News – Page 558
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NewsBosnia - Croatia railway re-opening initiative
EUROPE: Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia have agreed to seek European Union funding to rehabilitate and reopen the 177·9 km Una line between Novi Grad (Bosanski Novi) and Knin. This once provided the shortest rail route between Zagreb and the Adriatic port of Split, but it has been out of use since ...
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NewsLocomore shows the need to remove barriers to market entry, says ALLRAIL
GERMANY: Locomore filing for insolvency highlights the crippling cost challenges and entry barriers' in the rail sector which are 'limiting the growth of eco-friendly transport', according to the Alliance of Rail New Entrants. ALLRAIL said Locomore was the fourth start-up in recent years to 'fall flat' when trying to ...
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NewsMoscow metro cars to be refurbished
RUSSIA: Transmashholding’s Demikhovsky Engineering Plant has been awarded a 1·6bn rouble eight-month contract to refurbish 100 Type 81-717/714 cars used on the Moscow metro. The bodyshells, bogies and traction systems will be retained, but there will be new doors, floors and seats, refurbishment of the cabs, and new interior fittings ...
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NewsUK railway news round-up
On May 19 Chiltern Railways is to withdraw its two Class 121 single-car DMUs, which are used on the Princes Risborough – Aylesbury route. The company said the 1960s units are the ‘last remaining trains in service that use vacuum brakes’, and have become expensive to maintain. ScotRail is ...
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NewsComplex concrete crossing bearers delivered
UK: Cemex Rail Solutions has supplied Progress Rail with concrete bearers for complex trackwork being installed outside London Waterloo station. The multiple crossing with 10 sets of switches and 1 800 m of track was designed and constructed at Cemex’s Rail Solutions Somercotes site in Derbyshire. Each bearer was numbered ...
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NewsDavid Knowles
David Knowles becomes Managing Director of Swedish freight operator Hector Rail. Formerly Chief Operating Officer at GB Railfreight, he remains on the GBRf board as a Non-Executive Director.
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NewsColombia awards upgrade contract
COLOMBIA: National infrastructure agency ANI announced on May 16 that it had awarded the Ibines Férreo consortium a contract worth 153∙4bn pesos to upgrade two sections of the national network totalling 890∙9 km. Ibines Férreo comprises Iberovias (40%), Infraestructura Nacional (25%), Integral Compañía (25%) and Espina y Delfin Colombia (10%). ...
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NewsDocklands Light Railway fleet replacement procurement begins
UK: Transport for London subsidiary Docklands Light Railway Ltd has invited expressions of interest in contracts to supply and support up to 77 driverless light metro trainsets. The initial requirement under the DLR Rolling Stock Replacement Project is for 43 trainsets, of which 33 would replace two-thirds of the existing ...
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NewsCzech open access fleet certified for Poland
POLAND: Rail regulator UTK has awarded Czech open access operator LEO Express certification enabling it to operate its five Stadler Flirt electric multiple-units on the PKP-PLK network. This follows modifications to the units undertaken in early January under a €1·5m programme which was 85% funded by the European Union. On ...
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Metro Report InternationalSamara starts work on World Cup tram line
RUSSIA: Contractor VTS Metro has begun utility relocation and site clearance works for the construction of an extension of the Samara tram network. This would serve the stadium which is being built to host 2018 FIFA World Cup football matches. The 2·2 km double-track route will start at Ulitsa Tashkentskaya ...
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NewsNacala Corridor officially inaugurated
MOZAMBIQUE: President Filipe Nyusi joined celebrations at the deepwater port of Nacala-a-Velha on May 12 to mark the formal completion of the project to develop a 912 km ‘integrated logistics corridor’ serving northern Mozambique, southern Malawi and the Moatize coalfield. This encompassed the rehabilitation of existing lines and the construction ...
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NewsBelmond Andean Explorer launched
PERU: Hotel and cruise train operator Belmond launched what it describes as ‘South America’s first luxury sleeper train’ on May 4. Operating on the PeruRail network between Cusco and Arequipa, the Belmond Andean Explorer offers a two-night journey through ‘some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world’, its large ...
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Metro Report InternationalManagua bus rapid transit loan signed
NICARAGUA: A US$136m loan agreement to finance the construction of a 9·6 km bus rapid transit route on one of the busiest transport corridors in Managua was signed by Minister of Finance Iván Acosta Montalván and the European Investment Bank on May 15. Avenida Juan Pablo II is to be ...
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NewsUkrainian Railways plans five-year investment programme
UKRAINE: National railway UZ has presented its five-year development strategy for 2017-21. This includes investment of 130bn to 150bn hryvna, and the formation of five business sectors: freight transport and logistics, passenger transport, infrastructure, traction services, manufacturing & services. In the freight sector, UZ plans to invest in the creation ...
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NewsLahore Metro’s first train rolls out
PAKISTAN: The first of 27 five-car metro trains for the 27·1 km Orange Line now under construction in Lahore was rolled out at CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive’s plant in China on May 15. The trains are scheduled to be delivered between July and the end of this year. The styling is ...
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NewsAlexa 'Skill' for train times and fares released
UK: Independent ticket retailer RedSpottedHanky.com can now be accessed via Amazon Echo and Echo Dot smart devices using an Alexa intelligent personal assistant add-on 'Skill' developed by Atos company Worldline. Worldline says the personal assistant functionality is a first for the UK rail industry, and claims it will help travellers ...
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NewsDhaka metro contracts signed
BANGLADESH: Dhaka Mass Transit Co signed contracts for the construction of metro Line 6 on May 3, in a ceremony attended by Road Transport & Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader. The 15·9bn taka contract CP-02 awarded to a joint venture of Thailand’s Italian-Thai Development Public Co and China’s Sinohydro Corp covers ...
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NewsDHL opens centre to manage Germany – Far East rail freight
GERMANY: DHL Global Forwarding has opened a central China Rail Competence Centre in Stuttgart to co-ordinate the growing volumes of freight it is sending from Germany to Asia by rail. This includes shipments for automotive, technology, mechanical engineering and retail customers. ‘Rail freight volumes between Germany and Asia have increased ...
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NewsUnderground extension of Chennai metro opens
INDIA: The first underground section of the Chennai metro opened on May 14, when a 7 km extension of Line 2 (the Green Line) from Thirumangalam to Nehru Park was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami and national Minister of Urban Development Venkaiah ...
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NewsRENFE plans for profit in 2017
SPAIN: The national operator is expecting to make a pre-tax profit of €39∙2m in 2017, RENFE President Juan Alfaro has told MPs. For the first time since the present corporate structure was adopted in 2005, this positive result would be due to income generated by the group’s own activities. At ...