All Railway Gazette International articles in September 2008 – Page 4
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NewsFrancilien launches wide-body family
FRANCE: Bombardier rolled out the first Francilien trainset in July. Murray Hughes reports from the company's Crespin factory near Valenciennes in northern France.
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NewsIntercity Express design unveiled
UK: The Express Rail Alliance consortium has released computer-generated impressions of the designs it has put forward under the Intercity Express Programme to develop the UK's next generation of inter-city trains. The Department for Transport is seeking to replace the existing fleet of IC125 diesel and IC225 electric trains ...
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NewsGrant funds freight brake research
AUSTRALIA: Queensland's Smart State Research Partnerships programme has approved a A$670 000 grant towards the development of a Train Health Advisory System at CQ University's Centre for Railway Engineering. The university had previously been awarded A$869 500 to develop OzECP electronically controlled pneumatic braking in partnerships with QR and ...
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NewsMalt trains mark Rail4chem integration
EUROPE: Veolia Cargo has announced the launch of its first new freight service using resources from the Rail4chem business which it acquired earlier this year. On August 4 Veolia began transporting loose malt to Antwerpen from Malteurop's main production site at Vitry-le-François in France. Within France the trains are ...
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NewsMega-trucks are not the answer
FREIGHT: The European Commission is considering a report recommending the EU-wide acceptance of longer and heavier lorries, but environmentally and economically this would be a monumental step in the wrong direction, argues Michael Clausecker.
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NewsEC approves rolling motorway aid
EUROPE: On September 10 the European Commission approved an extension to state support being provided during the experimental phase of Modalohr rolling motorway services on the Lyon - Torino route. Trial services on the 175 km Fréjus corridor between Aiton-Bourganeuf in France and Orbassano in Italy are being operated ...
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NewsUsing mobile phones in the Glasgow subway
UK: From December customers of mobile telephone company O2 will be able to make calls from five of the busiest stations on the Glasgow subway. Arqiva will provide multi-user distributed antenna systems to enable mobile phones to work underground at Buchanan Street, St Enoch, Kelvinbridge, Hillhead and ...
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NewsFirst Tango in Basel
SWITZERLAND: The first of 60 Stadler Tango trams ordered jointly by Basel city transport company BVB and Baselland regional operator BLT arrived at BLT's Oberwil depot on September 2. A SFr276m contract for 60 trams was announced in May 2006, and includes 40 cars for BLT and 20 for BVB. ...
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NewsERTMS contract in Croatia
CROATIA: The Central Finance & Contracting Agency has awarded a consortium of Bombardier and Italian firm Site SpA a €16m contract to install Interflo 250 ETCS Level 1 equipment between Vinkovci and Tovarnik. The 33·5 km line to the Serbian border forms part of Pan-European Corridor X between ...
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Punta Colonet tenders called
MEXICO: President Felipe Calderon announced the start of tendering for a 45-year build and operate concession covering the planned US$5bn Punta Colonet port and railway project on August 28. The centrepiece will be a container port for trans-Pacific cargo which is to be built on the lightly ...
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NewsSNCB orders Alstom TBL1+ train protection
BELGIUM: SNCB has placed an order with Alstom for the supply of a further 956 sets of TBL1+ onboard train protection equipment. Installation will be undertaken by SNCB. The contract follows an order for 866 sets placed in 2007, and includes a 10 -year maintenance agreement bringing the total ...
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News
News in Brief
Delivery of 25 locomotives from India has allowed freight services to be restarted on the line north from Dar-es-Salaam to Tanga and Moshi in Tanzania. A third weekly passenger service between Dar-es-Salaam and Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika is now running, and Tanzania Railways has ordered 23 third class sleeping cars ...
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NewsSBB seeks freight partner
SWITZERLAND: Potential partners have until September 22 to submit expressions of interest in forming a partnership with SBB Cargo to develop Swiss Federal Railways' freight business. SBB said on September 3 that it is aiming to improve rail's competitive position against road in the international market, provide better ...
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NewsSouth Korea's growing network
INFRASTRUCTURE: Electrification, double-tracking and new line construction feature strongly in an expansion programme that will see South Korea’s rail network expand by 12% over the next eight years
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NewsLocal connections essential
EUROPE: 'High speed trains can be and have been a catalyst for economic and social regeneration as well as bringing the people of Europe closer together — and quickly', pointed out James Brathwaite, Chairman of the South East England Development Agency, addressing a conference in London to mark the conclusion ...
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NewsNext-generation Citadis tram on test
FRANCE: Following the completion of tests at Petite-Forêt, Alstom sent the prototype for the next generation of Citadis trams from its Valenciennes plant to the Wegberg-Wildenrath test centre in Germany on September 1. Designated X04, the prototype is being used to test developments including new bogies, permanent magnet synchronous ...
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NewsDSB orders 10 more Øresund trains
DENMARK: State railway DSB has placed a €82m order with Bombardier for 10 three-car Contessa inter-regional EMUs for use on services across the Oresund bridge to southern Sweden. The contract announced on September 5 includes an option for a further 30 units. The trains will be leased by the ...
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NewsFehmarn Belt fixed link treaty signed
EUROPE: The German and Danish transport ministers signed a treaty for the construction of the Fehmarn Belt fixed link between Puttgarden and Rødbyhavn on September 3. The DKr33bn fixed link is to be financed, built, operated and owned by Denmark through a state-owned company modelled on the Øresund ...
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News'We are making steady efforts to become a global leader'
INDUSTRY:?Last year’s rebranding of Hyundai Rotem is a key element in strengthening the company’s image in the international market. Chief Operating Officer of Total Rail Systems Lee Sang-Kil tells Chris Jackson that the company is looking to raise its export business to 70% of turnover.
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NewsUrban maglev opportunity
SOUTH KOREA: Hyundai Rotem's Chief Operating Officer, Total Rail Systems, Lee Sang-Kil is excited by the prospects in the urban maglev field, particularly in the domestic market where cities are moving their focus from heavy metro lines to automated peoplemovers, rubber-tyred mini-metros and 'light rail' feeders serving housing, retail and ...