News – Page 651
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NewsCanberra light rail contract signed
AUSTRALIA: The Australian Capital Territory government and Canberra Metro consortium signed the PPP contract for the first phase of the Canberra light rail project on May 17. Financial close is expected in the coming weeks, with the value of around A$710m still to be finalised. Canberra Metro ...
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NewsAndroid Pay for pay-as-you-go travel in London
UK: Transport for London announced it had become ‘the first transport organisation in the world to accept Android Pay as a method of ticketing’ with the UK launch of Android Pay on May 18. Passengers can use the Android Pay app on mobile devices to travel on London Underground, bus, ...
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NewsZürich orders 70 Flexity 2 trams
SWITZERLAND: The Transport Council of Canton Zürich and the Zürich City Council have approved the order of 70 trams from Bombardier, operator VBZ announced on May 17. The contract is worth SFr358m including spare parts, depot equipment and driver training. The first Flexity Zürich is due to arrive in ...
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NewsShanghai Metro chooses Alstom
CHINA: The Shanghai Alstom Transport Co joint venture of Shanghai Rail Traffic Equipment Development Co (60%) and Alstom (40%) is to supply 198 metro cars to operate on Shanghai metro Line 5 when an extension opens next year. Traction equipment is to be supplied by the Shanghai Alstom Transport Electrical ...
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NewsChina considers lowering metro threshold
CHINA: The government is considering lowering the threshold at which cities become eligible to develop urban rail projects from 3 million inhabitants to 1·5 million. This could result in additional investment of 1tr yuan, according to China Academy of Urban Planning & Design Vice-President Li Xun. The government is ...
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NewsIranian cities seek 4 000 metro cars
IRAN: To cope with rising road congestion, air pollution and the need for urban mobility, Iranian cities are expected to call tenders for at least 4 000 metro cars by 2025, Industry Minister Mohammadreza Nematzadeh told the inaugural Oil Rail Ports conference held in Tehran on May 15-16. With ...
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NewsMontréal commuter fleet depot inaugurated
CANADA: The Lachine Maintenance Centre which will maintain the locomotives and rolling stock used on the Candiac, Saint-Jérôme and Vaudreuil-Hudson commuter routes was formally inaugurated by Montréal transport agency AMT on May 13. The 14 ha facility on the site of the former Sortin yard has stabling ...
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NewsMontréal commuter fleet depot inaugurated
CANADA: The Lachine Maintenance Centre which will maintain the locomotives and rolling stock used on the Candiac, Saint-Jérôme and Vaudreuil-Hudson commuter routes was formally inaugurated by Montréal transport agency AMT on May 13. The 14 ha facility on the site of the former Sortin yard has stabling for 13 trainsets, ...
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NewsMobility Directorate to raise Indian Railways speeds
INDIA: Following Minster of Railways Suresh Prabhu’s budget speech in February which set out plans for the creation of ‘cross-functional’ directorates, the Ministry of Railways has announced plans to form a Mobility Directorate at the Rail Bhawan headquarters in New Delhi. The new directorate’s focus would be on identifying and ...
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NewsAlstom to build £25m UK services facility and transport academy
UK: Alstom announced on May 17 that Halton Borough Council had granted planning permission for a £25m Technology Centre planned for a 12 ha site at Widnes in northwest England. This will enable construction to begin this year. The site would support Alstom’s activities in the services market, carrying ...
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NewsProgress Rail Services acquires Inspired Systems
AUSTRALIA: Progress Rail Services has acquired Inspired Systems, a Perth-based company with a facility in Port Hedland which supplies railway asset protection and condition-based monitoring systems. These compile data to identify problems in real time, and also monitor general utilisation and maintenance needs. ‘We’ve collaborated with Inspired since 2010, and ...
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NewsLea Bridge station reopens
UK: Lea Bridge station on the Lea Valley line in northeast London was ceremonially reopened on May 16, following 31 years of closure. The first public services had called at the station on the evening of May 15. The reopening was led by Waltham Forest Council which provided £5m, with ...
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News
Iranian opportunities targeted by suppliers from east and west
IRAN: International players are targeting emerging opportunities as the Iranian market opens up to greater international participation. Kazakh national railway KTZ has a number of industrial subsidiaries involved in a range of supply activities, including the production of rolling stock derived from international designs. Through its Tulpar-Talgo joint venture with ...
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NewsLusail light rail project management contract awarded
QATAR: Qatar Rail has awarded a four-year, 151·6m riyal project management contract for the Lusail light rail network to a joint venture of Hill International, Italferr and ASTAD Project Management. Hill has a 50% stake in the joint venture. The 38·5 km network of four lines will have 32 ...
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NewsEuropean Commission investigates Wabtec's planned acquisition of Faiveley
EUROPE: Having been formally notified of the proposed transaction on April 4, the European Commission confirmed on May 12 that it would undertake an in-depth investigation into whether the planned US$1·8bn acquisition of Faiveley Transport by Wabtec of the USA is in line with the EU Merger Regulation. The ...
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NewsLight rail extension opens in Stuttgart
GERMANY: A new section of the Stuttgart light rail network was inaugurated on May 13 by Lord Mayor Fritz Kuhn, when Line U12 was extended from Wallgraben to Dürrlewang in the southwest of the city. Construction of the 1·1 km branch started in April 2013. There is an intermediate ...
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NewsFirst refurbished Budapest metro train delivered
HUNGARY: Budapest transport authority BKV took delivery of the first six-car metro trainset to be refurbished by Metrowagonmash on May 11. The Transmashholding subsidiary was selected in July 2015 to refurbish 185 Type 81-717/714 cars, 10 Type 81-717/714-2M cars and 27 Type Ev3 cars. Work is due to be ...
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NewsSécheron Hasler Group acquires majority stake in Saira Electronics
EUROPE: Swiss-based Sécheron Hasler Group has extended its product portfolio into the train control, monitoring & communication and energy metering sectors with the acquisition of a 60% stake in Saira Electronics. Announcing the acquisition on May 9, Sécheron Hasler Group said it will gain access to products for passenger information ...
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NewsMaps for all installed at stations
UK: All 11 stations managed by Virgin Trains East Coast are being equipped with ‘maps for all’ which were developed with the Royal National Institute of Blind People and can be be read by touch or sight. The maps provide information such as the location of platforms, toilets, shops and ...
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NewsWorld rolling stock market May 2016
Australia: Alstom has awarded Faiveley contracts worth more than €10m to supply doors and braking systems for the 22 six-car Metropolis trainsets on order for the Sydney metro. Austria: Stadler has delivered a second 15 km/h 18 tonne diesel locomotive to increase capacity on the metre-gauge SchafbergBahn rack railway. ...