All Railway Gazette International articles in October 2012 – Page 5

  • The General Manager formally handed the keys to the driver of the first passenger train on Chengdu Line 2.
    News

    Chengdu metro Line 2 opens

    2012-10-05T10:00:00Z

    CHINA: The first phase of Chengdu metro Line 2 opened on September 16. The 22·4 km line with 20 stations runs northwest to southeast, from Chadianzi bus station to the Chengdu Administration Institute. CSR supplied the trainsets for the new line under a 520m yuan contract. An 8·8 km ...

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    News

    Test running on Venezuelan line to start this month

    2012-10-05T04:00:00Z

    VENEZUELA: Test running is expected to start this month on the 128·8 km rail link between Puerto Cabello and La Encrucijada, according to Franklin Perez, President of the state railway authority Instituto de Ferrocarriles del Estado. Reporting progress with the government's National Railway Development Plan on September 24, Perez said ...

  • 380AL high speed train at Luohe West on the Zhengzhou - Wuhan passenger-dedicated line (Photo: Andrew Benton)
    News

    Zhengzhou - Wuhan high speed line opens

    2012-10-04T15:14:00Z

    CHINA: Completion of the latest phase of the Beijing - Guangzhou Passenger Dedicated Line was marked with simultaneous departures of 380AL trainsets from each end of the Zhengzhou - Wuhan section at 08.59 on September 28. The 536 km route links Wuhan in Hubei province with the city of Zhengzhou, ...

  • The Portland Streetcar Central Loop opened on September 22 2012.
    News

    Portland Streetcar Loop aims to attract new riders

    2012-10-04T10:34:00Z

    USA: The Portland Streetcar Central Loop opened on September 22, extending the city's tram service across the Willamette River to the east side of the city. The 5·4 km CL line is operated as a one-way loop connected to the North-South Line. It crosses the Broadway bascule bridge, then runs ...

  • Photo: Akihiro Nakamura
    News

    JR East restores Tokyo’s historic station building

    2012-10-04T09:16:00Z

    JAPAN: East Japan Railway reopened the historic station building at Tokyo Station on October 1 following a five-year restoration costing ¥50bn. A formal ceremony on September 30 to mark the occasion was cancelled because of an impending typhoon. One of the Japanese capital’s most famous buildings, the 335-m long station ...

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    News

    CN begins work on 'benchmark' training centres

    2012-10-04T04:00:00Z

    CANADA: A groundbreaking ceremony at Canadian National's Transcona workshop in Winnipeg on September 28 launched the construction of the first of two 'state-of-the-art' staff training centres. Work on the second facility at the Woodcrest Mechanical Shop in the suburbs of Chicago is to begin next year. 'These facilities will be ...

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    News

    Alstom unveils KZ8A freight locomotive

    2012-10-03T11:16:00Z

    KAZAKHSTAN: The first of 200 KZ8A twin-section freight locomotives being supplied by an Alstom-led consortium to national railway KTZ was unveiled in Belfort, eastern France, on October 2. Under a contract valued at €1·3bn signed in March 2011, the EKZ joint venture of KTZ (50%), Transmashholding (25%) ...

  • Tianjin metro Line 3 opening ceremony.
    News

    Tianjin metro Line 3 opens

    2012-10-03T11:00:00Z

    CHINA: Following an official inauguration ceremony on September 28, Tianjin metro Line 3 began carrying passengers with the start of a period of trial running on October 1. Line 3 runs 29·7 km through the city from Gaoxinqu in the southwest to Xiaodian in the northeast, with 23 stations. There ...

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    News

    All franchising on hold as InterCity West Coast award cancelled

    2012-10-03T08:02:00Z

    UK: Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin has commissioned an urgent review of the franchise tendering programme, following the discovery of significant failings in the bidding process for the InterCity West Coast franchise which was due to change hands on December 9. The Department of Transport had selected FirstGroup ...

