Belgium: Under the first phase of a programme to equip its rolling stock fleet with a GPS-based location system, SNCB is to equip 441 locomotives at a cost of BFr430m. Deliveries will take place over a period of up to three years.
On June 11 Ford’s Genk car plant took delivery of a 400hp two-axle diesel loco from Yorkshire Engine Co. It has a Deutz engine, PLC-based control, auto-start and spring-applied parking brakes.
Canada: Following a report which recommended the divestiture of the provincial rail network, the Ontario Northland board has called for expressions of interest bySeptember 14 for the operation of passenger and freight services.
Great Britain: Vossloh Rail Systems is supplying rail fastenings for Section 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
Chiltern Railways has ordered TrainPlan and ResourcePlan scheduling software from VST Comreco Rail.
Israel: Ramta and Dutch company Translift have signed an agreement for the production of container handling equipment at Ramta’s Beer Sheva plant.
Italy: Ascom, Elmac and Firema have been awarded a €100m contract to supply contactless smart card ticketing for public transport and car parks in Milano.
Pakistan: Seven companies have expressed interest in laying optic fibre cables alongside railway lines, replacing current microwave communications and competing with soon-to-be-privatised Pakistan Telecommunication Corp.
Poland: Fabryka Wagonow Gniewczyna has signed a DM35m contract to supply 400 coal wagons to Deutsche Bahn in 2002.
Slovakia: ZSR has announced an international tender for the supply of 35 three-car light passenger units. A previous call for tenders in June 2000 was unsuccessful, owing to the high prices quoted to meet Slovak specifications.
South Africa: Spoornet has bought a road-rail maintenance vehicle developed by Nissan Diesel South Africa and Zagro.
Spain: Bombardier Transportation has been awarded a Pts618m contract to supply an electronic interlocking for Barcelona Sants. To be installed within 12 months, the Ebilock 950 installation will control 127 signals, 91 point motors and 102 track circuits.
Tenders have been called for the installation of ETCS Level 2 signalling on the Albacete - Villar de Chinchilla route. A contract worth up to Pts600m will cover lineside equipment, and a second worth up to Pts830m will be for GSM-R track-train transmission equipment.
Renfe has called tenders for the maintenance of the Madrid - Sevilla high speed line, worth up to Pts9·36bn over four years. The route will be divided into three sections, with three more contracts covering catenary, switches and crossings and substations.
Tenders are to be called for the construction of a double-track electrified branch from Fuente San Luis yard to serve a new intermodal terminal within the port of Valencia. With a budget of Pts4·75bn, the contract will include a north-to-east spur off the main line from Barcelona as well as the removal of existing port interchange facilities at El Grao.
Catalunya Railways has awarded Emte Sistemas a contract to install a control centre at Sant Boi that will monitor eight stations on the route to Martorell-Enllaç. The new facility will control public address and security equipment as well as monitoring ticketing vending machines and gates.
USA: Harsco has won a four-year contract for rail flaw detection services from an unnamed Class I railroad, and has sold a 26-unit sleeper renewal and track surfacing trainset to a leasing company.
