All Railway Gazette International articles in September 2015
All articles published this month.
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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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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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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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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 ...
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NewsTesting starts on LGV Est Phase 2
FRANCE: National operator SNCF has started test running on the second phase of LGV Est Européan. An instrumented EuroDuplex TGV decked out in a commemorative livery began running over the new section of the route on the morning of September 28. Running for 106 km between the end of Phase ...
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NewsThales to update Gautrain ticketing
SOUTH AFRICA: Gautrain concessionaire Bombela has awarded Thales a contract to upgrade the Johannesburg – Pretoria line’s fare collection system to offer a wider range of ticketing options. The current system was installed by Thales in 2010 for the FIFA World Cup. As well as the current Gold Card smart ...
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NewsKyiv to test Pesa Foxtrot tram
UKRAINE: Kyiv is to take delivery of a Pesa Foxtrot tram at the start of October for three months of testing. This follows the signing in June of a memorandum by Pesa and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko for the supply of trams and the possible opening of a factory ...
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NewsEtihad Rail to start commercial operations shortly
UAE: Regulatory approval for the start of full commercial freight operations on Phase 1 of the national rail network is expected ‘shortly’, developer Etihad Rail announced on September 28. The 1 200 km network is being built in three phases. Construction of the 264 km Phase 1 between Shah, ...
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NewsUK Railcards to be available as mobile apps
UK: The Association of Train Operating Companies has invited tenders for a contract to develop a mobile phone app which can store the range of Railcards which offer discounts on National Rail passenger services. ATOC said it aims to introduce the app in April 2016, making applying for and ...
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NewsNingbo opens second metro line
CHINA: Ningbo Rail Transit Line 2 opened for trial operation on September 26. The first phase is 28·4 km long with 18 underground and four elevated stations. Starting at Lishe International Airport in the southwest, the route runs northeast to the long-distance coach terminal, Ningbo Railway Station and Gulou, ...
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NewsSBB Cargo and DB Schenker extend trans-Alpine contract
SWITZERLAND: An extension of SBB Cargo’s contract to haul Germany – Italy trans-Alpine transit freight trains on behalf of DB Schenker was signed by representatives of the two companies inside the Gotthard base tunnel on September 25. DB switched its Gotthard transit contract from BLS to SBB in December 2013. ...
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NewsTilting E353 to serve Chuo Main Line
JAPAN: A pre-series Series E353 tilting EMU to operate Azusa limited express services on the eastern portion of the 1 067 mm gauge Chuo Main Line between Tokyo and Nagano has been unveiled by East Japan Railway. The Series E353 sets are being built by the railway’s rolling stock subsidiary ...