All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 863
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NewsFEVE to disappear
SPAIN: Under the 2012 national reform programme approved by the Spanish cabinet on April 27, metre gauge operator FEVE is to be spilt into infrastructure and train operating functions that would then be absorbed by their counterparts on the national network, ADIF and RENFE. This is expected to improve efficiency ...
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NewsHalfway there
BRAZIL: Last month Odebrecht Infraestructura was due to begin tracklaying at Serra Talhada in the state of Pernambuco, where it is upgrading the Recife – Salgueiro route as part of the Transnordestina project. With work finished between Salgueiro and Verdejantes, and nearing completion around São José do Belmonte, some ...
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NewsSemmering base tunnel ground-breaking
AUSTRIA: A ground-breaking ceremony was held at Gloggnitz on April 25 to officially launch preliminary construction works for the 27·3 km Semmering base tunnel. Opening is planned for 2024. The €3·1bn base tunnel between Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag is a key part of the 'new Südbahn' project. It will eliminate the ...
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NewsVTG launches EcoFret wagon at Multimodal 2012
UK: A prototype three-section flat wagon designed specifically to carry 40 ft deep-sea containers was unveiled by European wagon leasing group VTG Rail at the Multimodal 2012 show in Birmingham on May 2. The close-coupled three-platform vehicle can carry a single 40 ft container on each of the outer platforms ...
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NewsSuzhou metro Line 1 opens
CHINA: The first metro line in Suzhou opened on April 28, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and simultaneous departures from the Zhongnan Jie and Mudu termini at 11.18. Suzhou Rail Transit Co's Line 1 runs 25·7 km from east to west with 24 stations. Systra undertook planning work, Siemens and Nanjing ...
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NewsGCS expands intermodal wagon fleet
RUSSIA: Global Container Service Group has begun taking delivery of 224 flat wagons ordered from Transmashholding's Engels plant. The wagons are to be used on block trains operated by GCS intermodal subsidiary Ruscon, which moves almost 150 000 TEU a year on routes from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk ...
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Controversy at PR
Having succeeded Muhammad Junaid Qureshi as General Manager, Operations, at Pakistan Railways on March 27, Rana Saeed Akhtar (photo) was arrested two days later on embezzlement and corruption charges. The ongoing investigation into scrap disposal tenders also names Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and former railways secretary Samiul ...
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NewsTfL seeks expressions of interest in Crossrail operating concession
UK: Transport for London has placed a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union seeking expressions of interest in the concession to operate future Crossrail services. The concessionaire would start by taking over existing Shenfield - London Liverpool Street services which are expected to be separated from the ...
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NewsAnsaldo STS to supply satellite positioning system for heavy haul railway
AUSTRALIA: A 'technically significant' contract to supply satellite positioning-based train control and protection technology for the 342 km heavy haul line to be built as part of the Roy Hill iron ore mining development in Western Australia was announced by Ansaldo STS Australia on May 2. The two-year turnkey contract ...
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NewsL station is 'perfect example of transit-oriented development'
USA: Chicago Transit Authority opened its first new L metro station for 18 years on April 30. Located on an existing section of the Yellow Line, Oakton-Skokie station is adjacent to the Illinois Science and Technology Park, home to 20 pharmaceutical, healthcare, biotechnology and nanotechnology firms employing 1 400 ...
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NewsCFCL Australia orders MotivePower locomotives
AUSTRALIA: On May 1 Wabtec Corp announced an order for its MotivePower subsidiary to deliver 10 standard gauge MP33C diesel locomotives to the CFCLA Rail joint venture of CFCL Australia and Marubeni Corp during 2013. 'CFCLA and Marubeni are excited to introduce a new locomotive class into the Australian leasing ...
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NewsISR reform agreed
ISRAEL: The government and Israel Railways board have approved proposals for structural reform. Passenger services, traffic management, infrastructure and telecoms would remain with ISR, but three subsidiary companies will be created to take responsibility for freight, maintenance, and real estate & business activities. The property business would be a 100% ...
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NewsLos Angeles to order up to 235 light rail vehicles
USA: The board of Los Angeles transport agency Metro approved the award of a $299m contract for KinkiSharyo International to supply 78 light rail vehicles on April 30. Four options for a further 28, 39, 21 and 69 LRVs could take the total order to 235 cars worth $890m. The ...
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NewsDesign engineer appointed for Bybanen Stage 3
NORWAY: Local authority light rail promoter Bybanen Utbygging has appointed Mott MacDonald to prepare detailed designs and procurement documentation and undertake stakeholder management for the €220m third phase of the Bergen light rail line. The role includes civil, systems and environmental design, architecture, landscape, noise and vibration, traction power substations ...
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NewsInfrarail show highlights infrastructure spend
UK: More than 180 companies from the UK and Europe are converging on the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on May 1-3 for the ninth Infrarail exhibition organised by Mack Brooks. The event is due to be opened by Transport Minister Theresa Villiers, who will also be giving a ...
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NewsPPP-funded tram extension opens
BELGIUM: Flemish Minister of Public Works Hilde Crevits inaugurated Antwerpen’s first PPP-financed tram extension on April 14, driving the first of 13 new Hermelijn trams being supplied by Siemens and Bombardier which will bring the fleet to 125 cars. Built at a cost of €48m, the 4 km of new ...
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NewsSofia metro opens Tsarigradsko Shose extension
BULGARIA: A 2·1 km extension of the Sofia metro from Mladost 1 to Mladost 3 and Tsarigradsko Shose was inaugurated by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy on April 25. The extension has been built by the Metro Mladost Union joint venture, ...
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NewsPKP Cargo to evaluate Chinese wagons
POLAND: National freight operator PKP Cargo is to evaluate an initial batch of three wagons to be supplied by China CNR Corp. If the Chinese-built wagons are certified as meeting Polish standards, a further 17 vehicles would be delivered for operating trials. The results of these trials should enable PKP ...
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SNCF strengthens Keolis
Currently SNCF’s Director of Group Strategy, David Azéma is to rejoin Keolis at the end of June, when he will take over from Michel Bleitrach as President of the contract operator. Sophie Boissard (photo), Managing Director of SNCF’s Gares & Connexions unit, will succeed Azéma as Group Strategy Director.On April ...
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NewsBrazilian monorail joint venture formed
BRAZIL: Monorail rolling stock manufacturing joint venture Quark Fabriçacão de Equipamentos Ferroviarios e Serviços de Engenharia has been formed by Malaysian firm Scomi Engineering (40%), local engineering partner Montagens e Projetos Especiais (55%) and marketing and business development specialist Brasell Gestão Empresarial (5%). The joint venture will supply Scomi SUTRA ...