All Railway Gazette International articles in October 2018 – Page 8
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NewsVTG completes Nacco acquisition
EUROPE: Hamburg-based wagon leasing group VTG increased its total fleet to more than 94 000 vehicles on October 5, with its acquisition of CIT Rail Holdings (Europe) SAS and the associated Nacco Group. The takeover announced on July 1 2017 had been approved by the relevant competition regulators in ...
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NewsPolymer sleeper research partnership
AUSTRALIA: The University of Southern Queensland has formed a partnership with Austrak and Laing O’Rourke to develop and deploy fibre-reinforced polymer composite materials as an alternative to timber in sleepers and bridge transoms. The A$10m project has been backed by an A$3m grant from the government’s Co-operative Research Centre – ...
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Rail Business UKRegulator opens investigation into GTR and Northern passenger information
UK: The Office of Rail & Road announced on October 5 that it had opened an investigation into whether Thameslink Southern & Great Northern franchisee Govia Thameslink Railway and Arriva’s Northern had breached its requirements to do everything reasonably practicable to provide appropriate, accurate and timely information to their passengers ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Matthew Rose is to step down as Executive Chairman of BNSF Railway in April 2019, having held the role for six years. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer from 2000-13. ČD Cargo has cancelled a tender for the supply of five high-power main line diesel locomotives for cross-border operation ...
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NewsBreakthrough for new Albula tunnel
SWITZERLAND: Rhätische Bahn’s 5 860 m long new Albula tunnel was holed through on October 2. Train services are expected to start in late 2021 or early 2022, with more than 15 000 trains carrying 1·2 million passengers/year. The existing 5 864 m long tunnel on the Chur – St ...
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Rail Business UKNorthern unveils CAF multiple-units to bring a 'step-change in quality'
UK: The first CAF Class 195 diesel multiple-unit and Class 331 electric multiple-unit for the Northern franchise were officially unveiled by operator Arriva Rail North’s Managing Director David Brown and Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry at Alstom’s Edge Hill depot in Liverpool on October 4. The 25 two-car and 30 ...
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NewsBlockchain-based locomotive data analysis trial announced
RUSSIA: Locomotive and rolling stock supplier Transmashholding has announced a partnership with blockchain developer Vostok to provide verified and distributed fleet data collection, analysis and storage. Vostok’s private blockchain platform is to be integrated with the SmartMaintenance diagnostics and forecasting system developed for TMH by data mining company ...
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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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Rail Business UKUK to retain EU rail standards following Brexit
UK: Legal requirements designed to promote common safety and technical principles across all European Union railways will need to be met by UK companies and suppliers whether or not a deal covering the UK’s expected departure from the EU is agreed, the Rail Safety & Standards Board said on October ...
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NewsCatania metro extension delayed
ITALY: The extension of the Catania metro to Monte Po is now due to open in June, rather than this month as previously envisaged. Work on the 1·7 km section from Nesima began in December 2015. Tunnelling was completed in March this year, but the two stations are not ...
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NewsInland Rail PPP concession launched
AUSTRALIA: The public-private partnership to build and maintain a key section of the Inland Rail corridor through southern Queensland was launched on October 4, at an event in Toowoomba attended by federal Infrastructure Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. Australian Rail Track Corp has invited registrations ...
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NewsDoha metro fleet expanded ahead of World Cup 2022
QATAR: Qatar Railways Co has awarded Kinki Sharyo a contract to supply a further 35 three-car driverless trainsets for the Doha metro project. The contract announced on October 4 takes the total order to 110 trainsets, which are branded Al Faras. The additional vehicles have been ordered ...
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NewsWork begins on Gebze metro
TURKEY: Construction of the first metro line in Gebze started at Cumhuriyet Meydanı on September 29. The 15·7 km driverless line will link Gebze and Darıca, serving 12 stations. Construction is expected be completed in early 2023 at an estimated cost of TL2·8bn. It is envisaged that ...
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NewsInterim CEO sets out Rail Baltica priorities
EUROPE: Ignas Degutis has set out his priorities for the Rail Baltica project, having been appointed Interim CEO of tri-national project promoter RB Rail following the resignation of Baiba Rubesa. Rubesa held a personal press conference immediately after resigning on September 27, during which she strongly criticised the way the ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Toyota Motor Corp and East Japan Railway have agreed to work together to develop hydrogen fuel cell technology for trains and cars. This could include establishing hydrogen fuelling stations on land owned by JR East and introducing fuel-cell powered road and rail vehicles. Bombardier Transportation has launched a new corporate ...
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NewsRotherham tram-train to launch this month
UK: Tram-train services from Sheffield to Rotherham are to be launched on October 25, operator Stagecoach Supertram, infrastructure manager Network Rail and the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive announced on October 4. There will be three services an hour from Sheffield Cathedral to Rotherham Central station and Parkgate Retail ...
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Metro Report InternationalPanasonic to supply Merseyrail wi-fi
UK: Panasonic is to supply a wireless communications network for the Merseyrail network serving Liverpool that will include on-board passenger wi-fi and video and voice links to the control centre. The wi-fi will be fitted to the 52 four-car electric multiple-units that Stadler is supplying, which are due to ...
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NewsFirst section of Moscow – Kazan high speed line to open in 2024
RUSSIA: A construction agreement covering the first section of the Moscow – Kazan high speed line was announced by RZD First Deputy Director Alexander Misharin at the ProMotion 1520 conference in Sochi on October 2. The agreement calls for work to start next year on a 301 km alignment between ...
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News400 km/h ALFA-X experimental train to roll in 2019
JAPAN: East Japan Railway's ALFA-X experimental Shinkansen trainset is on course to start test running in May 2019, the railway announced on October 3. Designated Series 956, the ALFA-X is intended to pave the way for a new fleet of high speed trains as part of the railway’s Transform 2027 ...
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Metro Report InternationalGrand Paris signalling contract awarded
FRANCE: Société du Grand Paris has awarded a consortium of Siemens Mobility and Thales a contract to supply signalling for the driverless lines 15, 16 and 17 of the Grand Paris Express metro project. Siemens Mobility will supply CBTC signalling and act as systems integrator. Thales will be responsible ...