Main line rail industry news – Page 491
-
NewsEnvironmental survey marks Northeast Corridor progress
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration on July 12 released a Record of Decision marking completion of a Tier 1 environmental review of the Northeast Corridor under the National Environmental Policy Act.This establishes a long-term planning framework for the 735 km corridor linking Boston with Washington DC, along which a series ...
-
NewsFS Group signs Iranian co-operation agreements
IRAN: Three co-operation agreements were signed in Tehran on July 11 by CEO of Italy’s national railway group FS Renato Mazzoncini and Islamic Republic of Iran Railways President Saeed Mohammadzadeh. The first agreement is potentially worth €1·2bn and covers the provision of design and construction services for the planned Qom ...
-
NewsLuxtram starts test running
LUXEMBOURG: Test running on the first section of the capital’s light rail line was officially launched on July 12, with a ceremony at the new Tramsschapp depot attended by Minister of Infrastructure & Sustainable Development François Bausch, the Mayor of Luxembourg Lydie Polfer and leader of the city council Sam ...
-
NewsDavid Brown
David Brown is to become Managing Director of Arriva Rail North in September. Currently CEO of regional agency Transport for the North, he will succeed Alan Chaplin, who has been Acting MD of the Northern franchise since the departure of Alex Hynes.
-
NewsUK railway news round-up
On July 12 Labour MP for Nottingham South Lilian Greenwood was elected Chair of the House of Commons Transport Select Committee for the 2017 parliament. Greenwood will formally take up the position when the remaining members of the committee have been named. From July 10 to August 13 the Department ...
-
NewsCRRC and Sinara sign rolling stock joint venture agreement
RUSSIA: The chairmen of Russia’s Sinara Group and China’s CRRC Changchun signed an agreement to establish the Sinara-CRRC Rail Transport rolling stock joint venture on July 4, in the presence of national presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping who was on a state visit to Russia. The agreement builds on ...
-
NewsCAF selects Newport for UK rolling stock factory
UK: Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF has selected the Celtic Business Park at the Llanwern steelworks site near Newport in South Wales as the location of its future UK factory. The 46 000 m2 plant would be designed to accommodate the production of a range of different vehicle types, including ...
-
NewsThales awarded Ankara resignalling contract
TURKEY: Thales has been awarded a contract to resignal the 36 km Başkentray route which runs east–west through Ankara from Kayaş to Sincan. The corridor is used by suburban, inter-city and high speed services, and is being upgraded by a joint venture of Gülermak and Kolin under a TCDD project ...
-
NewsBombardier to develop Cairo metro proposal
EGYPT: The National Authority for Tunnels and Bombardier Transportation signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding for the development of plans for Cairo metro Line 6 on July 11. Under the terms of the memorandum, Bombardier Transportation is to develop a concept for Line 6 and prepare an ...
-
NewsBattery energy recovery and biodiesel in Arriva operating contract
NETHERLANDS: The provinces of Groningen and Friesland named incumbent Arriva as the winner of the next contract to operate their regional passenger rail services on July 11. The contract will run for 15 years from December 13 2020 and is worth €1·6bn. The contract covers fast and stopping services ...
-
NewsCAF buys UK engineering consultancy BWB
UK: CAF announced the acquisition of UK transport, infrastructure and environmental consultancy BWB Consulting on July 12, saying the Nottingham-based company would play a ‘major role’ in the Spanish rolling stock manufacturer’s plans to diversify and expand in English-speaking international markets. The phased transaction will take place over the next ...
-
NewsEurostar passengers to be able to watch virtual fish under the Channel
EUROPE: Cross-Channel high speed train operator Eurostar is to offer passengers an ‘immersive and unprecedented’ on-board virtual reality experience this summer. Primarily aimed at children and accessed through the on-train entertainment system using a smart device or via headsets which will be available onboard, Eurostar Odyssey will create a virtual ...
-
NewsFinal Brazilian-built EMU for PRASA completed
SOUTH AFRICA: Alstom Brazil’s Lapa factory has completed the last of 20 X'Ttrapolis Mega electric multiple-units for Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. PRASA placed a R51bn order for 600 of the six-car 1 067 mm gauge EMUs in 2013, with 20 to be supplied from Brazil and the remaining ...
-
NewsSNCF selects Alstom traffic management system
FRANCE: SNCF Réseau announced on July 10 that, following a call for tenders, it had selected Alstom to develop a traffic management system that is to be rolled out from 2019, initially on the Paris — Lyon — Marseille route. Alstom will be supplying its Iconis product, which it says ...
-
NewsBaoji – Lanzhou opening completes high speed corridor to western China
CHINA: The 401 km high speed line between Baoji in Shaanxi province and Lanzhou in Gansu province opened on July 9, following a period of test running which had begun in May. The latest section of the national high speed network links the existing high speed line from eastern China ...
-
NewsUK Railway Research & Innovation Network awarded funding
UK: A partnership of rail industry suppliers and eight universities has been awarded public funding towards a £92m programme aimed at establishing a world-leading centre of railway excellence. The Higher Education Funding Council for England is contributing £28·1m from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund to support the newly-created UK ...
-
NewsSally Librera
New York MTA has appointed Sally Librera as Vice-President and Chief Officer of Staten Island Railway, succeeding Douglas Connett.
-
NewsRailRunner to launch conventional train ahead of technology approval
EUROPE: The European subsidiary of US intermodal freight technology company RailRunner plans to launch its first service on July 31, linking Bratislava and Braunschweig. Traction is to be provided by ČD Cargo and EGP of Potsdam, with trains leaving the two termini at 19.00 each weekday and arriving around 12.00 ...
-
NewsKolomna orders 22 trams
RUSSIA: Kolomna tramway operator Mosoblelektrotrans has announced that a 341m offer from Elektrotransport was the best bid for a contract to supply 22 single-section four-axle low-floor cars. The 1 524 mm gauge 600 V DC trams are scheduled to be delivered to the operator between September and December this year. ...
-
NewsFive rolling stock proposals for rail motorway to Spain
EUROPE: Five proposals have been received for wagons to carry lorries on a future rail motorway service between France and Spain, the Spanish Ministry of Development announced on July 9. By the deadline of June 30, proposals had been received from CAF, engineering consultancy Civenssy and Stadler Rail Valencia from ...