All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 476
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NewsEgyptian National Railways plans to form stand-alone freight business
EGYPT: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development has invited expressions of interest in a contract to assist Egyptian National Railways with the planned conversion of its freight business into a stand-alone subsidiary company. The intention is that this would have managerial independence and operate through commercial relationships with the ...
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NewsTuran Express launches subsidised Almaty passenger services
KAZAKHSTAN: Private company Turan Express has begun operating local passenger services from Kapshagai and Uzynagash to Almaty on behalf of the city authority. Following the failure of two privately funded attempts to introduce services on Almaty – Kapshagai corridor, the local authority decided to call tenders for the operation of ...
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NewsWork begins on Limmattalbahn light rail project
SWITZERLAND: President Doris Leuthard attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Limmattalbahn light rail project at Schlieren near Zürich on August 28. Preparatory work began on August 2 for the first phase of the route, which is due to open between Altstetten in Zürich and Geissweid in Schlieren to the ...
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NewsHigh speed to Extremadura in 2019
SPAIN: The Ministry of Development says that it remains on course to open in 2019 the first section of the high speed line between Madrid and Badajoz, in the Extremadura region close to the border with Portugal. With tracklaying now in progress, the first section to enter service with diesel ...
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NewsMumbai metro Line 4 receives AIIB funding
INDIA: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is to provide US$500m towards the estimated US$2·22bn cost of the metro Line 4 project in Mumbai. To be delivered by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the project is due to be completed in 2021. Line 4 would run on a ...
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NewsBearings meet tough specification and tight deadlines
MOROCCO: National operator ONCF has awarded SKF a contract to supply 15 000 passenger and freight rolling stock wheelset bearings over three years. Announcing the win on August 28, SKF said it was the only supplier which could meet ONCF’s strict technical specifications and begin delivering ready-certified bearings with a ...
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NewsElectric locomotive arrives in Israel
ISRAEL: The first of 62 Traxx AC electric locomotives which Bombardier Transportation is building at Kassel in Germany for Israel Railways arrived at Kishon Port in Haifa on August 28, and was then transported by rail to ISR’s Kishon workshops. ISR currently has no electrified lines, but 25 kV 50 ...
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NewsHS2 Ltd begins procurement of London stations construction partners
UK: The process to appoint the Construction Partners for High Speed 2’s London Euston and Old Oak Common stations has been formally launched by project promoter HS2 Ltd. It expects to issue invitations to tender to shortlisted bidders by the end of the year and award the contracts in autumn ...
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NewsSMART commuter rail line opens
USA: Celebrations on August 25 marked the opening of the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District commuter line in the North Bay area of California. T-shirts and free travel were offered on the first day, followed by half-price travel until the introduction of normal fares on September 5. SMART runs for ...
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NewsBucurești metro expansion progresses
ROMANIA: București metro authority Metrorex has awarded a consortium of Metroul and Amberg Engineering an €8·4m, 22-month contract to undertake pre-feasibility and feasibility studies for a southern extension of metro Line 4. The contract winner beat a bid from a consortium of Egis Rail and BG Ingénieurs Conseils. The ...
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NewsTank wagon telematics contract
EUROPE: Asto Telematics has been awarded a contract to equip Sasol Germany’s fleet of ethylene oxide tank wagons and tank-containers with its new aJour ATEX Compact+Sensor telematics technology. This is intended to allow Sasol to monitor wagon movements, temperature and impact forces. In the event of potential danger, an automated ...
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NewsGood times ahead as Tazara and ZRL sign open access freight agreement
AFRICA: Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority and Zambia Railways Ltd have signed an open access agreement intended to facilitate the seamless movement of freight trains across each other’s infrastructure. Tazara hopes to gain an additional 200 000 tonnes of freight in the first year of the agreement. ‘In the past, Tazara and ...
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NewsEvraz NTMK supplies colour-changing wheels to DB
GERMANY: Russian steelmaker Evraz NTMK has delivered a batch of 240 BA220 coach wheels to Deutsche Bahn for the first time, with a further 1 440 to follow this year. The 920 mm diameter BA220 is a new product, manufactured with ER7 steel with a rim hardness of >235 HB. ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Nordic Investment Bank and Latvian Railways have agreed a €22·8m 12-year loan to finance an ongoing project for LDz Ritošā Sastāva Serviss to rebuild 14 twin-section 2M62Us locomotives into Type 2M62UM locos. The replacement of the engines, electrical systems and most above-floor components is expected to extend their lifetime by ...
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NewsState aid for Slovakian depots approved
SLOVAKIA: Government support of €96·5m which would enable national operator ZSSK to build three light maintenance workshops has been approved by the European Commission. The workshops at Nové Zámky, Zvolen and Humenné would undertake routine work on passenger rolling stock including cleaning, refilling the water tanks and minor repairs. ...
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NewsWorld rolling stock market August 2017
Canada: Project developer Rideau Transit Group has awarded Alstom a €200m contract to supply 38 Citadis Spirit light rail vehicles for Stage 2 of Ottawa's O-Train Confederation Line. Montréal's AMT has awarded CRRC Tangshan a contract to supply 24 loco-hauled double-deck commuter coaches. K+S Potash has taken delivery ...
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NewsAuckland DMUs shipped to Mozambique
MOZAMBIQUE: Eight diesel multiple-units as well as spare parts are being shipped from New Zealand to Mozambique, where they are to operate passenger services around Maputo. The 1 067 mm gauge two-car units have been surplus to requirements since electrification in Auckland in 2014. ‘Selling the trains reduces Auckland Transport’s ...
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NewsBharat Wagon & Engineering Co to close
INDIA: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Ministry of Railways’ proposal to close the loss-making Bharat Wagon & Engineering Co Ltd, which has manufacturing facilities at Mokama and Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The government is to provide a one-off grant of Rs1·5bn towards a severance package for the ...
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NewsKnoxville Locomotive Works obtains Tier 4 certification
USA: Knoxville Locomotive Works has obtained EPA Tier 4 emission certification for its SE Series of four-axle and six-axle diesel locomotives. KLW produces remanufactured locomotives based on EMD and GE components and new MTU engines. The Tier 4 certification includes shunting locomotives rated at 2 000, 2 200 and 2 ...
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NewsIDB funds San Martín electrification
ARGENTINA: The Inter-American Development Bank announced on August 24 that it had approved a U$400m loan to fund electrification of the San Martín commuter route in Buenos Aires, running for 76∙3 km from the Retiro terminus to Pilar. As well as electrification at 25 kV AC, the programme will include ...