Main line rail industry news – Page 841
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NewsZhengzhou - Wuhan high speed line opens
CHINA: Completion of the latest phase of the Beijing - Guangzhou Passenger Dedicated Line was marked with simultaneous departures of 380AL trainsets from each end of the Zhengzhou - Wuhan section at 08.59 on September 28. The 536 km route links Wuhan in Hubei province with the city of Zhengzhou, ...
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NewsPortland Streetcar Loop aims to attract new riders
USA: The Portland Streetcar Central Loop opened on September 22, extending the city's tram service across the Willamette River to the east side of the city. The 5·4 km CL line is operated as a one-way loop connected to the North-South Line. It crosses the Broadway bascule bridge, then runs ...
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NewsJR East restores Tokyo’s historic station building
JAPAN: East Japan Railway reopened the historic station building at Tokyo Station on October 1 following a five-year restoration costing ¥50bn. A formal ceremony on September 30 to mark the occasion was cancelled because of an impending typhoon. One of the Japanese capital’s most famous buildings, the 335-m long station ...
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NewsCN begins work on 'benchmark' training centres
CANADA: A groundbreaking ceremony at Canadian National's Transcona workshop in Winnipeg on September 28 launched the construction of the first of two 'state-of-the-art' staff training centres. Work on the second facility at the Woodcrest Mechanical Shop in the suburbs of Chicago is to begin next year. 'These facilities will be ...
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NewsAlstom unveils KZ8A freight locomotive
KAZAKHSTAN: The first of 200 KZ8A twin-section freight locomotives being supplied by an Alstom-led consortium to national railway KTZ was unveiled in Belfort, eastern France, on October 2. Under a contract valued at €1·3bn signed in March 2011, the EKZ joint venture of KTZ (50%), Transmashholding (25%) ...
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NewsTianjin metro Line 3 opens
CHINA: Following an official inauguration ceremony on September 28, Tianjin metro Line 3 began carrying passengers with the start of a period of trial running on October 1. Line 3 runs 29·7 km through the city from Gaoxinqu in the southwest to Xiaodian in the northeast, with 23 stations. There ...
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NewsAll franchising on hold as InterCity West Coast award cancelled
UK: Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin has commissioned an urgent review of the franchise tendering programme, following the discovery of significant failings in the bidding process for the InterCity West Coast franchise which was due to change hands on December 9. The Department of Transport had selected FirstGroup ...
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NewsCAF Signalling brand launched
CAF: InnoTrans was used to publicise the rebranding of Eliop Seinalia under its new name CAF Signalling. The show was the venue for the global launch of three product lines for the international market: Naos supervision and control technology; the Auriga range of ETCS Level 1 and 2 equipment; and ...
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NewsRail America sale completed
USA: Genesee & Wyoming Inc confirmed on October 1 that it had completed the acquisition of RailAmerica from Fortress Investment Group, along with an associated financial restructuring. Rail America has a portfolio of 45 short line railroads totalling 12 000 km, a similar length to GWI’s 66 railways and ...
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NewsReliveried TGV POS spearheads Lyria expansion
EUROPE: Franco-Swiss train operator Lyria SAS unveiled a new look on September 25, presenting in Paris the first of 19 refurbished TGV POS sets which it is acquiring to operate an expanded range of cross-border services between France and Switzerland. Originally established as a joint venture between the two state ...
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NewsWabtec buys LH Group for US$48m
UK: Wabtec Corp announced the US$48m acquisition of diesel engine, transmission and bogie overhaul and industrial locomotive supplier LH Group on October 2. The LH Group companies are to become part of Wabtec Rail Group, which includes Wabtec Rail Ltd, Wabtec Rail Scotland and Brush Traction. Based ...
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NewsTours 'architecture in motion' tram unveiled
FRANCE: The first Alstom Citadis 402 tram for the line under construction in Tours was unveiled to the public during an open day at the maintenance depot on September 30. Transport authority SITCAT awarded Alstom a €73m contract to supply 21 of the seven-section trams in September 2010, and the ...
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NewsDB orders more Twindexx Vario electric multiple-units
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn announced a €50m firm order for a further five Bombardier Transportation Twindexx Vario double-deck electric multiple-units on October 1. Delivery is scheduled to start in the second half of 2014. The four and five-car 160 km/h EMUs will be used on regional services south from the ...
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NewsAmtrak to update its catenary inspection system
USA: Amtrak has awarded a contract to MerMec Inc for an advanced catenary inspection and video surveillance system to replace its existing equipment used to monitor the overhead line installations on its electrified Northeast Corridor. The new system will be installed on Amtrak's high speed inspection coach, which operates as ...
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NewsNetwork Rail buys IAD Rail Systems
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail announced on October 1 that it had purchased the assets of IAD Rail Systems from Claverham Ltd. IAD designs and manufactures point-operating equipment including the High-Performance Switch Actuator and Powerlink backdrive which are 'used throughout Network Rail's infrastructure', according to NR. The transaction includes ...
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NewsPrima II tested in the Channel Tunnel
EUROPE: An Alstom Prima II electric locomotive was tested in the Channel Tunnel on the night of September 29-30, with a view to enabling standard locomotives to be used on freight trains through the Tunnel. Freight trains are currently hauled by Class 92 locomotives built specifically for use through the ...
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NewsHigh Output Concrete Train supports electrification
UK: Contractor Balfour Beatty Rail is using a High Output Concrete Train with mixing units commissioned from Nurock Mixers to produce electrification mast foundations for Network Rail's electrification programme between Liverpool and Manchester. HOCT is designed to be used instead of delivering pre-mixed concrete to the nearest access point. ...
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NewsAmtrak deploys Ensco chart management system
USA: Amtrak is using Ensco’s web-based TrackIT Track Chart Management System to host its track maps, which can be produced in PDF or paper format. TrackIT allows easy updating from Amtrak’s asset database, and automated inspection data can be shown alongside the charts. ‘On-line access to current infrastructure and ...
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NewsCompliance software for Danish ETCS roll-out
DENMARK: Comply Serve’s ComplyPro e-collaboration project software is to be used by all partners in the Danish national ERTMS programme, including Banedanmark, Siemens, Thales, Alstom and project consultants. To be supplied in English, ComplyPro will integrate all of the project’s requirements, including sponsor, system and design in one open ...
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Eickholt takes over rail role
Dr Hans-Jörg Grundmann, Rail Systems Chief Executive at Siemens’ Infrastructure & Cities division, is to become Siemens’ Chief Compliance Officer with effect from October 1.Grundmann’s position at the Rail Systems business unit will be taken by Dr Jochen Eickholt (photo), who previously headed the Rail Automation unit within the Mobility ...