All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 315
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NewsRizhao – Qufu high speed line opens
CHINA: The Rizhao to Qufu section of the Rizhao to Lankao Passenger-Dedicated Line opened for revenue services on November 26. Crossing the south of Shandong province from east to west, the 235 km long line designed for 350 km/h operation connects the port of Rizhao on the ...
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NewsArticulated open wagons offer 23% increase in load per unit length
RUSSIA: United Wagon Co has obtained federal certification for two designs of articulated open wagon. It said these can increase the load per unit length by 23% compared to conventional designs, providing a significant boost to network efficiency without needing to change the infrastructure to accommodate ...
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NewsRATP and Getlink target French regional market
Photo: Christophe Masse FRANCE: RATP Dev has signed an agreement with Channel Tunnel operator Getlink to establish a joint venture to bid for tendered operating contracts in the forthcoming opening up of the French regional rail market. RATP would have a 55% stake in the joint venture, ...
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NewsNightjet plans mini-capsules for private travellers
AUSTRIA: ÖBB has unveiled the interior designs for the sleeping car and couchette vehicles in its Siemens-built Nightjet overnight trains which are scheduled to enter service from 2022.
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Kiel-Meimersdorf yard has been remodelled to increase the maximum length of trains it can handle from 535 m to 740 m. The €7·9m project is one of 17 rail schemes being undertaken as part of the federal Sea Port Hinterland Transport II programme Kansas City Southern has ...
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NewsStrukton updates asset monitoring platform
NETHERLANDS: Strukton has released a ‘completely renewed’ version of its cloud-based POSS Online R7 condition monitoring platform, which uses big data, IoT and machine learning technology to provide rail asset owners with 24/7 performance insight. POSS Online R7 analyses and interprets the collected data and reports on ...
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NewsFavourable opinion on Firenze high speed tunnel
The tunnel will significantly reduce travel times by avoiding the need for trains to reverse at the existing Santa Maria Novella terminus. ITALY: A cost:benefit analysis has come out in favour of continuing with the project to build 7 km twin-bore high speed rail tunnel and Belfiore ...
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NewsSiemens rolls out new Turkish Velaro
TURKEY: Siemens has unveiled the first of 12 Velaro high speed trainsets ordered by Turkish national operator TCDD Taşımacılık at the supplier’s Düsseldorf plant on November 13. Due to arrive in Ankara by the end of November, the train is expected to enter passenger service in February ...
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NewsPraha ETCS programme launched
CZECH REPUBLIC: A programme to install ETCS Level 2 on routes around Praha was launched by infrastructure manager SŽDC and signalling contractor AŽD Praha on November 5. The project is costed at KC327·7m, with 42% to be funded from European Union sources. The project is divided into ...
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NewsNew ERFA President calls for a ‘truly European and competitive’ freight market
EUROPE: BLS Cargo CEO Dirk Stahl was elected as President of the European Rail Freight Association at its board meeting on November 20. Maciej Gladyga, director of Poland’s Land Transport Chamber of Commerce, was elected as Vice-President of the organisation which represents new entrants to the freight ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Stadler’s directors have recommended former Swiss transport minister Doris Leuthard for election to the board at the AGM to be held on April 30 2020. ‘Thanks to her proven specialist expertise in matters relating to traffic and infrastructure, as well as her political experience as a former ...
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NewsTexas Central selects railway systems supply partner
RENFE is acting as shadow operator of the planned Texas Central high speed line in the USA USA: Dallas – Houston high speed railway promoter Texas Central reached an Early Contractor Involvement agreement with Mass Electric Construction Co on November 23. Under the agreement, the Kiewit Corp ...
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NewsAfrica’s first high speed line covers its costs
MOROCCO: Speaking at a press conference on November 20, Moroccan National Railways Director General Mohamed Rabie Khlie told media representatives that the high speed Al Boraq service launched by King Mohamed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron on November 15 2018 had carried 2·5 million passengers in ...
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NewsFederal funds to boost Queensland projects
AUSTRALIA: The federal government has committed to increase funding for several railway projects in Queensland, as part of an A$3·8bn package of infrastructure spending announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on November 21. Described by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk as a ‘huge win’, the announcement followed lengthy ...
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NewsUrban transport news in brief
Uraltransmash is testing a prototype 71-411 tram on the metre-gauge network in Yevpatoria. Series production could begin in 2020. A 4·8 km metro line with three stations opened in Wuhan on November 6. This would eventually form the southern end of Line 8, whose initial section opened ...
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NewsDanish parliament approves Vestfyn fast line
DENMARK: A law granting the Minister of Transport legal powers to build a 35 km line suitable for 250 km/h operation between Odense Vest and Kauslunde on the island of Fyn was approved by parliament on November 21. The double-track electrified Vestfyn line would be 4 km ...
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NewsMaine acquisition as CP looks coast-to-coast again
INTERNATIONAL: Canadian Pacific has agreed to acquire the Central Maine & Quebec Railway from Fortress Transportation & Infrastructure Investors LLC, the two companies announced on November 20. CMQ operates a 774 km network in Québec and Maine, largely comprising the former Canadian Atlantic Railway and Banger & ...
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NewsPolarteknik begins production of next-generation of train door control units
FINLAND: Polarteknik has begun production of its latest design of control units for internal doors on trains. The D56 is designed with the flexibility to accommodate the varing passenger flow and functionality requirements of vestibules, saloon, catering vehicles, accessible toilets and gangway fire doors. As well as ...
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NewsFirst Amtrak Avelia emerges
USA: The first of 28 Avelia Liberty trainsets being assembled by Alstom to operate Amtrak’s Acela Express services has been outshopped at the manufacturer’s Hornell plant, ahead of the start of test running. Ordered in 2016 as part of a $2·45bn package of ...
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NewsDB Regio places Mireo order
GERMANY: DB Regio has formally awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to supply seven Miro electric multiple-units for use on services from Karlsruhe to Bruchsal, Heidelberg and Mannheim which it is to operate as part of the Netz 7b operating contract. The three-car units with more than 200 ...