All Railway Gazette International articles in March 2018 – Page 4
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NewsContracts awarded for Belgrano Phase 3
ARGENTINA: Infrastructure authority Trenes Argentinos Infraestructura has awarded contracts to undertake Phase 3 of the track renewals programme on the 1 000 mm gauge Belgrano network. Divided into four lots worth 3∙5bn pesos, Phase 3 covers 300 km including route C12 from Joaquín V González to Metán, as well as ...
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NewsInowrocław electric bus order signed
POLAND: The city of Inowrocław signed a contract for Volvo to supply eight electric buses and eight electric hybrid buses on March 9. Volvo is to deliver the 7900 Electric and 7900 Electric Hybrid buses from its Wrocław factory this year, and will be responsible for vehicle and battery ...
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NewsZSSK awards EMU contract
SLOVAKIA: National passenger operator ZSSK has awarded a consortium of Škoda Vagónka and ŽOS Trnava a €160m contract to supply 25 dual-voltage electric multiple-units for use on regional services around Žilina. Stadler had also bid for the contract. The EMUs will be based on Škoda’s RegioPanter family. The order covers ...
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NewsOperators take delivery of rebuilt locomotives
EUROPE: Slovakian open access freight operator PSŽ has taken delivery of EffiLiner 1600 diesel locomotive number 753.608 under a long-term lease from CZ Loko, which produces the locomotives by rebuilding ex-ČD Class 750/753 ‘Bizon’ diesel locos. The Class 753.6 is rated at 1 550 kW, has a maximum speed of ...
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NewsSicily double-tracking contract signed
ITALY: A consortium of Salini Impregilo, Astaldi, SIFEL and CLF has been awarded a €186m contract to double-track and resignal the 38 km Catania Bicocca – Catenanuova section of the line running line west from Catania in Sicily. The scope of the contract signed last month includes the provision of ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Freight traffic has resumed on a 35 km section of the SNCF Réseau network between Oiry and Esternay, serving a cereal-growing area east of Paris. Funding for the €7m upgrade programme was provided by sources including the French government (€2∙25m), the Grand Est region (€1∙7m), SNCF Réseau (€1∙3m) and the ...
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Metro Report InternationalItalian transport funding approved
ITALY: The Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport allocated €190·9m for urban rail projects in seven cities on March 7. €40m has been earmarked for the upgrade of the Milano – Limbiate interurban tram line. Milano Municipality is contributing a further €103m towards the modernisation of the route, which was ...
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NewsStrukton to take over Eltel’s rail activities in Sweden
SWEDEN: Eltel signed a letter of intent on March 12 for the planned divestment of its Swedish rail activities to Strukton Rail. This follows the sale of Eltel’s Finnish and Danish rail activities in January. The Swedish transaction would cover construction and maintenance contracts, employees and associated equipment. Eltel would ...
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NewsUzbekistan – Tajikistan rail link reopens
ASIA: The cross-border railway between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan via Ghalaba and Amuzang on the north bank of the River Amu Darya was officially reopened with a ceremony on March 9. The event was held during a state visit by Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rakhmon, and the ...
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NewsMexican DMUs ordered to work Phnom Penh airport rail link
CAMBODIA: Revenue services on the new rail link to Phnom Penh International Airport are expected to begin running with effect from the Khmer New Year on April 10, Hoeurn Somnieng, deputy director of the cabinet at the Ministry of Public Works & Transport announced on March 2. Test running has ...
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Metro Report InternationalContactless payment to be rolled out to Sydney light rail
AUSTRALIA: Cubic Transportation Systems is to expand its open payment trial in Sydney to include light rail and the entire ferry network, the company announced on March 12. Transport for New South Wales began a contactless ticketing trial on the Manly Ferry service in July 2017 using open payment ...
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NewsMOB orders dual-gauge Golden Pass fleet
SWITZERLAND: Montreux-Oberland Bahn has ordered a fleet of 20 gauge-changing coaches to operate through services between Montreux and Interlaken. To be marketed as GoldenPass Express, the service is due to be launched by MOB and its partner BLS from the timetable change in December 2020. To be built by Stadler, ...
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NewsBulgaria – Turkey piggyback service avoids border delays
EUROPE: PIMK Rail dispatched its first weekly freight service from the Plovdiv intermodal hub in Bulgaria to Çerkezköy in Turkey on March 2. A Siemens Vectron locomotive hauled 17 articulated piggyback wagons carrying lorry trailers, which were able to avoid the long delays to road traffic which can occur at ...
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NewsJR Central unveils ‘Supreme’ N700S
JAPAN: Central Japan Railway unveiled its completed N700S prototype Shinkansen trainset at Hamamatsu depot on March 10. Emblazoned with a huge gold S for Supreme, the latest derivative of the Series 700 family will begin an extensive programme of test running on March 20. The first commercial sets are expected ...
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NewsCAF and Alstom to supply more metro trains to Barcelona
SPAIN: Barcelona metro operator TMB has selected CAF and Alstom to supply a total of 12 five-car metro trainsets to increase capacity on the network. CAF is to supply four Series 6000 trains for Line 1, two Series 5000 trains for Line 3 and four Series 5000 trains for ...
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NewsMore driverless metro trains ordered for København
DENMARK: København metro authority Metroselskabet signed a €50m contract with Hitachi Rail Italy on March 7 for the supply of eight driverless trainsets to operate on lines M1 and M2. To be delivered by 2020, the trains are to be equipped with signalling and communication supplied by Ansaldo STS. ...
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NewsDSB selects Siemens to supply electric locomotives
DENMARK: National passenger operators DSB has selected Siemens for a contract to supply 26 electric locomotives for entry into service from 2021, with an option for a further 18. Siemens will have overall responsibility for maintenance for 10 years, and an option for further five years. The decision announced on ...
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NewsFirst Innsbruck Regionalbahn LRV rolled out
AUSTRIA: The first Flexity light rail vehicle for Innsbruck’s Regionalbahn project left Bombardier’s factory in Wien on March 12. It is expected to enter service in June on Innsbruck’s metre-gauge network. The city of Innsbruck, the Land of Tirol and transport authority IVB signed a contract in December 2015 ...
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Metro Report InternationalEdinburgh tram extension shortlist
UK: City of Edinburgh Council announced on March 13 that it had prequalified four bidders for a contract to build the proposed tram extension to Newhaven. The 4·6 km eastern extension from York Place to Leith and Newhaven was originally to have been built as the part of the ...
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NewsTransdev receives safety approval for French passenger market
FRANCE: Transdev announced on March 12 that its train operating subsidiary CFTA had received a certificate of railway safety. This is a prerequisite for Transdev to enter the main line passenger market as a competitor to national railway SNCF. CFTA already operates two rural passenger services in Bretagne, through a ...