News – Page 514
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NewsThales awarded Egyptian signalling contract
EGYPT: Egyptian National Railways has awarded Thales a three-year contract to modernise signalling and telecoms on the 180 km Asyut – Nagaa Hammadi section of the Cairo – Aswan corridor. Announcing the contract on November 16, Thales said its integrated signalling and communications technology would be designed to work with ...
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NewsNorthern Rail Corridor feasibility study
MONGOLIA: Aspire Mining subsidiary Northern Railways has signed a memorandum of understanding with China Gezhouba Group International to undertake a bankable second-stage feasibility study for the planned Northern Rail Corridor. The proposed mixed traffic line would run from Erdenet to serve coal reserves at Nurstell and Ovoot. A decision ...
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NewsNine-section tram arrives in Dublin
IRELAND: The first of seven nine-section Citadis trams has arrived in Dublin from Alstom’s La Rochelle factory. The vehicle was shipped to the port of Rosslare, from where it was transported by road to Luas’ Sandyford Depot on November 16. Transport Infrastructure Ireland placed a €36·5m order for the ...
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NewsItalian urban rail agreement signed
ITALY: National railway FS Group signed a co-operation agreement with investment bank CDP on November 15 to develop urban rail networks in the country. The two parties will co-operate in identifying and promoting construction of new lines as well as extensions to existing networks, and will also look at ...
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NewsFour shortlisted for Docklands Light Railway train order
UK: Invitations to negotiate for a contract to supply 43 trainsets for the Docklands Light Railway driverless light metro were issued to four prequalified bidders by Transport for London on November 17. The prequalified bidders are: Alstom Transport UK; Bombardier Transportation; CAF; a consortium of Siemens, Stadler Bussnang and ...
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NewsNetwork Rail to sell commercial property business
UK: Network Rail announced plans to sell its commercial property business in England and Wales on November 17. The infrastructure manager said it was the largest provider of small and medium-sized business space in the UK, and the sale of ‘non-core’ property assets, the majority of which are spaces under ...
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Metro Report InternationalWork starts on Istanbul driverless metro extension
TURKEY: Work has started on the second phase of Istanbul metro Line M7. The western section of the driverless line will run from Mahmutbey to Esenyurt, serving 10 stations. A consortium of Akyol, Astur and IC İçtaş was awarded the construction contract for the 18·5 km route on July ...
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NewsABB 'realigns' transformer manufacturing activities
ABB: A ‘strategic realignment’ of ABB's transformer manufacturing activities was announced on November 6, reflecting what the company said was a ‘dynamic market environment marked by increasing competition and consolidation in the rail industry.’ In the USA, the company is to consolidate power transformer manufacturing at its South Boston and ...
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Metro Report InternationalPutin approves Moscow RER
RUSSIA: President Vladimir Putin approved the first phase of an RER-style network planned for Moscow on November 15. Earlier this month Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced plans to create links between the existing radial rail routes into the city. At least five such RER routes are to be developed at ...
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NewsDalian to Bratislava freight service arrives
INTERNATIONAL: A trial container service from Dalian in China to the SPaP port on the River Danube in Bratislava arrived in the Slovak capital on November 13, after a 17-day journey via Russia and Ukraine. The 41 containers carrying goods worth more than US$3m including electronics and machine parts were ...
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NewsPandrol unifies branding
PANDROL: The rail activities of the Delachaux Group are to be unified under the Pandrol brand name, the company announced on November 17. As well as the eponymous rail fastenings business, Pandrol will also be the brand used by the Railtech, Vortok, Pandrol CDM Track, Rosenqvist, Matweld and RSS divisions. ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Between April 1 and September 30 Alstom booked €3·2bn of orders, down 49% on the same period the previous year. Sales were up 5% at €3·8bn, and adjusted EBIT increased 16% to €231m, leading to an adjusted EBIT margin of 6·2%. Net income reached €213m. ‘These six first months were ...
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NewsTransport for the North to become statutory body
UK: Legislation to turn the Transport for the North partnership of 19 local authorities, business leaders and 11 local enterprise partnership areas into a statutory sub-national transport body with legal powers and duties was laid in Parliament on November 16. Once approved, TfN would become a statutory body with effect ...
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NewsResilient rail pads to cut operational noise
BELGIUM: Infrastructure manager Infrabel is to install a new design of resilient rail pad during track renewals from 2018, aiming to equip 120 km a year. Developed in-house over a period of three years, the pads inserted between the rail and concrete sleepers have been proven to reduce operational noise ...
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NewsSixth Oslo metro line approved
NORWAY: Oslo city council approved plans for the city’s sixth metro line on November 13. Planned to open in 2024, the 8·2 km line with six stations would run from Majorstuen on the existing network to Fornebusenter to the west of the city centre, where the depot would be ...
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NewsGauge-changing freight axles under test
SPAIN: The OGI gauge-changing axle for freight wagons, designed to operate on both 1 435 mm and 1 668 mm gauge, has completed Phase 1 of its testing programme, it was announced on November 7. Developed and manufactured by Azvi, Tria and OGI, the axle has now operated for 50 ...
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NewsArmy studies dual gauge
ARGENTINA: Under an agreement signed with infrastructure manager Trenes Argentinos Infraestructura, army engineers are to undertake studies for providing 1 676 mm gauge on a 60 km section of the 1 435 mm gauge Urquiza network between Zárate and Pilar. This will include new junctions and the design of specialised ...
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Metro Report InternationalAlstom wins Singapore signalling contract
SINGAPORE: Land Transport Authority has awarded Alstom a contract to supply signalling for the Circle Line 6 project. Alstom would supply its Urbalis CBTC signalling for the three-station extension of the Circle Line, which is due to be completed in 2025. The 4 km section between HarbourFront and Marina ...
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NewsUK railway news round-up
Parliament’s Transport Select Committee is to hold an inquiry into the structure of railway funding. ‘We will consider whether the mechanism of control periods is the best way to manage investment in rail infrastructure‘, said Chair Lilian Greenwood MP. ‘At a time when UK passengers have seen ticket prices rising ...
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NewsSwitzerland to participate in EU Agency for Railways
EUROPE: The European Commission has asked the Council for a mandate to negotiate an amendment to the 1999 bilateral Land Transport Agreement with Switzerland, which would enable the country to participate in the European Union Agency for Railways. On November 15 the Commission said Swiss involvement was foreseen by the ...