Main line rail industry news – Page 545
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NewsLucknow metro test running to start on December 1
INDIA: Test running on the Lucknow metro is set to begin on December 1, following the ceremonial handover of the first trainset at Alstom Transport India's Sri City factory on November 4. The first of 20 four-car Metropolis trainsets was handed over within 65 weeks of the contract award on ...
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NewsFirst GE Evolution loco for Pakistan completed
PAKISTAN: The first of 55 Evolution Series ES43ACi diesel locomotives which GE Transportation is building for Pakistan Railways is undergoing final testing ahead of delivery from the USA. The 1 676 mm gauge Class GEU-40 locomotives are to be supplied fully assembled. Pakistan Railways expects to commission the first locomotive ...
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NewsFirst short Flexity Basel enters service
SWITZERLAND: The first five-section Flexity Basel tram entered revenue service on Route 3 of the city’s tram network on November 4. From next year it is expected to enter service on routes 15 and 16. In 2012 transport authority BVB ordered 61 Flexity trams from Bombardier for SFr255m. The ...
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NewsStockholm Citybanan to open in July 2017
SWEDEN: The 6 km Citybanan cross-city tunnel under Stockholm is to open for revenue service at 05.00 on July 10 2017, national infrastructure manager Trafikverket announced on November 3. Under construction since 2009, the north-south link is intended to carry the capital’s suburban services, doubling rail capacity through the ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Rail freight traffic in North Korea in the three months to September 2016 was reported to be up by 1 million tonnes on the same period last year, following to efforts to repair locomotives and wagons, improve terminals and reduce wagon turnaround times. Russian Railways ran a trial 12 600 ...
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NewsChinese firm to build Zambia – Malawi railway
ZAMBIA: The Ministry of Transport & Communications has awarded China Civil Engineering Construction Corp a US$2·26bn four-year contract to design and build the Zambia East Line, which would run for 388·8 km from Serenje on the Zambian Railways network to Petauke and Chipata. Chipata is the terminus of an ...
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NewsPlayRenfe wi-fi offers live TV on the move
SPAIN: Prior to its launch on high speed services between Madrid and Sevilla on December 5, national operator RENFE is testing from November 4 a beta version of PlayRenfe, its new on-train wi-fi platform which combines satellite and 4G. As well as internet connectivity, passengers will be able to enjoy ...
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NewsEurostar 'confident' as Amsterdam plans gather pace
EUROPE: Eurostar said it was seeing ‘signs of recovery in the trading environment’ when it announced its Quarter 3 results on November 4, with passenger numbers in the previous eight weeks increasing year-on-year. This followed a ‘challenging period’ when demand had been dampened by the Nice terrorist attack in July. ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
NRE has launched an online auction site to provide its customers with ‘the ease and convenience of online shopping for hard to find parts at competitive pricing’, according to Claire Vaughan, responsible for Auction & Online Sales at the company. The website is initially selling NRE products, but ‘we hope ...
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NewsBombardier opens Wrocław production hall
POLAND: Bombardier Transportation inaugurated a 20 000 m2 high speed train car body production and painting hall at its Wrocław plant on November 3. The hall has ‘unique’ 3D laser welding technology which will be used to produce car bodies for Deutsche Bahn’s ICE4 fleet. Bombardier said ...
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NewsWest Coast Partnership franchise to include HS2 launch
UK: ‘I want to be very clear that this is a new type of franchise requiring a new kind of approach to bidding’, said Transport Minister Paul Maynard said on November 4, confirming that the franchise which is to replace the current InterCity West Coast franchise from April 2019 would ...
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NewsLatvian electrification plans revised
LATVIA: National railway LDz has updated its plans for the roll-out of 25 kV 50 Hz electrification and the conversion of the routes around Rīga which are currently electrified at 3 kV DC. The programme has an estimated value of €1·3bn and would increase electrification from 257 km to 839 ...
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NewsTranstech to supply trams for Helsinki orbital route
FINLAND: Helsinki transport operator HKL has selected Škoda Transportation subsidiary Transtech to supply 29 trams for the future 25 km Raide-Jokeri orbital light rail line which is to be built to link Itäkeskus with Keilaniemi in Espoo. HKL is to order the vehicles by exercising part of an option for ...
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NewsIsfahan metro extended
IRAN: An extension of Isfahan’s sole metro line by 800 m south from Shohada to Takhti opened on November 2, along with three more intermediate stations at Baharestan, Golestan and Shahid Chamran on the existing route. This takes Line 1 to 12·5 km with 11 stations. Most ...
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NewsAir travel portal to offer Amtrak bookings
USA: Fareportal is to use SilverRail's API to sell Amtrak tickets through its CheapOAir travel portal. Fareportal ‘will be amongst the first leisure online booking platform to offer Amtrak tickets alongside airfare results', said SilverRail Chief Commercial Officer Cameron Jones on October 26. 'This partnership helps raise the profile of ...
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NewsDetecting voids on the move
UK: The Institute of Railway Research at the University of Huddersfield has developed an algorithm aimed at enabling sensors fitted to Siemens GSM-R cab radios to detect track voids and potentially other rail defects. The algorithm is intended to enable every vehicle equipped with GSM-R radio equipment to act as ...
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NewsSNCF Réseau raises €900m with inaugural green bond
FRANCE: SNCF Réseau has raised €900m with its inaugural 15-year ‘green bond’, which it says was the first to be issued by a railway infrastructure manager and the first issued by a European transport company. Crédit Agricole CIB, HSBC France and JP Morgan acted as joint lead managers. The proceeds ...
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NewsGenesee & Wyoming acquires Providence & Worcester Railroad
USA: International freight railway group Genesee & Wyoming Inc announced on November 1 that it had completed the acquisition of Providence & Worcester Railroad Co for $126m. Following the closing of the transaction, G&W immediately transferred control of P&W to a voting trust with R Lawrence McCaffrey appointed as trustee. ...
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News€3·1bn Berlin fleet renewal programme approved
GERMANY: The supervisory board of Berlin city transport operator BVG approved a €3·1bn metro trainset and tram procurement programme running until 2035 at its meeting on October 31. This decision enables BVG to call the first tenders under the fleet expansion and renewal programme, which could eventually cover 700 large-profile ...