Main line rail industry news – Page 491
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NewsConnecticut awards Hartford Line operating contract
USA: Connecticut Department of Transportation has awarded a joint venture of TransitAmerica Services and Alternate Concepts a $45m contract to operate CTrail Hartford Line commuter services between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield for five years from the expected launch in May 2018. TASI/ACI will be responsible for operating the ...
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NewsFive new stations funded
UK: The allocation of £16m from the New Stations Fund to enable to the construction of five stations was announced by the Department for Transport on July 28. All of the stations will be fully accessible and are scheduled for completion by March 2020. This is the second round of ...
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NewsRegions lobby for direct Berlin – Wrocław train
EUROPE: A special train service ran from Berlin to Wrocław on July 15 to highlight the desire of city and regional authorities on both sides of the German-Polish border to see the reintroduction of regular through services. The EuroCity service between the cities was withdrawn in December 2014. Jürgen Murach, ...
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News
Railway supply industry news round-up
CRRC and Voith Group have signed a strategic cooperation agreement covering areas including R&D and design. Alstom, Industrial Development & Renovation Organization of Iran and Iranian Rail Industries Development Co signed an agreement on July 23 defining the terms for the potential formation of a joint venture to produce urban ...
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NewsGE Transportation to end locomotive production in Erie
USA: GE Transportation announced on July 27 that it intends to transfer the production of locomotives from Erie, Pennsylvania, to Fort Worth in Texas. The move is planned by the end of 2018, and would see the loss of up to 575 jobs in Erie. The proposal is subject to ...
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NewsSeattle welcomes BiLevel cab car
USA: The first of nine Bombardier BiLevel cab cars ordered by Sound Transit in 2014 arrived in Seattle on July 24. It is due to enter passenger service in September. Sound Transit ordered the vehicles to augment its fleet of 18 Bombardier cab cars that entered service in 2000-03, ...
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NewsStockholm orders more CAF trams
SWEDEN: Stockholm transport authority Storstockholms Lokaltrafik has exercised an option for a further eight trams from CAF. In late 2010 CAF won a firm order to supply 15 trams from its Urbos family to Stockholm. SL subsequently ordered seven more, and all 22 are now in service. The ...
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NewsCAF wins second Alger metro train contract
ALGERIA: CAF is to supply 12 six-car trainsets to the Alger metro, the supplier announced on July 27. The trains will be used to augment the existing fleet of 14 CAF trainsets to support the planned opening of metro extensions. Based on the Inneo metro train family, the trainsets ...
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NewsMetrolinx launches search for Toronto Regional Express Rail operator
CANADA: Greater Toronto transport agency Metrolinx has begun the process to appoint an ‘experienced’ operator to support planning and implementation of the GO Regional Express Rail project and subsequently take responsibility for operation of the services. The existing operations and maintenance contract with Bombardier is expected to remain in place ...
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NewsSardinia and Trenitalia sign performance-based operating contract
ITALY: Sardinia’s regional government and Trenitalia signed a nine-year contract for the operation of standard gauge rail services on the island on July 26. This defines the services to be provided through to 2025, and requires delivery of new rolling stock, an increase in commuter services and closer integration between ...
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NewsUK railway news round-up
TransPennine Express and Eversholt Rail have returned to service the first of 51 Siemens Class 185 DMUs to be refurbished in a £32m programme. Changes include new seats with fabric from Camira in standard class and leather in first class, power sockets at each pair of seats, bigger tables for ...
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NewsCatherine Guillouard
Catherine Guillouard has been appointed to RATP by ministerial decree and, subject to government approval, was expected to succeed Elisabeth Borne as President by the end of July.
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NewsLocation technology to be incorporated into National Rail Enquiries app
UK: Proxama plc’s mobile location data technology is to be embedded into the National Rail Enquiries journey planning apps under an agreement signed with the Rail Delivery Group. This will generate anonymised consumer data which Proxama’s platform will monetise through the sale of premium audience and attribution products and services. ...
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NewsDB has the wind in its sails but its feet on the ground
GERMANY: ‘We can feel the wind in our sails, but we still have our feet firmly planted on the ground’, said Deutsche Bahn Chief Executive Dr Richard Lutz when presenting the group’s results for the first six months of 2017 on July 26. Lutz said the figures from the first ...
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NewsHelsinki trams on test in Mannheim
GERMANY: Rhein-Neckar transport authority RNV took delivery of two Variotram trams from Helsinki transport operator HKL on July 19. These are being tested on the networks in Mannheim, Heidelberg and Ludwigshafen to assess their suitability for the region. RNV will test the 100% low-floor trams until the end of ...
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NewsHigh-capacity vans delivered to Kuchukterminal
RUSSIA: United Wagon Co subsidiary TikhvinSpetsMash is supplying sodium sulphate producer Kuchuksulphat’s transport business Kuchukterminal with 20 covered vans designed to carry packaged and bulk loads for the chemical, glass, pulp and paper sectors. The Type 11-6874 van has 25 tonne axleload bogies and offers a maximum capacity of ...
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NewsTehran – Mashhad electrification loan signed
IRAN: A US$1·5bn loan agreement to finance electrification of the 926 km Tehran – Mashhad main line was signed by China EximBank on July 25. Iran’s Bank of Industry & Mine will act as the Iranian government’s guarantor. The 25 kV 50 Hz electrification project forms part of a programme ...
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NewsMerger of Hohenzollerische Landesbahn and SWEG approved
GERMANY: Plans to merge local transport operators Hohenzollerische Landesbahn and Südwestdeutsche Verkehrs with effect from January 1 2018 were approved on July 24 by the Sigmaringen and Zollernalbkreis district authorities which hold 14% stakes in HzL. Approval had already been granted by the Land of Baden-Württemberg which owns 100% of ...
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NewsDB Cargo and Siemens sign locomotive telematics contract
EUROPE: As part of a programme to equip its locomotive fleet with telematics equipment to support predicative maintenance by 2020, DB Cargo has awarded Siemens a contract to retrofit its Class 152 Eurosprinter ES64F locos and connect its Class 170 and 191 Vectrons to the TechLOK data system. TechLOK collects ...
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NewsSidi Bel Abbès tramway inaugurated
ALGERIA: The fourth tramway in Algeria opened on July 25, when the 14·3 km route in Sidi Bel Abbès was inaugurated by Minister of Transport & Public Works Abdelghani Zaalane. Yapı Merkezi acted as construction contractor. The Cital joint venture of Alstom (49%), Ferrovial (41%) and Entreprise du Métro ...