News – Page 589
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NewsPoznań’s first low-floor bidirectional tram enters service
POLAND: The first of 10 bidirectional Moderus Beta trams has entered service on Route 1 of the Poznań network. This is the first bidirectional tram in MPK Poznań’s fleet that is not completely high-floor. Until now the only bidirectional trams in service were fully high-floor GT8 vehicles, which are ...
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NewsFinland adopts Erex energy metering
FINLAND: National infrastructure manager Liikennevirasto has brought into operation the Erex energy monitoring and billing system developed by the European Railway Energy Settlement System, the ERESS partnership announced on January 12. The agency becomes the seventh member of the not-for-profit organisation, alongside Banedanmark, Bane NOR, Infrabel, SBB, Trafikverket, and the ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
The Greenbrier Companies is negotiating to exercise an option to increase its stake in Brazilian wagon manufacturing joint venture Greenbrier-Maxion to 60%. For the quarter to November 30, Greenbrier-Maxion received orders for over 2 000 wagons. ‘The need for high quality transportation equipment is poised to grow based in part ...
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NewsNetwork Rail awards Shotts Line electrification contract
UK: Network Rail has awarded Carillion Powerlines Ltd a £49m contract to electrify the Holytown Junction – Shotts – Midcalder Junction line, as part of a £160m project to provide a fourth electrified route between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The contract covers the installation of 74 track-km of 25 kV 50 ...
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NewsMacedonian operator orders Chinese locomotives
MACEDONIA: National freight and passenger operator MŽ Transport has awarded Chinese manufacturer CRRC Zhuzhou an €8m contract to supply four electric locomotives. Speaking at the signing ceremony on January 10, MŽ Transport CEO Nikola Kostov said the TSI-compliant 25 kV 50 Hz locomotives would offer European and world standards of ...
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NewsUijeongbu light metro operator files for bankruptcy
SOUTH KOREA: Uijeongbu LRT Co filed for bankruptcy at the Seoul Central District Court on January 11. The operator of the light metro line in the city of 500 000 inhabitants 20 km north of Seoul had debts of more than 240bn won at the end of 2016. When ...
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NewsPayPal and Apple Wallet speed Stansted Express booking
UK: Passengers using the stanstedexpress.com website to book tickets for travel on Abellio Greater Anglia’s Stansted Express service from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport can now pay via PayPal and add their tickets to Apple Wallet. This removes the need for passengers to print out tickets before travelling. The ...
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NewsSNCF awards €3·75bn Paris RER fleet renewal contract
FRANCE: The SNCF board has formally selected a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier Transportation for a deal to supply up to 355 custom-designed X'Trapolis Cityduplex double-deck trainsets worth €3·75bn for use on Paris RER lines D and E. The order announced on January 11 is the largest-ever contract to be ...
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NewsSNCF awards €3·75bn Paris RER fleet renewal contract
FRANCE: The SNCF board has formally selected a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier Transportation for a deal to supply up to 355 custom-designed X'Trapolis Cityduplex double-deck trainsets worth €3·75bn for use on Paris RER lines D and E. The order announced on January 11 is the largest-ever contract to be ...
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NewsHibiya Line to get longer trains
JAPAN: Tokyo Metro has started trial running with the first of 42 seven-car Series 13000 trainsets, which are expected to enter service on the capital’s Hibiya Line later this year. The 1 067 mm gauge aluminium-bodied trainsets are being built Kinki Sharyo in Osaka, and the first train was delivered ...
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Metro Report InternationalGreen Line completed in Houston
USA: The final section of the Green Line of Houston’s light rail network entered passenger service on January 11, with free travel until January 22. The 1·8 km southwestern extension runs from Altic/Howard Hughes to Magnolia Park with an intermediate stop at Cesar Chavez/67th Street. Services run over the ...
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Metro Report InternationalNew York Subway CBTC enabling works contract awarded
USA: New York Metropolitan Transit Authority has awarded RailWorks Corp subsidiary LK Comstock & Co a $223·3m contract for enabling works on the Queens Boulevard Subway Line resignalling. Siemens Industry Inc and Thales Transport & Security are supplying CBTC for the QBL West Phase 1 under two 67-month contracts ...
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NewsDB and Vlexx win Saarland passenger contracts
GERMANY: The Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz south and north transport authorities have jointly awarded two contracts for the operation of regional passenger services for 15 years from December 2019. Incumbent DB Regio has won the SaarRB Lot 1 contract to operate 3·2 million train-km/year on the Schweich – Trier – Saarbrücken ...
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NewsTrenitalia buys c2c to enter UK rail market
UK: An agreement in principle for National Express Group to sell its c2c passenger franchisee to the Trenitalia subsidiary of Italian state railway group FS for £70m was announced on January 11. NEG’s c2c holds the Essex Thameside franchise to operate commuter-focused services into London Fenchurch Street, carrying around ...
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NewsDangerous goods transport regulations updated
INTERNATIONAL: An updated version of the Regulations Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail came into force on January 1, replacing the 2015 rules which may however continue to be applied until June 30 2017. RID applies to international rail transport between 44 countries in Europe, Asia and ...
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NewsRift Valley Railways for sale
AFRICA: Egypt-based energy and infrastructure group Qalaa has confirmed that ‘preliminary negotiations are ongoing’ with several prospective local and international buyers for its 73·76% stake in Kenya – Uganda railway concessionaire Rift Valley Railways. On January 5 Qalaa said no official offer had yet been made or any agreement reached. ...
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Metro Report InternationalChicago Red Line modernisation project receives federal funds
USA: The Chicago Transit Authority and the Federal Transit Administration have signed a $1bn Full Funding Grant Agreement towards the $2·1bn first phase of the modernisation of the Red and Purple metro lines. The agreement announced on January 9 adds to the $191m in federal funding for this project that ...
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NewsDaugavpils selects Belkommunmash trams
LATVIA: Belkommunmash has submitted the best offer to supply trams for Daugavpils, city tram operator Daugavpils Satiksme announced on January 5. The Belarusian manufacturer is to supply eight single-section trams for a total cost of €2·1m. In 2014 Daugavpils Satiksme ordered eight single-section trams and four three-section trams ...
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NewsNS completes green energy transition
NETHERLANDS: National passenger operator NS is now operating all of its electric trains using wind-generated power, following a three-year transition in association with natural gas, electricity and heat supplier Eneco. According to a personal video message from CEO Roger van Boxtel, NS is the first railway in the world to ...
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NewsAlstom to maintain Ferromex locomotives
MEXICO: Ferromex has awarded Alstom a five-year contract to maintain 219 EMD and GE diesel freight locomotives The contract announced on January 9 includes condition-based and predictive maintenance which will include oil and vibration analysis and remote monitoring. This is expected to bring a reduction in operating costs. ...