Latest news – Page 1239
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NewsHerzog replaces Veolia at Austin MetroRail
USA: Capital Metro announced on December 9 that it was terminating the six-year contract under which Veolia was to have operated the Capital MetroRail passenger service which will link Leander with Austin from early 2010. A replacement five-year operations and maintenance contract worth up to $61m has been awarded ...
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NewsCOBRA to give rail freight more bite
BELGIUM: DB Schenker Rail and SNCB Logistics signed an agreement to form a joint venture to manage cross-border freight trains between Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands on December 10. Corridor Operations Belgium Rail will be an operating organisation, with commercial activities remaining in hands of the two companies. COBRA's ...
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NewsYakunin views Libyan rail progress
LIBYA: A year after the April 2008 construction contract came into force in December 2008, Russian Railways President Vladimir Yakunin visited Libyan Railways Chairman Said Mohammed Rashid on December 5 to discuss progress with the 554 km Surt - Banghazi railway, being built by RZD under a €2·2bn contract. ...
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NewsLuas opens extension to Dublin Docklands
IRELAND: Transport Minister Noel Dempsey officially opened a 1·5 km extension of the Luas tram Red Line from Busáras to The Point on December 8, the first addition since the line opened in 2004. Free travel was offered in the Docklands zone for the rest of the day.That evening Luas ...
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NewsItalian north-south high speed line completed
ITALY: Celebrations were held in Milano on December 5 to mark the completion of the final sections of the north-south high speed rail corridor, which opens for revenue service with the timetable change on December 13. Completion of the Novara – Milano, Bologna – Firenze and Napoli – Salerno links ...
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NewsADB loan for rail efficiency programme
CHINA: Asian Development Bank approved loans of up to US$1bn towards the Chinese government's US$3·24bn Railway Energy Efficiency & Safety Enhancement Investment Programme on December 8. Announced as part of an economic stimulus package in October 2008, the programme is funding the installation of train fault detection equipment and ...
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NewsQR National to be floated in 2010
AUSTRALIA: Detailed plans for the break-up and partial privatisation of QR were announced on December 8 by Queenland's state Premier Anna Bligh. The coal and general freight business, including some network infrastructure, is to be floated on the Australian stock market at the end of 2010. The new company ...
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NewsBcnRail 2009 highlights urban rail technology
SPAIN: The BcnRail trade fair held in Barcelona between November 30 and December 3 focused attention on the city’s automatic metro lines 9 and 10, including one of the Alstom Series 9000 Metropolis cars. CAF also used the event to unveil its tram for Edinburgh.Organised by Fira de Barcelona, BcnRail ...
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NewsFirst Variobahn tram arrives in Bergen
NORWAY: The first of 12 low-floor Variobahn trams for the Bybanen light rail line was delivered to Bergen on December 8.Stadler was awarded a supply and eight-year maintenance contract on January 5 2008. The five-module bi-directional tram is 32·2 m long and 2 650 mm wide with a floor height ...
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NewsHigh speed train research agreement signed
GERMANY: Bombardier Transportation and the Göttingen-based aerospace research centre Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt have signed an agreement to co-operate in the development of high speed trains. The framework agreement initially runs to the end of 2014, and covers joint research into aerodynamics, dynamic stability, interior airflows and acoustics, ...
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NewsLaHood launches transit safety committee
USA: Following a series of high-profile accidents, federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has established a new advisory committee on urban rail safety, with effect from December 8. With up to 25 voting members, the Transit Rail Advisory Committee for Safety will provide recommendations to the Secretary through the Federal Transit ...
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NewsEuroMaint Rail expands into Germany
GERMANY: EuroMaint Rail announced its acquisition of Rail Service Management Group on December 7. Subject to regulatory approval the deal is expected to be completed in January 2010. Swedish rolling stock maintenance firm EuroMaint Rail said the acquisition is 'the first large step' in a programme of international expansion ...
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NewsUS releases tram cash
USA: New funding totalling $280m is being made available for tram and bus urban circulator projects, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced during a visit to New Orleans on December 1. It is the first tranche of money from the Livability Initiative, a joint venture of Department of Transportation, the ...
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NewsThai Prime Minister rides new airport link
THAILAND: On December 4 Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva presided over the launch of trial running on the Suvarnabhumi Airport rail link. The Prime Minister and other cabinet members, including Transport Minister Sophon Zarum, travelled from Makkasan to the airport. Following the special run, free rides were offered to the public ...
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NewsShanghai Metro Line 7 opens
CHINA: Passenger services on the first section of Shanghai Metro Line 7 were launched at 09.00 on December 5. The line is also known as the Expo Line, as five stations will serve the 2010 World Expo north and south sites and the Expo Centre at Huamu Road. The initial ...
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NewsSBB approves Zürich S-Bahn expansion
SWITZERLAND: Meeting on December 2, the SBB board of directors approved a fourth phase of expansion for the Zürich S-Bahn network over the next decade. Developed by SBB in co-operation with Zürcher Verkehrsverbund, and representatives from the surrounding cantons, the latest programme includes both the launch of new routes and ...
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NewsFirst French port operator formed
FRANCE: Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau announced on December 4 the launch of the first local rail operator to be formed as part of the national rail freight revitalisation strategy. NaviRail Atlantique will take over responsibility for the operation of the port rail network at La Rochelle, including the assembling and ...
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NewsSouthern states seek a new model
BRAZIL: Meeting in Florianópolis on November 6 and 7, representatives from the state legislatures of Rio Grande Do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná and Mato Grosso, which form the Parliament of the South (Parlasul), backed proposals to establish a public sector company to co-ordinate railway development in the region. A formal ...
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NewsPointers December 2009
According to its legislative programme presented to parliament on November 2, the new government of Portugal hopes to have the high speed line between Lisboa and Madrid in service by the end of 2013. Three bids have been received for the PPP concession to build the 34 km section between ...
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NewsCool in the desert
SAUDI ARABIA: To cope with desert temperatures of up to 55°C, the eight 200 km/h trainsets which Saudi Railways Organisation ordered from Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF in July 2008 are to be fitted with a comprehensive cooling system from Voith Turbo. The push-pull trainsets will have five coaches ...