All News articles – Page 168
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News
EU still pushing for rail reforms
ON June 22 the European Commission adopted a ’Communication’ on transport policy. Essentially, this is a mid-term review of the White Paper published in September 2001.In general terms the review finds that change in the European transport sector is much slower than anticipated, with no appreciable shift in the share ...
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Praha extends
PRAHA city transport authority Dphmp formally opened a new station at Depo Hostivar on May 27, extending the operational length of metro Line A by 1033m to 11 km with 13 stations.Built by Metrostav at a cost of KC1·3bn, the project involved construction of a new surface station alongside existing ...
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FrontRunner funding finalised
At a trackside ceremony on the site of the future Farmington station, US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta formally signed the $489m Full Funding Grant Agreement for the first segment of Utah Transit Authority’s FrontRunner commuter rail project on June 16.The agreement will fund more than 80% of the $581m capital ...
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Finance
Egypt: Minister for International Co-operation Fayza Abul-Naga has announced that the World Bank is to lend US$270m to fund railway development in 2007-08. France: The European Investment Bank has agreed to provide an initial tranche of €60m of a €120m loan towards the cost of building the 15·4 km light ...
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Finland - Russia stock upgrade
RUSSIAN Railways has introduced a business class car and restaurant coach on the Tolstoi overnight service between Helsinki and Moscow from June 15.Designed by RZD and Zirkon, the air-conditioned business class car has four compartments, each with a private shower and a DVD player. The restaurant car has separate bar ...
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Four for Saudi Landbridge
SAUDI RAILWAYS Organisation announced on May 31 that four consortia had been qualified to bid for the BOT concession to build and operate the Saudi Landbridge railway between Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Jubail. Preliminary tender information was released to the consortia on June 10. 'The Supreme Economic Council, chaired by ...
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Higher productivity to help fund rising renewals spend
INTRO: French Transport Minister Dominique Perben has authorised higher government spending on track renewals, and is putting in place a performance contract with RFF to ensure the money is spent effectively. Murray Hughes reports from OrléansHISTORY was made in 1967 on the Les Aubrais - Vierzon section of the Paris ...
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Russia rejoins ’global’ UIC
AT A MEETING of the UIC General Assembly in Montréal last month, the return to membership of Russian Railways after an absence of 58 years was approved unanimously. A series of joint ’technical discussions’ will now take place, leading to full membership for RZD in about a year.UIC Chairman Benedikt ...
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NewsHigh speed needs an integrated network, says Pepy
THE PROSPECTS for Europe's growing high speed rail sector are 'very positive', according to the Chief Executive of French National Railways, Guillaume Pepy. But operators need to work together more closely if rail is to boost its market share. Looking back over the 25 years since SNCF opened the ...
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Rift Valley hold-up
FURTHER delays seem inevitable before the Sheltam-led Rift Valley Railways consortium achieves financial close for its 25-year concession to operate the Ugandan rail network.Following a legal challenge by two former members of the consortium, Judge Egonda Ntende of Kampala Commercial Court ruled last month that 25% of the consortium’s shares ...
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Interiors segment proves popular
INTRO: More than 100 exhibitors reserve display space in Hall 6.2THE’Interiors’ segment being launched at InnoTrans 2006 is already proving to be a great success. Well over 100 exhibitors have registered to take part - half of them from outside Germany - filling to capacity the 6000 m2 allocated in ...
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Madrid LRT tenders
THE MADRID REGIONAL government has invited bids for two 30-year concessions to build, operate and maintain three light rail feeder routes in the Spanish capital. One contract, for which a budget of €292·9m has been set, covers the 5·4 km route from Pinar de Charmartín to Las Tablas. The second, ...
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Mumbai Metro underway
INDIAN Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh formally laid the foundation stone for the first line of the Mumbai Mass Rapid Transit System in a ceremony at Vikhroli on June 21. Construction of the 11 km Versova - Andheri - Ghatkoper route is expected to get underway in October, following the ...
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NEWS
SBB Cargo restructured its domestic wagonload services on May 29. The Fokus project cuts the number of locations served to 323, which SBB says retains 96% of traffic with around 5150 wagons handled every day; services are also provided to 90 depots on Switzerland’s independent railways. SBB Cargo no longer ...
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product NEWS
Waving its ’legs’ like an giant insect above visitors to the VDEI show in Münster (RG 6.06 p339) was the Menzi Muck A91 4x4 Plus road-rail machine. Each road wheel is on an independently-movable hydraulic leg, and with the aid of spiked supports and its jib the machine can climb ...
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People
The General Assembly of European Rail Infrastructure Managers has appointed head of Network Rail’s European Affairs Department Michael Robson to succeed Marc Falchi as EIM Secretary-General. His three-year term begins on September 1.Kang Gil-Hyun of Korail has been elected Chairman of the WCRR Organising Committee, in succession to Roy Allen, ...
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Procurement plans in question
SHOCK WAVES reverberated around the North American metro industry in June with the resignation of Rick Ducharme as Chief General Manager of Toronto Transit Commission.Quitting the week after a strike shut down the city’s metro and tram networks, Ducharme blamed political interference. He singled out TTC Chairman Howard Moscoe for ...
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Pointers
Head of Jordan’s Executive Privatisation Authority Dr Mohammad Abu Hamour said last month that Aqaba Railway Corp will be privatised within the next year.China has completed a feasibility study for a 340 km railway linking Dali in Yunnan province with Ruili on the border with Myanmar. Work could begin shortly ...
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Research progresses together
IF THERE WAS any doubt that a great deal of research is still being undertaken into the rail mode, this was rapidly dispelled by the seventh World Congress on Railway Research on June 5 - 9. Over 750 delegates from more than 40 countries assembled in Montréal to debate several ...