Main line rail industry news – Page 460
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NewsTapa – Tartu modernisation completed
ESTONIA: National railway Eesti Raudtee has completed a project to modernise 57 km of the Tapa – Tartu line to enable passenger trains to run at a maximum speed of 120 km/h and freight trains at 80 km/h. The EU met 85% of the €25m cost of the project, with ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Croatian open access freight company Transagent Špedicija is to deploy a former British Rail Class 92 multi-system locomotive previously used by DB Cargo Romania on intermodal services from the port of Rijeka to Hungary and Serbia. Austrian operator Stern & Hafferl has ordered a Bombardier Traxx F140 AC Last Mile ...
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NewsSamskip expands wagon fleet
EUROPE: Logistics company Samskip has taken delivery of the last of 100 Type T-3000 wagons manufactured by Slovakian company Tatravagónka which it is leasing from Nacco under a five-year deal. The wagons are designed to transport Mega Huckepack trailers as well as all types of containers. They are equipped with ...
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NewsRoad-rail vehicles eliminate manual handling during electrification installation
UK: Keltbray Aspire has worked with SRS Sjölanders to develop six mobile elevating work platform road-rail vehicles for use when installing overhead line electrification. Kelbray said the machines acquired at cost of more than £3m are a ‘UK first’. In addition to the 12 m reach, 500 kg mobile basket ...
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NewsTransmashholding invests in Argentina
ARGENTINA: Transmashholding of Russia is to spend US$3m to refurbish and reopen the Mechita rolling stock workshops in the province of Buenos Aires, under the terms of an agreement signed on December 20 by Franco Comparato, representing its local subsidiary TMH Argentina, and Trenes Argentinos Infraestructura President ...
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NewsAlstom takes majority stake in Kazakh joint venture
KAZAKHSTAN: Alstom announced on December 22 that it had signed an agreement to acquire from national railway KTZ its 25% stake in the EKZ electric locomotive production joint venture. Subject to regulatory approval, this would see Alstom hold 75% of the company, the remaining 25% owned by Transmashholding. When EKZ ...
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NewsElectric tests hit 160 km/h in Israel
ISRAEL: A Bombardier Traxx AC electric locomotive on test on the A1 fast line reached a new national record speed of 160 km/h on December 21. The test run took place on the 12 km section between Anava Junction and Latrun monastery, where final telecommunications fit-out works are in progress. ...
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NewsVirtual ticket agents aim to boost ticket machine use
UK: Greater Anglia says its is the first train operator in England to roll out Scheidt & Bachmann’s FareGo ViTA ‘virtual ticket agents’ across its ticket machines, enabling passengers who have a query to press a button to contact staff via a two-way audio link. The 196 Scheidt & Bachmann ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Gemco Rail and Amsted Rail have formed a partnership for the distribution of Amsted Rail products in Australia and New Zealand. Following training in quality, reconditioning procedures and production management, Gemco Rail’s Perth facility has been granted a reconditioning certificate enabling it to recondition Brenco bearings. The Canadian division of ...
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NewsTest running begins on Delhi metro’s Bahadurgarh extension
INDIA: Delhi Metro Rail Corp Managing Director Mangu Singh rode on a test train between Tikri Kalan and Bahadurgarh City Park on the western extension of Line 5 on December 13. Test running on the extension began on December 9. The 12 km extension from Mundka to Bahadurgarh City ...
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NewsChinese company to upgrade Republika Srpska railway
BOSNIA: The Republika Srpska entity’s railway company ŽRS has awarded China Shandong International Economic & Technical Co-operation Group a contract for the modernisation of the 104 km route from Banja Luka to Novi Grad and the border with Croatia at Dobrljin. The agreement was signed on the fringe of ...
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NewsRussian firms to invest in Iranian rolling stock
IRAN: A memorandum of co-operation for the joint production of rolling stock was signed by national railway RAI and the Russian Export Centre on December 18. The memorandum provides for Russian companies to invest €3bn in rolling stock financing and the formation of joint ventures which would support the localisation ...
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NewsPenn Station Partners selected for Baltimore station modernisation
USA: Amtrak has selected Penn Station Partners to undertake the redevelopment of Baltimore Penn station and neighbouring properties which it owns. Penn Station Partners comprises Beatty Development Group, Armada Hoffler Properties, Cross Street Partners, Gensler, WSP USA, Network Rail Consulting, Mace Group, JLL, HR&A Advisors, Charles Belfoure, Cho Benn Holback, ...
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NewsAarhus opens Denmark’s first modern light rail line
DENMARK: The first modern light rail line in Denmark opened on December 21, with the start of services on the initial section of the Aarhus Letbane network. Final approval for the opening had been received the previous evening, following a series of delays, and the ceremony at Hack Kampmanns Plads ...
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NewsUK railway news round-up
The Urban Transport Group of transport authorities has written to the Office of Rail & Road expressing concern that changes to infrastructure charging regimes could shift industry costs onto regional services ‘that don’t create the majority of that burden in the first place and which are least able to bear ...
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NewsOverspeed focus in Amtrak derailment
USA: Excessive speed has been identified as a key factor in the derailment of Amtrak Cascades’ Seattle – Portland train 501 near Tacoma on December 18, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The 12-car Talgo 6 trainset, hauled by a new Siemens Charger diesel locomotive with a GE P42 ...
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NewsBombardier to supply more VLocity DMUs
AUSTRALIA: Bombardier Transportation has been awarded a A$146m contract to supply a further nine three-car VLocity diesel multiple-units to Transport for Victoria. Deliveries are scheduled for 2019, and will take the state’s VLocity fleet to 88 units. The 160 km/h DMUs will continue to be manufactured in Dandenong, and will ...
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NewsEMU overhaul includes heritage livery
UK: Knorr-Bremse RailServices in Wolverton is undertaking the C6 overhaul of 19 Class 313 EMUs which Beacon Rail leases to Govia Thameslink Railway for use on Southern’s Coastway services, The C6 programme includes work on the door mechanisms, air systems and bodywork, as well as accessibility improvements and fitting LED ...
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NewsKuala Lumpur – Singapore high speed rail AssetsCo tender called
ASIA: A joint tender for the appointment of the Kuala Lumpur – Singapore high speed rail Assets Company was jointly called by Malaysia and Singapore’s government-owned Infrastructure Companies MyHSR Corp and SG HSR on December 20. The AssetsCo would be responsible for designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining rolling stock ...
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NewsMUL Railcars opens US wagon leasing office
USA: Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Co Ltd has opened an office in Portland, Oregon, as a base for its MUL Railcars wagon leasing activities. This follows the company’s expansion through a strategic wagon supply and maintenance alliance with The Greenbrier Companies which was finalised in June. James T Sharp ...