Main line rail industry news – Page 488
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NewsSardinia and Trenitalia sign performance-based operating contract
ITALY: Sardinia’s regional government and Trenitalia signed a nine-year contract for the operation of standard gauge rail services on the island on July 26. This defines the services to be provided through to 2025, and requires delivery of new rolling stock, an increase in commuter services and closer integration between ...
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NewsUK railway news round-up
TransPennine Express and Eversholt Rail have returned to service the first of 51 Siemens Class 185 DMUs to be refurbished in a £32m programme. Changes include new seats with fabric from Camira in standard class and leather in first class, power sockets at each pair of seats, bigger tables for ...
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NewsCatherine Guillouard
Catherine Guillouard has been appointed to RATP by ministerial decree and, subject to government approval, was expected to succeed Elisabeth Borne as President by the end of July.
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NewsLocation technology to be incorporated into National Rail Enquiries app
UK: Proxama plc’s mobile location data technology is to be embedded into the National Rail Enquiries journey planning apps under an agreement signed with the Rail Delivery Group. This will generate anonymised consumer data which Proxama’s platform will monetise through the sale of premium audience and attribution products and services. ...
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NewsDB has the wind in its sails but its feet on the ground
GERMANY: ‘We can feel the wind in our sails, but we still have our feet firmly planted on the ground’, said Deutsche Bahn Chief Executive Dr Richard Lutz when presenting the group’s results for the first six months of 2017 on July 26. Lutz said the figures from the first ...
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NewsHelsinki trams on test in Mannheim
GERMANY: Rhein-Neckar transport authority RNV took delivery of two Variotram trams from Helsinki transport operator HKL on July 19. These are being tested on the networks in Mannheim, Heidelberg and Ludwigshafen to assess their suitability for the region. RNV will test the 100% low-floor trams until the end of ...
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NewsHigh-capacity vans delivered to Kuchukterminal
RUSSIA: United Wagon Co subsidiary TikhvinSpetsMash is supplying sodium sulphate producer Kuchuksulphat’s transport business Kuchukterminal with 20 covered vans designed to carry packaged and bulk loads for the chemical, glass, pulp and paper sectors. The Type 11-6874 van has 25 tonne axleload bogies and offers a maximum capacity of ...
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NewsTehran – Mashhad electrification loan signed
IRAN: A US$1·5bn loan agreement to finance electrification of the 926 km Tehran – Mashhad main line was signed by China EximBank on July 25. Iran’s Bank of Industry & Mine will act as the Iranian government’s guarantor. The 25 kV 50 Hz electrification project forms part of a programme ...
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NewsMerger of Hohenzollerische Landesbahn and SWEG approved
GERMANY: Plans to merge local transport operators Hohenzollerische Landesbahn and Südwestdeutsche Verkehrs with effect from January 1 2018 were approved on July 24 by the Sigmaringen and Zollernalbkreis district authorities which hold 14% stakes in HzL. Approval had already been granted by the Land of Baden-Württemberg which owns 100% of ...
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NewsDB Cargo and Siemens sign locomotive telematics contract
EUROPE: As part of a programme to equip its locomotive fleet with telematics equipment to support predicative maintenance by 2020, DB Cargo has awarded Siemens a contract to retrofit its Class 152 Eurosprinter ES64F locos and connect its Class 170 and 191 Vectrons to the TechLOK data system. TechLOK collects ...
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NewsSidi Bel Abbès tramway inaugurated
ALGERIA: The fourth tramway in Algeria opened on July 25, when the 14·3 km route in Sidi Bel Abbès was inaugurated by Minister of Transport & Public Works Abdelghani Zaalane. Yapı Merkezi acted as construction contractor. The Cital joint venture of Alstom (49%), Ferrovial (41%) and Entreprise du Métro ...
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NewsAlstom plans Iranian urban rail rolling stock joint venture
IRAN: Alstom, Industrial Development & Renovation Organization of Iran and Iranian Rail Industries Development Co signed an agreement on July 23 defining the terms for the potential formation of a joint venture to produce urban and suburban rolling stock in Iran. This builds on a memorandum of ...
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NewsThree on Indian Railways multiple-unit factory shortlist
INDIA: Three consortia have been shortlisted by Indian Railways for a public-private partnership contract to build a factory to supply around 5 000 electric multiple-unit cars over 12 years and to maintain them for 13 years. According to local reports, the shortlisted bidders are: CRRC with Alstom;Siemens with Bombardier;Stadler Bussnang ...
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NewsRonald Batory
US President Donald Trump has nominated former Conrail President & CEO Ronald Batory to serve as Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, while Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has appointed Heath Hall as Deputy Administrator.
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NewsČD orders EffiShunter 300 locomotives
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD announced a KC239m order for 12 CZ Loko two-axle EffiShunter 300 diesel-electric shunting locomotives on July 24. To be designated Class 794, they will be deployed at Bohumín, Olomouc, Hradec Králové, Plzeň, Brno and Praha stations to replace more powerful but expensive to operate ...
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NewsCrossrail 2 needs to be more affordable
UK: Ways to improve the affordability of the proposed Crossrail 2 project while maximising the benefits are to be studied, Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan have jointly announced. The Crossrail 2 proposal comprises a tunnel to link up rail routes in ...
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NewsWork begins to electrify Caltrain
USA: California Governor Jerry Brown was among those present at a ceremony at Millbrae station on June 21 to mark the start of work on the Caltrain Electrification Project. ‘Today marks the beginning of a faster, cleaner, better Caltrain, a Caltrain that will allow tens of thousands of people ...
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NewsStudies still underway for trans-Pennine electrification
UK: No decision has been taken on the scope of the project to electrify the trans-Pennine route from Stalybridge near Manchester to Leeds, York and Selby, the Department for Transport told Railway Gazette on July 24. Network Rail’s electrification programme has seen significant cost overruns, and on July 20 the ...
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NewsAlstom opens Silk Road locomotive repair centre
KAZAKHSTAN: Alstom has inaugurated a depot in Astana which will undertake the corrective and preventive maintenance and overhaul of Prima KZ8A freight and KZ4AT passenger locomotives under a 25-year contract with national railway KTZ. The 2 660 m2 facility includes a repair and testing hall, spare parts stores and office ...
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NewsModertrans offers best bid in Wrocław tram tender
POLAND: Modertrans submitted the cheapest bid to supply 40 trams to Wrocław, transport authority MPK Wrocław announced on July 21. Modertrans’ offer of 176·2m złoty for the 27% low-floor Moderus Beta compares with a bid of 324·4 złoty from Pesa, which is offering its 100% low-floor Twist model. ...