North America – Page 65
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Steel producer Evraz is to invest US$60m in two automatic full-section wheel machining lines and a wheel geometry laser measuring hub at its plant in Nizhny Tagil. This is expected to see wheel output increase by 78 000 units per year, most of which are for the Russian market. Indian ...
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Metro Report InternationalAtlanta public transport expansion plan approved
USA: The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority board of directors has approved the ‘More MARTA Atlanta’ programme of public transport expansion. More MARTA Atlanta envisages 17 projects, including 35 km of light rail and 23 km of bus rapid transit routes. There would be a further 42 km of ...
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Metro Report InternationalUITP and APTA sign MoU
NORTH AMERICA: UITP and APTA signed a memorandum of understanding on September 25 to strengthen their relationship and future co-operation. The two organisations will work together on areas of mutual benefit to their members and organise joint training programmes. The first topics identified for co-operation are electric buses and ...
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NewsUnion Pacific launches Unified Plan 2020 to improve performance
USA: On October 1 Union Pacific began the phased roll-out of its Unified Plan 2020, an operating plan designed to implement ‘precision scheduled railroading’ principles with the aim of achieving an operating ratio of 60 by 2020 and 55 in the longer term. UP said the implementation of precision scheduled ...
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NewsTexas Central names contractor and starts engineering design
USA: High speed rail promoter Texas Central announced on October 4 that it had appointed Italian civil engineering group Salini Impregilo to lead the civil construction consortium that would build its proposed Houston – Dallas route using Japanese Shinkansen technology. It has also issued a Limited Notice to Proceed, allowing ...
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NewsIowa Interstate Railroad orders locomotives
USA: Railroad Development Corp’s Iowa Interstate Railroad has ordered three GE Transportation Evolution Series diesel locomotives, which are to be supplied in early 2020 and will be used to haul grain, ethanol, metals and other freight between Chicago and Omaha. The locomotives will be equipped with GE Transportation’s GoLINC networking ...
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NewsPacific Surfliner Charger locomotive unveiled
USA: The first Siemens Charger locomotive for Pacific Surfliner services between San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles and San Diego was officially unveiled by Amtrak and Caltrans at Los Angeles Union station on October 1. Caltrans has ordered a total of 22 Charger locomotives, using about $100m of state, federal and ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Belgian rail freight operator Lineas has opened an operations centre in Mainz to monitor the approximately 200 trains per week that it operates in Germany. According to Business Development Director Jan Elfenhorst, this will support the expansion of the Green Xpress enhanced wagonload network. The company is also planning to ...
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Metro Report InternationalOrange County Streetcar construction contract awarded
USA: Orange County Transportation Authority has awarded Walsh Construction Co a $220·5m contract to build the OC Streetcar line. Construction of the 6·7 km route between Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center and Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove is due to begin later this year for opening in 2021. ...
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Metro Report InternationalCubic wins Los Angeles fare collection upgrade contract
USA: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has awarded Cubic Transportation Systems a $22m contract to upgrade its automatic fare collection system. The TAP smart card, used across 25 regional transport agencies in the area, will be upgraded over the next 18 months. In addition to a mobile app, ...
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Metro Report InternationalWalk-through trains are coming to the New York Subway
USA: Rolling stock component specialist Hübner used the InnoTrans trade show in Berlin on September 18-21 to introduce a model of the open gangway it is developing for the next generation of New York Subway cars. Currently, New York Subway cars have no through gangways between cars, and transport advocates ...
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NewsBrightline to develop Las Vegas – Los Angeles corridor
USA: Private passenger operator Brightline announced on September 18 its intention to develop a second inter-city corridor linking Las Vegas with southern California. The Fortress Investment Group subsidiary has agreed to acquire the XpressWest project which holds the rights to develop a federally-approved rail corridor paralleling Interstate 15. The group ...
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Rail Business UKRail market still growing, confirms UNIFE
INNOTRANS: Steady growth in the demand for railway products and services can be expected for the next six years, according to the 2018 World Rail Market Study compiled for UNIFE by Roland Berger and launched by UNIFE Chair Sabrina Soussan at InnoTrans on September 18. The seventh biennial study ...
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Metro Report InternationalSan Francisco fare collection to be modernised
USA: San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Commission has selected Cubic Transportation Systems as preferred bidder to modernise its Clipper fare collection system. Cubic currently operates the regional fare collection system, which covers 22 transport agencies. The modernisation includes the introduction of mobile ticketing as part of an app that will ...
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Metro Report InternationalUsing technology to empower passengers with disabilities
WAYFINDING: Cubic Transportation Systems is developing augmented reality technology for mobile devices with the aim of enhancing the public transport user experience for passengers with disabilities. While transport operators are meeting the letter of accessibility laws, ‘we believe we can take it ...
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Metro Report InternationalFTA announces zero-emission bus funding
USA: The Federal Transit Administration announced on August 24 that it is providing grants totalling $84·5m to cities and transport authorities for the purchase of electric and low-emission buses as well as related infrastructure such as charging stations. The funding covers a total of 52 projects in 41 states. ...
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Metro Report InternationalWashington Metro starts next fleet renewal
USA: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has unveiled plans to replace its oldest remaining trainsets, which are now approaching life-expiry. The agency issued a request for proposals on September 4 for the design and manufacture of up to 800 new vehicles, designated Series 8000, along with a driver training simulator ...
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Metro Report InternationalVancouver light rail and metro funding announced
CANADA: Federal and provincial funding for the Surrey – Newton – Guildford Light Rail Transit and Broadway Subway projects in Vancouver was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier of British Columbia John Horgan Federal on September 4. The national government is to contribute C$1·37bn towards ...
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NewsCN orders 60 locomotives
CANADA: Canadian National has ordered a further 60 Evolution Series diesel locomotives from GE Transportation, building on an order for 200 placed in December 2017. The EPA Tier 4 compliant locomotives will be produced at the GE Manufacturing Solutions facility in Fort Worth, Texas. They will be equipped with GoLINC ...
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Metro Report InternationalNew York seeks funding to build Brooklyn light rail
USA: Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio has confirmed the city’s intention to develop a modern light rail route serving districts of Brooklyn and Queens which are poorly served by the Subway network. Issuing a statement on August 30, De Blasio said that an environmental impact study would begin ...