News – Page 666
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NewsSofia metro Line 3 contract finalised
BULGARIA: The contract to supply rolling stock and signalling for Sofia metro Line 3 came into effect on March 15 with the confirmation of 70% EU funding. Sofia Metropoliten placed the €140m order with a consortium of Siemens and Newag in September. The scope covers 20 three-car trainsets and ...
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NewsTrain maintenance robot funding
UK: Funding has been allocated for academic studies into the feasibility of using robots and autonomous systems to undertake ‘dangerous, difficult, dirty and dull’ rolling stock maintenance tasks. Industry safety organisation RSSB has selected four projects to share £250 000 under the Application of Robotics & Autonomous Systems to ...
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NewsMelbourne high capacity train order increased
AUSTRALIA: Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan announced on March 15 that the state government has increased its planned order of High Capacity Metro Trains to 65. Tendering for the supply and maintenance of 37 seven-car 1 600 mm gauge electric multiple-units to operate ...
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NewsEurostar passenger numbers steady but profit down
EUROPE: Cross-Channel high speed train operator Eurostar reports that it carried 10·4 million passengers in 2015, the same total as 2014. Sales revenue was impacted by the strength of sterling, being flat year-on-year at constant exchange rates but down 5% at actual exchange rates from £867m in 2014 to ...
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NewsKanpur metro approved
INDIA: On March 14 the Uttar Pradesh government approved the detailed project report for the Kanpur metro, prepared by RITES. The cabinet is to forward the report to the central government in order to seek funding from federal sources and foreign institutions. Two standard-gauge lines are proposed. Line 1 ...
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NewsTrainline buys Captain Train
EUROPE: UK-based ticket retailer Trainline announced its acquisition of booking platform and mobile app developer Captain Train on March 14. Trainline said this would ‘combine two of Europe’s leading digital rail ticket retailers to create the new leader in the European market’, covering 36 operators in 22 countries. ...
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NewsTrains ordered for Busan metro Line 1
SOUTH KOREA: Hyundai Rotem is to supply 40 trainsets to Busan metro Line 1, the company announced on March 14. The 52·8bn won order is intended to replace the ageing fleet that has been in service since 1985-86. To be built in Changwon, the standard-gauge trains will be equipped ...
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NewsStefano Siragusa
Previously Managing Director of signalling supplier Ansaldo STS, Stefano Siragusa has joined Milano automated metro concessionaire Metro 5 SpA as President.
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NewsBözberg Tunnel groundbreaking
SWITZERLAND: A groundbreaking ceremony held at Schinznach-Dorf on March 9 launched construction of the 2·7 km new Bözberg Tunnel, the biggest single element of the project to increase clearances to 4 m to accommodate semitrailers on the Gotthard corridor between Bern and Italy. The new double-track bore is being built ...
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NewsMonorail factory groundbreaking
BRAZIL: Malaysian company Scomi Engineering held a groundbreaking ceremony for its monorail factory in Taubaté on March 12. The R$50m plant is being developed on a 98 000 m2 site between the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The factory will be modelled on Scomi’s plant in Kuala ...
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NewsGmunden inaugurates Tramlink vehicles
AUSTRIA: Local transport operator Stern & Hafferl inaugurated its first three Tramlink V3 light rail vehicles on March 12. Stern & Hafferl signed a €30m order with Vossloh Rail Vehicles, now Stadler Rail Valencia, for 11 LRVs in January 2014. They are being built in Valencia, with electrical systems ...
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NewsTyne & Wear Metro operating contract to end pending new train deal
UK: Transport authority Nexus announced on March 14 that it had recommended that the North East Combined Authority not take up an option for a two-year extension of DB Regio’s contract to operate Tyne & Wear Metro services. Subject to combined authority approval, train operations and station management on ...
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NewsLaurent Bouyer
Bombardier Transportation has named Laurent Bouyer as President of its French business. He retains his existing role as Head of Continental Projects for western Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
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NewsBelfast Transport Hub planning underway
UK: Northern Ireland public transport agency Translink is developing plans for an extensive redevelopment of Belfast Great Victoria Street station and the adjacent bus station to form an integrated Belfast Transport Hub with rail, bus, cycle, taxi and car facilities. The current rail and bus stations handle seven million passengers/year, ...
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NewsVenezia airport rail link agreement
ITALY: Timescales for the construction of a rail link to Venezia’s Marco Polo airport were set out in a memorandum of understanding signed by RFI and airport management company SAVE on March 9 The project would require 12 km of new alignment. This would diverge from the existing Venezia – ...
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NewsYellow front ends become optional
UK: A new Railway Group Standard covering audibility and visibility came into force on March 5, removing the requirement for trains on the national network to have yellow front ends. Industry safety body RSSB said headlamp technology had improved since the requirement for a yellow panel was introduced the 1950s, ...
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NewsIsabel Dedring
Currently London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, Isabel Dedring is to join Arup on March 21 as its Global Transport Leader.
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NewsTransdev orders Coradia Lint DMUs for Augsburg
GERMANY: Transdev has placed a €115m order for 28 Alstom Coradia Lint diesel multiple-units which its Bayerische Regiobahn subsidiary is to use from December 2018 on Dieselnetz Augsburg I services from Augsburg to Landsberg and Füssen and from München to Füssen. The order announced by Alstom on March 11 ...
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NewsLausanne – Renens tram route approved
SWITZERLAND: Lausanne public transport operator TL announced on March 10 that the Federal Office of Transport had granted approval for the construction of the first phase of tram route T1 from Lausanne-Flon to Renens-Gare. A public inquiry had been launched in June 2012 to consider plans for the new ...
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NewsMyanma Railways orders Indian locomotives
MYANMAR: Indian Railways subsidiary Rites is to supply 18 metre-gauge locomotives to Myanma Railways. The 1 350 hp diesel-electrics for use on passenger and freight services are to be manufactured by the Diesel Locomotive Works at Varanasi, and will have microprocessor controls, fuel-efficient engines and an ergonomic cab design. ...