All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 641
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NewsPaul Plummer
Paul Plummer, Group Strategy Director of Network Rail, has been appointed Chief Executive of the UK’s Rail Delivery Group and the Association of Train Operating Companies. Plummer will take over from Michael Roberts in November.
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NewsUpgraded Kraków Airport rail link reopens
POLAND: A new station at Kraków Airport was inaugurated on September 28, marking the return of rail services to the airport after modernisation of the line. The 11·9 km route from Kraków Główny station closed on February 1 2014 for upgrade work. Until then, services had been operated by ...
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NewsPTC deadline extension legislation introduced
USA: Bipartisan legislation which would extend the December 31 2015 deadline for the implementation of Positive Train Control was introduced by the leaders of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure on September 30. This follows a Government Accountability Office study which confirmed that most railways would not be able ...
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NewsMarmon and Wells Fargo buy GE Capital rail businesses
USA: GE Capital announced the signing of three agreements to sell its wagon leasing and repair activities on September 30. The sales ‘to buyers that are long-term players in the industry committed to expanding the businesses’ form part of GE’s strategy to sell most GE Capital assets and focus on ...
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NewsHigh speed line to Essaouira planned
MOROCCO: The government has issued a Declaration of Public Utility for the development of a second high speed line, which would link Marrakech with the coastal city of Essaouira. National railway ONCF has been tasked with leading the planning and design of the railway, including assessing land acquisition requirements. Covering ...
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NewsAlstom to supply Swedish national traffic management system
SWEDEN: Trafikverket has awarded Alstom a €66m contract to design, supply and maintain an Iconis traffic management system covering its entire network. The contract announced on September 30 will run for eight years, with an option for a further nine, and has been awarded as part of a wider ...
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NewsScheidt & Bachmann and Octopus announce ticketing partnership
CHINA: Fare collection technology supplier Scheidt & Bachmann and the Octopus Applications Ltd commercialisation subsidiary of the company which runs Hong Kong’s smart card system have formed a global partnership to offer ticketing services. The partners plan to offer systems enabling passengers to use a range of contactless fare media ...
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NewsTunnelling technology at InnoTrans 2016
INNOTRANS: A dedicated Tunnel Construction area will once again feature at InnoTrans 2016, showcasing underground communication, fire protection and security technologies as well as tunnel construction products. Companies including Herrenknecht, Talleres Zitrón, Pöyry and Niedax have booked places, and will be displaying new tunnelling equipment. Swiss tunnel cleaning firm ...
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NewsTwo more LGV branches to go ahead
FRANCE: Transport Minister Alain Vidalies announced on September 26 that the government intends to proceed with plans to extend the high speed network from Bordeaux to Toulouse and Dax. The decision in favour of what is known as the Grand Projet Ferroviaire du Sud-Ouest reverses the negative finding of a ...
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NewsOrlando SunRail receives funding to expand
USA: The Federal Transit Administration announced on September 28 that it is to provide a $93·4m Full Funding Grant Agreement for the extension of the SunRail commuter rail line by 27·7 km from Sand Lake Road in southern Orlando to Kissimmee and Poincana. The funds from FTA’s Capital Investment ...
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NewsHamburg consults on metro expansion
GERMANY: The Hamburg Department of Economics, Transport & Innovation announced on September 29 that the city is launching a consultation on planned metro expansion projects. The Hamburg Senate intends to allocate €72m of federal funding to complete studies and planning, in addition to the €2·4m already approved. A ...
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NewsTrans-Pennine and Midland Main Line electrification by 2023 as work unpaused
UK: Work to electrify the trans-Pennine and Midland Main Line routes is to resume with completion envisaged by 2023, Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin announced on September 30. Following significant delays and cost over-runs on the electrification of the Great Western Main Line from London to Bristol and ...
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NewsInekon to supply Oklahoma City Streetcars
USA: Oklahoma City council formally approved a $22m contract on September 29 for Inekon to supply five trams for the Oklahoma Streetcar project, with an option for eight more. The city council authorised negotiations with Inekon in January. Before the contract is finalised, Inekon must submit proof of required ...
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NewsSofia orders Inspiro metro trainsets
BULGARIA: Sofia Metropoliten signed a contract with a Siemens-Newag consortium on September 28 for the supply of 20 three-car trainsets for the future metro Line 3. Delivery is due to take place within 36 months and the contract includes an option for 10 more trains. The trains will be ...
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NewsValladolid – León high speed line opens
SPAIN: Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy joined Development Minister Ana Pastor and Juan Vicente Herrera, President of the Castilla y León regional government, to officially open the 162⋅7 km high speed line between Valladolid and León on September 29. Built at a cost of €1⋅62bn for operation at up to 350 ...
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NewsKonya opens tram extension
TURKEY: The first section of catenary-free tram line in Konya opened on September 29, with free travel available until October 31. The 4·4 km Route 2 leaves the southern end of the north-south Route 1 at Alaaddin and runs east to Adliye, with six stops. A 1·8 km ...
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NewsHigh volume open wagon certified
RUSSIA: United Wagon Co has obtained federal certification for the Type 12-9869 open wagon designed by its VNICTT development centre and built at its Tikhvin plant. UWC has already received an order for the design, and plans to begin series production in the first quarter of 2016 with a ...
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NewsMechan traversers commissioned at Hitachi Rail plant
UK: The Hitachi Rail rolling stock plant at Newton Aycliffe, which was officially opened by Prime Minister David Cameron on September 3, has two 80 tonne traversers designed and built by Sheffield-based company Mechan to move vehicles between 33 tracks inside the facility and out to the test area. ...
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NewsTravel catering and comfort services at InnoTrans 2016
INNOTRANS: The ‘feel good’ factor is becoming increasingly important wherever there is competition for new passengers, and this will be reflected in the expansion of Travel Catering & Comfort Services within the rolling stock Interiors section of InnoTrans 2016. InnoTrans organiser Messe Berlin says exhibitor numbers in the Travel Catering ...
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NewsBirmingham and Beijing plan joint high speed rail research
INTERNATIONAL: Plans for a joint international high speed railway research laboratory have been announced by the UK’s University of Birmingham and China’s Beijing Jiaotong University, which signed a research co-operation agreement on September 17. The laboratory would be run jointly by the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research & Education and ...