Australia: BHP Billiton has awarded Valdunes of France a €3m contract to supply wheels and axles for its wagon fleet. They are being supplied by TRIsource, established by Valdunes to market its products in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.
Canada: Canadian Pacific Railway is acquiring 600 high-capacity centre-beam lumber wagons from Greenbrier’s Trenton Works. The leases on 300 older wagons will not be renewed, bringing CPR’s lumber fleet to 2650 wagons.
CPR is seeking expressions of interest in three little-used branch lines in Saskatchewan totalling 63·5 km. After six months, the Arcola, Burstall and Rocanville lines will be offered to the provincial government.
China: China maxxTEL is to use China Railway Com’s lineside telecommunications infrastructure for public telecoms traffic.
Czech Republic: On May 28 AZD Praha and Kapsch won a KC285m contract to install a pilot GSM-R radio communication system on the Praha - Kolín line from February. The Praha - Decín route will follow in June 2004.
Italy: ABB’s Genève plant has won a US$19m order from Bombardier for 110 traction transformers rated at 6MVA to be delivered in 2004-05. They will be used on dual-voltage 25 kV 50Hz/3 kV DC ETR500 high speed power cars being built by the TREVI consortium.
Netherlands: ProRail has placed a €22·6m order with Bombardier for the installation of Interflo ERTMS Level 2 bi-directional signalling and Ebilock interlockings on the Duivendrecht - Utrecht Centraal line by December 2006.
On June 11 Pfleiderer AG and Royal BAM Group signed a joint-venture agreement to design and supply Rheda 2000 ballastless track for the 88 km HSL-Zuid high speed line. The €80m contract signed on an ICE3 between Frankfurt and K
