All News articles – Page 4
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News
‘National Train’ EMUs on course for delivery this year
TURKEY: State-owned passenger train manufacturer Tüvasaş expects to begin construction of the first of 21 five-car electric multiple-units under the National Train programme ‘within the next two months’. The first trains should be handed to operator TCDD Tasımacılık before the end of the year, the company told Railway Gazette at ...
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Rail Business UK
Stagecoach disqualified from three franchises in pension dispute
UK: Stagecoach Group has been disqualified from the Department for Transport’s three current passenger franchise competitions, the company announced on April 10. Incumbent Stagecoach had been shortlisted for the East Midlands franchise, which the DfT announced on April 10 had been won by Abellio, and for the West Coast Partnership ...
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News
TCDD awards soda plant link contract
TURKEY: Infrastructure manager TCDD announced on April 2 that it had awarded contracts for construction of an 18·5 km branch to a soda plant at Yenikent. The contract award to a consortium of HCA Insaat, Imaj Altyapi Ust Yapı and Efecemler Ins Nak Madencılık is valued at TL353·5m; TCDD received ...
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News
€600m contracts awarded as Napoli – Bari rebuilding progresses
ITALY: Infrastructure manager RFI awarded design and construction contracts worth €608m on March 29 for rebuilding of the Apice – Hirpinia section of the Napoli – Bari line. A consortium of Salini Impregilo, Astaldi, Rocksoil, Net Engineering and Alpina will undertake civil works and install railway equipment, including new electrical ...
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News
DB to dispose of Arriva
EUROPE: The Deutsche Bahn AG supervisory board confirmed on March 27 its intention to dispose of the company’s international operating subsidiary Arriva, Railway Gazette’s sister publication Rail Business has reported. DB’s management team has been tasked with developing options for the transaction, which could either take the shape of a ...
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News
Cape Town seeks suburban rail devolution
SOUTH AFRICA: Plans to transfer the operation of commuter services from Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa to an organisation appointed by the city council were confirmed on March 26 when the city announced that four bids had been received for a tender to provide consultancy services. ...
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News
FTA stalls federal support for Gateway Programme
USA: The Federal Transit Administration on March 18 announced that it had ranked the Gateway Programme to increase rail capacity between New York and New Jersey with a ‘medium to low’ financing status, making it ineligible at present for federal Capital Investment Grants. The ranking applies both to the planned ...
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News
An academic route to train track specialists
ISRAEL: The first intake of students is expected to enrol in May at the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa as ISR and the Ministry of Transport launch a programme to train more track engineers. Historically, the national railway was able to draw on a large community ...
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News
Oil traffic to benefit from Kırıkkale electrification
TURKEY: Infrastructure manager TCDD announced on March 12 that it had awarded the contract for electrification of 231 km of single track on the Nenek - Şefaatli route to a consortium of domestic companies Ultra Teknoloji and Emeray Insaat Enerji. The contract is valued at TL69·9m. TCDD received two bids. ...
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News
Buses to replace long-distance Amtrak trains under Trump budget proposal
USA: The initial budget proposal for the 2020 financial year issued by President Donald Trump on March 11 would see federal funding for Amtrak long-distance trains eliminated. While the full details of the budget are due to be released on March 18, the initial synopsis from the White House argues ...
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Rail Business UK
Rail Alliance and BCRRE join forces to foster innovation
UK: Trade association Rail Alliance and Birmingham Centre for Railway Research & Education announced the formal integration of the two organisations on March 11. The merger is intended to foster a closer partnership between the supply industry and academia to support a more focused approach to railway ...
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News
Rail-specific insurance to mitigate cybersecurity risk
GERMANY: A novel insurance policy intended to mitigate the cybersecurity risks facing railway operators has been launched in Germany. Deutsche Verkehrs Assekuranz Vermittlungs is a bespoke insurance broker owned by national railway Deutsche Bahn (65%) and insurers DEVK and Marsh. Through DVA, policyholders will be eligible for discounts from specialist ...
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News
World rail market - February 2019
China: ST Engineering is to supply a passenger information system for Shanghai metro Line 14. Germany: Bremenports has commissioned DBH Logistics IT to supply a new IT platform for the 193 km network serving the port of Bremen, with functions to include planning, scheduling, train monitoring and billing. ...
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Rail Business UK
21st Rail Business Awards celebrate the hard work behind the headlines
UK: Almost 700 senior representatives from across the rail sector, from operators to suppliers and consultants, packed the Hilton Park Lane Hotel in London on February 21 for the 21st Rail Business Awards. After what had been a difficult year for the UK’s railways, it was a chance to ...
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News
SNCF registers Rielsfera brand for Spanish passenger business
SPAIN: French national passenger operator Voyages SNCF has registered the Rielsfera trademark and appointed a legal practice in Barcelona with a view to establishing a train operating business in Spain. The EU trademark registration for the Rielsfera brand was lodged by SNCF Voyages Développement last November, and is currently listed ...
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News
FRA pulls funds from California high speed project
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration announced on February 19 that it intended to cancel $929m of federal grant destined for the high speed rail project in California. In addition, FRA ‘is actively exploring every legal option to seek the return from California of $2·5bn in Federal funds FRA previously granted ...
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News
‘Battle plan’ to save France’s rural railways
FRANCE: A report into the condition, usage and prospects of almost 9 000 route-km of secondary railway is to be handed to government before the end of March. According to Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne, the report will form part of a ‘battle plan’ to save a broad swathe of the ...
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News
Amtrak plans to serve Long Island as Metro-North seeks Penn access
USA: Amtrak announced on February 5 that it had reached agreement with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority covering two enhancements to passenger services. The first is a long-standing proposal to allow MTA Metro-North to use Amtrak infrastructure to reach Penn Station in Manhattan, while the second envisages investment to ...
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Rail Business UK
Rail at heart of £70bn northern England investment plan
UK: A transport investment programme worth up to £70bn over the next three decades was unveiled by Transport for the North on January 31. Rail spending features prominently in the multi-modal plan, which is intended to support the creation of around 850 000 jobs and deliver economic benefits worth around ...
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News
More trains and better security in SNCF-PACA agreement
FRANCE: SNCF President Guillaume Pepy and the President of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Renaud Muselier, signed a co-operation agreement on January 17 covering the development of regional passenger services in 2019-23. The improvement plan covers the remaining period within SNCF’s current agreement to operate local passenger trains. The contract to operate TER ...