Main line rail industry news – Page 801
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NewsBergen tram extension opens
NORWAY: The second phase of the Bybanen tram line in Bergen opened on June 21, exactly three years after the first phase. City Mayor Trude Drevland and County Mayor Tom-Christer Nilsen cut the ribbon on the 3·6 km extension from Nettsun to Lagunen. The project was carried out by ...
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NewsMoscow to get 120 Pesa trams
RUSSIA: Polish rolling stock supplier Pesa is to supply 120 trams to Moscow in co-operation with Uraltransmash, with delivery due to take place between March 2014 and March 2015. The value of the order has not been disclosed. The deal replaces an agreement with a consortium of Bombardier and Uralvagonzavod ...
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NewsMaurizio Lupi
Maurizio Lupi has been appointed Italy’s Infrastructure & Transport Minister in the ‘grand coalition’ government. He has been charged with creating a transport authority, which will develop a strategic plan for transport and logistics, and is keen to encourage public-private partnerships to invest in infrastructure.
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NewsQuieter and camel-free railways
RUBBER: Rosehill Rail’s anti-trespass and cattle guard panels are rubber mats with large pyramidal protrusions designed to prevent access to the track from platform ends, level crossings and similar locations. A trial installation in the Middle East is intended to stop camels wandering on to railway tracks, and testing is ...
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NewsWorld rail market June 2013
Australia: Aurizon is to deploy GE’s Movement Planner traffic optimisation package and SolveIT scheduling software tools. India: Thales is to supply passenger information systems for extensions to Delhi metro line 6. Japan: Softbank Telecom Corp is to supply JR East with 7000 Apple iPad mini tablet computers and ...
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NewsArriva selected to operate Den Haag - Brussels inter-city service
EUROPE: A letter of intent to launch a direct inter-city service linking Den Haag and Brussels was signed by the City of Den Haag, Brussels Airport and DB subsidiary Arriva on June 21. The Lage Landenlijn trains would re-instate a through service which was lost when the Benelux trains ...
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NewsBDZ freight privatisation called off
BULGARIA: In agreement with the Ministry of Transport and Communications, on June 20 the Privatisation & Post-Privatisation Control Agency announced it was suspending plans to sell a 100% stake in the national railway's freight division BDZ Tovarnni Prevosi. BDZ's holding company had been unable to tell the privatisation agency when ...
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NewsDr Ulrich Dohle
Dr Ulrich Dohle will succeed Joachim Coers as Chairman & CEO of Tognum on July 1. The Executive Board will then reduce from five to four positions following a redistribution of responsibilities amongst its members, meaning that Dohle will not be replaced in his current role as Chief Technology Officer.
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NewsGrup Feroviar Roman is sole bidder for CFR Marfa
ROMANIA: After two other pre-qualified bidders withdrew, Grup Feroviar Roman was the sole bidder for Romanian national freight operator CFR Marfa by the June 20 deadline. Transport Minister Relu Fenechiu said GFR would pay €202m for a 51% stake, however there were still details to be finalised before the ...
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NewsSoto del Rey to join Madrid suburban network
SPAIN: On June 19 the Ministry of Development announced the start of public consultation on proposals to extend the Madrid suburban network to Soto del Rey. The consultation period runs for 30 days. Extending route C4 from its present northern terminus at Colmenar Viejo to Soto del Rey would involve ...
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NewsFirst Polish Pendolino presented to PKP Intercity
POLAND: The first Pendolino for Poland was presented to PKP Intercity at Alstom’s Savigliano plant on June 17. The Polish and Italian deputy transport ministers attended the event. The train, branded as EIC Premium, is made up of seven cars and is 187·4 m long. It will feature 402 ...
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NewsEuropean Commission seeks changes to Channel Tunnel regulation
EUROPE: On June 20 the European Commission formally requested that France and the UK 'comply with EU rules against excessive track access charges for passenger and freight trains in the Channel Tunnel'. The Commission claims the countries have failed to comply with the requirements of the First Railway Package, ...
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NewsRotherham tram-train contract signed
UK: A firm contract for Vossloh España to supply seven vehicles for the Sheffield - Rotherham train-tram pilot scheme was signed on June 19. The £58m project will provide a tram-train service between Sheffield and Rotherham Parkgate using a new 400 m connection between the existing Supertram network and a ...
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NewsAnsaldo STS awarded Algerian ETCS contract
ALGERIA: A consortium of Italian civil engineering companies Condotte d'Acqua and Rizzani de Eccher has awarded Ansaldo STS a €40m contract to supply ETCS equipment for the 130 km line under construction between Oued Tlélat and Tlemcen. Announcing the deal on June 19, Ansaldo STS said the scope of the ...
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NewsFreightliner Group announces acquisition of ERS Railways
EUROPE: Freightliner Group announced that it is to acquire ERS Railways from Maersk Line on June 19. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the transaction is subject to regulatory approval. A long-term contract has been agreed for ERS to continue to provide services for the shipping line. Rotterdam-headquartered ERS was ...
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NewsAlstom and J-TREC target the Japanese light rail market
JAPAN: A memorandum of understanding to jointly assess business opportunities in the Japanese light rail and tram markets was signed on June 19 by Alstom and Japan Transport Engineering Co, the former Tokyu Car rolling stock business which is owned by East Japan Railway. The companies are to undertake a ...
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NewsETCS overlay for Tours - Bordeaux high speed line
FRANCE: Ansaldo STS has been awarded a €13m contract to supply an ETCS Level 2 overlay for the signalling on the LGV Sud-Europe Atlantique high speed line. In 2011 Ansaldo STS was awarded a €47m contract to provide TVM430 cab signalling for the line. The latest ETCS contract awarded ...
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NewsUnified team to run Paris RER Line B
FRANCE: SNCF and RATP announced on June 17 that they were putting in place a unified management team to run Paris RER Line B, which is run by the national operator north of Paris Nord and by the city transport agency to the south. Train crews have been operating through ...
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NewsHigh speed line opens to Alacant
SPAIN: The 165 km of high speed infrastructure between Albacete and Alacant entered service on June 18, having been officially opened the day before by the Prince of Asturias, heir to the Spanish throne. Prince Felipe was accompanied by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, as well as Development Minister Ana ...
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NewsAvignon chooses Alstom Citadis Compact trams
FRANCE: Avignon council has selected Alstom to supply 24 Citadis Compact trams for the city’s future two-line network. Alstom announced the order on June 18, saying that the trams are to be delivered in early 2016, for opening later that year. The order is worth €43·7m. Avignon is the ...