All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 872
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NewsInter-regional coaches on test
UKRAINE: Prototype 160 km/h coaches developed by Kriukov Car Building Works for inter-regional services were expected to enter service on the Kharkiv – Kyiv route last month. Five types of vehicle have been developed; first class, first + VIP, second class, second class with wheelchair access and third class. Intended ...
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NewsQuito metro project moves forward
ECUADOR: Mayor of Quito Augusto Barrera met Metro de Madrid CEO Ignacio González Velayos on March 8 to review progress with engineering design for Line 1 of the Quito metro. The Spanish operator has been awarded three contracts worth a total of €21·5m to undertake design studies for Line ...
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NewsGovernment command paper responds to McNulty study
UK: On March 8 Transport Secretary Justine Greening announced proposals to cut £3·5bn from the annual cost of the national rail network to the public purse by 2019. The command paper 'Reforming our Railways: Putting the Customer First' is the government's official response to Sir Roy McNulty's Rail Value for ...
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NewsInfrabel commissions Belgium's first ETCS Level 1 installation
BELGIUM: Trains began running under Belgium's first installation of ETCS Level 1 on March 6, following an official inauguration by federal Minister of Public Enterprises Paul Magnette, SNCB Chief Executive Marc Descheemacker and Infrabel CEO Luc Lallemand on March 2. While ETCS is in service on the high speed lines ...
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NewsThales awarded Sin Bundang signalling contract
SOUTH KOREA: Hyundai Rotem has awarded Thales a contract to supply communications-based train control signalling for the 12 km extension of the Sin Bundang Line driverless metro near Seoul. Thales installed SelTrac CBTC on the initial 18·5 km section of the line which opened for revenue service between Gangnam ...
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NewsExport now 75% of CAF business
CAF: According to consolidated results published on February 28, Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF had an order backlog worth €5·03bn as of December 31 2011, up 11% on the year before. Of the current backlog, 73% was for customers outside Spain. Production in 2011 totalled 1 096 cars, including 133 ...
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NewsDieselnetz Südwest contracts won by DB Regio and Netinera
GERMANY: Rheinland-Pfalz Süd transport authority ZSPNV Süd has awarded DB Regio and Netinera two 22½-year contracts to operate Dieselnetzes Südwest passenger services. The contract awarded to DB Regio runs from December 2015 and covers 3 million train-km/year using Lint 41 and 54 DMUs to be delivered by Alstom. DB Regio ...
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NewsPeter Spuhler increases stake in Stadler Rail
STADLER RAIL: An agreement for Stadler Rail majority owner and CEO Peter Spuhler to buy the 20% stake in the company held by private equity investor Capvis was signed on March 1. The price is not being disclosed. Half of the shares changed hands immediately, with the remainder to be ...
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NewsWabtec reports record sales for 2011
USA: Wabtec Corp has announced record sales of $1·97bn for 2011, up from $1·51bn in 2010. The company generated gross profit of $570m last year, up from $449m in 2010, and the year-end backlog was 44% higher at $1·55bn. Net debt was $109m. 'Our company finished the year strong, and ...
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NewsChannel Tunnel mobile phone agreement signed
EUROPE: An agreement to install public GSM communications enabling Shuttle and high speed train passengers to access voice and data services inside the 50 km Channel Tunnel was signed by Eurotunnel and Bouygues Telecom, Orange, SFR and Free on March 6. Installation will cost €14m and is being undertaken by ...
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NewsGoogle Street View to add station photos
UK: Google is to add 360° pictures of the concourses of 13 major stations to its online Street View service. Infrastructure manager Network Rail said being able to check station layouts and facilities before setting off would help people 'to better find their way around some of the Britain's ...
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NewsBidding begins on København - Ringsted new line
DENMARK: Infrastructure manager Banedanmark has shortlisted six companies for the first civil works on the 56 km København - Ringsted line to the west of the capital. The design and build contract for five bridges is due to be awarded by mid-year, with all of the main contracts to be ...
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NewsVTG reports 'controlled growth' in 2011
GERMANY: Wagon leasing and rail logistics company VTG has reported 'controlled growth' for 2011, with revenue of €750m up 19·2% from the 2010 figure and operating profit up 9·3% to €168·7m. The executive board is to propose a dividend of €0·35 for 2011, an increase of 6%. 'We used 2011 ...
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NewsGE and PT KAI to upgrade Indonesian locomotive facilities
INDONESIA: National railway PT KAI and GE Transportation have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a locomotive servicing alliance for the domestic and wider ASEAN markets from the second half of 2012. Under the February 24 agreement GE will assist with the modernisation of PT KAI's Yogyakarta workshop to ...
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NewsUsing ground water to cool the tube
UK: London Underground has awarded Morgan Sindall a £9m contract to install a cooling system which will use ground water to lower air temperatures on the platforms at the deep-level Green Park station. Cool water will be pumped from boreholes in the park, filtered and supplied to eight air- handling ...
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NewsWagon sales up
TOUAX: Leasing firm Touax Group has reported consolidated revenue from wagon leasing and sales of €74m for 2011, with the 33% increase from the previous year being mainly due to a rise in sales to €32m. Overall group revenue including shipping containers, modular buildings and barges totalled €336m, up from ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - March 2012
A feasibility study for the second phase of Heifei metro Line 1 has been approved by China’s National Development & Reform Commission. Phase 1 is now under construction; the extension would add a further 11·9 km and 10 stations. Vancouver transport authority TransLink has awarded the first two contracts for ...
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NewsHigh-output trackbed paving system supplied to New York
USA: Rhomberg Bahntechnik's Heber high-output concrete paving system is to be used to lay the trackbed for the No 7-Flushing Line extension of the New York Subway. Bregenz-based Rhomberg Bahntechnik is to supply its Heber concrete rail paver to RailWorks Transit under a €0·5m contract. The self-propelled trackbed paver features ...
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NewsRail training and recruitment in brief
The Australian rail industry is facing ‘chronic labour and skills shortages’ according to a report published by the Transport & Logistics Skills Council. Among the concerns raised are an ageing workforce and competition from the mining sector. TLSC recommends that the Australian rail industry needs a broader recruitment base and ...
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NewsBHP Billiton places large heavy haul locomotive order
AUSTRALIA: Downer EDI has been awarded a five-year contract to supply a minimum of 80 Electro-Motive Diesel SD70ACe/LCi locomotives for BHP Billiton Iron Ore's heavy haul network in Western Australia. The A$292m agreement announced on March 2 has options which could take the total value to more than A$400m. ...