All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 1108
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News
FGC expanding
TUNNELLING is now underway for a 4?5?km extension of the FGC commuter network in Barcelona from Terrassa-Rambla to Can Roca, expected to be completed in 2010 at a cost of k321m. The extension will have two intermediate stations, one at UPC-Vallparadis serving the town centre and the second providing interchange ...
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Intermodal expansion
SWISS intermodal group Hupac has launched a thrice-weekly rail service between Antwerpen and Perpignan, in partnership with Fret SNCF. Linking the port with the Novatrans terminal at Perpignan, the 1 200?km route is intended to be extended into Spain at a later date.Although Fret SNCF already operates into Belgium, its ...
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News
Signal failures in hand
A hand-held current analyser has been introduced by Tube Lines in an effort to reduce signal failures on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines of London Underground.The device was developed by one of the infrastructure manager’s engineers to counter the effect of failed block joints. These insulating joints separate track ...
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NewsSingapore plans fifth line
THE GOVERNMENT of Singapore has approved plans to build a fifth metro line, Transport Minister Raymond Lim announced at a Land Transport Authority seminar on April 27. Mostly running underground, the 40 km line is to be built in three phases at a cost of S$12bn, and is due to ...
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News
Northeast France joins the high speed network
STRIDING ACROSS the hills and valleys of northeast France for 300?km between Vaires and Baudrecourt, the Ligne ? Grande Vitesse Est Europ?en is a very visible commitment to the future prosperity of the region it serves. Representing an investment of k5?5bn by the national and local governments, RFF and SNCF, ...
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News
Green risk to residual value?
THIS MONTH German organisation Allianz Pro Schiene will unveil a project to develop a tool which will assist banks and other financial institutions in analysing the long-term risks associated with changing environmental rules governing rail vehicles.The project is being funded by the German Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation & Nuclear ...
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News
Profits growing
MOVARES has reported consolidated operating revenue of k142m for 2006, slightly up on the 2005 figure of k140?8m. Pre-tax profit totalled k6?8m, up from k6?2m and demonstrating that new business is being found to replace the work on the Betuwe Route and HSL-Zuid which is now coming to an end. ...
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News
Inspecting the Subway
PLASSER & Theurer has developed a multi-purpose track inspection vehicle for use by MTA New York City Transit on the 371 km of subway route that it operates. The TGC-3 unit is tailored to NYCT's specific operating needs, with video inspection and lighting equipment designed to operate in the subway's ...
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News
Philippine Main Line South upgrade
WORK IS expected to start this month on upgrading of a 60?km section of Philippine National Railways’ Main Line South, permitting the expansion of suburban services to the south of Manila.PNR General Manager Jose Maria Sarasola announced on May 2 that track strengthening, bridge reconstruction, station works and the installation ...
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News
New line for Tenerife
PLANS TO BUILD an 80?km railway from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Torvisca near Adeje were unanimously approved by a plenary session of the Tenerife island council on April 27. It is hoped that construction can begin in the second half of 2008 for completion in 2014-15.With 10% of the ...
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News
Victorian lines
Sir - A small correction is needed to the report on the vertical separation and renationalisation of track in Victoria (RG 5.07 p260). The Melbourne - Adelaide route and the lines in western Victoria were converted from 1 600?mm to standard gauge in 1995. This interstate line and the standard ...
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News
National resignalling
ISRAEL Railways suspended all train services on May 11-12 to permit the commissioning of a new national signalling and train control system.ISR has adopted the Command 900 Safe Desk technology supplied by Thales from Germany. Formerly marketed by Alcatel as NetTrac 6653, this is a vital remote control system for ...
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News
Polish sell-off plans revived
PROSPECTS for the sale of PKP Cargo SA improved last month when reports surfaced that shares in the state-owned freight operator would go on sale in 2010. Rail freight in Poland is big business, with PKP Cargo handling around 150 million tonnes a year, much of it coal that moves ...
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News
Regional tram-trains for SNCF
SNCF's long-standing plans for a sizeable fleet of tram-train cars have made further progress after the company placed an order for 31 Alstom Citadis Dualis dual-mode cars. The €100m order includes an option for a further 169 vehicles, which could ultimately take the value of the contract to €650m. Of ...
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News
US safety in the spotlight
PROPOSALS for a radical reform of railway safety legislation were introduced into the US Congress on May 1 by James Oberstar, Chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. The Railroad Safety Improvement Act envisages redesignating the FRA as the Federal Railroad Safety Adminstration, with a specific objective to reduce ...
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News
Pilot ERTMS project on course
DUE TO open in stages this year and next year, the Córdoba - Málaga high speed line will be equipped to operate with ETCS Levels 1 and 2. Contractor for the train control systems is Dimetronic Signals, sister company of Westinghouse Rail Systems. Both companies are members of the Invensys ...
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News
Comboios do Portugal embraces best practice
‘WE ARE putting Portugal on the European railway map’, insists António Ramalho, President of the country’s state-owned train operator Comboios do Portugal. Recently elected to the board of the Community of European Railways, Ramalho wants to take advantage of his position to bring best practice to his distant corner of ...
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News
Premium rail and suspension changes could cut rolling contact fatigue
Two methods of achieving economic benefits in the management of rolling contact fatigue were examined in studies carried out by TTCI for the UK railway industry during 2005. Both the use of premium rail steels and changes to vehicle suspensions have the potential to deliver cost savings AMONG Network Rail's ...
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Major milestones mark ADIF's first year
Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias started life on January 1 2005 with responsibility for the management of the Spanish national network and the construction of new lines formally assigned to it by the Ministry of Development. Robert Preston asked President Antonio González about ADIF's achievements and plans Preston: What ...
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'Investment will be of historic proportions'
Unprecedented levels of investment are transforming Spain's national railway with new high speed lines and a huge rolling stock acquisition programme. Robert Preston put the questions to Renfe Operadora President José Salgueiro Preston: What were Renfe's results for 2005 and what are its financial targets for 2006?Salgueiro: One key fact ...