All News articles – Page 205
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News
Integrated plan
THEDUTCH province of Zuid Holland is to take over responsibility for passenger services on the 49 km route between Dordrecht and Geldermalsen from January 2007.The provincial government intends to call tenders for an integrated concession covering train and local bus services. It has earmarked €7m for new halts, and €15m ...
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Southern train hot spots
BROADBAND internet access is to be provided on trains between London and Brighton under an agreement between train operator Southern and T-Mobile.One three-car Class 377 Electrostar EMU has been equipped so far, and broadband is initially being offered on six trains each way per day. The technology will be rolled ...
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Grasse reopens
ON MARCH 21 French Transport Secretary François Goulard and RFF President Jean-Pierre Duport marked the reopening of the Cannes - Grasse line after 60 years.Although passenger services were suspended in spring 1944, the branch continued to see a daily freight train. Reopening to passengers was approved by the région of ...
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Ring line funded
ON APRIL 4 København City Council announced a €600m funding boost for the Danish capital’s planned metro ring line. The money will come from the recently-completed sale of the municipal power company København Energi to Dansk Olje & Naturgas, which raised €1·5bn.Plans for the 14 km Ring line were unveiled ...
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Freight for sale
TENDERS are due to be invited this month for the sale of Slovak Railways’ freight operations, which have been valued at between KS15bn and KS20bn.The transport ministry’s proposal to sell the business was formally approved by the Slovakian government on April 13. The ministry expects to receive preliminary tenders in ...
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GNER wins second franchise term
MAY 1 marks the start of a new 10-year contract to operate the UK's Inter-City East Coast franchise. The deal was signed on March 18 by Sea Containers' subsidiary Great North Eastern Railway, which has run the route from London to Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh since 1996. The ...
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PATH starts fleet renewal
COMPLETE replacement of the EMU fleet operating the Port Authority Trans-Hudson metro network linking Newark, Jersey City and Manhattan was approved by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey board of directors on March 31. In a 3min meeting, the board voted to award a $499m contract to ...
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Patrick wants FCL
AUSTRALIAN transport and logistics group Patrick Corp announced in March that it had begun negotiations to buy FCL Interstate Transport Services, Australia’s largest rail freight forwarder.FCL is a family-owned business with annual revenues of around A$170m that has always supported rail, backing construction of the Alice Springs - Darwin line ...
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End of the road
SWEDISH independent passenger operator BK Tåg declared insolvency on March 21, curtailing the company’s ambitions to secure a significant share of the market.BK Tåg started in 1990 with a concession to operate services on five secondary routes that included Halmstad to Oskarshamm and the Torup - Hyltebruk branch. A year ...
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No duty to promote the use of rail
ONCE AGAIN the exigencies of politics have dictated railway policy in the UK. Once again, the policy is ill-conceived, with the state taking more direct control over what is nominally a private industry (RG 3.05 p115). And once again the stage has been set for cuts in services and possible ...
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Fret spirals down
WITH the European Commission watching closely following its approval of the French government’s €1·5bn aid package (RG 4.05 p181), SNCF Freight Director Marc Véron is anxious to make progress in turning round his business. Also looking over his shoulder is hopeful operator CFTA Cargo and other private-sector companies waiting for ...
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Electro-Motive Diesel launched
ACQUISITION of General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division by Greenbriar Equity Group LLC, Berkshire Partners LLC and certain related parties has been completed, the company announced on April 4. It is now known as Electro-Motive Diesel Inc. The transaction covers all of the Electro-Motive businesses, including North American and international locomotives, power, ...
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Diabolo makes progress
THE BELGIAN government has reached agreement with infrastructure manager Infrabel to push ahead with the Diabolo project to improve rail links to Zaventem Airport, in line with SNCB’s 2012 investment strategy.The number of airline passengers at Zaventem is projected to rise from 2·2 million in 2004 to around 9·4 million ...
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Delhi expansion
INDIA’S Northern Railway has announced plans for the renovation of New Delhi station. Money for the scheme has been allocated under the railway’s passenger amenities fund, and the work is to be completed over the next 12 months. A three-story building 22m wide will be built on the Ajmeri Gate ...
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Industry leaders to debate the future of railway technology
INTRO: Renowned railway operators, suppliers and research engineers from around the world will be speaking at the Railway Gazette Centenary Congress on July 1THE Railway Gazette Centenary Congress on July 1 offers an unrivalled opportunity to meet the world railway industry’s top engineers, technical decision-makers, and leading experts from all ...
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Streamlined structure at DB
The Supervisory Board of German Railway approved changes to the group’s corporate structure on March 16 that sweep away a level of senior management between the Management Board and the Business Units.The Business Units are now grouped within three divisions: Passenger Traffic, Transport & Logistics, and Infrastructure & Services, which ...
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Cuts in prospect
AFTER several months of consultation, Finland’s Ministry of Transport confirmed on March 27 that it had instructed state-owned operator VR to review the viability of its unprofitable passenger services.Some services could be suspended indefinitely, and other routes closed completely. ’We cannot continue with the present situation where subsidies are paid ...
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CroBIT provides a European data platform
BYLINE: Eckhard KuhlaEkonsult GmbH, GermanyINTRO: Development of an international information platform will allow all parties involved in cross-border rail freight operations to share dataTHE DEMAND for international freight movement in Europe is growing apace - except in the rail mode. There are many reasons for this, but a key element ...
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Third Railway Package creeps forward
APRIL 19 saw the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport & Tourism vote on the four-part Third Railway Package.The proposed regulation on the quality of freight services was overwhelmingly rejected, prompting CER Executive Director Johannes Ludewig to comment that ’quality in the rail freight market comes through competition and good rail ...
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Crash testing designs
INDIA’S Research Designs & Standards Organisation carried out a crash test on March 29 using a coach and a wagon ballasted to 120 tonnes with concrete.A dozen organisations are involved in a project to develop a coach design for Indian Railways which offers improved collision performance. Rites and Transportation Technology ...