All Railway Gazette International articles in March 2005 – Page 2

  • News

    Unsaturated images

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    WIDE variations and rapid changes in ambient light levels occurring on a moving train can cause saturation of the images recorded by onboard CCTV cameras, but Tokyu Car’s digital video cameras have adaptive wide dynamic ranges to provide improved image quality.The cameras are supplied in a thin housing which is ...

  • News

    Heavy haul PPPs

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    SOUTH AFRICAN iron ore producer Kumba Resources announced on January 26 that it had reached an agreement in principle with Transnet over capacity expansion on the Sishen - Saldanha heavy haul railway.Kumba had criticised Spoornet’s failure to respond to growing demand, and proposed buying its own trains (RG 2.05 p59). ...

  • News

    Guangzhou to keep out intruders

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    Security is a key feature of the design of the integrated operations control centre which Thales and HollySys are supplying to Guangzhou Metro Corp under a contract announced on January 10.The OCC for Line 4 is the first which Thales has designed with a specific focus on preventing malicious damage ...

  • News

    Mowgly gets moving

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    A CONSORTIUM has been established to study the implementation of open standards for the provision of broadband internet access on trains, aircraft and ships.Launched on January 1, Mobile Wideband Global Link System (Mowgly) is a two-year project to carry out business analysis, engineering studies and performance evaluation of satellite-based communications. ...

  • News

    Vision of a freight revolution

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    JANUARY 1 marked the formal start of the New Opera study into the feasibility of developing a dedicated rail freight network in Europe (RG 7.04 p399). Speaking to around 250 freight specialists at an RFF freight infrastructure colloquium in Paris on February 10, Vice-Chairman of the European Freight & Logistics ...

  • News

    Fleet renewals

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    ON JANUARY 28 Chicago Transit Authority issued a request for proposals for 206 metro cars, with options that could bring the total to 706. Bids are due in mid-2005, with deliveries to begin in 2008. The new cars are intended to replace the 2200 series Budd vehicles dating from 1969-70 ...

  • News

    Firefly illumination

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    PHOTO luminescent exit route markers are being supplied for 555 New Jersey Transit passenger coaches by Lin Industries and International Nameplate Supplies. By the end of 2005 NJT’s entire passenger fleet will have been equipped with a total of 90000 Firefly photo luminescent dots, which are designed to be easily ...

  • News

    Finance

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    Bulgaria: BDZ-EAD has proposed floating a limited issue of shares on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange in order to raise capital to fund its future development strategy now awaiting board approval (p162).China: Kowloon - Canton Railway has launched a property development scheme at Wu Kai Sha on the recently-opened Ma On ...

  • News

    Intelligent trains provide real-time feedback

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    Vehicle information systems using mobile phone technology provide real-time tracking of equipment condition and help to optimise fleet availability

  • News

    Faster to Genève

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    PLANS to cut 30 min off the Paris - Genève journey moved ahead on January 31 when the French Ministry of Transport issued a Declaration of Public Utility for the reconstruction of the Haut Bugey line between Bourg-en-Bresse and Bellegarde. Upgrading and electrification of the single-track branch and construction of ...

  • News

    Xining express

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    CHINESE Railways announced at the end of January that work is to start this year on a second double-track railway from Lanzhou to Xining at a cost of 4bn yuan.The electrified line is being designed for 200 km/h passenger trains, bringing the 169·9 km trip between the capitals of Gansu ...

  • News

    Iran invests in network expansion

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    PLANS TO invest US$2·5bn in expansion and modernisation of Iran’s rail network were announced in January by RAI President Mohammad Saeedi Nejad.The 2005-10 development plan envisages the acquisition of 180 new locomotives, 8800 freight wagons and 500 coaches, helping to lift the network’s annual capacity to 50 million tonnes of ...

  • News

    SNCF sets service level on TGV Est

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    ON FEBRUARY 2 SNCF announced details of services planned over the TGV Est Européen line when it opens on June 15 2007.In contrast to other French high speed lines where there has been a gradual build-up, TGV Est Européen will offer frequent services from day one with 85% of the ...

  • News

    Easing the strain

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    BACK injuries can be a problem for maintenance staff working underneath trains, so Metronet asked Harmill Systems to develop a trolley-mounted access seat which would improve the ergonomics of working in a depot inspection pit on London Underground. The 60m long pit at the Waterloo & City Line depot ...

  • News

    Dubai metro to start in May

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    CONSTRUCTION work on the two-line metro network in Dubai is expected to start on May 5, with a target completion date of September 9 2009. The timescale was announced last month by the Municipality’s Director-General Qassim Sultan, who chairs the metro steering committee.Technical bidding for the 70 km network (RG ...

  • News

    Dual-gauge trains to Lisboa

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    Portuguese Transport Minister Antonio Mexia has announced plans for a high speed line between Lisboa and Porto.Five options were examined by RAVE, the company responsible for planning and building high speed lines in Portugal, and Refer, the national rail infrastructure authority which owns 40% of RAVE. The ministry has chosen ...

  • News

    Dual-gauge loco to start trials

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    ABOUT TO undergo testing in Spain is a dual-gauge electric locomotive designed to run at up to 260 km/h. Starting point for the design was a prototype Talgo XXI diesel-hydraulic power car built in 1998 using a gauge-convertible power bogie developed with Krauss-Maffei and Voith. Patentes Talgo has built the ...

  • News

    IE orders inter-city DMUs

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    ON JANUARY 31 Ireland's Minister for Transport Martin Cullen announced that Iarnród Éireann had placed its biggest-ever order for new rolling stock, valued at €262m. A fleet of 120 diesel multiple-unit vehicles (RG 8.04 p448) will complete the replacement of IE's inter-city fleet, of which half is more ...

  • News

    Desiro UK gets service for life

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    INTRO: Over the past eight years, Siemens has built up an extensive maintenance operation in the UK, opening new depots based on ’pit-stop’ principles IN OCTOBER 2004, Siemens Transportation Systems was awarded a 19-year contract from BAA plc to maintain the Heathrow Express EMU fleet until 2023, together with a ...

  • News

    Paris depot reconstructed to maintain TGV Est Européen fleet

    2005-03-01T11:00:00Z

    INTRO: Now under construction east of Paris is the depot needed to maintain the TGV Est train fleet. Jean-Paul Masse visited the siteSITUATED 4 km from Paris Est station, SNCF’s Ourcq coach maintenance workshop provides an ideal location to maintain the trainsets for TGV Est Européen.Currently used to service loco-hauled ...