All Railway Gazette International articles in March 2015
All articles published this month.
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NewsBattery-diesel hybrid multiple-unit on test
JAPAN: East Japan Railway has begun test running with the first of eight Series HB-E210 two-car battery-diesel multiple-units which are being supplied by J-TREC. The units are expected to offer a 60% reduction in NOX and particulate emissions compared to conventional DMUs. JR East ordered the hybrid DMUs in ...
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NewsIn-cab USB charger
CHARGER: Lütze Transportation has developed a USB charger to support train drivers’ increasing of mobile phones for communications and mobile tablet computers to display driving data such as routes, timetables and speed restrictions. Two mobile devices can be charged simultaneously using the 819001 DC/DC converter, which has a sturdy and ...
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NewsEvraz delivers new design of wheel to Turkey
TURKEY: Russian manufacturer Evraz NTMK has begun delivering 2 000 of its newly-launched Type BA 002 wagon wheels to Turkish national railway TCDD. The 920 mm diameter BA 002 wheels are made of grade ER7 steel and feature high-precision boring of the hub with tolerances measured in hundredths of ...
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NewsTransnet finalises locomotive financing deals
SOUTH AFRICA: On March 2 national freight operator Transnet issued an update on the contracts for the supply of 1 064 locomotives which it awarded in March 2014, and announced financing packages worth R13bn for the locos to be supplied by GE and Bombardier. Transnet Group CEO Brian Molefe said ...
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NewsVirgin Trains East Coast starts operations
UK: On March 1 the Inter-City Railways consortium of Stagecoach Group (90%) and Virgin Holdings (10%) began operating inter-city services on the East Coast Main Line under the Virgin Trains East Coast brand. Stagecoach and Virgin had been awarded an eight-year franchise in November last year, committing to invest £140m ...
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NewsEversholt Rail sells wagon fleet to CIT Group
UK: Rolling stock leasing company Eversholt Rail Group sold its freight wagon fleet to the Nacco (UK) Ltd subsidiary of CIT Group on February 27. The price was not disclosed. The fleet comprises 920 wagons, including container flats, open wagons, coal and aggregate hoppers and autoballasters. Eversholt Rail Group ...
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NewsMetro Trains Melbourne to test vibration harvesters
AUSTRALIA: Metro Trains Melbourne is to test bearing and wheelset monitoring sensors supplied by Perpetuum which are powered by the train’s vibrations. Electrical energy is generated by using an oscillating magnet which induces a voltage in the coil. This powers the vibration and temperature sensors, which provide ...
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NewsBremen ticketing upgrade
GERMANY: Init is to modernise the ticketing system used on trams and buses in Bremen by the end of 2017. The upgrade includes the replacement of mobile and stationary ticket vending machines and printers, as well as the installation of a boarding control system. These will be installed on ...
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NewsTorino approves western metro extension
ITALY: Torino city council has approved the final design for the western extension of metro Line 1. The 3·4 km extension of the VAL driverless metro would bring the line to Cascine Vica with three intermediate stations. The easternmost of these, Certosa, will provide an interchange with Collegno main ...
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NewsBuenos Aires commuter routes renationalised
ARGENTINA: By means of a resolution published on March 2, Minister of the Interior & Transport Florencio Randazzo has instructed federal railway operating company SOFSE to take direct charge of the Mitre, San Martín, Roca and Belgrano Sur commuter networks in Buenos Aires, rescinding operating agreements signed on February 10 ...
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NewsAlstom inaugurates Brazilian tram factory
BRAZIL: Alstom has inaugurated its latest tram factory in Taubaté. Alstom has invested about €15m in the 16 000 m² plant, which is intended to serve the Brazilian market and wider Latin America region. When fully operational, the facility will employ around 150 people and will be able to ...
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NewsOttawa O-Train relaunches as Trillium Line
CANADA: Ottawa’s C$60·3m O-Train capacity expansion project was officially completed on March 2, with the entry into service of six Alstom Coradia Lint 41 diesel multiple-units. However, the launch was delayed by a points failure, and services were suspended the following day owing to signalling problems. The line has ...
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NewsLyon – Torino railway project now ‘irreversible’
EUROPE: The governments of France and Italy have formally agreed to go ahead with the Lyon – Torino railway project, including the 57 km Mont Cenis base tunnel. France’s President Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Renzi signed the agreement at a Franco-Italian summit on February 24. This enabled the ...
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NewsSt Petersburg orders more Škoda metro cars
RUSSIA: Škoda Transportation subsidiary OOO Vagonmaš has been selected to supply eight six-car trainsets for St Petersburg metro Line 3. The 3·8bn rouble contract is expected to be signed in the next few days. The vehicles will be lighter than those of the metro’s existing fleet, thanks to the ...
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NewsUK Eurostar sale price 'ahead of expectations'
EUROPE: The British government announced an agreement to sell its entire stake in Eurostar International Ltd for £757·1m on March 4. Eurostar International owns the UK’s 40% stake in the cross-Channel high speed train operator, with France’s state-owned train operator SNCF holding 55% and its Belgian counterpart SNCB the remaining ...
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NewsJakarta metro trains ordered
INDONESIA: MRT Jakarta has awarded Sumitomo Corp and Nippon Sharyo a ¥13bn contract for the supply of 16 six-car trainsets for the first line of the Jakarta metro. The trainsets will be designed according to the Standard Urban Railway System for Asia specification. This was developed by Japanese railway ...
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NewsDelft tunnel and underground station opened
NETHERLANDS: Trains between Rotterdam and Den Haag have started using the new underground station in Delft, following the completion of a week-long blockade to transfer services from the elevated alignment that has carried the main line through the city for more than 150 years. Under the ‘Spoorzone Delft’ project, ProRail’s ...
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NewsSilom Line extension options announced
THAILAND: The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced three options for the alignment of the Silom Line metro extension on March 3. In December the city’s Traffic & Transport Office awarded a 40m baht contract to TEAM Consulting Engineering & Management Co for a feasibility study into extending the line north ...
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NewsProducts & Technology in Brief
Mobile ticket technology supplier Corethree has signed an agreement with Microsoft which will enable its m-ticket applications to be offered for Windows Phone in addition to iOS and Android devices. RailComm has installed an advanced remote switch and third rail heater control system for Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. It ...
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NewsVictoria orders more X’Trapolis EMUs
AUSTRALIA: The government of Victoria announced an order for a further five six-car Alstom X’Trapolis electric multiple-units on March 3. The first is expected to enter service by the end of 2016. The government said the order would plug a critical short-term gap in train availability in Melbourne and also ...