Main line rail industry news – Page 260
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NewsBNSF and Wabtec test battery-electric locomotive in California
USA: BNSF and Wabtec have begun testing a battery-electric locomotive in revenue service on the 585 km route between Barstow and Stockton in California. The tests aim to assess the future potential of the technology, which as well as the battery features energy-management and system optimisation ...
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NewsMontpellier – Perpignan high speed line inches forward
FRANCE: Initial public consultations are underway on long-standing proposals to build a high speed line between Montpellier and Perpignan, after Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djébbari established a steering committee for the project and commenced the process needed to authorise the 150 km Ligne à Grande Vitesse. Public consultations ...
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NewsEIB backs CargoBeamer’s modal shift ambitions
EUROPE: The European Investment Bank is providing financing to support the development of three CargoBeamer rail freight terminals at Calais in France, Kaldenkirchen near Germany’s border with the Netherlands and Domodossola near Italy’s border with Switzerland. CargoBeamer’s patented system comprising wagons, transhipment terminals and logistics software enables ...
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NewsFinnish passenger services secured as VR monopoly ends
FINLAND: The Ministry of Transport & Communications has awarded national operator VR a public service obligation contract for the provision of loss-making but socially-desirable passenger trains during 2021. The agreement takes into account the drop in ticket revenue as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The €30·6m ...
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NewsIndigenous ballastless track for Delhi commuter line
INDIA: Work is underway to build the factory at Shatabdi Nagar which will supply ballastless slab track for the Delhi – Ghaziabad – Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System commuter line. National Capital Region Transport Corp said the RRTS project would include ‘many firsts in terms of technology ...
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NewsIowa Interstate Railroad to be ‘platform for growth’ as investor takes 40% stake
USA: Infrastructure investor iCON Infrastructure Partners V has acquired a 40% stake in regional freight railway Iowa Interstate Railroad from Pittsburgh-based Railroad Development Corp, which remains the majority owner. IAIS was formed in 1984, with RDC acquiring a minority interest in 1991 and owning 100% since ...
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NewsModi inaugurates first section of Eastern DFC and control centre
INDIA: The 351 km initial section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor between New Khurja in Uttar Pradesh and New Bhaupur near Kanpur was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 29. Addressing a socially distanced celebration at New Khurja by video ...
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NewsVale agrees concession extensions in ‘biggest step in railway history’
BRAZIL: Mining company Vale has agreed terms with the government to extend its concessions to operate the Estrado de Ferro Carajás and Estrado de Ferro Vitória a Minas by 30 years.
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NewsKuala Lumpur – Singapore high speed rail project terminated
ASIA: The project to develop a 350 km high speed line offering a 90 min journey time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore has been terminated, the two governments have announced. The Malaysian government will now undertake a detailed study to explore the viability of a domestic ...
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NewsBettembourg – Rostock intermodal service to launch in January
EUROPE: CFL Multimodal, Stena Line, LKW Walter and Rostock Port are to launch a thrice-weekly service between the Bettembourg-Dudelange intermodal terminal and the RTM Terminal in Rostock on January 11, transporting craneable and non-craneable trailers as well as containers. ‘As a ferry and RoRo hub with connections ...
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NewsSoftware platform to manage new train documentation
CANADA: National passenger operator VIA Rail is using the cloud-based Fabasoft Approve platform to manage technical data and documents for its new fleet of inter-city trainsets to be supplied by Siemens Mobility. ‘Our co-operation with Siemens Mobility has been simplified tremendously’, said Project Director Arnaud Lacaze. ‘Now ...
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NewsInland Rail starts NSW environmental consultation
AUSTRALIA: National infrastructure manager ARTC has begun public consultation on the Environmental Impact Statement for the longest section of new construction in its 1 700 km Inland Rail corridor. Running for 306 km though the central west region of New South Wales, the Narromine – Narrabri line ...
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NewsMore ČD Cargo locomotives to be equipped with ETCS
CZECH REPUBLIC: State-owned freight operator ČD Cargo has awarded CZ Loko a €12·9m contract to install Bombardier Transportation ETCS Level 2 Baseline 3 onboard equipment to 30 Class 753.7 diesel-electric locomotives by December 2022, under a deal co-funded from the EU’s Operational Programme Transport. ŽOS Vrútky ...
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NewsCroatian line modernisation
CROATIA: Work to modernise the 13 km Zaprešić – Zagreb Zapadni Kolodvor section of the Zagreb – Slovenia corridor is to start in early 2021. This follows the completion in December of work of the 6·5 km between Savski Marof and Zaprešić, where the maximum speed has ...
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NewsHefei – Anqing high speed line opened
CHINA The 162 km Hefei – Anqing Passenger-Dedicated Line has been opened for revenue service, linking the capital of Anhui province with its second city of Anqing on northern bank of the Yangtse River.
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NewsAmtrak’s Moynihan Train Hall expands New York Penn Station
USA: Amtrak will start to operate out of the converted Moynihan Train Hall from January 1 to boost its passenger handling capacity at New York’s Penn Station, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on December 28.
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NewsTransNamib upgrade underway
NAMIBIA: Work has started on a project to rehabilitate Trans-Namib’s main line from Walvis Bay to Swakopmund as part of a government-backed project to develop a transport and logistics hub serving southern Africa. Minister of Works & Transport John Mutorwa attended an event to mark the start ...
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NewsŽSSK fleet renewal plans
SLOVAKIA: Several rolling stock renewal projects are being planned at national operator ŽSSK. This includes the procurement of 20 electric multiple-units for the Košice region, along with the modernisation of 35 coaches and procurement of 17 new coaches; modernisation of 15 Stadler EMUs for the Tatra electric ...
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NewsGetting ready to Know Your Train
GERMANY: Ci4Rail has been founded in Nürnberg to provide intelligent cloud services and edge technology for the transport sector. The start-up company is to launch Know Your Train, a ‘holistic platform’ comprising hardware, software and accompanying services for predictive maintenance and other value-added applications. The company’s founders ...
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NewsPTC implementation completed, reports FRA
USA: Full implementation of Positive Train Control on all required routes has been achieved ahead of the Congressional deadline of December 31 2020, the Federal Railroad Administration confirmed on December 29.