Latest news – Page 977
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NewsOne-year postgraduate metro programme
INDIA: The Secunderabad-based Institute of Metro & Rail Technology has welcomed its first intake of 17 students for a one-year postgraduate programme in metro and rail technology. Organised in partnership with consultancy firm Barsyl, the IMRT course has extensive industry involvement, providing ‘case study-based learning, individual and group work, industry ...
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NewsReclassification nationalises Network Rail
UK: National infrastructure manager Network Rail has been formally designated as a part of central government with effect from September 1. This coincides with a change in European accounting rules from the same date, requiring what NR called ‘a statistical change’ to reclassify its debt from the private to the ...
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NewsBesançon’s low-cost tramway opens
FRANCE: A weekend of ‘modest celebrations’ marked the inauguration of Besançon’s 14·5 km tram line on August 30-31, with local residents attending wearing turquoise-blue to match the trams’ colour scheme. The tramway has been explicitly developed as a low-cost project by the Grand Besançon municipality, which had hoped to reduce ...
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NewsNetwork Rail awards buildings and civils framework contracts
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail announced the award of building and civil works framework contracts worth a total of £250m to seven suppliers on August 28. The agreements cover more than 1 000 maintenance, renewal and enhancement projects which are to be undertaken on NR’s Scotland and London North ...
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NewsLe Mans launches second tram route
FRANCE: The light rail network in Le Mans was extended on August 30 with the opening of a 3·6 km branch through the northeast of the city. The city’s 15·4 km starter line opened in 2007, consisting of a principal route of 12·6 km from the university in the ...
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NewsARG Transportation selected to revive central Washington line
USA: Washington State Department of Transportation has selected San Pedro & Southwestern Railroad and Coos Bay Rail Link operator ARG Transportation to revive freight services on the 40 km Othello – Royal City line in central Washington. ARG is to spend six months determining interest from prospective customers. If the ...
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NewsRoller bearings for 40 tonne axleloads
SKF: A compact tapered roller bearing unit for 45 tonne axleload wagons will be launched by SKF at InnoTrans 2014. The CTBU was developed as a result of requests from operators seeking to move heavier loads without lengthening trains. ‘The SKF CTBU is the only heavy haul bearing ...
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NewsVocational training in Castilla
SPAIN: The national government, the regional authority for Castilla y León and national operator Renfe have signed an agreement covering the establishment of a vocational training scheme for railway maintenance staff. The ‘dual professional training’ scheme is intended to provide vocational qualification in mechanical and electrical engineering skills to young ...
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NewsBombardier Transportation inaugurates Kuala Lumpur hub
MALAYSIA: Bombardier Transportation has formally opened a regional centre of expertise for system engineering and integration in Kuala Lumpur. The office will accommodate more than 100 engineering, project management, systems integration and signalling specialists, supporting rail projects in Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific region. ‘This investment strengthens our ability ...
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NewsReading viaduct ready for tracklaying
UK: The structure of a £45m viaduct which is being built as part of the £895m remodelling of the Great Western Main Line through Reading has been handed over to infrastructure manager Network Rail by construction contractor Balfour Beatty, ready for tracklaying by Carillion. The 320 concrete beams for ...
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NewsSão Paulo monorail Line 18 concession signed
BRAZIL: Sole bidder ABC Integrado has been awarded a 25-year PPP concession to build, operate and maintain São Paulo monorail Line 18. The consortium is made up of local firms Primav, Encalso and Cowan, as well as Benito Roggio Transportes from Argentina. It is to invest R$1·9bn in the ...
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NewsCeneri base tunnel delay warning
SWITZERLAND: Opening of the 15·4 km Ceneri base tunnel could be delayed by two years to December 2021 as result of tendering disputes, AlpTransit Gotthard warned a supervisory committee of the Swiss parliament on August 28. The project promoter said that the effects that any such delay would have ...
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NewsKirow cranes shipped to China
CHINA: Six Kirow Multi Tasker KRC 2880 construction and accident recovery cranes are being delivered from Germany to China, and a further 20 KRC 1680 cranes are to follow next year. Kuehne & Nagel is responsible for freight forwarding and booking of the initial six cranes, which were transported from ...
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NewsJerusalem fast line tunnel holed through
ISRAEL: The first bore of the 11·6 km twin-bore tunnel for the A1 fast line to Jerusalem was holed through on August 26. The tunnel between Yittla Creek and Mevaseret Zion in the suburbs of Jerusalem will be the longest in Israel. The contractor is a joint venture of Shafir ...
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NewsFRA funds Short Line Safety Institute
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded grants of $250 000 to the American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association and $100 000 to the University of Connecticut to support the development of a Short Line Safety Institute. SLSI is intended to help mitigate the risks associated with shipping hazardous ...
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NewsMore Transperth multiple-units wanted
AUSTRALIA: Western Australia’s Public Transport Authority is to issue a request for information to gauge manufacturers’ interest in supplying at least 50 six-car electric multiple-units to double the size of the Transperth fleet. The additional EMUs would support anticipated ridership growth on the 1 067 mm gauge network, as well ...
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NewsOman Rail Co invites civil works bids
OMAN: The government’s railway project promoter Oman Rail Co has formally invited 18 pre-qualified international consortia to bid for the civil works contract for the Sohar – Al Buraymi first phase of the planned 2 244 km national network. A total of 34 consortia bringing together 95 local and international ...
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NewsWarszawa orders tram track maintenance vehicles
POLAND: Tramwaje Warszawskie has selected ZPS to supply eight maintenance vehicles for use on its tram network. Under the 21·7m złoty deal, ZPS will also provide servicing. Six will be 12·5 m to 14 m long powered vehicles equipped with a snowplough; the other two will be non-powered wagons ...
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NewsChengdu metro train unveiled
CHINA: CNR Changchun unveiled the first trainset for Chengdu metro Line 4 on August 21. CNR Changchun is supplying 27 six-car trainsets for metro Line 4, as well as 24 for Line 3, at a cost of 1·36bn yuan. Deliveries of the Line 4 cars are due to run ...