News – Page 494
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NewsStadler plans Georgian rolling stock plant
GEORGIA: Stadler has signed a memorandum of understanding for the formation of a rolling stock manufacturing joint venture in Tbilisi. The Swiss company plans to work with a local partner which is currently responsible for maintenance of the Tbilisi metro and is financing and building a workshop for the maintenance ...
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Bombardier Transportation delivered 'superior financial performance' in 2017
BOMBARDIER: 'Bombardier closed out the second full year of its five-year turnaround plan with very strong performance', said Bombardier Inc President & CEO Alain Bellemare on February 15, when presenting the group’s annual results for 2017. ‘Because of this solid performance, we begin 2018 with great momentum’, he said. ‘Our ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
The 1520 Group, which includes 38 Russian companies active in railway design and construction projects, has obtained regulatory approval for the purchase of a 50% stake in bridge contractor FSK Mostootryad-47 for an undisclosed price. Bombardier Transportation has awarded DHL Supply Chain a three-year contract to operate the on-site logistics ...
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NewsFinal Singapore metro lines transferred to new concession model
SINGAPORE: Land Transport Authority announced on February 14 that it had concluded discussions with SBS Transit for implementation of the government’s New Rail Financing Framework model on the North East Line and the Sengkang and Punggol peoplemovers. This completes the 10-year transition of the island’s entire rail network to the ...
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NewsSpinetta report urges SNCF to prepare for competition
FRANCE: The national railway must refocus on ‘the areas where it has greatest relevance’: transporting large numbers of passengers within urban areas, and providing high speed connectivity between France’s principal cities. This mission statement is at the heart of a landmark report handed to Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on February ...
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NewsMelbourne opens elevated rail alignment
AUSTRALIA: Revenue services began operating on a new elevated alignment through the Melbourne suburb of Noble Park on February 15, when the Victoria state government’s Level Crossing Removal Authority commissioned the first section of viaduct on the Cranbourne-Pakenham line. A 2·7 km section of the city’s busiest suburban line through ...
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NewsWarszawa Główna reopening contractor selected
POLAND: Infrastructure manager PKP PLK has selected Trakcja PRKiI’s 99m złoty bid for a design and build contract to reopen Warszawa Główna station. The terminus was originally opened in 1945 on the site of a former former freight facility. It is located 1 km west of a previous Warszawa Główna, ...
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NewsEP Cargo orders Traxx locos
GERMANY: Czech open access freight operator EP Cargo has ordered two Bombardier Transportation Traxx AC3 15 kV 16·7 Hz electric locomotives, with the first scheduled to be delivered in late March. The locomotives are to be used by EP Cargo Deutschland to haul fly ash and gypsum to Stralsund from ...
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UK railway news round-up
Following modernisation work to be undertaken by contractor Cleary, Belfast Central station is to be renamed Lanyon Place with effect from September. ‘This work will provide a new modern, more welcoming frontage to replace the current “blast wall”, enhancements to the ticketing area, improved retail/café offerings and the provision of ...
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NewsLyon – Torino base tunnel contracts awarded
EUROPE: Franco-Italian base tunnel promoter Tunnel Euralpin Lyon-Turin has awarded three project management contracts totalling €90m to oversee civil engineering work on the French side of the border, accounting for around 80% of the 57·5 km tunnel. Announcing the contract awards on February 1, TELT Managing Director Mario Virano said ...
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NewsTransitio orders double-deck EMUs
SWEDEN: Local authority owned rolling stock procurement body AB Transitio has signed a firm order for eight Stadler double-deck electric multiple-units for use on Upptåget services from the end of 2019. The firm order announced by Stadler on February 14 has been placed as an option on a 2016 contract ...
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NewsTrump budget plans to halve federal subsidy to Amtrak
USA: The formal 2019 financial year budget issued by President Donald Trump on February 12 includes plans to cut federal subsidy to Amtrak by almost half. The proposed budget, which would take effect from October 1, would see federal support payments for Amtrak reduced from $1·5bn to $738m. The savings ...
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NewsLocomotives bought back amid ETCS dispute
POLAND: Orlen KolTrans has leased three of five Griffin locomotives which Newag had originally built for Lotos Kolej under a deal which has been terminated following a dispute about the lack of onboard ETCS equipment. The locomotives were ordered in December 2015, when open access freight operator Lotos Kolej and ...
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NewsCP share buyback follows Q4 successes
CANADA: Canadian Pacific has completed its second share repurchase programme, the railway confirmed on February 8. CP had announced on December 11 its intention to buy back up to 755 000 common shares from two third-party sellers under two consecutive programmes to be completed by May 14. The first completed ...
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NewsTesting begins on Firenze tram line T3
ITALY: Test running on tram route T3 in Firenze began on February 12 using a Sirio tram that Hitachi Rail Italy delivered to the city on February 9. Tests are underway on the Careggi – Piazza Dalmazia section at the northern end of the route. Due to ...
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NewsNetwork Rail unveils CP6 business plan
UK: A strong focus on safety, reliability and performance underpins Network Rail’s objectives for the five-year Control Period 6, which starts on April 1 2019. Publishing its strategic business plan on February 13 for regulatory approval, the infrastructure manager explained how it expects to spend the £47bn allocated for CP6 ...
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NewsPraha reintroduces 14T trams
CZECH REPUBLIC: The first series-modernised Škoda 14T tram is about to enter service in Praha, following the successful testing of a prototype. City transport operator DP Praha plans to have 14 more modernised trams in service by the end of the year, with all 57 to be modernised by 2020. ...
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NewsWabtec signs SunRail PTC contract
USA: Wabtec Corp has signed a $62m contract to design, install, test and commission Positive Train Control for the 100 km Central Florida Rail Corridor used by SunRail commuter services around Orlando. Wabtec is to provide its Interoperable Electronic Train Management System equipment for 24 locomotives and driving cars, as ...
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NewsHupac traffic grows despite the 'Rastatt effect'
EUROPE: Switzerland-based intermodal transport operator Hupac carried 763 101 road consignments by rail in 2017, an increase of 3·5% on the previous year. This was despite the seven-week blockade of the Rhine Valley route near Rastatt, which resulted in the loss of more than 30 000 consignments. Traffic in the ...
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NewsBudamar acquires 50% stake in wagon manufacturer
SLOVAKIA: Freight company Budamar Logistics signed a deal to acquire a 50% stake in Poprad-based wagon manufacturer Tatravagónka on January 31. The price was not disclosed, and the deal is subject to regulatory approval. Formed in 1994 but tracing its roots to 1922, Tatravagónka has been controlled since 2006 by ...