News – Page 250
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Rail Business UKNo silver bullet promised as TransPennine Express to transfer to Operator of Last Resort
UK: FirstGroup’s National Rail Contract to operate TransPennine Express services will not be renewed when it expires on May 28, Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper announced on May 11. Operations will instead be transferred to the government’s Operator of Last Resort. Services will run ...
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NewsMetre gauge electro-diesel freight locos enter service
SPAIN: Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya has put into service the first two of five Class 257 metre gauge electro-diesel freight locos ordered from Stadler to replace its Class 254 diesels. The €30·2m contract for the 20 m long, 3 900 mm high, 90 tonne ...
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In depthAustria: A transport network for everyone
Emerging EU legislation on accessibility will put stronger regulatory requirements on public transport operators to ensure their services are open to all. Faced with a mix of modes including a large legacy tramway, Wien operator Wiener Linien is making steady progress towards meeting this challenge. Toma Bačić reports.
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Metro Report InternationalSingapore tenders operation of future metro lines
SINGAPORE: Land Transport Authority has called tenders to appoint operators for the future Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line from 2024 and 2027 respectively. The tenders announced on May 9 are limited to existing rail operators SMRT Trains and SBS Transit Rail, but foreign operators ...
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NewsGerman government urged to revise pessimistic rail freight assumptions
GERMANY: The leaders of six private rail freight operators have published an open letter to federal Transport Minister Dr Volker Wissing urging the government to revise pessimistic forecasts for the sector’s future growth.
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail trials mid-week engineering work to reflect post-pandemic travel demand
UK: With data from inter-city operator LNER suggesting that that Fridays and Sundays are now the most popular days for travel on the East Coast Main Line, infrastructure manager Network Rail is to undertake engineering work mid-week rather than at the weekend as a trial. Track, ...
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NewsHydrogen locos to be tested on coal trains
CANADA: Piloting the use of hydrogen locomotives is included in an agreement for Canadian Pacific Kansas City to haul steelmaking coal from Teck Coal’s four operations in southeastern British Columbia. The agreement announced on May 4 builds on existing services for Teck and runs until the end ...
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Metro Report InternationalBeograd metro project management contract awarded
SERBIA: A consortium of DB Engineering & Consulting and Systra has been appointed to provide project management services for the construction of Beograd’s first metro line. The €46m contract announced by the Ministry of Construction, Transport & Infrastructure on May 8 covers project management, planning review ...
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In depthAccessibility: Time to ‘mind the gap’, once and for all
The provision of level boarding between platforms and trains improves accessibility for all passengers, while cutting station dwell times and reducing safety risks. Gareth Dennis looks at the challenges and considers the best way to solve them.
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NewsDutch rail freight community launches skills drive
EUROPE: More needs to be done to attract younger people to work in the sector, representatives of the Dutch rail freight industry said at the Transport Logistic trade fair in München. The announcement on May 9 was co-ordinated by Rail Cargo Information Netherlands and partners to ...
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NewsTurkmenistan’s oldest railway workshop to be modernised
TURKMENISTAN: A memorandum of understanding for co-operation to modernise the Gyzylarbat rolling stock repair plant was signed by national railway Demirýollary and Russian Railways subsidiary RZD International at the International Transport & Transit Corridors: Interconnection & Development 2023 conference in Ashgabat on May 4. The Gyzylarbat ...
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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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Metro Report InternationalAdditional Sengkang-Punggol LRT cars ordered
SINGAPORE: Land Transport Authority has awarded Mitsubishi Heavy Industries a contract to supply a further eight two-car rubber-tyre automated light metro trainsets for the Sengkang and Punggol Light Rapid Transit lines. The firm order announced on May 9 follows on from an order for 17 two-car ...
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In depthUK: Momentum builds behind intelligent video analysis
Initially trialled in Wales to assist in lineside vegetation management, the Automated Intelligent Video Review technology developed by One Big Circle is now being deployed on a raft of operational and infrastructure applications across the UK with the aim of reducing the need for staff to visit high-risk trackside locations.
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NewsIntermodal rail freight service to bring Ukraine into the European logistics chain
EUROPE: Rail Cargo Group used the Transport Logistic trade show in München on May 9 to announce an intermodal freight service linking Kyiv and Lviv with Budapest and Wien. Austrian Federal Railways’ freight subsidiary said this would be the ‘first regular, high frequency intermodal connection’ between ...
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Metro Report InternationalSix US rolling stock renewal projects awarded funding
USA: Six urban and commuter rail rolling stock renewal projects have been awarded Federal Transit Administration grants totalling $703m. Rail Vehicle Replacement Programme grants Agency Location Grant Project ...
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NewsIndian Railways reports buoyant business in post-Covid rebound
INDIA: Publishing its final results for the 2022-23 financial year, Indian Railways has reported a 27·75% increase in revenue for the 12 months to March 31. Reflecting economic buoyancy in the face of global headwinds, the national railway reported revenues of Rs2·44tr for the year. This ...
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Metro Report InternationalTramway electrification competency guidance published
UK: The Light Rail Safety & Standards Board has published its latest Overhead Line Equipment Systems Training & Competency Guidance. ‘This guidance will effectively support the delivery of light railway engineering OLE competency in relation to training apprentices, new recruits and improving the skills of existing ...
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In depthTrain Control: En route to digital signalling
Final testing and commissioning of ETCS Level 2 is underway on the Northern City Line to London’s Moorgate terminus, which is due to go live later this year as a ‘pathfinder’ project for the East Coast Digital Programme. Chris Jackson reports.
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Metro Report InternationalBART takes delivery of advanced track inspection vehicle
USA: San Francisco Bay area metro operator BART has unveiled a Rail Inspection Vehicle supplied by MerMec to facilitate more efficient track maintenance and minimise any disruption caused when repairs are needed during normal service hours. The operator said the RIV — which was produced ...