Main line rail industry news – Page 289
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NewsIndian Railways converts coaches into coronavirus isolation wards
INDIA: With the incidence of Covid-19 infections continuing to rise, more than 5 000 passenger coaches have been converted by Indian Railways’ zonal workshops to act as temporary isolation wards during the pandemic.
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NewsTurkey’s National Train to enter service this year
TURKEY: The National Train electric multiple-unit developed under a programme to increase the use of domestic technology and support the adoption of TSI standards has been completed and is expected to enter revenue service this year, Minister for Transport & Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu said during a ...
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NewsKoralm Tunnel breakthrough
AUSTRIA: The north bore of the 32·8 km Koralm Tunnel was broken through on June 17, no fewer than 18 years after the start of work on the first exploratory tunnelling. Celebrations were limited because of coronavirus measures. The south bore had been completed on August ...
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NewsIarnród Éireann awards national traffic management system contract
IRELAND: National railway Iarnród Éireann has awarded Indra a €32m contract to supply a highly automated traffic management system which will allow the majority of its 2 400 km network to be controlled from Dublin. The contract announced on June 18 covers design, supply and commissioning of ...
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NewsHow the rail sector fought Covid-19
INTERNATIONAL: The International Union of Railways’ coronavirus task force has published its third document on the sector’s response to the crisis, focusing on how the rail industry fought Covid-19 during lockdown periods and looking at the mitigation measures put in place to stop the spread of ...
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NewsWabtec to supply PTC for Virgin Trains USA
USA: Virgin Trains USA has awarded Wabtec contracts worth $120m for the implementation of Positive Train Control on its route in Florida. In the first phase, Wabtec will install its Interoperable Electronic Train Management System PTC safety overlay on the 110 km Brightline corridor between Miami and ...
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NewsModular multi-function wagons on test
GERMANY: Trials have begun with a modular platform wagon that can be adapted for use with a variety of cargoes. In a joint development programme called M2, DB Cargo and wagon leasing group VTG have completed initial dynamic tests with the first vehicles and will now commence noise and static load testing.
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NewsMBTA seeks cost certainty with Keolis commuter rail contract extension
USA: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Fiscal & Management Control Board has approved an extension of Keolis’ contract to operate commuter rail services. The eight-year contract began on July 1 2014, with two two-year options for extension, both of which will now be exercised to take the contract ...
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NewsTransitio orders double-deck EMUs
SWEDEN: Local authority owned rolling stock leasing company AB Transitio has awarded Stadler a SFr133·3m order to supply a further 12 four-car double-decker electric multiple-units for use on Mälartåg regional services west of Stockholm from autumn 2021. The firm order announced on June 16 has been placed ...
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NewsAverage speed of Russian rail freight increases to 466 km/day
RUSSIA: The average speed of consignments across the Russian Railways network increased to 466·3 km/day in May, 16·3% higher than the same period last year and 28·4% above May 2018, RZD has announced. For shipments over distances of more than 2 600 km the average speed reached ...
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NewsSNCF launches ‘unprecedented’ regional rail and tourism campaign
FRANCE: What SNCF terms an ‘unprecedented relaunch’ of its TER regional passenger services was announced on June 12 as the country starts to open up after the coronavirus pandemic. Branded ‘TER de France’, the campaign is being led by SNCF in conjunction with regional authorities acting through ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Oil refiner Slavneft-Yanos has ordered a batch of Type 15-6913 molten sulphur tank wagons for delivery from United Wagon Co’s Tikhvin plant in late October. Australian Rail Track Corp has started work on a 300 m extension to Mount Murray loop on the ...
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NewsTalgo orders ECx onboard systems
GERMANY: Talgo has awarded EKE-Electronics a contract to supply its Trainnet train communication & management system for the ECx trainsets ordered by Deutsche Bahn. The €550m DB order finalised in February 2019 covers the supply of 23 17-car loco-hauled ECx 230 km/h push-pull trainsets to enter service ...
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NewsElectrically heated molten sulphur wagons delivered
RUSSIA: Ivanomorsk TPK has taken delivery of a batch of UWC TikhvinChemMash molten sulphur wagons for use by Norilsk Nickel. This follows the delivery last year of wagons for sulphuric acid traffic. UWC said the Type 15-6913 molten sulphur wagon was one of the most technologically sophisticated ...
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NewsRhätische Bahn orders 20 Capricorn EMUs
SWITZERLAND: Rhätische Bahn has placed a SFr172·9m firm order for Stadler to supply a further 20 four-car Capricorn electric multiple-units. The order announced on June 12 has been placed using an option on a SFr361m contract for an initial 36 of the 11 kV 16·7 Hz EMUs ...
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NewsAncala to acquire Hector Rail from EQT
SWEDEN: Mid-market investment manager Ancala Partners LLP’s European Infrastructure Fund II has reached a definitive agreement to buy rail freight operator Hector Rail from EQT. The transaction announced on June 12 is expected to be completed in Q3 2020. Stockholm-based Hector Rail was founded in 2004 and ...
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NewsCalgary – Banff passenger service to be studied
CANADA: Alberta’s Ministry of Transportation has signed a memorandum of understanding with Canada Infrastructure Bank to investigate the feasibility of introducing a passenger rail service between Calgary and Banff, which were last linked by regular inter-city trains in January 1990. The proposal envisages the construction of dedicated ...
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NewsCo-operative group seeks to launch Lyon – Bordeaux open access service from 2022
FRANCE: Nascent open access operator Railcoop lodged a formal application with the Autorité de Régulation des Transports on June 9 to launch a Bordeaux – Lyon inter-city service using the conventional route via Périgueux and Montluçon. Photo: Christophe Masse A direct Lyon - Bordeaux service could be revived ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Vitaliy Starikov has become head of Russian wagon manufacturer RM Rail, succeeding Pavel Ovchinnikov who had held the post since 2012. His priorities are production diversification, higher manufacturability, market expansion, the development of special-purpose rolling stock model range, shortening design and lead times, increasing product life cycles, ...