Main line rail industry news – Page 543
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NewsWien Süd freight terminal test operations begin
AUSTRIA: Rail Cargo Austria has begun test running at the Wien Süd freight terminal, ahead of the official opening on December 5 of what is planned to be Austria's biggest import and export transshipment hub. Built by ÖBB-Infrastruktur over a three-year period, the multi-functional terminal includes an intermodal facility with ...
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NewsExcessive speed caused Croydon tram derailment
UK: On November 16 the Rail Accident Investigation Branch published its interim report into a fatal derailment on the Tramlink light rail network in Croydon, south London, which had taken place at around 06.07 on November 9. The report provides key information and urgent safety advice ahead of the completion ...
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NewsPatriot Rail expands services business
USA: The Lakeshore Railcar Services subsidiary of short line and services group Patriot Rail has acquired the assets of specialist tank wagon and lorry cleaning company United Transportation Group. Based 30 km from central Chicago at East Chicago in Indiana, the company cleans dry, liquid, hazardous and non-hazardous commodity tanks, ...
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NewsInterpipe invests US$16·2m in production capabilities
UKRAINE: Interpipe has completed the second phase of a US$16·2m investment in railway-related production facilities at its Interpipe NTRP mill in Dnipro. This included expansion of wheelset production capacity with the aim of growing exports and entering the passenger wheelset market. The additional capacity will enable the company to increase ...
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NewsUKVZ selected to supply trams to Khabarovsk
RUSSIA: Sole bidder UKVZ has been selected to supply three partly low-floor trams to Khabarovsk. The 48·9m rouble contract is to be financed by the municipal budget. UKVZ will supply its Type 71-623-02 trams, with deliveries due by the end of December. Type 71-623 trams have been in service ...
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NewsEQT completes acquisition of GB Railfreight
UK: Private equity fund EQT Infrastructure II announced on November 15 that it had completed the acquisition of Groupe Eurotunnel’s UK freight operating subsidiary GB Railfreight. The acquisition with an enterprise value of €180m has been made through an indirectly-owned company within Hector Rail Group, Sweden’s largest private freight operator ...
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NewsDB Netz to roll-out remote point condition monitoring
GERMANY: DB Netz has approved the national roll-out of 800 Strukton data loggers to monitor more than 12 500 point machines, following a successful pilot programme which involved 100 data loggers on 1 000 point machines. The data loggers were developed by Strukton in co-operation with DB Netz and are ...
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NewsJim Umpleby
Jim Umpleby, currently head of Caterpillar’s Energy & Transportation division, will succeed Doug Oberhelman as Chairman & CEO on January 1. Dave Calhoun will become Non-Executive Chairman of the Board in March.
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NewsFunding approved for Paris EMU order
FRANCE: The board of Ile-de-France transport authority STIF approved on November 15 the provision of €500m to fund the purchase by SNCF of a further 52 Francilien electric multiple-units from Bombardier Transportation. The EMUs are scheduled to be delivered from March 2018 to operate on suburban lines J and L ...
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NewsSTIF approves funding for EMU order
FRANCE: The board of Ile-de-France transport authority STIF approved on November 15 the provision of €500m to fund the purchase by SNCF of a further 52 Francilien electric multiple-units from Bombardier Transportation. The EMUs are scheduled to be delivered from March 2018 to operate on suburban lines J and L ...
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NewsNokia to supply ‘first’ LTE-R network
SOUTH KOREA: Telecoms group Nokia is to supply Korea Rail Network Authority with what it says would be the ‘world’s first’ LTE-R mobile broadband network to support railway operations. The contract announced on November 14 covers the 120 km Wonju – Gangneung route which is under construction ...
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NewsPrototype piggyback wagons on test
CHINA: China Railway Corp is testing prototype piggyback wagons which have been developed by CRRC Qiqihar in partnership with the China Academy of Railway Sciences and other bodies. The manufacturer said that while piggyback operation is now common in North America and Europe, it is not used in China. ...
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NewsHS2 contracts let as government confirms northern routes
UK: The government announced on November 15 that it had awarded contracts worth £900m for enabling work on the first phase of the High Speed 2 project linking London with the West Midlands. In addition, the government also confirmed its preferred route for Phase 2b of the scheme, taking the ...
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NewsOmsk presents first low-floor tram
RUSSIA: The first low-floor tram in Omsk was presented on November 8 to mark the 80th anniversary of trams in the city. The partly low-floor single section tram uses a Belkommunmash AKSM-62103 car body that the Omsk tram operator fitted with overhauled trucks from a UKVZ KTM-5 tram. ...
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NewsIndependent transport regulator to be established
CZECH REPUBLIC: The government has approved an act paving the way for the creation of an independent transport infrastructure access regulator Úřad pro přístup k dopravní infrastruktuře with effect from April 1 2017. ÚPDI is to have 20 to 30 staff, and will be led by a chairman appointed by ...
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NewsArriva takes over London Overground concession
UK: Arriva became the sole operator of London Overground services with the start of the new operating concession on November 13. The £1·5bn contract which Transport for London has awarded to Arriva London Rail Ltd in March runs for 7½ years, with an option for up to two more years. ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
A pilot China-Pakistan Economic Corridor train co-ordinated by Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organization has run from Havelian freight terminal in northern Pakistan to Port Qasim at Karachi, carrying containers which had arrived from China by road convoy. Polish rail freight company Industrial Division has acquired four Newag E6ACT Dragon locomotives from ...
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NewsFeature articles in the November 2016 issue of Railway Gazette International
Feature articles in the latest issue of Railway Gazette International, the leading business journal for railway operators and suppliers, read in 140 countries. Subscribe to Railway Gazette International today. Comment Ride the digital wave in small steps News Main Line Urban Rail Market Industry ...
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NewsLokotrans timber wagons delivered
RUSSIA: Lokotrans has taken delivery of the first of 250 Type 13-6852 high-capacity timber wagons which are being supplied by United Wagon Co’s TikhvinSpetsMash business in co-operation with its Tikhvin plant. The 25 tonne axleload bogies mean the can carry a payload of 74 tonnes, and they have a capacity ...
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NewsAFE buys Swedish railcars
URUGUAY: National railway AFE has purchased seven Fiat Y1 diesel railcars from Swedish rolling stock leasing and maintenance company NetRail. One is to be used to provide spare parts, while the others are to be deployed to improve services from Montevideo to 25 de Agosto. AFE also plans to reinstate ...