News – Page 131
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Metro Report InternationalPrivate sector funding sought for next phase of Seoul Great Train Express
SOUTH KOREA: Minister of Land, Infrastructure & Transport Park Sang-woo has engaged with businesses to explore options to use private financing as well as government funding for the second phase of the Great Train Express programme in the Seoul region. The second phase would support the ...
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In depthAustralia: Sydney – Newcastle plan marks another high speed attempt
Australia’s High Speed Rail Authority has been tasked with drawing up proposals for a new line between Sydney and Newcastle, as the first step in developing a 1 750 km route linking urban and regional centres along the East Coast corridor.
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NewsSouthern section of Guangzhou – Foshan circular line opens
CHINA: The South Ring Section of the Guangzhou – Foshan circular railway opened on May 26, running from Panyu (Guangzhou Nan) to Foshan Xi. The route is shared with the Guangzhou – Foshan – Zhaoqing inter-city railway. Services run at up to 200 km/h. Construction of ...
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NewsCCTV added to railway trespasser detection system
SECURITY: Sensonic has added CCTV functionality to its optic fibre based Distributed Acoustic Sensing security system, enabling railways to visually identify trespassers after detecting and locating them in real-time. ‘Traditional security systems often rely on a patchwork of disparate technologies, creating blind spots and hindering response ...
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NewsFRA studies the behaviour of very long freight trains
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration has produced three reports into the safety and performance of trains more than 7 500 ft (2 286 m) in length. Testing found that air brake systems performed largely as expected when in a controlled environment, but FRA says further testing ...
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NewsMaintenance deal to enhance Carajás loco fleet
BRAZIL: Mining group Vale has signed a 10-year master service agreement with Wabtec Corp for maintenance of the Evolution series diesel-electric locomotives used on the 1 600 mm gauge Estrada de Ferro Carajás. Worth R$1∙8bn, the agreement will ‘optimise the maintenance services for Vale’s fleet, increasing ...
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NewsVirginia looks to boost passenger services
USA: Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is in preliminary discussions with Norfolk Southern for the purchase of the route used by Manassas Line commuter services, and to introduce passenger services to the New River Valley in the southeast of the state. Purchasing the Manassas Line would enable ...
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NewsSale of Estonian national rail freight operator gets underway
ESTONIA: The government has formally launched a two-stage process to privatise national rail freight operator Operail. The public auction approved by the cabinet on June 6 will cover Operail’s entire business, including freight operations, rolling stock repairs, all contracts and the brand name. It is being ...
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NewsPesa confirmed as winner of Romanian EMU contract
ROMANIA: Railway reform authority ARF has confirmed Pesa Bydgoszcz as the winner of a contract to supply 20 electric multiple-units for InterRegio services, after a court required a review of the bids following an appeal by Alstom. The contract is worth €168m for the rolling stock ...
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In depthAir-Rail Links: Better connectivity would benefit southeast Asia
A report by the Aviation Studies Institute of Singapore University of Technology & Design recommends replacing short-haul air routes by high speed lines in southeast Asia to improve sustainability. It also finds that airport-rail links in the region are less common than elsewhere and that better rail connectivity would yield benefits.
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Metro Report InternationalStuttgart light rail extension approval process gets underway
GERMANY: The Stuttgart regional council has launched the approval process for a planned light rail extension to an industrial estate and a new depot. The 4·8 km branch would start at the existing Rastatter Straße stop on U13 and run through Weilimdorf and Hausen to the ...
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Rail Business UKRailway Engineering Degree Apprenticeship launched
UK: A Railway Engineering Degree Apprenticeship has been launched by a partnership of the University of South Wales, the Welsh government, Coleg Y Cymoedd and Transport for Wales. The four-year programme includes work-based learning while studying part-time for a BSc (Hons) Railway Engineering (Electromechanical Systems & Electronics) ...
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NewsHigh speed train start-up Proxima announces €1bn launch plan
FRANCE: High speed rail start-up Proxima has announced a €1bn plan backed by investor Antin Infrastructure Partners to acquire 12 Alstom trainsets and launch open access services from Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes and Angers to Paris. Proxima has been established by former Voyages SNCF CEO Rachel Picard, ...
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NewsInternational Level Crossing Awareness Day focuses on vulnerable people
INTERNATIONAL: ‘Beware of trains. Life can change in a split second’ is the slogan for the 16th International Level Crossing Awareness Day, which this year has a particular emphasis on the safety of vulnerable people. Around 50 countries take part in the annual ILCAD campaign which ...
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NewsKenya Railways sets out strategic plan for 2023-27
KENYA: Kenya Railways has launched its strategic plan for 2023-27, setting out a medium-term policy, legal, institutional and regulatory framework to transform itself into the ’leading transport service provider in the region’. The plan includes developing and upgrading rail infrastructure, increasing freight and passenger capacity, expanding ...
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Metro Report InternationalAbuja metro services relaunched
NIGERIA: President Bola Tinubu relaunched passenger services on the Abuja metro on May 29, when he announced that travel would be free until the end of the year. His predecessor had launched a limited passenger service in 2018, but it was suspended in 2020 because of ...
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In depthFreight: ‘Nobody is writing us a cheque for €13bn’
European policymakers and the larger rail freight operators are confident that the Digital Automatic Coupler programme can move from vision to reality by 2028. Nevertheless, significant financial and logistical barriers remain. Toma Bačić reports.
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NewsFreight traffic resumes on Baku – Tbilisi – Kars railway
ASIA: The Baku – Tbilisi – Kars railway has re-opened for freight traffic following a year-long maintenance and rebuilding programme on the Georgian section of the line. Work on the 170 km section between Marabda and Akhalkalaki began in May last year and was completed on ...