Main line rail industry news – Page 659
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NewsHong Kong MTR places its largest ever train order
CHINA: Hong Kong MTR Corp has awarded CSR Qingdao Sifang a HK$6bn contract to supply 93 eight-car metro trainsets. These are intended to replace all the first-generation trains in operation on the Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Island and Tseung Kwan O lines. Announcing the contract order on July 22, ...
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NewsTren del Valle launches with domestic DMUs
ARGENTINA: On July 21 President Cristina Fernández inaugurated by video link the Tren del Valle, a new service connecting the city of Neuquén with Cipolletti in Río Negro province. The first passenger services on this route for 22 years are operated with two DMUs purchased from Materfer for 20m pesos. ...
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NewsRussian tram funding approved
RUSSIA: The federal government has approved the allocation of a total of 384m roubles to eight regions for the purchase of trams and trolleybuses. The funds come from the federal budget and are being disbursed as part of a programme to increase industrial competitiveness. No details have been ...
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NewsWorld rail market July 2015
Canada: IVU Traffic Technologies is to supply VIA Rail with crew duty scheduling software, customised to reflect the way very long-distance trains are staffed with several crew teams, and to support seniority bidding whereby duty requests made by longer-serving staff have priority. India: Mumbai Metro Rail Corp has awarded ...
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NewsDenver selects light rail extension contractor
USA: Denver Regional Transportation District has selected a consortium led by Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc as preferred bidder to design and build an extension of the Southeast light rail line. The consortium also includes Parsons Brinckerhoff, Capitol Management, Transit Safety & Security Solutions, Systems Consulting and Communication Infrastructure Group. Other ...
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NewsEurostar e300 trainset refurbishment completed
EUROPE: The first of Eurostar’s ‘remodelled and redesigned’ trainsets is expected to return passenger service ‘in the coming weeks’, the cross-Channel high speed train operator announced on July 21. The refurbishment of the Class 373 trains dating from the launch of Eurostar services in 1994 is being undertaken at ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - July 2015
Keolis and privately-owned local group Nesma have signed a memorandum to form a strategic alliance to bid for public transport projects in Saudi Arabia. Delhi Metro Rail Corp and Rail Tel Corp of India have signed a memorandum of understanding for the roll-out of wi-fi on stations and potentially ...
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NewsDallas orders more catenary-free trams
USA: The City of Dallas and Dallas Area Rapid Transit have exercised an option to purchase two additional Liberty Modern Streetcars from Brookville Equipment Co. To be delivered in mid-2016, these will provide the extra capacity needed for the opening of the second phase of the streetcar line to ...
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NewsBerlin orders series-built Stadler U-Bahn trains
GERMANY: Berlin city transport operator BVG announced on July 20 that it had placed a firm order for 11 Stadler Pankow four-car Type IK U-Bahn trainsets. Deliveries are due in 2017. The contract is worth €60m and will be funded by the city. It follows the delivery two prototype ...
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NewsVossloh launches construction of locomotive plant
GERMANY: Construction of Vossloh Locomotives’ new plant on a business park in the Suchsdorf area of Kiel was officially launched with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 17. Vossloh and property developer Stargime are investing €41m in the plant, which is scheduled to open in mid-2016. It will have a production ...
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NewsHigh speed train tenders called as domestic prototype starts testing
CHINA: Tenders for the supply of 351 high speed trainsets were issued by China Railway Corp on July 17, in what the railway says is the largest train procurement in its history. Covering 228 trainsets for 350 km/h operation and 123 for 250 km/h, at an estimated total value of ...
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NewsKyiv orders low-floor trams
UKRAINE: Kyiv tram operator Kyivpastrans has selected Elektrontrans to supply seven trams for 183·75m hryvnia. The Type T5B64 ‘Elektron’ trams ordered would be similar to those in service in Lviv, but built for the 1 524 mm gauge in the capital as opposed to Lviv’s metre gauge. The five-section ...
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NewsWorld rail infrastructure market July 2015
Argentina: The Ministry of the Interior & Transport has awarded Siemens and Tesur a 5266m pesos contract to supply a substation and remote control system for the Buenos Aires – La Plata 25 kV AC electrification project. Belarus: Sinara’s Kalugaputmash has supplied BC with a UK-25 / 28SP tracklaying ...
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NewsEU-funded modernisation of Czech independent railway underway
CZECH REPUBLIC: Work is underway to modernise and install 3 kV DC electrification on the Železnice Desná local railway which links Šumperk with Kouty nad Desnou. The 19·3 km line was taken over by a group of local authorities after national railway ČD declined to repair extensive flood damage ...
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NewsWorld rolling stock market July 2015
Argentina: Ex-Madrid metro cars have entered service on Buenos Aires metro Line B. Azerbaijan: Three five-car Alstom metro trainsets have entered service in Baku. Belgium: De Lijn has placed a €97m firm order for a further 40 Bombardier Flexity 2 low-floor trams to replace older vehicles in ...
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NewsCMA consults on increasing on-rail competition
UK: The Competition & Markets Authority has published a consultation document seeking feedback on the desirability and feasibility of four options for significantly increasing on-rail competition between passenger train operators. The aim would be to produce competition ‘in the market’, which the CMA suggests could be more effective at ...
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NewsHonolulu awards metro stations contract
USA: Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation has awarded a contract to build the three westernmost stations on the Honolulu light metro line, it announced on July 16. Nan Inc. submitted the lowest bid to build Hoopili, University of Hawaii West Oahu and East Kapolei stations. Its bid of $56·1m ...
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NewsSaudi Railways Organization cancels Talgo order
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Railways Organization has announced that ‘following the reassessment of our rolling stock needs’ it has decided not to proceed with an order for six 200 km/h Talgo diesel trainsets for use on the Riyadh – Dammam line. The US$201m contract was announced on February 12 but ...
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NewsFreiburg puts Urbos trams into service
GERMANY: The first passengers rode an Urbos 100 tram in Freiburg on July 16 in a special event held ahead of the trams’ entry into regular passenger service on July 27. Public transport operator VAG signed a contract with CAF in March 2013 for 12 seven-section 100% low-floor trams ...
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NewsKai Tak topping out ceremony
CHINA: A topping out ceremony for Kai Tak station on the Shatin – Central Link in Hong Kong was held on July 16. This is the second station on the future metro line where civil works have been completed. Construction started in 2013. Three entrances lead to a concourse ...