Latest news – Page 1060
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NewsBonds fund commuter projects
CHILE: State railway EFE has completed a second local bond issue worth the equivalent of US$93m, issuing a total of 379 units. The annual interest rate of 3·54% and the fact that the issue was 3·3 times oversubscribed demonstrated the confidence of investors in the company and its support from ...
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NewsHESOP energy recovery system to be installed on the Victoria Line
UK: Alstom's Harmonic & Energy Saving Optimiser energy recovery technology is to be trialled on London Underground's Victoria Line under a €1m contract awarded by UK Power Networks Services. The HESOP inverting substation equipment will be installed at the Cloudesley Road substation until 2014, feeding energy regenerated by braking trains ...
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NewsInsulation provides hotter points
NETHERLANDS: Heatpoint has developed synthetic insulation for use with point heaters which it says offers an average energy saving of 50%, with higher rail temperatures and thus increased turnout availability during freezing weather. Trials in Amsterdam during February found that when Isoblock insulation was applied the rail temperature was 7°C ...
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NewsCabinet approves Indian locomotive factory plan
INDIA: The cabinet has approved a proposal from the Ministry of Railways to 'start afresh' with the long-running process of calling bids to set up two modern locomotive factories, MOR announced on May 1. The railways budget has allocated Rs12·9bn for the planned electric locomotive factory at Madhepura and Rs20·5bn ...
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NewsClass 68 UKLight locomotives take shape
UK: The first of 15 Vossloh UKLight diesel-electric locomotives for freight and charter train operator Direct Rail Services is now under construction at the Vossloh España plant near Valencia in Spain. DRS expects the first locomotive to be sent to the Velim test circuit in the Czech Republic for ...
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NewsRoute selected for Roissy link
FRANCE: Transport Minister Frédéric Cuvillier announced on April 30 that he had selected the ‘centre-north’ route option for a 7 km connection between the Paris – Amiens main line and the LGV Interconnexion, the high speed bypass running to the east of the capital. It is expected that the new ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - May 2013
The construction of Lima metro Line 2 is amongst projects being promoted to Asian investors at roadshows in Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. Plans for a light rail line in Phnom Penh were discussed by Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and French ambassador Serge Mostura on April 8. Systra is ...
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NewsOran tramway opens
ALGERIA: Transport Minister Amar Tou and Wali of Oran Abdelmalek Boudiaf attended the inauguration of the Oran tramway on May 1, and the 18·7 km line with 32 stops opened to the public the following day. Services run from 05.00 to 23.00, and ridership is expected to reach 90 ...
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NewsFramework agreement for 450 Bombardier locomotives
GERMANY: DB announced a 10-year framework agreement for the supply of up to 450 electric locomotives from Bombardier Transportation on May 2. Finalisation of the deal, which is potentially worth up to €1·5bn, is subject to a regulatory standstill period. An initial firm order is to be placed for 110 ...
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NewsSiemens completes Invensys Rail acquisition
INTERNATIONAL: Siemens AG announced on May 2 that it had successfully concluded the acquisition of Invensys Rail, which is to be integrated into the Rail Automation business of Siemens' Mobility & Logistics division. This in turn forms part of the company's Infrastructure & Cities Sector. Siemens' €2·2bn acquisition of the ...
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NewsTurkish railway liberalisation approved
TURKEY: On April 30 President Abdullah Gül approved legislation which will enable the private sector to invest in rail infrastructure and operate open-access trains on the national network. State railway TCDD is to become an infrastructure manager under the new legislation, which was passed by parliament the previous week. TCDD's ...
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NewsNomad Digital to supply IEP on-board servers
UK: Hitachi Rail Europe has selected Nomad Digital to provide on-board servers for the Super Express trains which it is to supply under the government's Intercity Express Programme. The server will provide a single gateway for transmission of all operational data between the train and the trackside, including diagnostic information ...
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NewsCSR Corp changes strategy
CHINA: CSR has announced overseas sales of US$2·2bn in 2012, a 100% increase on the previous year. Significant developments last year included the export of EMUs with independently-developed traction technology to Georgia, and the delivery of ‘high end’ metro cars to Izmir in Turkey which was followed by the award ...
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NewsTrams arrive for testing in Washington
USA: The first of three trams for the H/Benning streetcar line in Washington arrived for post-delivery testing on May 1. The testing site in Anacostia has been under construction since September 2012. Testing will be conducted by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and vehicle manufacturer Inekon. Upon completion, District ...
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NewsRio Tinto orders Wabtec ECP braking equipment
AUSTRALIA: On April 30 Wabtec Corp announced an US$15m order to provide electronically-controlled pneumatic braking equipment including software for use on heavy haul locomotives and wagons operated by Rio Tinto in the Pilbara region. Delivery is scheduled for this year. The contract follows on from previous orders to supply ECP ...
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NewsMünchen airport regional railway funding deal
GERMANY: Construction of a 2·3 km east-to-north link between München airport and the München – Regensburg railway is set to begin this year, after an agreement for an equal split of the €83m cost was signed by the federal and Bayern governments last month. Two S-Bahn routes currently link the ...
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NewsFeature articles in the May 2013 issue of Railway Gazette International
Comment Heavy lorries will not go away News Main Line Urban Rail Market Industry Innovations Analysis RFE debates technical harmonisation Panay dreams of railway revival Australian high speed study reportsSmart card accordPointers Spotlight ETR1000 heralds speed-up on Italy's AV network Luigi D'Ottavi ...
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NewsSNCF to take 25% stake in Comsa Rail Transport
EUROPE: An agreement for SNCF's logistics business SNCF Geodis to take a 25% stake in Spanish private freight operator Comsa Rail Transport was announced by Comsa EMTE on April 29. The transaction is subject to European regulatory approval. Financial terms were not disclosed, but a representative of Geodis would sit ...
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NewsFoxx to succeed LaHood as US Transportation Secretary
USA: Mayor of Charlotte Anthony Foxx has accepted President Obama’s nomination to succeed Ray LaHood as US Secretary of Transportation. Foxx has been mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, since 2009, during which time he has been a keen advocate of public transport, and light rail and streetcars in particular. Charlotte’s ...
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NewsTfL applies for Northern Line extension legal powers
UK: Transport for London submitted a Transport & Works Act Order application on April 30 seeking legal powers for the construction of a 3·3 km extension of London Underground's Northern Line from Kennington to Nine Elms and Battersea. As well as supporting regeneration of the Nine Elms area, TfL expects ...