All Railway Gazette International articles in May 2005
All articles published this month.
-
NewsEconomic growth boosts Ireland's railways
IRELAND: National economic growth has required a rapid increase in capacity and service quality at Iarnród Éireann. Chief Operating Officer Dick Fearn told Andrew Grantham how this is being provided, and why he is happy with a vertically-integrated railway.
-
News
Subgrade radar
RAIL RADAR is being used in Canada to pinpoint the location of faulty sub-surface ballast and missing or damaged sleepers. The ground-penetrating radar uses a multi-channel surface-coupled antenna towed behind a road-rail vehicle to survey routes at line speed. A PC stores data on over 1600 track-km and generates reports. ...
-
News
On-board power
Frensistemi, the Italian subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse, has acquired a 70% stake in Microelettrica Scientifica. The March 16 transaction applies retroactively from September 30 2004. Brake resistors, contactors and electronic protection relays are among the power supply and energy distribution equipment manufactured by Rozzano-based Microelettrica. It has annual sales of ...
-
News
Nafta takeover
THE AMBITIOUS plan to create a north-south ’Nafta Railway’ serving the North American Free Trade Area reached fruition on April 1, when Kansas City Southern formally took over Mexican rail concessionaire TFM SA de CV.KCS has purchased a controlling interest from its former partner Grupo TMM SA, giving it ownership ...
-
News
Merseytram ready to start
ON APRIL 7 Merseyside PTE announced that it had selected the M-PACT joint venture of GrantRail and Laing O’Rourke Civil Engineering as prime contractor for the UK’s next light rail project: Merseytram Line 1 between Liverpool and Kirkby (MR 03 p40).Subject to contractual arrangements with the preferred bidder being completed ...
-
News
New life for old tickets
OVERTHEYEARS, Sidetrack has seen rail passengers doing many strange things with their tickets.Using tickets as a bookmark is common, but we have seen people drawing on them, folding them, and even chewing them, although this last seems a bit risky in the event of a surprise ticket inspection.Tel Aviv commuter ...
-
News
Leasing venture
CFCL Australia has entered into a joint venture with specialist in asset financing Allco Finance Group and investment company Record Investments to launch a loco and rolling stock leasing business. Allco CFCLA Freight Rail Leasing JV aims to raise A$70m towards capital investment in locos and stock during its first ...
-
News
Kashmir through train launched
THE FIRST section of India's rail link to Kashmir was officially inaugurated on April 13, when Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh flagged off the first Uttar Sampark Kranti Express from Delhi. The 54·8 km broad gauge line from Jammu Tawi to Udhampur has cost Rs5·2bn to build over the past ...
-
News
Trains return to Jerusalem
ISRAEL RAILWAYS reopened its line to Jerusalem with the introduction of a new timetable on April 9, which also saw the launch of passenger services to Ashkelon. Transport Minister Meir Shitrit and IR General Manager Yossi Mor joined the celebrations to mark the reopening to Jerusalem after a seven-year ...
-
News
Integrated plan
THEDUTCH province of Zuid Holland is to take over responsibility for passenger services on the 49 km route between Dordrecht and Geldermalsen from January 2007.The provincial government intends to call tenders for an integrated concession covering train and local bus services. It has earmarked €7m for new halts, and €15m ...
-
News
Southern train hot spots
BROADBAND internet access is to be provided on trains between London and Brighton under an agreement between train operator Southern and T-Mobile.One three-car Class 377 Electrostar EMU has been equipped so far, and broadband is initially being offered on six trains each way per day. The technology will be rolled ...
-
News
Grasse reopens
ON MARCH 21 French Transport Secretary François Goulard and RFF President Jean-Pierre Duport marked the reopening of the Cannes - Grasse line after 60 years.Although passenger services were suspended in spring 1944, the branch continued to see a daily freight train. Reopening to passengers was approved by the région of ...
-
News
Ring line funded
ON APRIL 4 København City Council announced a €600m funding boost for the Danish capital’s planned metro ring line. The money will come from the recently-completed sale of the municipal power company København Energi to Dansk Olje & Naturgas, which raised €1·5bn.Plans for the 14 km Ring line were unveiled ...
-
News
Freight for sale
TENDERS are due to be invited this month for the sale of Slovak Railways’ freight operations, which have been valued at between KS15bn and KS20bn.The transport ministry’s proposal to sell the business was formally approved by the Slovakian government on April 13. The ministry expects to receive preliminary tenders in ...
-
News
GNER wins second franchise term
MAY 1 marks the start of a new 10-year contract to operate the UK's Inter-City East Coast franchise. The deal was signed on March 18 by Sea Containers' subsidiary Great North Eastern Railway, which has run the route from London to Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh since 1996. The ...
-
News
PATH starts fleet renewal
COMPLETE replacement of the EMU fleet operating the Port Authority Trans-Hudson metro network linking Newark, Jersey City and Manhattan was approved by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey board of directors on March 31. In a 3min meeting, the board voted to award a $499m contract to ...
-
News
Patrick wants FCL
AUSTRALIAN transport and logistics group Patrick Corp announced in March that it had begun negotiations to buy FCL Interstate Transport Services, Australia’s largest rail freight forwarder.FCL is a family-owned business with annual revenues of around A$170m that has always supported rail, backing construction of the Alice Springs - Darwin line ...
-
News
End of the road
SWEDISH independent passenger operator BK Tåg declared insolvency on March 21, curtailing the company’s ambitions to secure a significant share of the market.BK Tåg started in 1990 with a concession to operate services on five secondary routes that included Halmstad to Oskarshamm and the Torup - Hyltebruk branch. A year ...