News – Page 669
-
NewsMaryland Purple Line PPP contractor selected
USA: Maryland Department of Transportation has selected the Purple Line Transit Partners consortium of Meridiam (70%), Fluor Enterprises (15%) and Star America (15%) as preferred bidder for the 25·7 km Purple Line light rail line serving the northern suburbs of Washington DC. The PPP contract for ...
-
NewsSingapore sovereign wealth fund takes stake in Railpool
RAILPOOL: Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC has taken a 49% stake in München-based electric locomotive leasing company Railpool, joining funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management. Railpool is ‘a high quality business with a strong track record and a proven business model’, said Stuart Baldwin, Head of Infrastructure at GIC. Founded ...
-
NewsPesa to develop metro train
PESA: Polish rolling stock manufacturer Pesa has announced that it is to develop a metro train design with the aid of a 24m złoty grant from the National Centre for Research & Development. The ‘energy-saving metro with a higher level of comfort and safety’ project was awarded a grant for ...
-
NewsRegional bidding dropped under NS reform plan
NETHERLANDS: National passenger operator NS announced a programme of structural reforms for 2016-19 on March 1, saying its primary future focus would be on the designated core rail network. NS will no longer bid to operate local services under contracts tendered by the provinces, and the Qbuzz rail and bus ...
-
NewsParis metro hackathon
FRANCE: Alstom and programming school Ecole 42 are organising a ‘connected metro’ hackathon in Paris on March 17-18. Students will have 48 h to develop a vision for how the Paris metro would look in 2030 by creating mobile applications, services, Internet of Things applications and APIs offering ‘connected ...
-
NewsSyntus orders Flirts for Zwolle services
NETHERLANDS: Stadler Rail is to supply Syntus with 16 Flirt3 electric multiple-units for use on the services from Zwolle to Kampen and Enschede which the Keolis subsidiary is to operate from December 2017. The €125m contract announced by Stadler on March 2 covers the delivery of nine three-car and ...
-
NewsKochi metro begins test running
INDIA: The first test run of the Kochi metro took place on February 27, on a 1 km section between Muttom Yard depot and Kalamassery at speeds of up to 10 km/h. Two crew and technical assistants were on board. Project manager Delhi Metro Rail Corp is ...
-
NewsBuilt awarded Flinders Street station contract
AUSTRALIA: Built Pty Ltd has been awarded a contract to refurbish the historic administration building at Melbourne’s Flinders Street station, Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan announced on March 1. The work will include repairing the leaking roof, restoring the ‘crumbling’ façade and re-painting ...
-
NewsAccenture to support Madrid’s Digital Metro Station project
SPAIN: Metro de Madrid has appointed Accenture to support the design of a ‘Digital Metro Station’ model for the control and management of station technology such as security and passenger information systems. The project aims to define an open and scalable architecture to support future expansion and Internet of ...
-
NewsRovos Rail buys Shongololo Express
SOUTH AFRICA: Luxury cruise train operator Rovos Rail has completed the purchase of the Shongololo Express, taking over 19 coaches and agreeing to employ all of the staff. Shongololo Express operates three routes from Pretoria, with the Southern Cross to Victoria Falls and Dune Express to Swakopmund ...
-
NewsIzy budget Paris – Brussels train service to offer €10 standing tickets
EUROPE: Plans to launch a low-cost train service between Paris Nord and Brussels Midi were revealed by high speed operator Thalys on March 1. Branded Izy, it is due to launch on April 3 using Thalys staff and two green and purple liveried trainsets. Izy will operate on conventional rather ...
-
NewsDB Schenker Rail rebrands as DB Cargo
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn's rail freight business DB Schenker Rail AG was renamed DB Cargo AG with effect from March 1. All DB Schenker Rail companies in Germany and elsewhere are to be rebranded by the end of 2016. DB's passenger and rail freight transport business units were combined into ...
-
NewsBelgian ETCS Level 2 pilot line to be ready this year
BELGIUM: The first of three pilot projects to prepare for the implementation of ETCS Level 2 across the national network is due to be ready later this year, according to Infrabel project director Yves Werner. Three sections of line are being used to test different applications of Level 2 as ...
-
NewsRicardo completes Lloyd’s Register Rail acquisition
RICARDO: On March 1 engineering and consulting company Ricardo plc announced that it had completed the acquisition of Lloyd’s Register Rail, following Chinese government approval for the transfer of a small joint venture owned by Lloyd’s Register Group and China Classification Society. Ricardo had announced an agreement to acquire the ...
-
NewsTesting resumes on LGV Est
FRANCE: Dynamic trials on the second section of LGV Est-Européene between Baudrecourt and Vendenheim resumed on February 29. Testing of track, electrification, signalling and radio systems on the high speed line is being carried out under stricter safety procedures introduced following the fatal accident at Eckwersheim on November 14 2015. ...
-
NewsHigh-capacity cement wagons unveiled
UK: The first of a fleet of 48 wagons built by Feldbinder for Hope Construction Materials was unveiled at the company’s cement works at Hope in Derbyshire on February 26 by Transport Minister Andrew Jones. Half of the wagons are now in service, and the rest are expected to arrive ...
-
NewsMobile ticketing launches in Houston
USA: Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County launched a mobile ticketing app for light rail and buses in Houston on February 29. Developed by GlobeSherpa, part of the RideScout group, the Q-Mobile Ticketing app allows passengers to pay for tickets by debit card, credit card or PayPal. A ticket ...
-
NewsSecond Luxembourg – Bettembourg line approved
LUXEMBOURG: The government approved plans for the construction of a new line between the capital and Bettembourg on February 26, authorising the route and compensation measures for those affected by the project. The €292m scheme involves the construction of a 7 km double-track electrified alignment, which would leave the existing ...
-
NewsBangkok monorail lines approved
THAILAND: The government’s Public-Private Partnership Policy Committee approved in principle the Pink and Yellow monorail lines planned for Bangkok on February 29. The 34·5 km Pink Line, running from Khai Rai to Minburi, is estimated to cost 56·7bn baht to build. The Yellow Line would link Ladprao with Samrong ...
-
NewsDelhi Metro launches experimental freight service
INDIA: Delhi Metro Rail Corp launched an experimental freight service on the Airport Express Line on March 1, making use of the secure luggage van on AEL trains to carry non-perishable and e-commerce goods. DMRC said this is the first time an Indian metro has been used for freight ...