Latest news – Page 1048
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NewsThalys restructuring approved by partners
EUROPE: The boards of Belgian national operator SNCB and France’s SNCF have approved a restructuring of international high speed operator Thalys by 2015 to create a single corporate entity. Thalys operates high speed services between various destinations in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, although its prime route is the ...
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NewsVolkerRail awarded Betuwe Route maintenance contract
NETHERLANDS: Betuwe Route infrastructure manager Keyrail has awarded VolkerRail a contract to maintain the 160 km dedicated freight corridor linking Rotterdam with the German border. VolkerRail will be responsible for planning and implementing maintenance of the line for five years from October 1 2013. The call for tenders in ...
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NewsNetwork Rail brings ballast supply chain in-house
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail brought the handling of new and used ballast in-house with effect from July 1, by 'mutual agreement' with Frimstone Ltd which was previously contracted to operate local distribution centres at Carlisle, Crewe, Bescot, Toton, Doncaster, Whitemoor and Eastleigh. Around 40 staff transferred to NR from ...
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NewsRENFE sells business shareholdings
SPAIN: RENFE has sold its 22·5% stake in intermodal operator Combiberia to the six other shareholders for €240 000, and its 24·5% holding in port logistics company Depot TMZ for €238 000. As well as its 49% stake in Tarvia, the Spanish national operator has sold for €500 000 ...
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NewsEversholt Rail to provide Thameslink fleet support services
UK: Eversholt Rail has announced a 22-year agreement to provide project and asset management support services to Cross London Trains, the consortium of Siemens Project Ventures, 3i Infrastructure and Innisfree which was awarded a £1·6bn contract by the Department for Transport to build, own, finance and maintain 1 140 electric ...
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NewsConstruction of Astana engine factory begins
KAZAKHSTAN: Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov formally launched construction of a diesel engine factory in Astana on July 4. The plant is being developed by a joint venture of national railway KTZ, GE Transportation and TransmashDiesel. The plant will assemble 300 GE Transportation GEVO engines a year, in eight, 12 and ...
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NewsIndra to build Kuala Lumpur integrated control centre
MALAYSIA: Kuala Lumpur transport operator Prasarana has awarded Indra a €28m contract to design and build an integrated control centre covering the city's monorail, Ampang metro and Kelana Jaya automated light metro lines. Completion is envisaged within 48 months. Combing operational planning, signalling and real-time service monitoring activities within once ...
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NewsSuburban EMU converted into mobile ERTMS laboratory
UK: A Class 313 suburban electric multiple-unit leased from Beacon Rail has been converted into a mobile laboratory as part of infrastructure manager Network Rail's ETCS programme. Alstom's Wembley depot has fitted dual-system 25 kV 50 Hz/750 V DC unit number 313 121 dating from 1976-77 with on-train ETCS equipment, ...
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NewsMallikarjun Kharge
Mallikarjun Kharge has been appointed India's Minister of Railways, while Arunendra Kumar becomes Member (Mechanical) of the Indian Railway Board.
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NewsRailway Supply Institute launches passenger committee
USA: Industry association the Railway Supply Institute has formed a Passenger Rail Committee to 'support, connect and advocate for' companies supplying the passenger rail sector. The committee aims to promote passenger transport, and represent the supply industry on legislation and regulations. Its first meeting is to be held on ...
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NewsMore RFF routes go live under GSM-R PPP
FRANCE: GSM-R digital train radio was brought into service on 150 km of routes in eastern France during the night of July 6 to 7, infrastructure manager RFF has announced. A total of 29 base stations are now operational on the Dijon – Montbéliard route, as well as between Besançon ...
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NewsMakkah metro and bus programme consultant appointed
SAUDI ARABIA: The Development Commission of Makkah & Mashaaer has awarded Parsons Brinckerhoff a US$93·6m 60-month contract to provide programme management consultancy services for the 62bn riyal Makkah Public Transport Programme. Makkah Mass Rail Transit Co is responsible for managing the development of integrated metro and bus services in the ...
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NewsSouth Korea aims to become 'global railway powerhouse'
SOUTH KOREA: Following a review of the structure of the national railway, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport has put forward plans for the restructuring of Korail as a holding company. MOLIT has also set out ambitions for the rail supply industry to replicate the success of the ...
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NewsTurkey orders Siemens Velaro high speed trainsets
TURKEY: National railway TCDD has placed an order for seven Velaro high speed trainsets, Siemens has confirmed. The contract is worth €285m, including seven years of maintenance by the manufacturer. Jochen Eickholt, CEO of Siemens' Rail Systems Division, said the Turkish contract marked its entry into a promising growth market. ...
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NewsMetre-gauge services to stay in Spanish austerity plan
SPAIN: Meeting on July 5, the Spanish cabinet approved plans that aim to reduce by €4·7m in 2013 the operating loss made by passenger services on the 1 000 mm gauge network formerly operated by FEVE. The government says that this network is to be retained as a whole, with ...
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NewsDr Francis Paonessa
Dr Francis Paonessa has become President, Rolling Stock & Services UK, and Chairman of Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd. He joined Bombardier UK in March 2010 as President of the Rolling Stock business.
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NewsVR retains long-distance passenger train monopoly
FINLAND: The Ministry of Transport & Communications has agreed to a five-year extension of VR Group's exclusive right to operate long-distance passenger services on the national network, in return for VR committing to invest in rolling stock and an obligation to operate government-specified services costing up to €21m/year. The existing ...
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NewsEurotunnel to fund ParisTech academic position
EUROPE: Channel Tunnel owner Groupe Eurotunnel has signed a long-term partnership with the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech under which it will fund an academic Chair for an initial five years. Within a budget of €150 000 per annum from Eurotunnel, the position will combine both academic and research roles in ...
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NewsMerMec inspection cars for New South Wales
AUSTRALIA: Transport for NSW is taking delivery of two Roger 800 track inspection cars from MerMec of Italy. The 22·5 m long steel-bodied vehicles are each powered by a pair of underfloor-mounted 390 kW MTU diesel engines with hydrodynamic transmission, giving a maximum speed of 140 km/h. Axleload is 18 ...
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NewsConstantine tramway opens
ALGERIA: The Constantine tramway was officially opened by Transport Minister Amar Tou and Wali of Constantine Noureddine Bedoui on July 4, with regular services starting the following day. The 8·1 km line runs from Benabdelmalek to Zouaghi, with 10 stops. Ridership is predicted to be 70 000 passengers/day, with ...