News – Page 367
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NewsERA issues its first vehicle authorisation
EUROPE: The EU Agency for Railways has issued its first vehicle authorisation, three weeks after becoming the European authorising entity for rail traffic on June 16. ERA said the authorisation covering conformity-to-type of 30 wagons for operation in multiple countries was an ‘historic step to break down barriers in Europe’. ...
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NewsOberösterreich railway investment programme agreed
AUSTRIA: The Land of Oberösterreich and Austrian Federal Railways have agreed an €725m programme of route modernisation, station upgrading and electrification works for 2019-30. This agreement includes the retention of all branch lines, and the roll-out of new singalling and safety systems. ÖBB is to retain ownership of all lines ...
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Metro Report InternationalLED beacons certified for the New York subway
USA: Eflare Corp is supplying the New York subway with 22 000 compact handheld LED hazard warning beacons for use by track workers. New York City Transit Authority worked with Eflare for more than three years to ensure the Australian company’s beacons meet its demanding requirements, and testing was undertaken ...
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NewsWestermo acquires Neratec
SWITZERLAND: Beijer Group company Westermo has acquired 100% of Neratec Solutions, which supplies wireless communication products for on-train and trackside applications. Bubikon-based Neratec has 25 employees and recorded sales of SFr6·5m in 2018. ‘The acquisition of Neratec will strengthen Westermo’s offering to the rail industry to include a strong wireless ...
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NewsCPTM plans tourist service to Santos
BRAZIL: São Paulo suburban operator CPTM ran two test trains in late June on the São Paulo – Santos route as part of assessments ahead of the possible launch of a passenger service. The test trains ran on June 18 and 27, and form part of CPTM’s preparations ...
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NewsPassenger services revived on freight line
GERMANY: Passenger services were reintroduced on the 28 km Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus route in Niedersachsen on July 6, following a €21m project to upgrade Bentheimer Eisenbahn’s previously freight-only line. Discounted preview fares were offered on the first day, with the full revenue service beginning on July 7. The line’s ...
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NewsSouth Coast Rail groundbreaking ceremony
USA: A groundbreaking ceremony at East Freetown in Massachusetts on July 2 officially marked the start of work on Phase 1 of the South Coast Rail commuter project. The $1·047bn project will extend Boston’s Middleborough Line commuter rail services to Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River, the only major cities ...
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NewsFirst track laid on Crimean railway bridge
EUROPE: Tracklaying is underway on the railway which Russia is building to link the mainland to the eastern end of the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014. A bridge across the Kerch Strait has been proposed for many years. Following the annexation, the Russian government awarded Stroygazmontazh ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
ČD Cargo has begun taking delivery of 80 Zacns 88 m3 tank wagons ordered from Tatravagónka Poprad. Volvo, automotive logistics company ARS Altmann and Intermodal Container Logistics have begun delivering cars from China to Gent in Belgium by rail. Several round trips per week are planned, carrying 40 000 vehicles ...
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NewsBogie turntable redesigned for easier installation
TURNTABLE: Depot equipment specialist Mechan has revised the design of its bogie turntables, following 18 months of research into ways of overcoming common problems with pit construction. ‘As turntable pits need to be round, they are difficult to cast and don’t always end up level’, explains service engineer David Blagg. ...
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Metro Report InternationalMauritius Metro Express light rail vehicle arrives
MAURITIUS: The first of 18 light rail vehicles which CAF is supplying for the Metro Express project was delivered on July 4, with five more expected to follow by the end of the year. The initial 13 km Port Louis – Rose Hill section of the Metro Express line is ...
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NewsTimber wagons ordered
RUSSIA: UniCredit Leasing has awarded United Wagon Co subsidiary TikhvinSpetsMash a contract to supply 50 timber wagons for use by Luzales, one of the largest logging companies in the Komi Republic. An initial 30 Type 13-6895 cars are to be delivered by the end of the third ...
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Metro Report InternationalTrams, trolleybuses and a greener depot for Plzeň
CZECH REPUBLIC: Plzeň transport operator PMDP and the European Investment Bank have signed a €50m loan agreement which will be used to finance the purchase of 34 trams and approximately 34 trolleybuses to replace existing vehicles, as well as the modernisation of the Slovany tram depot and power supply infrastructure. ...
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NewsThailand launches Cambodian border service
THAILAND: State Railway of Thailand launched a twice-daily passenger service between Bangkok and the Cambodian border on July 1. The service is aimed at Thai and foreign tourists and people visiting the Rong Kleua Market. The service is expected to promote cross-border trade with Cambodia, with significant growth in ridership ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
US wagon repair and storage company Appalachian Railcar Services has expanded its facility at Elk Mills in Maryland to create a full-service tank car workshop with interior and exterior blast and paint capability. Services include certification, accident repairs, cleaning and lining options, as well as 24/7 mobile repair capabilities for ...
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NewsSachsen line reopenings under consideration
GERMANY: Local transport authority VMS is studying options for reviving passenger services to Rochlitz and on the Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg line in Sachsen. Servies to Rochlitz ended in 2000, with passengers instead needing to travel by bus to Geithain for connections to Leipzig and Chemnitz. VMS is studying options and ...
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NewsCoach kits delivered to Kazakhstan
KAZAKHSTAN: Transmashholding’s Tver Carriage Works is supplying Tulpar-Talgo with kits for the assembly of Type 61-4447 coaches in Nur-Sultan. The Russian factory has supplied 137 complete coaches of various types to Kazakhstan over the past decade, and this is its first contract to supply kits for local assembly. The ...
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Metro Report InternationalConsultants selected to develop Addis Ababa transport plan
ETHIOPIA: The government has selected Ramboll to help it to develop a strategic infrastructure plan for Addis Ababa. The World Bank funded project focuses on sustainable urban development as the capital is experiencing a sharp increase in air pollution and traffic congestion. Ramboll is the lead consultant in a ...
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NewsCP and EMEF to merge ahead of market opening
PORTUGAL: The government has approved a €45m capital investment programme for both national operator CP and rolling stock maintenance business EMEF. To be funded from the state budget, the 2019-22 plan approved on June 27 has two parts. The first covers investment of €9m in 2019, primarily to enable EMEF ...
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NewsCalifornia High-Speed Rail Authority publishes northern route preferences
USA: California High-Speed Rail Authority has published its recommended alignments for two sections of the planned line in northern California. Public feedback will now be sought before the board makes a decision in September. Draft environmental documents would then be published in December 2019 and March 2020, ahead of a ...