Latest news – Page 1217
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NewsAmbitious plans will still need funding
SOUTH AFRICA: With public services on the first section of Gautrain between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton due to start on June 8, there seems to be growing enthusiasm for railway investment. From commuter services to high speed trains and heavy haul freight, plenty of ambitious projects are under ...
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NewsStadler opens double-deck train factory
SWITZERLAND: President of the Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard attended the formal opening of Stadler Rail's centre of competence for double-deck electric multiple-units in Altenrhein on June 4, the day after the manufacturer's first Dosto RV EMU for S-Bahn services had been unveiled at Zürich's main station. Stadler has won four ...
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NewsIn seach of lumbar support
SEATS: Recognising that passengers travelling on high speed trains are likely to remain in their seats for between 2 h and 4 h, Compin's research and development unit has been looking at ways to improve comfort by developing seats with an adjustable lumbar support. Noting that the spine lumbar region ...
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NewsProducts & Technology in Brief
NS has launched the Reisplanner Xtra application for iPhones and BlackBerrys. As well as real-time travel information and details of station amenities, this offers pro-active SMS messages when trains are delayed, alerting waiting family or friends to late arrivals. Assisted by staff from QR Ltd and ARTC, researchers ...
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NewsNews in Brief
The Czech Export Bank has agreed to provide a €120m loan to Serbia for the modernisation of the section of Pan-European Corridor X between Nis and the Bulgarian border (RG 2.10 p46). Complete modernisation to be undertaken by a consortium of Czech and Serbian firms includes ...
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NewsRail modernisation plans signed at Kazakh investment summit
KAZAKHSTAN: Major supply contracts and rail-sector co-operation memoranda were among the agreements signed at a national investment summit held in Almaty on June 3-4. A €70m contract to design and supply signalling and telecoms for the 293 km Zhetigen - Korgas 'China Gateway' railway was signed by state railway KTZ ...
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NewsMRT-7 contract awarded
PHILIPPINES: A consortium comprising Marubeni Corp, DMCI Holdings and a local partner has been awarded a US$1·12bn contract by Universal LRT Corp to build and commission the 22 km MRT-7 metro line in Manila. The Department of Transportation & Communications has recommended approval of changes to the project design that ...
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NewsZürich double-decker unveiled
SWITZERLAND: The first of 29 Stadler Rail double-deck electric multiple-units for Zürich S-Bahn services was unveiled at Zürich Hauptbahnhof on June 3. Participating in the handover ceremony were SBB Chief Executive Andreas Meyer, Economics Director of Zürich Canton Ernst Stocker and Stadler Rail CEO Peter Spuhler. The 160 ...
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NewsRail privatisation included in Greek asset sale
GREECE: The government announced the part-privatisation of Hellenic Railways Organisation on June 2. Stakes in a range of state-owned road, port, airport, utility and land assets are to be sold under agreements with the European Commission and international financial institutions which aim to reduce debt and tackle the country's economic ...
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NewsRenovated metro cars return to Bucuresti
ROMANIA: On May 26 two renovated Bucuresti metro cars left the Alstom Transport site at Reichshoffen to start a five-day journey, across Germany, Austria and Hungary, to the workshop of Bucuresti metro operator Metrorex. Alstom is in the process of renovating 15 trainsets manufactured by Astra Vagoane Arad around 20 ...
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NewsDrone tampers set to work
USA: Harsco Rail has received orders totalling US$6m for its Drone Tamper, which uses two-way wireless ethernet technology to follow a conventional lead tamper as an unmanned, fully-automated chase vehicle that can tamp track roadbed without an operator onboard. A radar-controlled warning system mounted on the Drone alerts trackworkers when ...
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NewsAlstom-TMH signs €1bn EP20 locomotive contract
RUSSIA: RZD placed an order for 200 EP20 dual-system electric locomotives for inter-city passenger services at the 1520 Strategic Partnership event in Sochi on May 27. The 3 kV DC/25 kV AC single unit locomotives will be the first products to emerge as a result of the alliance between Transmash ...
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NewsContactless payment trial in New York
USA: Three transport agencies have launched a six month trial of a Tap & Go fare payment system on selected train and bus routes in New York and New Jersey. The Metropolitan Transportation Agency, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and NJ Transit have collaborated with MasterCard to ...
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NewsGreater certainty in rail welds
WELDING: Corus Rail has develped a novel technique for repairing discrete defects on the rail surface. The semi-automated open arc welding method offers considerable benefits over conventional Manual Metal Arc repairs, the company says. Open arc welding uses flux-cored arc wire with a lower preheat temperature to manage the metallurgical ...
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NewsSigns of fatigue
NETHERLANDS: Infrastructure manager ProRail is trialling sensors using third-generation Gotcha technology to monitor freight train wheelsets. The QuoVadisII project measures wheel profiles and axle-loads as trains pass over the sensors. An abnormal weight distribution over the wheelset could indicate a defect in the wheel, axle or bearings. The operator of ...
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NewsEMD sold to Caterpillar
USA: Progress Rail Services announced on June 1 that it had signed a definitive agreement to purchase locomotive builder and diesel engine manufacturer Electro-Motive Diesel Inc for $820m in cash. Although retaining its own identity as a standalone company, EMD is to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of ...
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NewsNanjing metro expands
CHINA: Nanjing Metro almost quadrupled the size of its network when it inaugurated a second line and a 25 km southern extension of Line 1 on May 28, increasing route length from 22 km to 85 km and the number of stations from 16 to 57.Line 2 is 38 km ...
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NewsRiyadh monorail contract awarded
SAUDI ARABIA: Bombardier Transportation announced on May 31 that it had won a US$241m contract to supply, install and operate a 3·6 km driverless monorail in the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh. Intended to serve the city’s new financial and business centre which is currently being ...
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NewsEurotunnel buys GB Railfreight from FirstGroup
EUROPE: Groupe Eurotunnel’s freight operating subsidiary Europorte has bought UK operator GB Railfreight from FirstGroup for £26∙3m in cash. Announcing the acquisition at a press conference in London on June 1, Eurotunnel Chairman & CEO Jacques Gounon said that the deal was ‘a strategic move to boost ...
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News€4bn suburban spend in Valencia
SPAIN: The Ministry of Development and the Valencia regional government have unveiled a 2010-20 suburban infrastructure investment plan to which they are to contribute €34bn and €555m respectively. Major projects include a €750m cross-city link in Valencia running 6 km from the existing Nord terminus to join the route ...