Main line rail industry news – Page 672
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NewsFirst long-distance services to be tendered
SLOVAKIA: As part of long-term plans to liberalise the long-distance passenger market, the Ministry of Transport has announced that it is to call tenders this year for the operation of subsidised passenger services on the 230 km Bratislava – Banská Bystrica route via Šaľa, Levice and Zvolen. The government ...
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NewsLuxembourg selects tram supplier
LUXEMBOURG: Project promoter LuxTram has selected CAF to supply a fleet of 21 trams for the line under development in the city of Luxembourg for €83m. The trams would have a capacity of 450 passengers and would be equipped for catenary-free operation, which is envisaged between Pont Rouge and ...
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NewsBanedanmark selects electrification contractor
DENMARK: Infrastructure manager Banedanmark announced on May 18 that it had selected a joint venture of Per Aarsleff A/S, Siemens A/S and Siemens AG as preferred bidder to undertake the first phase of its national 25 kV 50 Hz electrification programme. Final negotiations are now underway, with a view ...
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NewsADB to assist south Luzon PPP programme
PHILIPPINES: Tenders are expected to be called within the next three months seeking a concessionaire to manage and maintain the Main Line South infrastructure linking Manila with the south of the island of Luzon for a period of 30 years. The Asian Development Bank and Development Bank of the ...
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NewsArriva plans Czech - Slovak service
EUROPE: DB’s Arriva Vlaky subsidiary has announced plans and requested train paths for the launch of a long-distance cross-border service between the Czech capital Praha and Trenčín in Slovakia from the December 2015 timetable change. The weekly service aimed at students would leave Praha on Fridays and return ...
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NewsMaintaining locos with augmented reality
EUROPE: The Services division of Siemens is trialling the use of augmented reality on tablet computers to support the maintenance of Vectron locomotives. Siemens staff the Transport Logistic exhibition in München demonstrated how augmented reality could assist staff working on a locomotive at a remote location. Technicians arriving by road ...
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NewsRailway industry news in brief - May 2015
In response to public and political concerns about tax avoidance, Dutch national passenger operator NS is to order all its future rolling stock through a Dutch-registered company, rather than its NS Financial Services business based in Ireland. Existing rolling stock will be transferred to Dutch ownership, with the aim of ...
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NewsPhase 2 opens in Valencia
VENEZUELA: The first section of second phase of the light metro network in Valencia was officially opened by President Nicolás Maduro on April 29, running for 630 m from Cedeño to Rafael Urdaneta and Francisco de Miranda. Having cost US$1·6bn to build, the extension is expected to be used by ...
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NewsPanamá City Line 2 preferred bidder selected
PANAMA: Panama Metro has selected the Línea 2 consortium of FCC and Odebrecht as preferred bidder for the construction of Panamá City metro Line 2. The US$1·86bn contract is due to be signed on May 22 following a standstill period. The scope includes engineering design, civil works, auxiliary facilities, ...
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NewsPTC installation by December ‘not possible’, warns APTA
USA: The requirement to install Positive Train Control on all commuter routes by December 31 2015 under the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 ‘was never a realistic deadline set by Congress’ and ‘is not possible’, American Public Transportation Association President & CEO Michael Melaniphy said in a statement issued ...
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NewsFeature articles in the May 2015 issue of Railway Gazette International
Feature articles in the latest issue of Railway Gazette International magazine, the leading business journal for railway operators and suppliers, read in 140 countries. Subscribe to Railway Gazette International today. Comment Making the most of tomorrow’s railways News Main Line Urban Rail Market Industry Innovations ...
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NewsStadler to supply double-deck EMUs to Azerbaijan
AZERBAIJAN: An agreement for the supply of five Kiss double-deck electric multiple-units was signed by Stadler Rail CEO Peter Spuhler and Javid Gurbanov, Chairman of national railway ADY, at the TransCaspian 2015 trade fair in Baku on May 13. The 1 520 mm gauge 3·3 kV DC EMUs are to ...
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NewsCSR and universities to establish UK rail research centre
UK: High speed train builder CSR Qingdao Sifang is to establish a centre for railway research and development in the UK under a series of co-operation agreements signed with three British universities during the Railtex 2015 exhibition in Birmingham on May 12. To be developed by CSR Sifang in co-operation ...
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NewsNorway sets out plans for railway reform
NORWAY: Proposals for reform of the railway sector have been announced by Minister of Transport & Communications Ketil Solvik-Olsen and representatives from the government parties Høyre and Fremskrittspartiet and their parliamentary support parties Venstre and Kristelig Folkeparti. A white paper was published on May 12 and is to be presented ...
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NewsStrong franc brings Huber+Suhner structural changes
SWITZERLAND: Cable, connector and antenna systems supplier Huber+Suhner announced measures to cope with the impact of ‘negative effects due to the strong Swiss franc’ on May 12. The changes will lead to around 25 early retirements and 25 redundancies at its Herisau and Pfäffikon sites in 2015, along with ...
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NewsRailtex 2015 - Wednesday round-up
Focused on multi-disciplinary railway technology, the biennial Railtex exhibition takes place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on May 12-14.
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NewsFirst electro-diesel Flirts ordered
ITALY: The Valle d’Aosta region placed the first order for an electro-diesel version of Stadler Rail’s Flirt multiple-unit on May 12. Five Flirt3 units are to be delivered in 2018 for use on Aosta – Torino services. Each of the units will have three passenger cars, plus the diesel power ...
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NewsEuropean Commission approves SNCF control of Eurostar
EUROPE: The European Commission announced on May 13 that it had approved a shareholders’ agreement which will see French national railway SNCF acquire sole management control of cross-Channel high speed train operator Eurostar International Ltd. This approval is subject to commitments which are designed to facilitate the entry of new ...
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NewsCowra Lines tender fails to find private operator
AUSTRALIA: The government of New South Wales has been unsuccessful in its attempt to find a private operator to revive the dormant Cowra Lines for freight services, New South Wales Minister for Roads, Maritime & Freight Duncan Gay has announced. The 200 km Cowra Lines running from Blayney to Harden ...
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