Main line rail industry news – Page 1444
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News
TER prototypes take to the rails
INTRO: The first of two pre-production TER regional diesel trainsets for French National Railways was unveiled at Orléans on March 26NINE of France’s 20 région presidents attended the ceremonies at Orléans station on March 26 to mark the arrival of French National Railways’ first TER diesel trainset. Their presence was ...
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In Brief
n Vietnam Railways and Chinese Railways have agreed a timetable for the restoration of through Hanoi - Kunming passenger services by the middle of this year. A three-car train will initially run through once a week.n Mexico’s Transport Ministry has invited bids for a 50-year concession to run the second ...
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Punggol tenders
SINGAPORE’s Land Transport Authority has called tenders for design, supply and installation of trackwork on the planned 20 km North East line and the 6·4 km Changi Airport branch off the existing MRT East line. The NEL package also includes trackwork for the Sengkang depot, which will accommodate a fleet ...
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Market
Australia: Western Australia’s government has provided funding for Westrail to increase it’s order for locos being supplied by Clyde to a total of 19 standard gauge 4000hp locos, and 11 narrow gauge 3000hp locos.Germany: Hessische Landesbahn has ordered 15 low-floor GTW2/6 DMUs from Deutsche Waggonbau and Adtranz for DM45m; they ...
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The 40 tonne axleload will come
but track and train need common management’CONSIDER a new heavy haul railway with 40 tonne axleloads and high adhesion locos hauling frequent trains at 120 km/h, and suppose it damages your business. What are you going to say to your business manager?’ This warning from Harry Tournay of Spoornet ...
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Basque LRT plans gather momentum
Work on the first 4 km of a light rail network in the Spanish city of Vitoria is due to begin at the end of this year. Tender specifications will be prepared by the Basque Department of Transport & Public Works this summer. EuskoTren has been chosen to promote, build ...
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Curing the Chiasso syndrome
COMMUNITY of European Railways’ Chairman Heinz Dürr presented plans on April 14 to Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock for putting into practice the concept of Freight Freeways. The proposals were discussed at a high-level Commission meeting in Brussels on April 17 at which launch of a pilot Freeway was likely to ...
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Intelligence
Brazil: Brazil Rail Partners (RG 5.96 p256) has signed a contract to manage operations on the Ferronorte railway. Although the federal government has allocated US$120m to finish the road/rail bridge across the Paran
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Gotthard base tunnel under threat
IT WAS always possible that the finger of sugar crystal dolomite stretching down to the alignment of the planned Gotthard base tunnel would prove to be a major obstacle when it came to serious digging. Just how tricky it may be to tunnel through this treacherous material in the Piora ...
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Letters
Airport trainsSir - We should like to correct the picture caption in RG 3.97 p141 about rolling stock for Hong Kong’s Airport Railway.At the end of 1994, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation awarded a contract to Adtranz-CAF Joint Venture for the delivery of 23 trains for Hong Kong. The leader ...
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Maglev guideway opening presages three years of trials
INTRO: The 18·4 km priority section of experimental Superconducting Maglev guideway was formally opened on April 3, and the first levitation trials are due to take place next month. Murray Hughes reports from the Yamanashi test centreJAPANESE Minister of Transport Makoto Koga and Yoshiyuki Kasai, President of JR Central, took ...
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Finance
Europe: Eurotunnel announced on February 24 that the syndicate of 225 banks had approved a nine-month extension of the suspension of interest payments until December 14 this year.Lithuania: The European Investment Bank is to lend Ecu22m to fund upgrading of the Sumskas - Klaipeda and Kaisiadorys - Kybartai lines.New Zealand: ...
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Industry
Czech Republic: CKD Praha Holding Co took over MSV Studénka on February 25, adding it to the CKD Transport Systems group.Europe: Following the merger of Cardo Group of Sweden with Thyssen Industrie of Germany to create the holding company Cardo BSI Rail, the SAB Wabco Group now comprises SAB Wabco, ...
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Intelligence
CAPTION: German diesel engine manufacturer MTU has repowered this Russian-built Class TU7 loco for Vietnam Railways with a 12V 183 engine; further power units have been supplied for conversion of seven more TU7s and 15 Romanian-built D11HsCAPTION: China’s Dalian locomotive works has rolled out the first of 50 Class 2101 ...
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Intelligence
CAPTION: US Federal Railroad Administrator Jolene Molitoris boarded Japan’s experimental maglev train during a visit to the test site at Yamanashi prefecture on March 11CAPTION: German Railway and Foster Yeoman Ltd have set up a joint venture, DB Yeoman GmbH, to operate a General Motors Class 59 diesel to ...
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Spoornet moves to automate train health monitoring
INTRO: Condition monitoring of a range of equipment on moving trains can lead to fewer delays, lower maintenance costs and smaller component stocks. The key is to marry detection equipment with automatic vehicle identification so that management knows precisely where and when to target resourcesBYLINE: J J Marais Pr EngSenior ...
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DB backtracks on lineside signals
GERMAN Railway’s management board has overturned its November 1996 decision not to provide lineside signals on the 135 km central section of the K
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Madrid awards suburban DBOM
ON FEBRUARY 25 the Madrid regional government selected the UTE consortium of Madrid Metro and contractors OCP, Cubiertas & MZOV, Entrecanales and FCC for a concession to design, build, operate and maintain a 20 km suburban railway from Vic
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Valencia calls LRT bids
PREQUALIFICATION BIDS were due at the end of March for construction work on the first phase of a 23 km light rail line in the Venezuelan city of Valencia. CA Metro de Valencia plans to announce a shortlist of approved tenderers in May. One contract covers a 2·3 km section ...
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Manila LRT expansion accelerated
PROPOSALS for a fourth light rail line in Manila were formally approved by the Philippines’ Investment Co-ordination Committee on March 6, clearing the way for the Department of Transport & Communications to invite private sector bids for the US$690m project.Line 4 would be a fully-elevated 15·1 km link from ...