Main line rail industry news – Page 658
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NewsSulawesi railway works to start in October
INDONESIA: Civil works for construction of the first section of the planned trans-Sulawesi railway are expected to start in October with an inauguration ceremony to be attended by President Joko Widodo. A groundbreaking ceremony took place in Siawung in August 2014 to launch the 145 km Makassar – Pare Pare ...
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NewsSt Petersburg places metro car order
RUSSIA: Transmashholding subsidiary Oktyabrsky Electric Railway Car Repair Plant has signed a 10·5bn rouble contract to supply 20 eight-car metro trainsets to the St Petersburg metro. The first three trains are to be delivered in 2016, with three more in the following year, four in 2018, five in 2019 ...
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NewsPKP Intercity Flirt presented
POLAND: The first of 20 Flirt 3 electric multiple-units being supplied to PKP Intercity by a Stadler-Newag consortium has been presented to the public at Katowice station, following the completion of testing at the Railway Institute in July. ‘To ensure the safest and most comfortable journey for passengers, we ...
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NewsOHL wins Follo Line contract
NORWAY: Obrascón Huarte Lain of Spain has signed a contract worth NKr2·3bn with infrastructure manager Jernbaneverket, under which OHL is to build the Langhus – Ski section of the Follo Line as well as a major public transport interchange at Ski. OHL is due to begin work immediately. According to ...
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NewsSystra acquires Tectran
BRAZIL: French engineering firm Systra has acquired Brazilian consultancy and engineering company Tectran Tectran is headquartered in Belo Horizonte and employs 80 people. The company works in metro, rail and road infrastructure engineering, urban planning and logistics studies. The two companies have worked together since 2013 on passenger ...
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NewsNorthern coal railway concession approved
MONGOLIA: The government has approved proposals for the Northern Railways infrastructure subsidiary of Aspire Mining to develop the 547 km Erdenet – Ovoot under a 35-year Build Operate Transfer concession. On August 10 the government authorised its Investment Agency to execute the concession agreement with NR, paving the way for ...
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NewsUK’s biggest TBM rebores Farnworth Tunnel
UK: On August 11 Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin visited the worksite at Farnworth Tunnel between Manchester and Bolton, where Network Rail has launched a 293 tonne tunnel boring machine to enlarge one bore and provide sufficient clearance for overhead electrification. With a cutting head 9 m in diameter, the TBM ...
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NewsInterest sought in Gold Coast light rail stage two
AUSTRALIA: The Queensland government is inviting expressions of interest from August 10 until August 28 for construction of the second phase of the Gold Coast light rail line. A revised route has been developed for the northern extension, which could be built for less than half the cost of ...
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NewsRethinking freight terminal operations
NORWAY: Infrastructure manager Jernbaneverket announced on August 10 that it is looking to encourage new operators to provide services at its Ganddal rail freight terminal in Stavanger and the Brattøra terminal in Trondheim. The project is a trial at the behest of the Ministry of Transport & Communications, which wants ...
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NewsRail industry news in brief - August 2015
Kazakhstan’s national railway KTZ and India’s Ministry of Railways have signed a memorandum of co-operation aiming to develop freight traffic via the ports of Mundra/Mumbai and Bandar Abbas and then by rail through Iran to Kazakhstan. DB and SBB have launched single wagonload services branded DB SCHENKERswiss-shuttle and SBB Cargo ...
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NewsMR invests in control equipment
MYANMAR: A contract to supply operational control centres and related safety equipment has been signed between Myanma Railways, Marubeni Corp and Mitsui & Co. The control equipment, which Marubeni is sourcing from Kyosan Electric Manufacturing Co, will support the modernisation of Yangon Central and Pazunduang stations. It is being funded ...
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NewsPesa preferred bidder to supply Sicilian EMUs
ITALY: The region of Sicilia announced on August 7 the results of a tender for the supply of five electric multiple-units. The strongest bid came from Pesa, ahead of offers from Newag and Stadler. Pesa had submitted a tender to supply four-car sets from its Elf family. The region ...
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NewsRZD launches World Cup regional rail projects
RUSSIA: Russian Railways is making preparation to enhance regional passenger services around Volgograd and Samara ahead of the 2018 FIFA football World Cup, during which both cities will host matches. A rail link is to be completed by the end of 2017 to serve the international airport in Volgograd, RZD ...
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NewsCaltrain electrification grant
USA: The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has approved the allocation of $20m to help fund the electrification of the Caltrain corridor in northern California. The grant is being funded through the Mobile Source Incentive Fund, which is collected from a $2 fee on motor vehicles registered in ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - August 2015
Stadtverkehr Ulm and Siemens are testing a Combino tram fitted with a prototype collision avoidance system. Three optical sensors cause a warning to be sounded in the if there is a potential obstruction ahead. A topping-out ceremony for Kai Tak station on the Shatin – Central Link in ...
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NewsTramwaje Śląskie to receive first Modertrans tram this month
POLAND: The first Moderus Beta tram that Modertrans is supplying for the network centred on Katowice is undergoing testing, with delivery to Tramwaje Śląskie expected later this month. Modertrans was awarded a 58·3m złoty contract in 2014 to supply 12 trams. The procurement forms part of the second stage ...
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NewsMost railroads ‘will miss PTC deadline’, FRA confirms
USA: The deadline of December 31 2015 mandated by Congress for the installation of Positive Train Control by US railroads will not be met, the Federal Railroad Administration confirmed on August 7. The Rail Safety Improvement Act passed by Congress in October 2008 requires all Class I freight railways and ...
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NewsLucknow metro approved
INDIA: The government has approved the first phase of the Lucknow metro, with a planned investment of Rs69·3bn. The project is to be carried out as a joint venture between the central government and the state of Uttar Pradesh, with funding sources expected to include soft loans from bilateral and ...
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NewsPraha airport rail link option selected
CZECH REPUBLIC: Following a feasibility study undertaken by infrastructure manager SŽDC, the Ministry of Transport has selected its preferred option for the long-planned rail link from central Praha to Václav Havel Airport at Ruzyně. The chosen option involves double-tracking and 3 kV DC electrification of the existing line which ...
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NewsUltracapacitor technology partnership signed
CHINA: US-based ultracapacitor manufacturer Maxwell Technologies and CRRC’s Qingdao Sifang Rolling Stock Research Institute have signed a long-term strategic partnership agreement covering the joint development of energy storage technology for the Chinese rail market. ‘Rail transportation applications are an excellent match for ultracapacitors, and the rail market will be ...