Latest news – Page 1278
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NewsSolid growth at wagon builder
IRS: Wagon manufacturer International Railway Systems saw substantial growth in output during 2008, despite ‘problems that impacted the entire industry’. The Luxembourg-based company’s 14 plants in the Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland produced 4 400 wagons in 2008, up from 3 880 in 2007. ‘I am very pleased ...
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NewsFree travel marks opening of Epping - Chatswood link
AUSTRALIA: The Epping to Chatswood rail link in the northern suburbs of Sydney opened on February 23, with New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees joining state Transport Minister David Campbell to ride the first train. The link is currently being operated as an Epping - Chatswood shuttle, with trains ...
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NewsBilbao Line 3 tendering launched
SPAIN: Basque infrastructure authority Euskal Trenbide Sarea has launched a tender to construct the first phase of Bilbao metro Line 3 between Etxebarri and Txurdinaga, which includes 2·1 km of tunnel and two new stations, with a budget of €65·5m and an execution period of 45 months. Offers were to ...
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NewsVictorians seek more VLocity
AUSTRALIA: The Victoria state government has awarded Bombardier Transportation a €75m contract to supply a further 32 VLocity DMU cars. They will be delivered in 2010-11 as a mix of two and three car sets. VLocity DMUs entered service on 1 600 mm gauge V/Line Passenger routes between ...
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NewsFreight loco sets off for Australia
AUSTRALIA: Siemens' München-Allach plant has rolled out the first of 23 electric locomotives ordered by Pacific National in 2007. The 1 067 mm gauge Class 7100 locos will be used on coal traffic in Queensland. The first is due to arrive in Brisbane at the beginning of April, with the ...
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NewsErie scales back
GE: Locomotive production at General Electric Transportation’s Erie plant is to be cut by approximately 40% this year in response to the global economic slowdown. The company expects to complete around 485 locos in 2009, compared with 861 in 2008 and 907 in 2007. Around 350 of the 5 600 ...
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NewsWorld infrastructure market February 2009
China: An alliance of Ansaldo STS and Zhejiang Zheda Insigma is to supply CBTC for the 29 km Shenyang metro Line 2 and 14 km Chengdu Line 1. Europe: Replacement of a bridge across the border between Germany and Poland near Frankfurt (Oder) was completed within 10 months of the ...
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NewsQuébec - Windsor high speed study contract placed
CANADA: The governments of Québec, Ontario and Canada have awarded the EcoTrain consortium a C$3m contract to update previous feasibility studies for high speed rail services along the Québec - Windsor corridor, Transport Canada announced on February 23. EcoTrain comprises Dessau, MMM Group, KPMG, Wilbur Smith & Associates and ...
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NewsLos Angeles light rail advances
USA: A light rail vehicle was towed along the 9·7 km Gold Line Eastside Extension from Los Angeles Union Station to Atlantic Boulevard and Pomona Street on January 27 to check clearances. The $898m extension is on course to open this summer, under budget and several months ahead of schedule. ...
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NewsDubai strengthens safety regulation
UAE: The Dubai Roads & Transport Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK Office of Rail Regulation on February 9. The agreement followed RTA’s successful co-operation with ORR to assess and certify safety on Nakheel’s Palm Jumeirah Monorail, which is due to start revenue service in April this ...
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NewsMetrotranvía deal signed
ARGENTINA: Mendoza governor Celso Alejandro signed a 62·4m pesos contract with the Ceosa-Sogesic joint venture to build the 13 km Metrotranvía line on February 11. To be completed in 360 days, the work includes reconstruction and regauging of the former San Martín line from 1 676 mm to 1 435 ...
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NewsA change of partners
EUROPE: SNCB has found a new partner to operate international services to southern France and Spain, reports Laurent Charlier.
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NewsGKB signs €50m Stadler DMU order
AUSTRIA: Graz-Köflacher Bahn placed a €50m order for 13 Stadler GTW 2/8 diesel multiple-units on February 20. Deliveries will run from the second half of 2010 to the end of 2011. The Land of Steiermark is meeting 25% of the cost of the three-section DMUs, which will be deployed ...
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NewsRails under the Bosporus
TURKEY: Five years after the start of construction in Istanbul, work on the long-planned Marmaray link between Europe and Asia is well underway. The project is due for completion in 2011, with trains expected to start running the following year.
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NewsBangalore Metro extension given the go-ahead
INDIA: Bangalore Metro’s Phase 1 extension was given the go-ahead on January 30. The Rs17·6bn project includes a 5·6 km northern section from Yeshwanthpur to Hesaraghatta Cross with six elevated stations and a 3·7 km extension from RV Road Terminal south to Puttenahalli Cross with three elevated stations. The work ...
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NewsContracts February 2009
Africa: A team from Seneca is visiting the Egyptian and Moroccan railways this month to assess proposed investment projects on behalf of the US federal Enterprise Development Network. Canada: Parsons has transferred to 21Net responsibility for providing wi-fi on VIA Rail services between Windsor and Québec. Czech Republic: Private ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - February 2009
With a view to starting operations towards the middle of this year, work is now underway on the 72m pesos Ferrourbano project to restore 11·5 km of metre-gauge infrastructure for use by passenger services between Rodríguez del Busto and the Mitre and Belgrano stations in the city of Córdoba in ...
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NewsObama boosts high speed rail and transit spending
USA: At a ceremony in Denver on February 17, President Barack Obama officially signed the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, a $787bn economic stimulus measure which provides nearly $50bn in direct funding for transport investment. The 1 100-page bill provides $8·4bn for transit, $1·3bn for Amtrak, $8·4bn for high ...
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NewsCoach donation prepares for Laos railway launch
LAOS: Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand is expected to inaugurate the cross-border rail connection on March 5, with public services beginning at 16.20 that day. From March 6 there will be two daily return trips across the Thai-Lao Friendship bridge, taking 15 min between Nong Khai and the ...
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NewsAutomating Brazil’s busiest metro lines
BRAZIL: Work is starting on the resignalling of lines 1, 2 and 3 of the São Paulo metro under a €280m contract awarded in July 2008, paving the way for the introduction of automatic train operation. Chris Jackson discusses the programme with Alstom Transport’s Customer Director Rosangela Tsuruda and Project ...