Main line rail industry news – Page 464
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NewsFour shortlisted for Docklands Light Railway train order
UK: Invitations to negotiate for a contract to supply 43 trainsets for the Docklands Light Railway driverless light metro were issued to four prequalified bidders by Transport for London on November 17. The prequalified bidders are: Alstom Transport UK; Bombardier Transportation; CAF; a consortium of Siemens, Stadler Bussnang and ...
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NewsNetwork Rail to sell commercial property business
UK: Network Rail announced plans to sell its commercial property business in England and Wales on November 17. The infrastructure manager said it was the largest provider of small and medium-sized business space in the UK, and the sale of ‘non-core’ property assets, the majority of which are spaces under ...
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NewsABB 'realigns' transformer manufacturing activities
ABB: A ‘strategic realignment’ of ABB's transformer manufacturing activities was announced on November 6, reflecting what the company said was a ‘dynamic market environment marked by increasing competition and consolidation in the rail industry.’ In the USA, the company is to consolidate power transformer manufacturing at its South Boston and ...
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NewsDalian to Bratislava freight service arrives
INTERNATIONAL: A trial container service from Dalian in China to the SPaP port on the River Danube in Bratislava arrived in the Slovak capital on November 13, after a 17-day journey via Russia and Ukraine. The 41 containers carrying goods worth more than US$3m including electronics and machine parts were ...
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NewsPandrol unifies branding
PANDROL: The rail activities of the Delachaux Group are to be unified under the Pandrol brand name, the company announced on November 17. As well as the eponymous rail fastenings business, Pandrol will also be the brand used by the Railtech, Vortok, Pandrol CDM Track, Rosenqvist, Matweld and RSS divisions. ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Between April 1 and September 30 Alstom booked €3·2bn of orders, down 49% on the same period the previous year. Sales were up 5% at €3·8bn, and adjusted EBIT increased 16% to €231m, leading to an adjusted EBIT margin of 6·2%. Net income reached €213m. ‘These six first months were ...
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NewsTransport for the North to become statutory body
UK: Legislation to turn the Transport for the North partnership of 19 local authorities, business leaders and 11 local enterprise partnership areas into a statutory sub-national transport body with legal powers and duties was laid in Parliament on November 16. Once approved, TfN would become a statutory body with effect ...
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NewsResilient rail pads to cut operational noise
BELGIUM: Infrastructure manager Infrabel is to install a new design of resilient rail pad during track renewals from 2018, aiming to equip 120 km a year. Developed in-house over a period of three years, the pads inserted between the rail and concrete sleepers have been proven to reduce operational noise ...
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NewsSixth Oslo metro line approved
NORWAY: Oslo city council approved plans for the city’s sixth metro line on November 13. Planned to open in 2024, the 8·2 km line with six stations would run from Majorstuen on the existing network to Fornebusenter to the west of the city centre, where the depot would be ...
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NewsGauge-changing freight axles under test
SPAIN: The OGI gauge-changing axle for freight wagons, designed to operate on both 1 435 mm and 1 668 mm gauge, has completed Phase 1 of its testing programme, it was announced on November 7. Developed and manufactured by Azvi, Tria and OGI, the axle has now operated for 50 ...
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NewsArmy studies dual gauge
ARGENTINA: Under an agreement signed with infrastructure manager Trenes Argentinos Infraestructura, army engineers are to undertake studies for providing 1 676 mm gauge on a 60 km section of the 1 435 mm gauge Urquiza network between Zárate and Pilar. This will include new junctions and the design of specialised ...
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NewsUK railway news round-up
Parliament’s Transport Select Committee is to hold an inquiry into the structure of railway funding. ‘We will consider whether the mechanism of control periods is the best way to manage investment in rail infrastructure‘, said Chair Lilian Greenwood MP. ‘At a time when UK passengers have seen ticket prices rising ...
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NewsSwitzerland to participate in EU Agency for Railways
EUROPE: The European Commission has asked the Council for a mandate to negotiate an amendment to the 1999 bilateral Land Transport Agreement with Switzerland, which would enable the country to participate in the European Union Agency for Railways. On November 15 the Commission said Swiss involvement was foreseen by the ...
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NewsRhätische Bahn launches double-tracking project
SWITZERLAND: Rhätische Bahn held a ceremony on November 14 to mark the start of work to on a project to provide a second track between Bever, at the junction of the Albula and Engadin lines, and Samedan where the Bernina and St Moritz routes join. As well as increasing capacity, ...
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NewsIncreasing capacity on the BAM and Trans-Siberian routes
RUSSIA: A programme to increase capacity on the Trans-Siberian and Baikal – Amur Magistral routes is underway, to support the development of coal mines in the Zabaykalsky region as well as the growth in long-distance and transit freight traffic. According to Russian Railways, capacity on the two routes has already ...
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NewsMercitalia orders up to 125 locomotives and 250 wagons
ITALY: FS Group’s freight subsidiary Mercitalia announced an order for 'up to' 125 Bombardier Transportation locomotives and a total of 250 wagons on November 14. The operator said Bombardier was awarded the €400m contract to supply the 6·4 MW Traxx DC3/MS locomotives to Mercitalia Rail and TX Logistik after a ...
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NewsFinland to China freight service launched
INTERNATIONAL: A freight train left Kouvola between Helsinki and the Russian border on November 10 carrying 41 containers for Xi’an in China. The containers were filled with Finnish products including timber, machinery, work clothing and ship components. The 9 110 km journey via Russia and Kazakhstan is expected to take ...
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NewsRafael Santana
Rafael Santana has been appointed President & CEO of GE Transportation with effect from November 1, replacing Jamie Miller who becomes GE’s Chief Financial Officer. Santana was previously President of GE’s Latin America regional business.
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NewsSBB targets 15 min frequencies in 'next quantum leap'
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways is drawing up long-term proposals to run its long-distance services at 15 min intervals. Describing this as ‘the next quantum leap in Swiss public transport’, SBB was responding on November 9 to a government consultation document on long-term investment in the national rail network. The government’s ...
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NewsWork begins on Budapest tram extension
HUNGARY: Work has started on a 1·7 km extension of Budapest tram Route 1. The western extension from Etele út/Fehérvári út to Kelenföld railway station will include two intermediate stations. Interchange with metro line M4 will be provided at Bikás Park and Kelenföld. The HF8·6bn project is 98·5% financed ...