Latest news – Page 1209
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News
Fourth order for largest electric locomotive manufacturer
CHINA: The Ministry of Railways' Chengdu Railway Administration has placed an 8·6bn yuan order with China South for 590 six -axle 7·2 MW electric locomotives with AC drives. They will be built by CSR Zhuzhou (420) and CSR Ziyang (170) for delivery within 12 months. CSR has now won four ...
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Custom-designed lowbed electrification vehicle
NEW ZEALAND: Manco Engineering has produced a custom 1067 mm gauge flatbed transporter to carry electrification masts, wire and concrete products during KiwiRail's Auckland electrification project. The 1250 Lowbed Rail Transporter is equipped with a Palfinger crane and a low-profile 12·4 m non-slip deck which can take a 30 tonne ...
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EC approves DB’s takeover of Arriva
EUROPE: The European Commission announced on August 11 that it had ‘approved under the EU Merger Regulation (EC 139/2004) the proposed acquisition of rail and bus operator Arriva plc of the UK by Deutsche Bahn’. However, the decision is conditional upon DB’s commitment to divest all of Arriva’s rail and ...
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Tatravagónka enters Polish market
POLAND: Slovakian wagon manufacturer Tatravagónka Poprad has completed its acquisition of a 49·56% stake in Polish wagon manufacturing and repair company Fabryka Wagonów Gniewczyna from Orliston Enterprises Limited for an undisclosed price. Tatravagónka will take over management of the Polish firm. It hopes use the new acquisition as a springboard ...
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Tube locomotive modernised
UK: The prototype for the refurbishment of 29 battery-electric locomotives used on London Underground engineering trains is now undergoing trials. The locomotives each have 168 vented lead acid cells to provide power for traction and wagon-mounted equipment when the fourth-rail supply is turned off. Modernisation is being undertaken by LU's ...
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'All in one' wagon
SWEDEN: Load securing specialist ExTe and leasing firm AAE are jointly marketing a wagon which they say is a technically simple but economically attractive way of maximising vehicle usage in the forest products industry. The wagon offers the flexibility to carry the most common loads for the forest industry. The ...
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Worksite asset logistics
NETHERLANDS: Plant hire company New Rail Vision deployed Ritco's GeoRailManager asset location system with 100 GPS units to provide round-the-clock tracking during a 52 h possession on the Eindhoven - Venlo line last month. Safelines was appointed to manage all movements made by seven contractors to and from the 21 ...
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Wire Wizard at work
GERMANY: The OVHWizard from Dr D Wehrhahn Messsysteme für die Qualitätssicherung uses ultrasound to measure the height and position of overhead contact wires to help identify wear. Measuring runs can be evaluated on site or at the office, with data displayed graphically or tablulated. Deutsche Bahn has certified OVHWizard ...
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Progress Rail Services completes EMD acquisition
EMD: Progress Rail Services announced on August 3 that it had completed the acquisition of Electro-Motive Diesel from Berkshire Partners and Greenbriar Equity Group. The Caterpillar subsidiary paid $820m in cash plus a net working capital adjustment estimated at $108m. EMD is now a subsidiary of Progress Rail. 'The acquisition ...
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Composite cab concept
EUROPE: A prototype train cab has been developed under a joint industry and academic project which aims to adapt composite technologies used by Formula 1 cars for rail applications. Racing cars make extensive use of extremely strong and lightweight carbon composites, but these highly specialised materials are uneconomic for rolling ...
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Sri Lankan contracts placed
SRI LANKA: The government has signed a contract for China National Machinery Import & Export Corp to build the first phase of the 110 km Matara – Kataragama line along the south coast. The initial section will run 30 km east from Matara to Beliatta, with four stations, and is ...
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Urban rail news in brief
Société de transport de Montréal has decided to re-tender the procurement of up to 1053 new metro cars. CAF will be allowed to participate along with a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier, after a special board meeting on July 14 confirmed that CAF had demonstrated ‘full ...
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DART PPP attracts four consortia
IRELAND: Iarnród Éireann announced on August 3 that four consortia had submitted responses for the prequalification phase of the DART Underground public-private partnership project. The deadline was July 20.The consortia are: BBI: comprising Balfour Beatty Capital Ltd, BAM PPP Investments Ireland bv and Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras SA;City Connect: comprising ...
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Trenitalia awards contract for 50 high speed trains
ITALY: Trenitalia has selected a joint bid from Bombardier Transportation and AnsaldoBreda for a contract to supply 50 high speed trainsets. The board met on August 5 to approve the order, which should see a prototype completed within 300 days and entry into service by 2013. As well as ...
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Manchester Metrolink Phase 3b confirmed
UK: Confirmation that Phase 3b of the Manchester Metrolink light rail expansion programme is fully funded came on July 30 when the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities met to agree a £500m contribution from the Greater Manchester Transport Fund. The £1·5bn fund was created in May 2009 by AGMA and ...
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China South signs Saudi locomotive contract
SAUDI ARABIA: CSR Qishuyan has won a 74·2m riyal order to supply Saudi Railways Organization with 10 diesel freight locomotives. CSR said the contract signed on July 20 is a 'breakthough' as its first order to export main line locomotives to the region. Acting President of SRO Hamada Bin Abdul ...
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Joint management of Corridor X agreed
EUROPE: The transport ministers of Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia signed a declaration on July 30 agreeing to form a joint company by October to manage freight traffic on Pan-European Corridor X. Their aim is to provide more competitive freight services between central Europe and Turkey, cutting Istanbul - Ljubljana transit ...
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Wagon component joint venture agreed
USA: Amsted Rail and Faiveley Transport's US subsidiary Ellcon National have announced plans to form a joint venture in which Faiveley Transport will have a majority stake. Launching on October 1, the venture will integrate Ellcon National's braking portfolio with Amsted Rail's range of bogie and coupler components. 'This strategic ...
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Norwegian licence to support north-south growth
EUROPE: TX Logistik has been certified to provide rail services in Norway, removing the need to work with a local operating partner. 'We can now link Norway directly to our own network', said board member Raimund Stüer. 'We will be able to offer end-to-end transport from Norway through to ...
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Vossloh to supply Libyan track components
LIBYA: General contractor China Civil Engineering Construction Corp has awarded Vossloh contracts to supply rail fastenings and turnouts for 1 300 km of the future rail network in the west of Libya. The two contracts have a total value of €115m and deliveries will run to 2012. 'These two major ...