All News articles – Page 143
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News
Madrid completes metro extensions
THE OPENING of the 3·1 km extension of Line 1 from Congosto to Valdecarros on May 16 at a cost of €257·6m marked completion of the metro projects contained within Madrid's 2003-07 expansion plan, which has seen 90 km of routes built at a cost of €4·4bn. With regional government ...
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NewsInfrastructure research
A THREE-YEAR research programme into Track-Train System Availability was officially launched at Eurotunnel's Coquelles terminal on April 26. Eurotunnel is working with I-Trans, RFF, Corus, Sculfort and other industry and academic partners to develop and test new products and analysis systems, with a particular focus on improving track quality and ...
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Slow progress with ETCS
THE OPENING of the Lötschberg base tunnel (p328) and the Betuwe Route will add two more entries to the steadily-growing list of routes equipped with the European Train Control System. This month is also due to see the start of Level 1 operation in Luxembourg. But as EU Co-ordinator Karel ...
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Dual-mode locomotive joint order
A REQUEST for proposals has been issued by New Jersey Transit and Montréal's Agence Métropolitaine de Transport for joint procurement of up to 70 dual-mode diesel/AC electric locomotives for commuter rail services. Specifications were drawn up by engineering consultancy STV and include the ability to work in push-pull mode ...
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Budapest Flirt depot inaugurated
STADLER inaugurated a €9·6m maintenance facility at Pusztaszabolcs to the southwest of Budapest last month. The depot will eventually employ around 100 people, who will be responsible for maintaining 30 Flirt EMUs being supplied to state rail operator MÁV for use on services from Budapest to Tatabánya, Székesfehérvár and Pusztaszabolcs ...
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ECP brakes for Pilbara
Following news that electronically-controlled pneumatic brakes are to be tested in revenue service by Norfolk Southern and BNSF (RG 5.07 p248), New York Air Brake has won a contract to supply similar equipment to Fortescue Metals Group in Australia. The ECP brakes are to be deployed on Fortescue's planned iron ...
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Into the blue
LAST MONTH South Africa's state-owned transport holding companmy Transnet invited expressions of interest for the privatisation of its luxury Blue Train. Transnet CEO Maria Ramos says she is looking for an investor with 'a vision for the business, and not necessarily one with rail experience'. Prospective buyers are required to ...
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Industry News in Brief
Minsk Railway Carriage Repair Works has formed a new production unit with the capacity to assemble up to 60 coaches a year. The plant is currently completing work on its first accessible coach with an electric wheelchair lift for Belarusian Railway, as well as a prototype air-conditioned vehicle.As part of ...
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Serco supports lease fleet data
ROLLING stock leasing firms HSBC Rail and Angel Trains have awarded Serco Assurance two data management contracts totalling £250 000. Under the first contract Serco will manage asset data and documents supporting the overhaul and maintenance of HSBC Rail's UK leasing fleets. In the second contract, Angel Trains has ...
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Swiss accreditation
DURING April the Swiss Accreditation Service approved Sconrail as a product certification and inspection body for the rail industry. Sconrail was founded in February 2006 as joint venture of Prose, Enotrac and TÜV Rheinland Intertraffic. Based in Winterthur, the company plans to become a notified body as soon as Swiss ...
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Green risk to residual value?
THIS MONTH German organisation Allianz Pro Schiene will unveil a project to develop a tool which will assist banks and other financial institutions in analysing the long-term risks associated with changing environmental rules governing rail vehicles. The project is being funded by the German Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation & ...
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Sales increase at Faiveley
FAIVELEY recorded net sales of €619·3m for the year to March 31 2007, in line with company's forecasts and up 8·9% on the €568·9m reported for 2005. Adjusting the figures to reflect changes to the group structure in the past year gives an increase of 7·4%, or 7·7% at ...
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Profits growing at Movares
MOVARES has reported consolidated operating revenue of €142m for 2006, slightly up on the 2005 figure of €140·8m. Pre-tax profit totalled €6·8m, up from €6·2m and demonstrating that new business is being found to replace the work on the Betuwe Route and HSL-Zuid which is now coming to an end. ...
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Wagon maintenance take-over
WATCO Companies announced the take-over of Millennium Rail Inc on May 1, with the rolling stock maintenance and repair business becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Pittsburg, Kansas, based shortline operator and loco maintenance group. MRI has eight workshops in the USA, where it undertakes general repairs and speciality wagon ...
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Market June 2007
Brazil: CVRD has ordered a 96-stone rail grinder from Harsco Track Technologies for the 1 600 mm gauge Carajás iron ore line. The deal includes two years of training and support after delivery early next year. China: On May 21 the Ministry of Railways and Harsco Track Technologies signed two ...
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Metros June 2007
France: Test running of Alstom Citadis trams began on the first phase of Nice tram Line 1 in early May. Opening of the 8·7 km line between Pont-Michel and Comte-de-Falicon is planned for September. Hungary: On May 4 Siemens delivered the last of 40 Combino Plus 54 m long trams ...
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Protectionist instinct dies hard
AS WE HAVE reported, rail freight traffic through the Channel Tunnel has fallen sharply since the end of the Minimum Usage Charge agreement between Eurotunnel and the British and French governments on November 31 2006. One shipper still using the route revealed last month that SNCF had announced an ...
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Fortress buys Florida East Coast
FLORIDA EAST COAST Industries announced on May 8 that it had agreed a $3·5bn merger with the private equity Fortress Investment Group, which recently acquired RailAmerica. Unanimously approved by the FECI board, the deal is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2007. The 565 km Florida East ...
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Philippine Main Line South upgrade
WORK IS expected to start this month on upgrading of a 60 km section of Philippine National Railways' Main Line South, permitting the expansion of suburban services to the south of Manila.PNR General Manager Jose Maria Sarasola announced on May 2 that track strengthening, bridge reconstruction, station works and the ...
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Israeli national resignalling
ISRAEL Railways suspended all train services on May 11-12 to permit the commissioning of a new national signalling and train control system.ISR has adopted the Command 900 Safe Desk technology supplied by Thales from Germany. Formerly marketed by Alcatel as NetTrac 6653, this is a vital remote control system for ...