All News articles – Page 207
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Southern train hot spots
BROADBAND internet access is to be provided on trains between London and Brighton under an agreement between train operator Southern and T-Mobile.One three-car Class 377 Electrostar EMU has been equipped so far, and broadband is initially being offered on six trains each way per day. The technology will be rolled ...
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Integrated plan
THEDUTCH province of Zuid Holland is to take over responsibility for passenger services on the 49 km route between Dordrecht and Geldermalsen from January 2007.The provincial government intends to call tenders for an integrated concession covering train and local bus services. It has earmarked €7m for new halts, and €15m ...
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Trains return to Jerusalem
ISRAEL RAILWAYS reopened its line to Jerusalem with the introduction of a new timetable on April 9, which also saw the launch of passenger services to Ashkelon. Transport Minister Meir Shitrit and IR General Manager Yossi Mor joined the celebrations to mark the reopening to Jerusalem after a seven-year ...
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Kashmir through train launched
THE FIRST section of India's rail link to Kashmir was officially inaugurated on April 13, when Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh flagged off the first Uttar Sampark Kranti Express from Delhi. The 54·8 km broad gauge line from Jammu Tawi to Udhampur has cost Rs5·2bn to build over the past ...
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Leasing venture
CFCL Australia has entered into a joint venture with specialist in asset financing Allco Finance Group and investment company Record Investments to launch a loco and rolling stock leasing business. Allco CFCLA Freight Rail Leasing JV aims to raise A$70m towards capital investment in locos and stock during its first ...
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New life for old tickets
OVERTHEYEARS, Sidetrack has seen rail passengers doing many strange things with their tickets.Using tickets as a bookmark is common, but we have seen people drawing on them, folding them, and even chewing them, although this last seems a bit risky in the event of a surprise ticket inspection.Tel Aviv commuter ...
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Merseytram ready to start
ON APRIL 7 Merseyside PTE announced that it had selected the M-PACT joint venture of GrantRail and Laing O’Rourke Civil Engineering as prime contractor for the UK’s next light rail project: Merseytram Line 1 between Liverpool and Kirkby (MR 03 p40).Subject to contractual arrangements with the preferred bidder being completed ...
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Nafta takeover
THE AMBITIOUS plan to create a north-south ’Nafta Railway’ serving the North American Free Trade Area reached fruition on April 1, when Kansas City Southern formally took over Mexican rail concessionaire TFM SA de CV.KCS has purchased a controlling interest from its former partner Grupo TMM SA, giving it ownership ...
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On-board power
Frensistemi, the Italian subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse, has acquired a 70% stake in Microelettrica Scientifica. The March 16 transaction applies retroactively from September 30 2004. Brake resistors, contactors and electronic protection relays are among the power supply and energy distribution equipment manufactured by Rozzano-based Microelettrica. It has annual sales of ...
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Subgrade radar
RAIL RADAR is being used in Canada to pinpoint the location of faulty sub-surface ballast and missing or damaged sleepers. The ground-penetrating radar uses a multi-channel surface-coupled antenna towed behind a road-rail vehicle to survey routes at line speed. A PC stores data on over 1600 track-km and generates reports. ...
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Changing the perception of inter-city
THE FLEET of 120 inter-city diesel multiple-unit vehicles ordered in January represents a new departure for Iarnród Éireann, which currently uses loco-hauled vehicles on long-distance services. Funded by the government's National Development Plan, the €262m contract for the trains was signed with Japanese trading group Mitsui at a ceremony in ...
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ICE3 hits obstacles en route to Paris
TALKING of flying ballast (left), a cautionary tale emerges from German Railway. In a statement issued on March 3, DB explained for the first time precisely what delayed the start of ICE3 services from K
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High speed loco accord
RUSSIA: Plans to order dual-system electric locos for high speed passenger trains were announced by Russian Railways President Gennady Fadeyev on March 2. On the same day RZD and Russian locomotive builder Transmash Holding signed an agreement with Bombardier Transportation covering a pre-series build of 12 EP10 locos. To be ...
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Thai double-tracking advances
STATE RAILWAY of Thailand expects to start calling tenders in May for double-tracking of five main lines totalling 757route-km at a cost of US$1·5bn.According to SRT Governor Chitsanti Dhanasobhon, the investment forms part of a programme to improve freight train competitiveness and will see maximum axleloads increased from 15 to ...
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Scales tip against Amtrak
AN ATTEMPT in the US Senate to force an amendment to the President’s 2006 budget giving just over $1bn to Amtrak, in addition to the $360m proposed to support Northeast Corridor services (RG 3.05 p115), was voted out on March 16.This darkened the increasingly gloomy outlook for Amtrak, whose Bush-appointed ...
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Sishen upgrade deal agreed
SOUTH AFRICAN transport holding group Transnet signed Heads of Agreement last month with mining company Kumba Resources, paving the way for upgrading of the Sishen - Saldanha iron ore line. Announced by Transnet CEO Maria Ramos on March 7, the agreement follows intensive negotiations since August 2004 (RG 3.05 p121). ...
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Siemens depots plan ahead
QUEST event simulation software is being used by Siemens to test proposed designs for train maintenance depots for the optimal use of staff and equipment.Dassault Systèmes subsidiary Delmia UK studied what Siemens required from the computer models used to plan activities in its depots. Finnish consultancy Delfoi then implemented the ...
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Plan Fret aid package approved
FINANCING arrangements for the restructuring of French National Railways’ loss-making freight business were approved by the European Commission on March 2. The three-year restructuring plan, which includes productivity and performance improvements, is intended to restore Fret SNCF to profitability by the end of 2006 (RG 3.05 p141). It was referred ...
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NewsWhich way to the airport?
Do airports need dedicated express shuttle trains, or should services be aimed at all rail users? Proposed changes to London's Gatwick Express are just one part of an international debate, which is complicated by local politics and geography.