Latest news – Page 1011
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NewsNantes - Châteaubriant tram-train launches this month
FRANCE: Tram-train services on a 64 km route linking Nantes and Châteaubriant are to be launched by SNCF on February 28. The tram-train service will use part of a former Nantes - Rennes railway route which originally opened in 1877. The Nantes - Châteaubriant section closed to passenger traffic in ...
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NewsNagpur metro approved
INDIA: The government has given final approval to the Nagpur metro, which will see two lines totalling 38 km opening by 2020. The first route is to connect Automotive Chowk with Mihan, where an international airport is being built. The second would run between Prajapati Nagar and ...
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NewsSaft awarded IEP battery order
UK: Hitachi Rail Europe has awarded Saft a contract to supply batteries to provide up to 3 h of back-up power for lighting, ventilation, door-opening and communications systems on the Class 800 and Class 801 trainsets being built under the Intercity Express Programme. The compact 'plug and play' underfloor battery ...
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NewsPajares base tunnel electrification contract awarded
SPAIN: Infrastructure manager ADIF has awarded a consortium of Alstom and Isolux Corsán a €28m contract to design, supply and maintain 25 kV electrification including the traction substation and overhead line equipment for the 44·3 km route under construction between La Robla and Pola de Lena. The new line includes ...
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News24 h power
POWER: Primus Wind Power offers small wind turbines for off-grid applications such as powering line-side equipment. Designed for winds speeds as low as 10 km/h, the turbines costing around US$1 000 can be combined with solar panels on new or existing trackside installations, generating solar power during the day and ...
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NewsFunding constrains ambitions in 2014 Indian Railways budget
INDIA: The parlous state of Indian Railways' finances was flagged up by Railways Minister Mallikarjun Kharge when he presented an interim budget to the lower house of parliament on February 12. With elections expected in May, the interim budget is intended to keep IR operational until the new government takes ...
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NewsLima metro Line 2 prequalification
PERU: Investment agency ProInversión has prequalified three consortia for the concession to build, operate and maintain Lima metro Line 2. Award of the 35-year, US$5·7bn concession is scheduled for February 28. The prequalified consortia are: Consorcio Nuevo Metro de Lima: ACS, FCC Construcción, Impregilo, AnsaldoBreda, Cosapi; Consorcio Metro Subterráneo ...
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NewsSmart trams in Linz
AUSTRIA: Linz Linien, Kapsch CarrierCom and Bombardier have announced the results of a ‘smart tram’ pilot project which began in September. Sensors were fitted to 23 Bombardier Cityrunner trams. These collected data on 50 parameters and transmitted them to the operations control centre for analysis. The results were then ...
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NewsUnion Pacific announces $3·9bn capital plan for 2014
USA: The Union Pacific Corp board has approved a $3·9bn capital spending plan for 2014. This is up $300m on 2013, primarily because the number of locomotives to be acquired will be increased from 100 last year to 200 this year, and greater investment is to be made in capacity ...
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NewsTrinity sells more wagons to Element Financial Corp
USA: Trinity Industries has sold a second tranche of wagons to Element Financial Corp under a $2bn alliance announced by the companies during December. The sale announced on January 28 comprises a portfolio of existing leased wagons worth $396m. They will be managed by Trinity Industries Leasing Co. Trinity ...
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NewsTEN-T funding approved for Brussels link works
BELGIUM: The European Union's Innovation & Networks Executive Agency announced on February 12 that it had approved a grant of €34m to support railway development works in Brussels, under the 2012 TEN-T Multi-Annual Call. Allocated to the so-called EuroCap route linking Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg, which forms TEN-T Priority Project ...
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NewsHigh speed line planning continues
THAILAND: Work on the first of four planned high speed lines is continuing amid the ongoing political instability, the Office of Transport & Traffic Policy & Planning has confirmed. OTTPP Director Chula Sukmanop said that efforts to finalise the route alignment and consult with local people for a 750 km ...
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NewsAnkara opens metro line M3
TURKEY: Ankara metro line M3 opened on February 12 with a ceremony attended by President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Governor of Ankara Melih Gökçek, Minister of Transport Lütfi Elvan and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The 15·5 km line starts at Batıkent at the end of ...
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NewsOman railway contracts signed
OMAN: Three contracts for the development of the planned 2 244 km national railway network were signed by Minister of Transport & Communications Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Futaisi on February 5. The state budget has allocated 1bn rial for works this year, with the entire network linking six cities to ...
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NewsNews in Brief - February 2014
The latest members of UIC are Malaysian transport authority SPAD, Beijing Jiatong University, Russian Railways’ high speed institute, Hungarian freight operator FoxRail, Poland’s Koleje Wielkopolskie, Italian logistics association UIR and Afghanistan Railway Authority. A groundbreaking ceremony in late December marked the start of civil works on a 220 ...
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NewsWabtec acquires Fandstan Electric Group
UK: On February 12 Wabtec Corp announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Fandstan Electric Group for US$215m. UK-based Fandstan Electric has 1 000 employees in Europe, China, Australia and the USA, manufacturing electric current and data collection products including pantographs, shoe gear, electrical contacts and ...
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NewsPenalty regime in new Buenos Aires commuter operating agreements
ARGENTINA: Minister of the Interior & Transport Florencio Randazzo announced on February 12 that he had approved new operating agreements for the Mitre, San Martín, Belgrano Sur and Roca commuter routes in Buenos Aires. The emergency operating consortia UGOFE and UGOMS have been dissolved, with the Roggio group ...
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NewsRussian Railways to reduce stake in Aeroexpress
RUSSIA: The Russian Railways board has approved the sale of half of its 50% stake in airport train operator Aeroexpress to TransGroup subsidiary Delta-Trans-Invest, which currently has a 25% shareholding. The reported price of €11·7m is based on a market value calculated by an independent appraiser. Announcing the ...
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NewsEuropean railways unveil joint technical strategy
EUROPE: An outline of the technical requirements needed to support 'a successful railway of the future' was published on February 11 by the 'Railway Operating Community', which brings together those European train operators and infrastructure managers who are members of CER, EIM and UIC. Co-ordinated by UIC, the Rail Technical ...
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NewsCabinet backing for Indian locomotive factories
INDIA: Plans to establish two locomotive factories in Bihar through PPP contracts with international manufacturers took a step forward on January 20, when the cabinet gave its approval for bids to be invited within six months. The cabinet had previously backed the long-running project last May, when it had ...