Middle East – Page 3
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NewsŠkoda awarded €1bn contract to upgrade and maintain 280 Egyptian locomotives
EGYPT: Škoda Group has signed contracts worth more than €1bn to modernise and maintain at least 280 Egyptian National Railway diesel locomotives. Škoda Group said the two contracts signed on June 26 mark its expansion into Africa. The first covers the overhaul of locomotives over a ...
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Metro Report InternationalFour shortlisted to take forward Haifa – Nazareth light rail route
ISRAEL: Four consortia have been invited to submit best and final offers for the concession to build and operate the Nofit interurban light rail line between Haifa and Nazareth. They are: Shapir (Israel) and CAF (Spain); Alstom (France), Electra and Minrav (Israel); Comsa (Spain), Den ...
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NewsIraq plans rail link from Turkey to the Gulf
IRAQ: Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani has unveiled plans for a rail and road corridor to Europe via Turkey. The 1 200 km line was announced on May 27 during a conference with transport ministry officials from Iran, Jordan, Syria, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and ...
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NewsRasht – Astara railway construction agreement signed
IRAN: An intergovernmental agreement for the construction of the 162 km Rasht – Astara railway in northern Iran was signed by the transport ministers of Iran and Russia during a video conference between the national presidents on May 17. The cost of the project is put ...
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Rail Business UKBritish railway supply sector targets Middle East opportunities
UK: More than 30 British rail businesses promoted their export products and services in the UK Pavilion at the Middle East Rail trade fair. The pavilion at the event held in Abu Dhabi on May 15-16 was organised by the Department for Business & Trade, the ...
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NewsUAE luxury cruise train service planned
UAE: Etihad Rail and Italian luxury hospitality company Arsenale have signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of a luxury cruise train, which would operate in UAE and potentially in Oman and across the Gulf Co-operation Council countries as the region’s rail network expands. The ...
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NewsRecord traffic on Saudi high speed line during Ramadan
SAUDI ARABIA: The Haramain High Speed Rail line which connects Makkah and Madinah carried a record number of passengers during the Ramadan period, when a special timetable was operated to meet the high demand. Spanish national train operator RENFE, which operates the line on behalf of ...
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Metro Report InternationalTehran metro extensions open
IRAN: Two extensions of the Tehran metro network have been formally inaugurated by President Ebrahim Raisi. The opening on March 18 of the 9·5 km central section of Line 6 between Tarbiat Modares University and Emam Hossein has joined up two previously isolated sections to complete ...
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NewsDream of the Desert cruise train planned for Saudi Arabia
SAUDI ARABIA: A Dream of the Desert five-star luxury cruise train service on the North South Railway from Riyadh to Al Qurayyat on the border with Jordan is planned to launch in 2025. A memorandum of understanding for the project was signed at the Saudi ...
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In depthEgypt: Building a Suez Canal on rails
Siemens Mobility is playing a vital part in construction of a 2 000 km high speed network in Egypt. Siemens Mobility’s CEO for Turnkey, Middle East & Africa Léon Soulier outlines the company’s role, its partnerships, and the impact of this huge investment.
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Metro Report InternationalSecond Karaj metro line opened for limited service
IRAN: An initial 5·5 km section of the 27 km metro Line 2 currently under construction in Karaj opened for limited passenger services on February 27. The second metro line in Karaj, 40 km west of Tehran, was opened by Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi. The initial ...
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NewsEgyptian high speed line track contract awarded
EGYPT: NGE subsidiary TSO has signed a contract with Orascom Construction and The Arab Contractors for the supply and installation of trackwork for 330 km of high speed line in Egypt. The 25 kV 50 Hz electrified line is to connect the port of Ain Sokhna ...
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NewsUAE – Oman railway co-operation agreement signed
ASIA: Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co is to support Oman-Etihad Rail Co with the development of plans for a mixed traffic railway connecting the UAE with Oman. Working groups are to be formed to share expertise and undertake joint economic and financial feasibility ...
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Metro Report InternationalDigital wayfinding to help visually impaired passengers use tram services
ISRAEL: The 114 CAF trams that are scheduled to begin entering service in Jerusalem later this year will be equipped with technology from digital wayfinding company Step-Hear which is designed to make it easier for blind and visually impaired people to travel. The Jerusalem Transportation Masterplan ...
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NewsEgyptian coach maintenance agreement signed
EGYPT: Chairman of Egyptian National Railways Mohamed Amer and Transmashholding Vice-President Sergo Kurbanov have signed a €430m, 12-year agreement for the maintenance of the coaches which are being supplied under a contract agreed in 2018. So far 725 of the 1 350 ordered coaches have been ...
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NewsEtihad Rail orders push-pull trains
UAE: Etihad Rail has awarded CRRC Qingdao Sifang a contract to supply three push-pull trainsets with options for up to 20 more. Each trainset will comprise a diesel locomotive, five intermediate passenger cars and a driving trailer coach. They will have a design ...
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NewsTurnkey GSM-R contract awarded for Egyptian rail programme
EGYPT: Kontron Transportation has been awarded a turnkey contract to supply GSM-R for the network of three electrified lines to be developed by a consortium led by Siemens Mobility. Kontron Transportation said it would supply ‘the most advanced railway radio communication technology’, fully compliant with UIC ...
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Metro Report InternationalRATP Dev to develop AlUla transport strategy
SAUDI ARABIA: The Royal Commission for AlUla has awarded France’s RATP Dev a ’360 Mobility’ contract covering the development and implementation of a comprehensive transport strategy to support tourism. RATP Dev will support RCU in developing plans, policies, governance and infrastructure. This will include the ‘experiential’ ...
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NewsEgyptian Talgo trainset enters service
EGYPT: The first of the Talgo trainsets ordered by Egyptian National Railways for use on the routes from Cairo north to Alexandria and south to Aswan entered service on December 24. Talgo said the new stock would increase capacity and service quality on the routes, while ...
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In depthAsia: ESCAP rethinks trans-continental supply chains
Covid-19 and the Ukrainian crisis have impacted on Eurasian rail flows, but ESCAP believes railways still have a key role to play in an integrated multimodal transport system supporting global supply chains. Raghu Dayal reports.