All News articles – Page 119
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NewsCapacity challenge triggers £10bn investment surge
As Network Rail's 10-year West Coast Route Modernisation nears completion, Richard Hope explains why the UK government is signing up to a big increase in infrastructure projects targeted at accommodating unprecedented growth in passenger traffic alongside an expanding role for freight in cutting CO2 emissions
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Short line upgrades
CANADA: Transport Canada and the government of Québec announced on February 1 the award of grants to co-finance renewal and upgrading work on nine short line and regional railways over the next five years. The federal and provincial governments had announced a framework agreement in July 2007 for a package ...
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Jungfrau fast link
Swiss mountain railway operator Jungfraubahnen has appointed Bern civil engineering consultancy IUB to look into the feasibility of building a funicular or fast lift between the Lauter-brunnen Valley and Jungfraujoch station, situated 3 454 m above sea level near the summit of the famous mountain. Passengers would use the existing ...
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More Spanish stock for Argentina
ARGENTINA: Under the terms of a co-operation agreement signed in July 2004, the RENFE board has approved the sale of a further 416 locomotives and passenger vehicles to the government of Argentina for €120m. During 2008, the Spanish national operator will supply 105 surplus vehicles, followed by 140 in 2008-09 ...
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News in Brief
Tshiuetin Rail Transportation of Canada is to receive up to C$12m of federal funds to continue passenger services providing the only surface transport between Sept-îles and Schefferville in northern Québec. The funding runs to the end of 2009. On January 29 Network Rail signed an agreement granting freight operator First ...
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Middle East plans
GULF: Ambitious proposals to build urban rail networks have been unveiled by authorities in Doha and Kuwait City. Both projects are intended to complement existing plans for a network of main lines and suburban routes across the Gulf states (RG 12.07 p756). A 140 km light rail network has ...
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Saudi bidding hots up
SAUDI ARABIA: Four consortia have been invited to submit final bids this month for a 50-year BOT concession to design, build and operate the 444 km Western Railway high speed line linking Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah. Six of the seven groups that submitted prequalification bids in 2006 were shortlisted in ...
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Infrarail 2008 focuses on signalling
THE SEVENTH Infrarail exhibition takes place from March 11-13 at a new venue, the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, with signalling and train control technology at the heart of this year's show. The confirmation in last year's UK rail white paper that a number of major enhancement projects are to ...
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Infrarail 2008: Making light work of lifting
HARSCO Track Technologies will be presenting two of its latest products at Infrarail. The Permaquip Lightweight Ironman is designed to be used singly or in pairs for lifting and moving sections of rail or switch and crossing components. It can be used to access areas between the rails or to ...
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Infrarail 2008: Thermal imaging evolution
FLIR Systems has updated its range of thermal imaging cameras aimed at specialist users within the rail sector. Designed for a frequent user of infrared, the ThermaCAM T-Series has a number of features designed to accelerate the thermal imaging process. The T-Series integrates visual and thermal imaging and the design ...
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Infrarail 2008: Opening the right doors
SAFETY system specialist Hima-Sella is to reveal the next generation of its Tracklink product at Infrarail 2008. The Tracklink technology has been widely used to implement selective door opening. Network Rail signed a contract in January worth £130 000 to fit Tracklink II technology as part of the Thameslink upgrade ...
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Infrarail 2008: Coded signals
BOMBARDIER is to unveil its EBI Track 400 jointless coded track circuit at Infrarail 2008. The circuit, designed to meet the specific needs of the UK market, uses multi-bit coded telegrams to ensure immunity from traction interference. Bombardier has worked with satellite communication specialists to develop a coding and modulation ...
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ACTS restructures
INDEPENDENT freight operator ACTS Nederland was restructured on January 1 to create three separate business units, covering wagon leasing, maintenance and traction activities. RailMotion AG was established in Basel to take over the fleet of 309 wagons. The maintenance service unit is now The Rail Factory BV, and will undertake ...
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Loco roll-out
USA: Pennsylvania-based mining and industrial locomotive builder Brookville Equipment Corp has unveiled the first of 16 BL20GH diesels it is supplying for freight and commuter services in the New York area. Six are for Connecticut Department of Transportation, six for Metro North and four for use on Staten Island. The ...
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Rolling stock market
Angola: Through Rites India's Integral Coach Factory has supplied two 1 067 mm gauge six-car DMUs, and three self-propelled accident response vehicles. Australia: In January Fortescue Metals placed an order for a further 160 iron ore wagons with China South. 816 were supplied under a previous order. Austria: Wiener Lokalbahnen ...
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HighJet to compete with Czech Pendolinos
CZECH REPUBLIC: Student Agency has announced plans to launch a privately-operated Praha - Ostrava inter-city service by 2011. SA intends to purchase six electric trainsets from Siemens or Stadler for KC2bn, according to Chairman Radim Jancura. Branded HighJet, the yellow-liveried trains will run in direct competition with Czech Railways' flagship ...
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Union Pacific boosts spending
USA: Union Pacific announced on February 1 that its board had approved a capital investment budget of $3·1bn for 2008. Of this, no less than $1·6bn will go on maintenance and upgrading of infrastructure, plus a further $840m to increase network and terminal capacity. UP plans to invest $490m on ...
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Birmingham New Street station rebuild funded
UK: Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly announced on February 12 that the Birmingham Gateway project to reconstruct the city's New Street station had obtained the funding needed to proceed. Work is planned to start in 2009 for completion by 2014. The Department for Transport will contribute £288m; another £100m will come ...
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Indian Railways invests
INDIA: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh officiated at a ceremony in Jhabua on February 8 to lay the foundation stone for two new railways serving the western part of Madhya Pradesh. Joined by the state's Governor Balram Jakhar and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Prime Minister inaugurated work on ...
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NewsHeavy haul developments
AUSTRALIA: Fortescue Metals subsidiary The Pilbara Infrastructure has lodged an application with Australia's National Competition Council seeking access to Rio Tinto's Robe River heavy haul line. TPI is seeking to operate trains over 210 km of track between Mesa J and Cape Lambert, with a view to enabling third parties ...