News – Page 578
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NewsSaudi Railway Co launches first passenger services
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Railway Co began operating its first regular passenger service between Riyadh and Al-Qassim on February 26, using one of its CAF-built diesel trainsets which can operate at up to 200 km/h. Until April 1 the service will run five days a week, leaving the terminus close to ...
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NewsTramwaje Warszawskie reach Nowodwory
POLAND: The latest expansion of the Warszawa tram network opened to passengers on February 27, with the commissioning of a 1·5 km northern extension to Nowodwory. Built by a ZUE-Strabag consortium under a 31·6m złoty contract, the extension runs from Tarchomin Kościelny and has an intermediate stop at Štefánika. ...
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NewsCelebrating excellence at the 19th Rail Business Awards
UK: Transport for London was announced as Rail Business of the Year and Great Western Railway Managing Director Mark Hopwood was named Industry Leader of the Year at the 19th Rail Business Awards. Hosted by Railway Gazette at London’s Hilton hotel on Park Lane on February 23, the event bought ...
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Metro Report InternationalSecond City Crossing opens in Manchester
UK: The final phase of Manchester Metrolink’s Second City Crossing opened on February 26. The new route runs from a rebuilt St Peter’s Square stop along Cross Street to Exchange Square and Victoria. Transport for Greater Manchester said that the opening of the Second City Crossing was the final ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
On February 24 Catalan regional operator FGC signed an agreement transferring to Spanish infrastructure manager ADIF a 3·6 km single-track section of its 1 000 mm gauge network. This is to form part of a new southern rail connection to the Port of Barcelona and will be rebuilt to accommodate ...
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NewsWorld rolling stock market February 2017
Chile: Metro de Santiago has ordered another four driverless trainsets from CAF, as an add-on to a €160m contract signed in 2013 to supply and maintain 37 five-car trainsets for lines 3 and 6. China: The first of 11 four-car driverless Innovia APM 300 trainsets being supplied by Bombardier ...
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NewsBelgrano locos on test
ARGENTINA: The first two diesel locomotives supplied by CRRC of China successfully completed their first day of testing on the 1 000 mm gauge Belgrano network on February 22, the Ministry of Transport has announced. State-owned freight operator Trenes Argentinos Cargas undertook testing between San José and Dean Funes in ...
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Metro Report InternationalDenver inaugurates tangential R Line
USA: Denver RTD’s light rail R Line was officially inaugurated on February 24 with a ceremony at Iliff station, where the City of Aurora operates a 600-space multi-storey park and ride facility. Following the opening, free travel was provided for the rest of the day, with trains running every 15 ...
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NewsERTMS with satellite positioning trial completed
ITALY: A final test train ran from Cagliari to Decimomannu in Sardinia on February 24 as part of the ERSAT EAV project to integrate ERTMS with Galileo satellite positioning and public telecoms networks to provide a low-cost train control option for regional and low-traffic rail routes. Technology partner Ansaldo STS ...
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NewsGerman contracts more attractive than UK franchises, says National Express CEO
NATIONAL EXPRESS: German passenger train operating contracts offer more attractive business opportunities than UK franchises, National Express Group CEO Dean Finch said when the transport group's annual results were published on February 23. 'The current UK rail market is one that we believe is not as attractive as our other ...
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NewsChina to Europe less-than-container-load service launched
INTERNATIONAL: Kuehne + Nagel has launched a less-than-container-load rail freight service from Wuhan to Poznań, Duisburg and Hamburg via Russia. Complementing its established full container service, KN Eurasia Express is targeted at shipments from industries such as automotive, high-tech and fashion. Eastbound services from Europe to Asia are also available. ...
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Metro Report InternationalJakarta metro tunnelling completed
INDONESIA: President Joko Widodo attended a ceremony on February 23 to mark the completion of tunnelling on the Jakarta metro. Boring of the 6 km underground section started in September 2015. Japan Tunnel Systems Corp supplied four 6·7 m diameter earth pressure balance TBMs. The underground section is ...
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NewsThe Andersons Rail Group reports solid year in weakening market
USA: Diversified agricultural product and rail group The Andersons Inc reports that its Rail Group ‘led the way’ across the business in 2016. Looking forward, it said freight volumes had shown signs of improvement after a difficult operating environment last year, and it believes the Rail Group's lease and wagon ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
The Greenbrier Companies has rolled outs its 100 000th double-stack intermodal wagon unit at its Gunderson plant in in Portland, Oregon. Greenbrier said it has built approximately 50% of all intermodal double stack wagons operating globally, and produces nearly twice as many as its closest competitor. Having become a ...
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NewsProgress Rail tests remanufactured Tier 4 shunting loco
USA: Progress Rail has completed initial testing of a EMD24B locomotive produced from remanufactured components, and has begun the process of obtaining Tier 4 emissions certification. The 2000 hp locomotive will also undergo 3 000 h of in-service testing with Anacostia Rail Holdings' Pacific Harbor Line, which operates at the ...
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NewsHeavy freight locomotives on test
RUSSIA: Transmashholding’s Bryansk Engineering Plant has rolled out its first 3TE25K2M diesel locomotive, a three-section design developed from the twin-section 2TE25K Peresvet. Designed to haul 7 100 tonne freight trains on the 2 800 km Baikal-Amur Magistral route between Taksimo, Tynda, Komsomolsk-na-Amure and Sovetskaya Gavan on the Pacific coast, the ...
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NewsHelsinki – Tallinn tunnel feasibility studies commissioned
EUROPE: Two consortia have been appointed to study the feasibility of the FinEst Link proposal to build a 92 km under-sea railway tunnel linking Finland and Estonia. A consortium of Ramboll Finland, Sito, Strafica, Urban Research and Pöyry Finland will estimate passenger and freight volumes and undertake a cost-benefit study. ...
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NewsHS2 Phase 1 bill receives Royal Assent
UK: The parliamentary bill for the first phase of the High Speed 2 project received Royal Assent on February 23, marking the final legislative step before full civil works can begin.‘HS2 will be the world’s most advanced passenger railway and the backbone of our rail network’, said Transport Secretary Chris ...
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NewsGreat Britain records 10 years without train accident fatalities
UK: February 23 marked 10 years since the last passenger or staff fatality in a train accident on Great Britain’s national rail network. While there have been fatalities from other causes including trespass and suicide and at level crossings, the last occasion when a passenger died in a derailment ...
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NewsRZD International completes Beograd – Pančevo upgrade
SERBIA: Russian Railways’ RZD International business has completed a three-year modernisation and double-tracking of the 15 km electrified Beograd – Pančevo line, which carries significant suburban traffic as well as international trains to Romania. Krnjača, Ovča, Sebeš and Pančevo Glavna stations have been modernised, a signalling centre built at ...