News – Page 629
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NewsFlying wing to survey rail infrastructure
UK: A ‘flying wing’ unmanned aerial vehicle custom-designed to undertake highly-automated remote infrastructure surveying was unveiled by the AmeyVTOL joint venture of Amey and drone company VTOL Technologies at the Farnborough International Airshow. The companies envisage rail applications including the routine inspection of bridges and electrification equipment, monitoring vegetation ...
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NewsA palette of protective paints at InnoTrans 2016
MANKIEWICZ: A wide range of coatings for rail vehicles will be presented by Mankiewicz at InnoTrans 2016, including water-dilutable and low-VOC high-solid paints. 'Our railway paint systems comply with the increasing demands on surface quality', reports Thorben Bahrenburg, Business Development Manager Rail. 'They are extremely durable and resistant to chemical ...
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NewsGoldschmidt Thermit buys road-rail vehicle manufacturer SRS Sjölanders
EUROPE: Welding and track maintenance company Goldschmidt Thermit Group has acquired Swedish road-rail vehicle manufacturer SRS Sjölanders AB. SRS Sjölanders’ product range includes inspection and maintenance vehicles, cranes and flash butt welding machines. ‘The whole of the Goldschmidt Thermit Group will benefit from the special expertise of SRS ...
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NewsKey Train Requirements updated to assist rolling stock suppliers
UK: Rail safety and standards organisation RSSB has published an updated version of its Key Train Requirements document, which is designed to inform rolling stock and subsystem suppliers about research and best practice which has not yet been incorporated into mandatory industry standards. KTR covers technical, performance, environmental, operational and ...
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NewsRowe Hankins shows safety-critical products
ROWE HANKINS: Safety-critical products including speed controls, wheel flange lubrication and high-integrity circuit protection will be exhibited at InnoTrans 2016 by UK company Rowe Hankins. The company’s multi-channel speed and direction sensors are designed for high reliability in harsh rail environments, while its split-core non-intrusive current monitoring system has been ...
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NewsPadma Bridge Rail Link contract awarded
BANGLADESH: A US$3·14bn contract for the construction of the 225 km Padma Bridge Rail Link was signed by Bangladesh Railway and China Railway Group Ltd on August 8. The new line is intended to form the future backbone of the rail network in the southwest of the country, providing ...
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NewsStructural changes needed to make rail competitive, says Hupac
EUROPE: Intermodal freight transport company Hupac has reported a 12·3% increase in traffic in the first half of 2016. Its trans-Alpine traffic via Switzerland was up 20·2% compared to the same period last year, but freight via Austria was down 10·4% and via France down 14·1%. Non-trans-Alpine traffic was up ...
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NewsDowner EDI selected for Newcastle light rail
AUSTRALIA: Downer EDI has been selected for the fixed infrastructure contract for the Newcastle light rail project. CPB Contractors, John Holland, Laing O’Rourke and McConnell Dowell Constructors had also been shortlisted. The announcement by New South Wales Minister for Transport & Infrastructure Andrew Constance on August 9 also included ...
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NewsDoha Green Line project management contract extended
QATAR: Rail project promoter Qatar Railways Co has extended a contract for a joint venture of Hill International (80%) and ASTAD Engineering Consultancy (20%) to provide project management services for the construction of the Doha metro Green Line. The 30-month deal announced on August 4 is worth an ...
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NewsNew South Wales freight funding
AUSTRALIA: The government of New South Wales announced an additional A$15m of funding to support rail freight projects in the state on August 8: A$5m towards reinstatement of the 56 km Maimuru - Demondrille line; A$2m for the reinstatement of a 2·8 km of the Moree - Inverell line ...
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NewsFive bids for RENFE high speed fleet
SPAIN: Alstom, Bombardier, CAF, Siemens and Talgo have submitted bids to supply 15 high speed trainsets to RENFE, the Spanish national operator has announced. Including an option for the supply of a further 15 trainsets, the contract would include maintenance over a period of 30 years, with a possible 10-year ...
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NewsMoscow to order 300 trams
RUSSIA: Moscow has called tenders for the supply of 300 three-section trams. The projected cost includes 28·5bn roubles for the rolling stock and 27·7bn roubles covering 30 years of maintenance. Deliveries are expected between 2017 and 2019. The tender specifies that at least 70% of components must be produced ...
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NewsTfL seeks contractor to build Barking Riverside extension
UK: Transport for London has invited expressions of interest in the contract to build a 4·5 km extension of the Gospel Oak – Barking line to the Barking Riverside development area of east London. The extension would run alongside the existing London Fenchurch Street – Tilbury line between Barking station ...
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NewsTianjin Line 6 opens
CHINA: August 6 saw the opening of the first new metro line in Tianjin since 2012, with the entry into revenue service of Line 6. The initial north-south section serves eight stations between Changhong Gonyuan and Nancuiping. Interchange is provided with Line 2 at Changhong Gonyuan and with Line ...
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NewsBangkok Purple Line enters service
THAILAND: Princess Sirindhorn opened Bangkok’s Purple Line on August 6. Built by Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand with the support of Japanese yen loans, the line is expected to carry 200 000 passengers a day initially, rising to 400 000 in 2019. The 23 km elevated alignment from ...
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NewsRail freight news in brief
On August 3 Pershing Square Capital Management announced the commencement of a public offering for its 9 840 890 Canadian Pacific common shares. JP Morgan, Credit Suisse and Bank of America Merrill Lynch are acting as underwriters. On the closing of the sale, funds managed by Pershing Square would not ...
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NewsIndian delegation inspects Great Western electrification project
INDIA: As part of a visit to the UK, a delegation from India’s Ministry of Railways asked to see infrastructure manager Network Rail’s Electrification Training Centre in Swindon to investigate how the techniques being used on the Great Western Electrification Project could be implemented on railway and metro programmes in ...
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NewsWhither the train crew?
How many people does it take to run a train? The answer, of course, depends on the type of train, the location, and whether you include staff on and off the vehicles. But the question is constantly being asked by both freight and passenger operators. A heated debate is underway ...
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NewsCarbon fibre reinforced plastic bogies on test
JAPAN: A Series 7200 two-car electric multiple-unit has been fitted with four of Kawasaki’s Environmentally Friendly Weight-saving Innovative New Generation bogies for trials on JR Shikoku’s Yosan and Dosan lines. The efWING bogie design replaces some of the steel parts with high-strength lightweight carbon fibre reinforced plastic, and incorporates bow ...
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NewsFeature articles in the August 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 Whither the train crew? News Main Line Urban Rail Market Industry Innovations Pointers Analysis ...