Main line rail industry news – Page 926
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NewsDirect sales up at CountryLink
AUSTRALIA: Long-distance passenger operator CountryLink has reported volume sales growth of 9% for the year ending December 2010, which it is attributing to introduction of Amadeus' InternetTrack direct sales software. Web sales now make up 22% of the operator's total revenues, whilst cancelled reservations have fallen by 60%. Amadeus deployed ...
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NewsNews in Brief
Following Asturias and Zaragoza, RENFE has introduced contactless smart card ticketing to its Málaga suburban network, comprising 25 stations and carrying an average of 20655 weekday passengers. The programme has cost a total of €162000. The German Land of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has directly awarded ODEG a two-year contract extension to operate ...
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NewsHelsinki Westmetro project receives EIB funding
FINLAND: The European Investment Bank confirmed on April 1 that it will lend up to €450m to part-finance the 14 km western extension of the Helsinki metro network to Espoo.The loan and guarantee agreements were signed in Espoo by Matti Kokkinen, CEO of Länsimetro Oy, Mayor of Espoo Jukka Mäkelä ...
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NewsFirst contract placed under heavy haul signalling agreement
AUSTRALIA: Rio Tinto Iron Ore has placed its first A$96m firm order for signalling and communications equipment under a five-year framework agreement with Ansaldo STS, the signalling supplier announced on April 7. Ansaldo STS anticipates that the total value of works under the five-year framework agreed in November 2010 will ...
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NewsHSTs are good to 2035
UK: An IMechE seminar on February 21 considered recent work undertaken to establish the long-term mechanical and electrical integrity of the Mk III coaches used in the 200 km/h IC125 diesel high speed trains. Developments were detailed in presentations by senior engineers from operators First Great Western and East ...
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NewsCrossrail restructures as final tunnelling contracts are awarded
UK: Preferred bidders for the two final tunnelling contracts on London’s Crossrail project were announced by project promoter Crossrail Ltd on April 7. Covering construction of the Thames Tunnel between North Woolwich and Plumstead and refurbishment of the Connaught Tunnel under the former Royal Docks, the two contracts are valued ...
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NewsPRASA to order 6 000 vehicles under fleet renewal plan
SOUTH AFRICA: Details of a R97bn large-scale rolling stock renewal plan were set out when Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa held an industry day on April 5 to gauge interest from potential suppliers and financiers. There is an 'urgent' need for new trains to replace life-expired vehicles based on ...
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NewsChengdu Metro orders more cars
CHINA: CSR has signed a 520m yuan contract to supply Chengdu Metro with a third batch of trains, taking its total orders for the city’s metro network to 354 cars. The vehicles are required for the 19·5 km second phase of Line 2.Line 1, which entered trial operation on September ...
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NewsADB supports Bangalore metro
INDIA: The Asian Development Bank has approved a loan of up to US$250m over 18 years for the US$2·7bn metro project currently under construction in Bangalore. Bangalore Metro Rail Corp is building a 42·3 km standard-gauge network in the capital of Karnataka, comprising an 18·1 km east-west line with 17 ...
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NewsNortheast Corridor tops bidding for US high speed funding
USA: There has been overwhelming demand for a share of the $2·4bn of federal high speed rail funding rejected by the Governor of Florida, according to US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. He said on April 6 that 90 applications totalling more than $10bn had been received from 24 states, ...
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NewsPTC scaled back to save $500m
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration has agreed to put forward revised requirements for the roll-out of Positive Train Control, after the Association of American Railroads launched a legal challenge to the original scope (RG 3.11 p31). The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 requires more than 40 railway operators to ...
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NewsTramlink Nottingham named preferred bidder for NET Phase 2
UK: Nottingham City Council announced on March 29 that the Tramlink Nottingham consortium had been chosen as preferred bidder for the Nottingham Express Transit Phase Two concession, which covers construction of two extensions to the light rail network and operation of the network including the existing Line 1. The government ...
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NewsWork starts on passenger lines
CHINA: Work is underway on the first Passenger-Dedicated Line in Inner Mongolia, a 286 km route linking provincial capital Hohhot with the eastern city of Zhangjiakou. A ceremony on February 28 marked the start of construction on the line, which is designed for 250 km/h running and will have ...
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NewsToronto unveils revised transit plan
CANADA: Top officials of the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario announced a new C$12·4bn transit plan on March 31. This envisages a fully-underground 25 km Eglinton Avenue light rail line and two extensions of the Sheppard subway totalling 13 km. The province will contribute C$8·4bn towards the ...
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NewsPortland light rail extension starts final design
USA: The Federal Transit Administration has approved the start of final design for the $1·5bn MAX light rail extension to the Portland suburb of Milwaukie. The 11·7 km project, dubbed the Orange Line, is already at the 30% design stage. TriMet had previously received FTA permission to start building the ...
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NewsBursa light rail receives international funding
TURKEY: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development has approved a 15-year loan worth €50m towards construction of the second phase of the light rail network in Bursa. The loan is part of a financing package which also includes €100m from the European Investment Bank. The BursaRay light rail network ...
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NewsGauge-enhancement work completed
UK: The completion of a £71m programme to allow 9 ft 6 in containers to be carried on conventional flat wagons from the UK's second-largest container port was marked with a ceremony at Southampton Central station on April 4. The enhancement of the loading gauge on the key artery between ...
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News
John Fullerton
John Fullerton took over as Chief Executive of Australian Rail Track Corp at the end of February, succeeding David Marchant. He was previously Chief Executive for Asia Pacific Transport and Freightlink, and before that Divisional General Manager of Operation Services at Pacific National.
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NewsRhein-Neckar Verkehr orders more supercapacitor trams
GERMANY: Rhein-Neckar regional transport operator RNV has ordered a further 11 low-floor Variobahn trams for €33m, Bombardier Transportation announced on April 4. They will be fitted with Bombardier's Mitrac Energy Saver technology, which uses roof-mounted double-layer supercapacitors to store electricity regenerated during braking for reuse when accelerating. Trials in ...