Øresund link
INTRO: Construction of the fixed road and rail link across the Baltic between Denmark and Sweden is well on course for opening in 2000.Chris Jackson took a look at progress TRACKLAYING is getting under way on the Danish approaches to the Øresund fixed link, which is due to provide road ...
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NSB chooses clamp locks
NORWEGIAN State Railways has chosen electro-hydraulic Clamp Lock point machines from Smith Industries Hydraulics Co for installation at Drammen near Oslo. NSB’s design demands meant that the original design used in Britain was enhanced by protection against harsh climatic conditions and addition of multiple secondary drives and detection, built into ...
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Sud-Est TGVs brought up-to-date
PASSENGERS on France’s Paris Sud-Est line are enjoying more space and a revised seating layout on the route’s TGV fleet. The first three sets refurbished by SNCF’s Bischheim works entered service at the end of last year, and the mid-life overhaul of a further 14 is due to be completed ...
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Tilburg Wadloper refurbishment
Netherlands Railways is to refurbish its ’Wadloper’ diesel multiple-units for 12m guilders under a programme scheduled for completion by the end of this year. NS says the investment demonstrates its commitment to local services in the Groningen/Leeuwarden area.The DMUs will undergo mid-life internal treatment including the replacement of bench seating ...
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People
Mr Emmanuel Hau has been named Director of Finance & Economics for French National Railways. He replaces Mr Jean-Pierre Leclerc who has become President of Groupe CTT Sceta.Mr Hau studied at the Ecole National d’Administration and joined Electricité de France in 1977. He became Director of Finance & Legal Affairs ...
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Intelligent use of rail grinding
INTRO: Profiling can prolong rail life, improve ride dynamics and cut maintenance costs if is done carefully; incorrect use of grinding can all too easily have the opposite effects to those intendedBYLINE: Dr Allan M Zarembski PEPresidentZeta-Tech Associates IncMODERN RAIL grinding techniques use carefully applied grinding patterns to profile the ...