News – Page 610
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NewsRail Baltica procurement agreement signed
EUROPE: Nine government and railway organisations from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have signed an agreement setting out the procurement model for Rail Baltica II, the planned 1 435 mm gauge line which would run 728 km to Riga and Tallinn from the current standard gauge railhead at Kaunas. Baiba Rubesa, ...
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NewsKeolis’ Lyon operations contract to be renewed
FRANCE: Incumbent operator Keolis announced on October 7 that it had been selected by transport authority Sytral to operate public transport in Lyon for a further six years. The contract, due to be signed in the coming weeks, followed almost two years of negotiations and will come into effect ...
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NewsEuropean rail safety continues to improve
EUROPE: The International Union of Railways has issued its 2016 report on railway accidents in Europe, based on a database established in 2001 which now contains information from 22 infrastructure managers. UIC said rail remains the safest land transport mode. The last decade has seen an ‘almost continuous decrease’ in ...
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NewsChinese metro diagnostic train in service
CHINA: A diagnostic train developed by Russian company Tvema with Chinese rolling stock manufacturer CSR Qishuyan Locomotive Co has entered service on the Beijing metro. Work on the Railway LAB Ultrasonic Test TVEMA 70 started two years ago. The commissioning process in Beijing included training not only for Beijing ...
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NewsChemnitzer Modell inaugurated
GERMANY: Stage 1 of the Chemnitzer Modell was inaugurated on October 10 when tram-train services began running between Chemnitz and the regional centres of Burgstädt, Mittweida and Hainichen to the northeast. A connection between the tram and rail networks at Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof was completed in mid-2014, enabling the through ...
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NewsKrasnoyarsk tram refurbishment
RUSSIA: As a gift to Krasnoyarsk ahead of the 2019 Winter Universiade, which the city is hosting, Krasnoyarsky Elektrovagonoremontny Zavod is refurbishing an old KTM-5 tram. To be designated KTM-5MZ after reconstruction, the tram will undergo extensive work. In addition to an overhaul of the bodyshell and bogies, new ...
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NewsHohenzollerische Landesbahn awarded new contract
GERMANY: Following a tender, the Ministry of Transport of the Land of Baden-Württemberg has awarded incumbent Hohenzollerische Landesbahn the Zollern-Alb-Bahn 2 contract to operate local passenger services on the 50 km Sigmaringen – Gammertingen – Hechingen route. The new contract runs from the December 2016 timetable change until December 2023, ...
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NewsÖBB prepares for Nightjet launch
AUSTRIA: National operator ÖBB has agreed arrangements with Deutsche Bahn to take over part of the German operator's network of overnight trains from the timetable change on December 11. DB had stated earlier this year that it would cease to run City Night Line services. On October 7 ÖBB said ...
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NewsCompetition Commission considers future of NSW coal haulage
AUSTRALIA: The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has released a ‘statement of issues’ inviting comments on Aurizon and Pacific National’s rival proposals to buy Glencore Coal’s rail haulage business. ACCC says it will assess the proposals against the alternative scenario of a new operator entering the market. Coal producer Glencore ...
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NewsSecond phase of Samsun tram extension opens
TURKEY: Samsun Mayor Yusuf Ziya Yılmaz attended the opening ceremony for an extension of the Samsun tram line on October 10. The 7 km southeastern extension from Balıkçı to Tekkeköy extension will enter regular revenue service within a week. It forms the second phase of a 12 km extension ...
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NewsPesa to develop prototype electro-diesel locomotive
POLAND: A letter of intent to design, build and test a prototype electro-diesel locomotive was signed by national passenger operator PKP Intercity and Pesa Bydgoszcz on October 6. The design concept for the planned locomotive has been developed by Pesa and IPS Poznań. It would be suitable for mainline ...
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NewsIstanbul metro Line M4 extended
TURKEY: A 4·5 km extension of Istanbul metro Line M4 was inaugurated at 06.00 on October 10, running southeast from Kartal to Tavşantepe with intermediate stations at Yakacık-Adnan Kahveci and Pendik. Line M4 is now 26·2 km long with 19 stations. The end-to-end journey time from Kadıköy to Tavşantepe ...
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NewsJoseph Marie
WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff has named Joseph Marie as Operations Manager of its Transit & Rail Technical Excellence Center. Marie has served in senior positions for several US transportation systems, as well as holding executive positions with Bombardier Transportation and Siemens.
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NewsEuropean Commission seeks synergies between transport and energy
EUROPE: The European Commission has announced a Connecting Europe Facility call for proposals which aims to support projects fostering synergies between transport and energy infrastructure. A total of €40m is available to finance up to 60% of the cost of studies supporting ‘smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’. Applicants have until ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
The Antwerpen port authority has invited proposals for new or improved intermodal rail connections to the Rhein, Ruhr and Main areas of Germany. Support of up to €200 000 is available over three years for projects which would attract new traffic to the port or transfer existing traffic from road ...
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NewsFirst batch of potash wagons delivered
CANADA: K+S Potash Canada has begun taking delivery of more than 500 wagons of a new design ordered from National Steel Car. The wagons will be operated in 177-wagon trains 3 km long hauled by five locomotives. These trains will transport potash 1 800 km from the Legacy production ...
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NewsFeature articles in the October 2016 issue of Railway Gazette International
Feature articles in the latest issue of Railway Gazette International, the leading business journal for railway operators and suppliers, read in 140 countries. Subscribe to Railway Gazette International today. Comment An insecure world News Main Line Urban Rail Market Industry Innovations Pointers Analysis ...
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NewsUtsunomiya light rail line approved
JAPAN: The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism approved plans to construct a light rail line in the city of Utsunomiya on September 26. The 14·6 km line would link Utsunomiya railway station with Shimotakanezawa in the neighbouring town of Haga to the east. Of the 19 stops, ...
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NewsLaurence Batlle
Laurence Batlle is to succeed François-Xavier Perin as CEO of RATP Dev on January 1. Batlle, currently Executive Vice-President, Africa & America, will also join the Executive Board at RATP Group. Following his retirement, Perin will join RATP Group’s Supervisory Board.
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NewsWork starts on second tram line in Chengdu
CHINA: Construction of the second tram line in Chengdu began on September 28. Preliminary works started in December 2015. The route comprises a 27·7 km line with 33 stops from Chengdu West railway station to Pixian via Xinje Road and an 11·6 km branch from Xinje Road to Ren ...