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    News

    CAF Signalling brand launched

    2012-10-03T04:00:00Z

    CAF: InnoTrans was used to publicise the rebranding of Eliop Seinalia under its new name CAF Signalling. The show was the venue for the global launch of three product lines for the international market: Naos supervision and control technology; the Auriga range of ETCS Level 1 and 2 equipment; and ...

  • tn_us-gwi-utah-coal_01.jpg
    News

    Rail America sale completed

    2012-10-02T14:06:00Z

    USA: Genesee & Wyoming Inc confirmed on October 1 that it had completed the acquisition of RailAmerica from Fortress Investment Group, along with an associated financial restructuring. Rail America has a portfolio of 45 short line railroads totalling 12 000 km, a similar length to GWI’s 66 railways and ...

  • News

    Reliveried TGV POS spearheads Lyria expansion

    2012-10-02T11:06:00Z

    EUROPE: Franco-Swiss train operator Lyria SAS unveiled a new look on September 25, presenting in Paris the first of 19 refurbished TGV POS sets which it is acquiring to operate an expanded range of cross-border services between France and Switzerland. Originally established as a joint venture between the two state ...

  • tn_hunslet-dh60c-locomotive_01.jpg
    News

    Wabtec buys LH Group for US$48m

    2012-10-02T08:48:00Z

    UK: Wabtec Corp announced the US$48m acquisition of diesel engine, transmission and bogie overhaul and industrial locomotive supplier LH Group on October 2. The LH Group companies are to become part of Wabtec Rail Group, which includes Wabtec Rail Ltd, Wabtec Rail Scotland and Brush Traction. Based at Barton under ...

  • Alstom Citadis tram for Tours, France.
    News

    Tours 'architecture in motion' tram unveiled

    2012-10-02T04:00:00Z

    FRANCE: The first Alstom Citadis 402 tram for the line under construction in Tours was unveiled to the public during an open day at the maintenance depot on September 30. Transport authority SITCAT awarded Alstom a €73m contract to supply 21 of the seven-section trams in September 2010, and the ...

  • tn_de-db-doubledeck-impression-bombardier_02.jpg
    News

    DB orders more Twindexx Vario electric multiple-units

    2012-10-01T15:56:00Z

    GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn announced a €50m firm order for a further five Bombardier Transportation Twindexx Vario double-deck electric multiple-units on October 1. Delivery is scheduled to start in the second half of 2014. The four and five-car 160 km/h EMUs will be used on regional services south from the ...

  • tn_us-amtrak-electric-train.jpg
    News

    Amtrak to update its catenary inspection system

    2012-10-01T14:11:00Z

    USA: Amtrak has awarded a contract to MerMec Inc for an advanced catenary inspection and video surveillance system to replace its existing equipment used to monitor the overhead line installations on its electrified Northeast Corridor. The new system will be installed on Amtrak's high speed inspection coach, which operates as ...

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    News

    Network Rail buys IAD Rail Systems

    2012-10-01T13:20:00Z

    UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail announced on October 1 that it had purchased the assets of IAD Rail Systems from Claverham Ltd. IAD designs and manufactures point-operating equipment including the High-Performance Switch Actuator and Powerlink backdrive which are 'used throughout Network Rail's infrastructure', according to NR. The transaction includes ...

  • Alstom Prima II locomotive on test in the Channel Tunnel (Photo: Alstom)
    News

    Prima II tested in the Channel Tunnel

    2012-10-01T09:08:00Z

    EUROPE: An Alstom Prima II electric locomotive was tested in the Channel Tunnel on the night of September 29-30, with a view to enabling standard locomotives to be used on freight trains through the Tunnel. Freight trains are currently hauled by Class 92 locomotives built specifically for use through the ...

  • High Output Concrete Train
    News

    High Output Concrete Train supports electrification

    2012-10-01T04:00:00Z

    UK: Contractor Balfour Beatty Rail is using a High Output Concrete Train with mixing units commissioned from Nurock Mixers to produce electrification mast foundations for Network Rail's electrification programme between Liverpool and Manchester. HOCT is designed to be used instead of delivering pre-mixed concrete to the nearest access point. ...