News – Page 142
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Metro Report InternationalBattery trams to avoid overhead wires in historic Firenze
ITALY: Hitachi Rail has been awarded a contract to supply 46 trams equipped with batteries to avoid the need for overhead wires in the historic city of Firenze. The order announced on July 30 includes the supply of digital signalling, and operator GEST has also awarded ...
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Metro Report InternationalUrban transport industry news round-up
This week’s round-up of news from the urban transport sector.
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NewsAutomated wagon inspection to make rail freight more competitive
GERMANY: The Digital Inspection by Machine Intelligence project has been launched to automate and accelerate the manual wagon inspection process which need to be undertaken before an intermodal train can leave a terminal. The aim is to use sensors, cameras and AI to make wagon and ...
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Rail Business UKHedgehog sleeper designed to reduce embedded carbon
UK: Network Rail’s Wales & Western region and Dutch manufacturer Lankhorst Engineered Products have developed a composite sleeper made of made of 90% recycled materials which they say involves 90% less embedded carbon in production than wooden equivalents and 78% less than concrete. The design based ...
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NewsFive opportunities to improve railway safety identified in short line assessments
USA: The Short Line Safety Institute has identified five areas of strength and five areas of opportunity through an analysis of the 20 railway Safety Culture Assessments it conducted last year. A frequency analysis identified strengths in the provision of PPE; employees feeling comfortable communicating safety ...
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Rail Business UKA whole-industry approach is needed to get young people to use trains for life
UK: Young people want to travel more by rail, but train operators need to provide reliable services, value for money and consistent amenities if they are to attract the next generation of travellers and retain them as customers for the next 20 years, First Rail Managing ...
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Metro Report InternationalRoubaix-Tourcoing tramway project planning advances
FRANCE: Métropole Européenne de Lille has awarded the Tramelis consortium a 10-year contract to provide project management services for the development of the planned 22 km Roubaix-Tourcoing tramway. The Y-shaped network to the northeast of Lille would run from the Neuville area ...
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NewsReport identifies European missing links where rail could compete with air
EUROPE: Environmental campaigning organisation Greenpeace has produced a comprehensive study of rail services between major European cities, highlighting the ‘untapped potential’ for new direct trains which could replace flights. The Connection Failed report looks at 990 routes between 45 cities. It says only 13% of the ...
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NewsTrain driver and head of safety convicted over Santiago de Compostela derailment
SPAIN: It was ‘incomprehensible’ that a high speed line equipped with ERTMS would not have it installed at a location where a speed restriction meant it was so obviously required, the judge said when a criminal court reached its verdict on the July 24 2013 derailment of a Class 730 Alvia train.
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Metro Report InternationalLondon Underground seeks new ways to mind the gap
UK: Transport for London is looking for innovative approaches to managing safety at the platform-train interface, where there is a risk of people or objects falling onto the track. TfL is seeking to eliminate or reduce the risk of falls on the track and between the ...
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NewsAnkara – Istanbul high speed line to be protected against landslides
TURKEY: Infrastructure manager TCDD has awarded construction company IC İçtaş a TL707·6m contract to rebuild and reinforce a section of the Ankara – Istanbul high speed line in the Bilecik area which is prone to flooding and landslides. In 2019 a section of trackbed was washed ...
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Metro Report InternationalAlstom to overhaul Buenos Aires metro cars
ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires metro operator EMOVA has awarded manufacturer Alstom a contract to overhaul 60 Metropolis 300 cars used on lines D and H. Alstom is to undertake the three-year project at its Los Hornos plant in La Plata. ‘This contract is the first maintenance agreement ...
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NewsClockface timetable planned to support Polish passenger rail tendering
POLAND: Transport planners are seeking feedback from international train operators on regulations for public service obligation and commercial contracts, capacity allocation and train timetabling, to help inform plans for the liberalisation of the Polish long-distance passenger rail sector. A consultation to be launched shortly will feed ...
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Metro Report InternationalSmart & Green Mass Transit System planning contract awarded
CHINA: The Hong Kong government’s Highways Department and a consortium of Arup & Partners and Asia Infrastructure Solutions signed HK$262·5m contract on July 22 covering detailed planning and design for what is branded a Smart & Green Mass Transit System to serve east Kowloon. The 3½-year ...
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Rail Business UKNorthern awards station passenger information systems contract
UK: Train operator Northern has awarded Sella Controls a contract to supply, install and commission 269 customer information displays as well as long line public address systems at 68 stations. Design work is under way, with the first installations planned for this summer. The current equipment ...
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NewsUber adds Spanish rail travel options
SPAIN: Building on a two-year collaboration in the UK, taxi booking platform Uber has begun using Omio’s API to provide its customers with access to rail travel options in Spain. ‘Our collaboration with Uber is a significant achievement for Omio as we join forces with leading ...
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NewsData analysis service aims to optimise railway energy consumption
ENERGY: Mitsubishi Electric has launched a data analysis service to help railways to optimise the deployment and operation of their assets to reduce overall energy consumption. It uses Mitsubishi Electric’s Serendie digital platform, which collects and analyses data such as the power consumption and operational status ...
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NewsAgreement to cut Californian rail project red tape
USA: The California State Transportation Agency and California High-Speed Rail Authority have renewed a 2019 agreement under which the state has taken on the Federal Railroad Administration’s environmental review responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act. California is the only state with NEPA assignment for rail ...
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NewsWabtec expands Indian locomotive servicing capabilities
INDIA: Wabtec has begun maintaining locomotives at Gooty in Andhra Pradesh under a model which sees Indian Railways provide the infrastructure and staff while the manufacturer leads technical supervision to meet availability, reliability and fuel efficiency targets. The three-year contract covers the regular maintenance of up ...