All Railway Gazette International articles in March 2009 – Page 4
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NewsOn the fast track to reform
TURKEY: With construction of new lines moving ahead, modernisation of the existing TCDD network is also getting underway. Meanwhile, draft legislation presented to the government last year envisages the restructuring of the rail sector to introduce competition between train operators.
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NewsWorld rail market March 2009
Belgium: A 1·6 tonne capacity Europont overhead crane with a Verlinde Eurobloc hoist has been installed at STIB’s Woluwe tram depot in Brussels. Netherlands: INIT has a contract to provide Copilotpc onboard equipment and GPRS communications for 129 trams, 226 buses and 41 other vehicles operated by Rotterdam transport ...
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NewsPointers March 2009
Ferrocarriles de Gran Canaria SA has been set up by the island government to manage the construction of a railway on Gran Canaria. A technical consultant will be employed to prepare tenders for project planning on the section between the capital and San Bartolomé de Tirajana, on which construction is ...
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NewsHouston awards light rail expansion contract
USA: Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority board of directors voted unanimously on March 4 to award a $1·46bn design, build, operate and maintain contract covering the construction of four more light rail lines to the HRT joint venture headed by Parsons Transportation Group. Following from the city's initial light rail ...
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NewsBNSF explores the fuel cell
USA: A hydrogen-powered shunting locomotive now being assembled will serve as a testbed for reducing diesel fuel use by North America’s railroads. David Lustig reports from Topeka.
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NewsInaugural train begins Laos royal visit
LAOS: Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand presided over the inaugural cross-border rail journey into Laos on March 5. Following a ceremony at Nong Khai station, the princess travelled across the Mekong to Tha Na Laeng, where she began a two-day official visit to Laos. The Thai-Lao Friendship bridge ...
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NewsAgreement reached on Tyva railway
RUSSIA: A protocol confirming the route of the planned 415 km railway from Kuragino to Kyzyl was signed by the Tyva republic's head of government Sholban Kara-ool and Eniseiskaya Industrial Corp CEO Dmitry Sahno on February 27. An extension of the Russian Railways network to Kyzyl, the capital of ...
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NewsDB Schenker structure revised
EUROPE: Deutsche Bahn has announced the new management team for the European rail-based logistics activities which have been grouped under the DB Schenker Rail brand. This now contains three geographic and two sector-based business units. DB Schenker Rail encompasses the former Railion Group and English Welsh & Scottish Railway ...
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NewsWagon prices attractive
GATX: Chicago-based leasing firm GATX reported net income from continuing operations of $196m in 2008, up from $185·8m the previous year. Wagon sales in the secondary market raised $55m, and ‘robust scrapping activity’ took advantage of high scrap prices. As a result, utilisation of the North American fleet of ...
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NewsTehran - Mashhad electrification contract
IRAN: A €792m contract to electrify the Tehran - Mashhad route and supply 70 electric locomotives has been awarded to consortium led by engineering firm Hirbodan and including electrical specialist Barsan, TAM Irankhodro and rolling stock manufacturer Wagon Pars. Islamic Republic of Iran Railways will also install ETCS Level ...
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NewsAnsaldo STS signs €153 signalling agreement
AUSTRALIA: Ansaldo STS and Australian Rail Track Corp have signed an alliance agreement covering signalling works to increase the capacity and efficiency of coal lines in New South Wales and Victoria. Ansaldo STS said the agreement will generate €153m in revenue over three years. The works include control systems ...
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NewsFour bids to build Dublin Metro North
IRELAND: The Railway Procurement Agency received four tenders on February 27 for the PPP contract to build and maintain the 18 km Metro North light rail line from St Stephen's Green in central Dublin to the airport, Swords and Belinstown. The bids reflect a substantial decrease in construction costs, ...
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NewsMiami airport Metrorail extension contract
USA: The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners has approved a $360m contract for construction of the 3·9 km Airport Connection Metrorail extension. This will run from the existing station at Earlington Heights to an intermodal centre adjacent to Miami International Airport which will provide interchange with Tri-Rail and local ...
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NewsCable production joint venture agreed
INDIA: Cable manufacturers Nexans and Polycab signed an agreement on March 3 establishing a joint venture to produce cables for the rail, maritime, materials handling, high voltage and wind power markets. Nexans will hold a majority stake in the joint venture, which will be based at Vadodara in Gujarat. ...
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NewsBrussels buys more Boa metro trains
BELGIUM: Brussels transport operator STIB signed a contract for an additional six metro trains with Spanish rolling stock supplier CAF on February 25, with an option on a further seven. The order is an extension of the original contract for 15 of the Boa trains which was signed in ...
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NewsAndalucian tram projects
SPAIN: Plans to build three new tram systems in Andalucía are progressing. Following signature of an agreement between the mayor of Chiclana and the Andalucian Minister of Transport on February 2, a €51·4m tender will shortly be launched for the 3·5 km seven-station Chiclana section of the Bahía de Cádiz ...
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NewsIndustry News in Brief
Under a strategy to reduce cyclical demand, which makes it hard to maintain staff skills needed to work with small vehicle fleets, Stadler and Rhätische Bahn are to co-operate in the overhaul and repair of metre-gauge vehicles. Stadler will be general contractor and responsible for engineering, while RhB will undertake ...
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NewsIarnród Éireann orders DMUs
IRELAND: Iarnród Éireann has placed a €140 order for 51 DMU cars with a partnership of Mitsui, Hyundai Rotem and Tokyu Car Corp. The vehicles will be delivered in the second half of 2011 for use on longer distance commuter services into Dublin from Dundalk, Kildare and Longford. They ...