All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 1444
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News
Jing-Jiu trunk line boosts north-south capacity
As Hong Kong returns to China on July 1, completion of the final section of the Jing-Jiu Railway between Beijing and Kowloon is a major step that strengthens the ties between the former colony and the mainland. Since construction got under way in 1993, around 40bn yuan has been spent ...
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The bottom line can’t be bought
INTRO: Reviewing industry developments in the rail market over the past decade, Andrew Saxe* finds that acquisitions have not boosted profits for the major suppliersBYLINE: * Andrew Saxe is an occasional commentator on the world railway supply industry for Railway Gazette International; he can be contacted in Boston, Massachusetts, at ...
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Isobar enhances disc brake performance
INTRO: German Railway’s ICE3 high-speed trains will have just two brake discs per axle, compared to four on earlier ICE generations. Use of advanced brake pads with an improved contact pattern offers lower noise and a 50% increase in energy absorptionBYLINE: Dr-Ing Xaver WirthSenior Manager, Design & DevelopmentKnorr-Bremse ...
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Budget cuts set the course
WHEN THE Italian government decided in May to cut 2800bn lire of state funds from this year’s budget for Italian State Railways, President Giancarlo Cimoli pointed out that if 1400bn lire in agreed transfers were not made at once, FS would quickly end up with a negative cash flow and ...
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Changchun builds high-capacity cars to carry Tehran commuters
BYLINE: Zhang LiManager, Changcar Import & Export DepartmentChangchun Car CoTWO CAR designs are currently in production at Changchun for Tehran Urban & Suburban Railway Co. Both form part of a 217-vehicle contract worth US$138m signed in 1996 (RG 11.96 p710). A fleet of seven-car trainsets was ordered for ...
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Siemens test centre opens for business
JUNE 16 saw the official opening of the test centre at Wildenrath-Wegberg near M
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DWA wins Finnish metro car race
HELSINKI City Transport announced on May 30 that it had selected Deutsche Waggonbau AG to negotiate final terms for supply of 12 metro trainsets, at a cost of FM240m including VAT. The trains are needed to provide extra capacity, and to cover services on a 4 km branch to Vuosaari ...
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Russians to test smart cards
MOSCOW Metro has awarded an A$8·4m contract to AES Prodata, part of Australia’s ERG group, for installation of advanced fare collection equipment at 153 stations. The system is intended to reduce fraud and handle rising traffic. It will be based around the V3000 ticket reader which combines magnetic stripe and ...
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China inherits a rail success story
As China resumes sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1 it inherits from the British a mix of profitable and efficient railways and a rolling programme of expansion. Tim Runnacles* reviews the latest position
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Sevilla circle proposed
SPANISH National Railways’ Suburban business unit has proposed a circular service for Sevilla, calling at Santa Justa, San Bernardo, Virgen del Rocío and six new stations on an existing double-track, electrified freight line east of the city. Continente, Sevilla-Este, Palacio de Congresos, Mercasevilla-Hipercor, La Negrilla-Padre Pío and Segunda Universidad-Ecovol would ...
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Euromed cuts timings in coastal corridor
INTRO: RENFE’s Long Distance business unit introduced Euromedservice totheBarcelona - Valencia - Alicante corridor on June 16, cuttingjourney times with a fleet of AVE high-speedtrainsets adapted for 1668mm gaugeoperation at up to 220 km/hSPANISH National Railways has launched Euromed service from Barcelona. This comprises five daily return workings to Valencia ...
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Sabre will slash maintenance costs
LONDON UNDERGROUND expects savings of £10m a year on its maintenance budget, thanks to the development and implementation of software from ICL and Workplace Systems. Sabre, ’Site Access Booking for Railway Engineering’, offers engineers the facility to co-ordinate work to minimise clashing operations, and improve utilisation of resources.Planning work in ...
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Kyoto hub opens its doors
RAILWAY facilities at a JR West’s rebuilt Kyoto station complex are scheduled to open on July 12, providing interchange between the Tokaido shinkansen, Nara, Kintetsu and Kyoto routes. Within the 16-storey complex, which has some 238000m2 of floor space, a 925-seat festival theatre and two cinemas are due to open ...
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States stay execution
The Boston segment of the Lake Shore Limited has been rescued by a complex deal between Amtrak and the state of Massachusetts which is designed to expand the operator’s non-passenger revenue. The train had been scheduled to be discontinued on May 10 owing to Amtrak’s on-going financial crisis (RG 5.97 ...
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Renfe fares restructured
June 16 saw the start of 220 km/h Euromed service on the Barcelona - Alicante corridor (p447) and the introduction of a new fares structure by Renfe’s Long Distance business unit, to be extended to sleeping car and couchette travel in September. The previous pricing regime based on a calendar ...
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Finance
Canada: Short line operator RaiLink Ltd plans a C$25m share offering, and is due to be listed on the Toronto stock market this month.Estonia: The European Investment Bank is providing half of the estimated US$35·5m cost of track repairs on 70 km of EVR main line between Tallinn and the ...
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Swazis prepare to go west
SWAZILAND Railways has unveiled plans to build a western link into South Africa, to provide a direct route to Johannesburg and the Gauteng region. Chief Executive Officer Gideon Mahlalela said in Mbabane on May 29 that he hoped the line would be open within five years.The new link would use ...
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Hollands Spoor refurbished
May 23 saw the completion of a key stage in an ongoing rebuilding programme undertaken by Netherlands Railways and the city authorities at Den Haag Hollands Spoor, as the station’s main hall and passenger subway were officially re-opened following comprehensive refurbishment. This phase of the Hollands Spoor programme has cost ...
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Industry
Australia: GE Transportation Systems and A Goninan & Co have signed a technical assistance and licensing agreement giving Goninan access to GE’s AC traction technology.China: MVA Group has set up MVA Beijing Transport Consultants Co Ltd as a joint venture with the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning & Design.Great ...
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Interior refurbishment sets the mood
Switzerland’s South Eastern Railway (SOB) has taken delivery of the first of 10 coaches refurbished by Schindler Waggon AG using its Revvivo method (PP 8.96 p7). The interior assembled from prefabricated modules offers a bright and modern climate-controlled ambience, for around half the cost of a new vehicle.Vignelli Associates has ...