All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 351
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NewsLéman Express cross-border EMU unveiled
EUROPE: The first completed Alstom electric multiple-unit for the Léman Express cross-border regional passenger service between Genève in Switzerland and destinations in France was unveiled at the manufacturer's Reichshoffen factory on April 10. SNCF has ordered 17 EMUs from Alstom’s Coradia Polyvalent family, known as Régiolis by the operator. The ...
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NewsDual-fuel locomotive on test
LATVIA: The prototype conversion of a ČME3 diesel shunting locomotive to dual-fuel gas operation has attracted international interest, with representatives of French gas supplier GRDF and the city of Lille recently visiting Riga to see the loco in action. National railway LDz and Riga-based DiGAS launched the pilot project two ...
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NewsMetrans orders Vectron locomotives
EUROPE: Hamburger Hafen & Logistik subsidiary Metrans has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to supply 10 Vectron MS locomotives for use on cross-border freight service in central and eastern Europe. The order announced on April 10 includes the 900th Vectron to be sold. Deliveries from Siemens Mobility’s ...
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NewsReal-time insight into port’s rail traffic
NETHERLANDS: Port of Rotterdam Authority has launched the OnTrack application, which provides real-time insight into rail flows within the port and its terminals. The aim is to inform operators’ planning processes and help shippers anticipate any deviations from the schedules. At present, most terminals use their own planning system ...
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NewsGhana eastern line concession agreed
GHANA: A US$2·2bn build-operate-transfer concession agreement for the 340 km Accra – Achimota – Koforidua – Bososo – Boankra – Kumasi railway project was signed by the Ministry of Railway Development and Ghana European Railway Consortium on April 4. The agreement must now be approved by the cabinet and parliament. ...
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NewsSri Lanka opens first phase of China-financed Southern Railway line
SRI LANKA: The 26·8 km Matara – Beliatta first phase of the Southern Railway project was officially opened by Minister of Transport & Civil Aviation Arjuna Ranatunga on April 8. The US$278m cost of Phase 1 was financed through a 20-year loan agreed by Export-Import Bank of China and the ...
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NewsPrivately backed light rail scheme progresses in Khon Kaen
THAILAND: The Prime Minister’s Office has granted approval for a proposed light rail route to be developed in Khon Kaen. Construction is expected to begin in the final quarter of 2019. The 22·6 km route would run on the median strip of the north-south main road that bisects the ...
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NewsOrlando bonds approved as Brightline becomes Virgin Trains USA
USA: Virgin Trains USA was granted approval by the Florida Development Finance Corp on April 5 to raise a further $950m in Private Activity Bond sales to fund the second phase of the inter-city passenger project formerly branded as Brightline. The announcement followed an initial sale of $1·75bn in tax-exempt ...
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NewsNew Generation Rollingstock accessibility modification contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: The government of Queensland has awarded Bombardier Transportation a A$361m contract to undertake modifications to improve the accessibility of the 75 electric multiple-units which are being introduced to the southeast Queensland rail network under the New Generation Rollingstock programme. The modified trains are expected to re-enter service from 2020 ...
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NewsTransmashholding sales up
RUSSIA: Rolling stock manufacturer Transmashholding has announced a 44% year-on-year increase in sales to 224·8bn roubles for 2018. Sales of single-deck coaches were up 62% to 696, while sales of double-deck coaches were up 59% to 65. The company launched a major project to update its range of coaches, and ...
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NewsDB tests talking robot head
GERMANY: A robot head which smiles at passengers and greets them with ‘My name is FRAnny. How can I help you?’ is being tested by Deutsche Bahn’s information technology arm DB Systel and airport operator Fraport. The initial trial is at Frankfurt airport, with trials at Berlin Hbf planned for ...
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NewsThailand – Cambodia railway to open this month
ASIA: The 1·3 km cross-border rail link between Arayaprathet in Thailand and Poipot in Cambodia which was completed last year is to be opened on April 22, Thailand’s Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told the ASEAN PPP Summit in Bangkok on April 4. Speaking to Railway Gazette International on the sidelines ...
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NewsTCDD awards soda plant link contract
TURKEY: Infrastructure manager TCDD announced on April 2 that it had awarded contracts for construction of an 18·5 km branch to a soda plant at Yenikent. The contract award to a consortium of HCA Insaat, Imaj Altyapi Ust Yapı and Efecemler Ins Nak Madencılık is valued at TL353·5m; TCDD received ...
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NewsENR orders 160 km/h Talgo trainsets
EGYPT: Egyptian National Railways has selected Talgo to supply and maintain a fleet of six 160 km/h trainsets at a total cost of around €158m, the manufacturer announced on April 7. Intended to operate inter-city services on ENR’s principal routes linking Alexandria, Cairo and Aswan, the trains ...
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NewsPresident inaugurates Tehran metro Line 6
IRAN: President Hassan Rouhani and Tehran Mayor Pirouz Hanachi inaugurated the first phase of metro Line 6 on April 7. The 9 km underground route runs south from Shohada Square, where interchange is provided with Line 4, to Dowlat Abad. One intermediate station has opened, and six ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
CFL Multimodal, RTSB and Chengdu International Railway Service Co have launched a service between Bettembourg-Dudelange in Luxembourg and Chengdu Qingbaijiang International Railway Port in China. The inaugural service left the Grand Duchy on April 4, with the containers scheduled to arrive in Chengdu on April 19. A weekly service is ...
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NewsCRRC tests ‘variable configuration’ EMU
CHINA: CRRC Tangshan has completed pre-delivery testing of a variable configuration electric multiple-unit, which is designed to be formed of two power cars and up to 16 single or double-deck coaches. The train has been designed to enable operators to configure train lengths in response to changes in passenger demand, ...
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NewsDB stops accepting ICE4 trains after welding issues discovered
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn has stopped accepting deliveries of new ICE4 trainsets, after it emerged that bodyshell welding had not been carried out as prescribed. Siemens Mobility is the general contractor for the ICE4 fleet under a framework contract awarded in May 2011, with subcontractor Bombardier Transportation responsible around 30% of ...
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NewsGas fuelled railcar pilot project planned
ITALY: A memorandum of understanding setting out plans to test the conversion of diesel railcars to run on natural gas has been signed by national railway FS Group, rolling stock manufacturer Hitachi Rail Italy and gas supply infrastructure company Snam. Trenitalia plans to provide one or two ALn668 or ALn663 ...
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NewsCustoms buildings handed over as Eurotunnel prepares for Brexit
FRANCE: On April 4 Eurotunnel officially handed over to the French authorities buildings intended for customs, veterinary and phytosanitary inspection services. The Douane-SIVEP control centre will be open 24/7 for Ministry of Agriculture officials and customs officers. It provides nine unloading docks, a refrigerated storage area, 100 parking spaces ...