All News articles – Page 156
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News
Change needed
Sir - I thought there were some valid points in ’Policy changes are urgently needed in Eastern Europe’ (RG 11.06 p697). However, a few pages later the headline ’Weibel’s last task’ (RG11.06 p710) sounded almost mournful, and underlines the urgent need for policy changes in Western Europe also. Despite ...
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Open and shut case
TEETHING TROUBLES continue to afflict the RandstadRail network in Den Haag.Delays in installing the train control system put back the planned opening on September 3, but a provisional metro service between Rotterdam Hofplein and Nootdorp began on September 10. HTM started light rail route 4 between Zoetermeer Javalaan and Monstersestraat ...
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Manila capacity expanded
ON DECEMBER 10 Philippines President Gloria Arroyo and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe formally inaugurated the first of 12 new four-car trains being supplied as part of a 8?9bn pesos upgrade of Manila light rail Line 1.After cutting a ribbon at Pasay depot, the VIPs took a ride in one ...
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Coal branch planned
BOTSWANA RAILWAYS CEO Andrew Lunga announced on November 17 that the railway is planning to build a rail connection from Erasmus on its main line to serve the Mmamabula coalfield, which is being developed by Toronto-based CIC Energy Corp and its local subsidiary Meepong Resources.Construction of the new line is ...
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Saudi Binladen Group wins North-South Railway work
SAUDI Binladen Group confirmed on November 27 that it had been awarded the main construction contract for Saudi Arabia's 2 000 km north-south mineral railway, which is due to be completed by 2011. Eight consortia submitted bids for the work tendered by the Public Investment Fund, which is part of ...
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Barrot tackles cross-acceptance red tape
A SERIES of measures to support the revitalisation of the railway sector’ was announced by European Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot on December 13.Insisting that ’we need to streamline and reduce the amount of rules that railway undertakings have to comply with before they are allowed to use the railway networks ...
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Carex backs Cargo TGVs
THE PROSPECT of high speed freight trains linking France and neighbouring countries took a step forward on December 8 with publication of a feasibility study by Cargo Rail Express. Carex brings together representatives from Air France, Aeroports de Paris, La Poste, the French government and local authorities with FedEx, TNT ...
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Ministers back multimodal service
ANNOUNCING THE results of a joint study on December 4, French Transport Minister Dominique Perben and Minister for Environment & Sustainable Development Nelly Olin backed rail and maritime development in the Rh?ne valley and the ’Langeudoc arc’, rejecting plans to expand the A7 and A9 motorways.The ministers expect to launch ...
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Ayalon quadrupling
ISRAEL’S TRANSPORT ministry has asked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to define as a project of national importance a US$465m plan to quadruple the Ayalon Corridor cross-city rail link through Tel Aviv.The third track on the 22?km route between University and Lod is due to enter service on January 1, adding ...
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Phoenix LRVs arrive
PHOENIX LIGHT rail promoter Valley Metro Rail took delivery of the first of 50 low-floor LRVs from Kinki Sharyo on December 5. The 27?4?m long vehicles are being shipped to Phoenix from the Japanese manufacturer’s Osaka plant for final assembly at Metro’s facility near Sky Harbor Airport.Three vehicles are due ...
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Arosa Coaster
GUESTS at the Grand Hotel Tschuggen in the Swiss town of Arosa will shortly be able to travel on the first production version of Mountain Coaster, an automated peoplemover supplied by Austrian firm Coaster AG.Coaster has operated a 300?m test track since 2002, demonstrating that the central rack rail allows ...
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Creditors approve Eurotunnel debt restructuring
CRUCIAL VOTES which took place on November 27 and December 14 have secured approval from a majority of investors holding Eurotunnel’s ?6?2bn of loans, bonds and other debt to a Safeguard Restructuring Plan put forward by the Channel Tunnel operator on October 26. This would see ?3?36bn written off by ...
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Reform is not the answer
ZIMBABWE: ’The Zimbabwe railway continues to be critical for the growth of regional and international trade’, reports the World Bank following a recent study of the country’s transport infrastructure. At the centre of international routes linking the DRC and Zambia with Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa, National Railways of Zimbabwe ...
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Ottawa off again
FOLLOWING AN emotional debate, Ottawa city council voted 13:11 on December 14 to scrap its 29?7?km north-south light rail scheme, risking a legal challenge by the Ottawa LRT Corp consortium.The council had approved the C$880m link between Barrhaven and the University of Ottawa on July 12, and signed a DBOM ...
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Renfe must break even by 2010
UNDER THE terms of a 2006-10 contract-programme signed with the government on November 28, Spanish national operator Renfe has been set the challenge of ensuring that all of its divisions are breaking even within five years. From 2010 it is intended that Renfe will sign separate agreements with local authorities ...
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Railway Directory 2007
TRACKING the twists and turns of the world railway industry month after month remains a constant challenge. One publication that we find invaluable in this task is Railway Directory. This month sees the publication of the 112th edition, with more than 4 000 entries covering railway, metro and light rail ...
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Market January 2007
Argentina: Tenders are to be called for the supply of four locomotives and 100 wagons for the Río Turbio - Río Gallegos route operated by mining company YCRT, and the refurbishment of 190 existing wagons. This follows the award of a 108·2m pesos track renewals contract (RG 2.06 p65) which ...
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Metros January 2007
Canada: Greater Vancouver transport authority TransLink has awarded Bombardier a US$99m contract for 34 MkII SkyTrain light metro cars, with options for a further 38 cars totalling US$92m. The linear induction trainsets will be manufactured in Sahagun, Mexico, and assembled in Thunder Bay for delivery in the first half of ...
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Pointers January 2007
Responsible for developing transport infrastructure in El Salvador, port authority CEPA has presented the legislative assembly with a pilot scheme for reviving the national rail network. Commuter services could be introduced this year over the 12·5 km between San Salvador and Apopa, requiring investment of 208 000 colones in track ...