Main line rail industry news – Page 1451
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News
SNCF starts to renew the first TGV line
INTRO: A ballast renewal and pointwork replacement programme will raise the quality of track on the Paris - Sud-Est line and extend its lifeBYLINE: André Le BihanChief Engineer, Permanent Way Department, French National RailwaysAFTER 15 years of use by trains running at up to 270 km/h, France’s first high speed ...
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Seven slab track designs on test
INTRO: German Railway will pick the design of ballastless track for its 330 km/h K
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Connex Express launches Brighton belles
SEVEN Class 319 EMUs owned by Rolling Stock Company Porterbrook Leasing underwent repainting and refurbishment for the Connex Express service due to be launched on the London - Brighton route on January 27. Connex South Central, the CGEA subsidiary which won Great Britain’s Network SouthCentral passenger franchise in April, chose ...
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Publications
Deutsche Bahn UmweltberichtFor the first time DB has produced a brochure covering its environmental policy and data. Illustrated with colour photographs and graphics, it covers everything from power stations to WC effluents. Useful graphs indicate, among others, DB’s energy consumption and how it compares (very favourably) with road and air. ...
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News Pointers
n Shortlisting of qualified bidders for the Taipei - Kaohsiung high speed line in Taiwan could be announced this month following close of tenders on January 15. The winner should be announced in November.n South Korea’s Ministry of Transport & Construction is planning to proceed with a 66 km high ...
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Jena branches open
Secretary for Transport Johannes Nitsch and Thuringen Economics & Infrastructure Minister Franz Schuster opened light rail routes serving the expanding suburb of Lobeda in Jena on December 16. A new line branches from north-south trunk route 1 into a housing area just north of Line 1’s Winzerla terminus and runs ...
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Turkey develops electrified routes
INTRO: A five-year plan of electrification and resignalling will see over 2000route-km energised by 2001THOUGH economic difficulties have dogged new line construction in Turkey, upgrading existing routes and new rolling stock has received financial backing. Around US$120m a year will be invested, while a restructured management pursues greater productivity (panel).Electrification ...
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US operators under pressure on safety
FALLOUT continues from the spate of spectacular train wrecks early in 1996 (RG 4.96 p177) which marred a generally excellent safety record in the USA. In a hearing on December 11, the National Transportation Safety Board spread blame widely for the February 1 1996 runaway down Cajon Pass, California. Investigators ...
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In Brief
n On December 20 Conrail’s board of directors voted to reject Norfolk Southern’s hostile all-cash bid for the business, after it had been raised to US$10·5bn to match CSX’s improved cash and stock offer of US$9·35bn. Conrail shareholders were due to vote on January 17 on a proposal to ...
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Madrid lets contracts
THREE contracts signed on December 20 and 31 brought the length of new metro construction let by the Madrid regional government in 1996 to 31·5 km. A Pts9bn contract to extend Line 1 from Miguel Hern
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Best practice must cross the frontiers
THERE CAN be few better ways of implementing international best practice than by giving senior management hands-on experience of rail operations in different countries. With Wisconsin Central Transportation Corp now running rail freight in the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Great Britain, that is precisely what WC President Ed Burkhardt ...
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'This is not privatisation, it is a change to make the railway more competitive'
January 1 saw the hiving off of Danish State Railways' infrastructure business to form the new authority Banestyrelsen. Chris Jackson spoke to DSB Director General Henrik Hassenkam about the restructuring
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Intelligence
CAPTION: Israel Railways has started testing its latest inter-city coaches supplied by GEC Alsthom Transporte of Spain and assembled at Haargaz Zriffin. The four air-conditioned coaches and a driving power van trailer (inset) were hauled on their first run from Lod (above) by a General Motors GT26W CAPTION: One ...
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The Railway Magazine reaches 100
We are pleased to congratulate our sister journal The Railway Magazine on its centenary year. Although operating in two distinct sectors of the railway press, RM and Railway Gazette share a long and complex history which can be traced back to the first edition of The Railway Magazine on May ...
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Bangkok calls EOM bids
BANGKOK Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority has invited bids for supply of electrical and mechanical equipment for its initial 22 km heavy metro route from the city centre near Hua Lampong to Bang Sue via Asok, Huai Khwang and Lat Phrao. The aim is to award the contract on the basis ...
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GSM data link research completed
Improved passenger information and emergency communications are in prospect following a research programme funded by Britain’s Department of Trade & Industry. Details of the Hiflirts project are to be unveiled by ERA Technology on January 24. The High Intensity data For Light Rail Transport Systems concept uses GSM radio links ...
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Investment flows as UP restructures
JANUARY 2 sees the start of a major reorganisation of Union Pacific’s Operating Department as part of the merger with Southern Pacific. Four ’regional leadership teams’ were formed on December 1 to manage the transition, which is due for completion by February 28. The Central and Northern regions are based ...
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Industry
China: Adtranz signed a joint venture agreement with Changchun Car Co on December 10; Changchun Adtranz Railway Co Ltd was due to be set up on January 1, with planned capacity of 160 vehicles per annum.Czech Republic: CKD Tatra was renamed CKD Dopravní Systémy on November 28; it is widening ...
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Changi branch approved
SINGAPORE’s Mass Rapid Transit network is to be extended to Changi Airport by 2001, at a cost of S$700m to S$800m. The long-awaited decision was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on November 15. The 6·4 km branch from Tanah Merah was proposed as part of the initial ...