All News articles – Page 198
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Reporting on 100 years of key developments in the rail industry
1905UK: July 21. First edition of Railway Gazette published.Russia: Regular through operations begin on the Trans-Siberian Railway after completion of Circum-Baikal railway.1906Switzerland - Italy: January 25. First train runs through the Simplon tunnel.1907USA: July 24. New Haven electric services begin to use New York’s Grand Central Terminal, marking completion of ...
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People in the News - July 2005
Vladimir Ivanovich Yakunin was appointed President of Russian Railways on June 15, replacing Gennady Fadeyev who becomes an advisor to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Dr Bill Emery has been appointed Chief Executive of the UK's Office of Rail Regulation; he also becomes a member of the ORR board. UK ...
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2020 vision in green
AN ENTICING vision of attractive, sustainable and efficient public transport, contributing to a higher quality of life, was painted by speaker after speaker at the International Union of Public Transport’s 56th World Congress, which took place in Roma on June 5 to 9.Many of the factors needed to ensure high-quality ...
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X60 undergoes acceptance tests
INTRO: Harry Hondius MSc reports from SalzgitterSEPTEMBER is due to see the entry into revenue service of the first of 55 X60 low-floor EMUs, ordered in May 2002 by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik for use by Citypendeln operator Keolis. The contract with Alstom includes an option for 50 more sets. Total price ...
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Cross-border co-operation accord
A LETTER of Intent setting out terms for the operation of TGV Est Européen was signed in Strasbourg on May 23 by SNCF President Louis Gallois and DB Chairman Hartmut Mehdorn. Also present at the event were the then French Transport Minister Gilles de Robien and his German counterpart ...
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Slow progress through the Alps
A FIRE in the 12·8 km Fréjus road tunnel on June 4, in which two lorry drivers died, calls to mind the more serious fires in the 11·6 km Franco-Italian Mont Blanc tunnel in March 1999 and in the Gotthard motorway tunnel in October 2001.At the time several heavyweight names ...
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Alstom results show recovery
’THE RESULTS we are presenting today clearly demonstrate the ongoing recovery of Alstom’, said Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Patrick Kron, following board approval on May 30 of the group’s accounts for the year to March 31 2005. ’All key indicators are in line with or better than the guidance ...
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Alternative fuels on test
LAST MONTH, three railways unveiled projects intended to reduce the rail industry’s dependence on diesel fuel. On June 14, Brazilian industrial giant Companhia Vale do Rio Doce announced in Rio de Janiero that it will use biological fuel on its Vitória a Minas Railway, following positive tests with two locomotives ...
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Plans amended
ON JUNE 17 the Spanish Ministry of Development began public consultation on its proposal to alter the alignment of the cross-city tunnel in Gijón, where work began in April 2003. This is one of a number of major changes to the project announced by Development Minister Magdalena Álvarez on June ...
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Argentina shops for passenger trains
THE ARGENTINIAN government has signed an agreement with the Spanish trade development organisation Expansión Exterior that will see 96 trainsets and 536 locos and coaches bought from Renfe and Feve over five years at a cost of 1·1bn pesos. Transport Secretary Ricardo Jaime said the stock would be strengthen Buenos ...
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Bogie firm establishes European arm
STANDARD Car Truck Co has established a European arm, Standard Car Truck Europe Ltd, following the acquisition of the assets of Wagon Rail Interface Technology Ltd. WRITe specialised in the design of high-performance bogies and single-axle suspensions for wagons. SCT Europe is led by Managing Director Jim Longton, who ...
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RFID avoids oven collisions
LOCOMOTIVES which move wagons containing 20 tonnes of coke at 1320íC between the 132 ovens and two quenching towers at the Redcar plant of steelmaker Corus are subjected to extremely harsh conditions as the plant runs continuously every day of the year.’Each cooling operation produces 2 tonnes of steam, so ...
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Delhi Metro awards contract
DALAL Mott MacDonald has won a Delhi Metro Rail Corp contract worth £9m covering detailed structural and architectural design of Mandi House station on Line 3.Electrical and mechanical design is being undertaken by Delhi Metro Rail Corp, which prepared the outline structural and architectural designs. Construction of the station is ...
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Axle-counter cable
NEXANS has developed a specialised signal cable for connecting axle-counters to central monitoring equipment. Electrical signals from axle-counters typically vary between 60V and 90V, and with axle-counters spaced at intervals of up to 3 km the cables need to offer a low voltage drop over long distances. Nexans’ latest cable ...
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Back to square one
UNABLE to agree terms with the last of five potential bidders, the Argentinian government has quietly shelved its plans to sell a 79% stake in metre-gauge freight operator Belgrano Cargas to the private sector (RG 6.05 p350). Negotiations with a consortium led by EMEPA are reported to have foundered largely ...
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EU decision blocks competition
ON JUNE 2 the Council of Ministers approved a Directive which lays down working hours and conditions for train crew who cross frontiers between EU member states. This will apply the force of law to the terms of an agreement signed on January 27 2004 between the European Transport Workers’ ...
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Interstate freight boost
AUSTRALIAN Rail Track Corp has called tenders by August 12 for upgrading work between Melbourne and Sydney, with around 450 potential partners invited to join the Southern Alliance.A$500m is to be spent on the route as part of ARTC’s government-funded A$1·3bn upgrading programme (RG 7.04 p386). Work is to be ...
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ServiGroup bought
ON MAY 17 Mouchel Parkman announced its acquisition of ServiGroup Ltd, which provides signalling, telecoms and power engineering services in the UK through its principal subsidiary ServiRail Ltd.Mouchel Parkman is to pay £14·98m in cash, with a further sum of up to £5·69m subject to results for the year ...
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ECP braking to roll out on coal route
SPOORNET is moving ahead with plans to introduce electronically-controlled pneumatic braking on its Ermelo - Richards Bay heavy haul coal line.A pilot train with cable-based ECP provided by Wabtec began running in July 2000, and the equipment was upgraded before tenders to equip the loco and wagon fleet were called ...
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Brazil's remarkable revival
WRITING in Companhia Vale do Rio Doce's 2004 annual report, CEO Roger Agnelli states boldly that CVRD 'has been responsible for the rebirth of the Brazilian railroad rolling stock industry'. This remarkable claim warrants further examination. Anyone attending the eighth International Heavy Haul Association conference in Rio de Janeiro will ...