All News articles – Page 299
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News
Market
Australia: Pilbara Rail has taken delivery of three GE C44-9W locos for Hamersley Iron traffic.Brazil: CPTM of São Paulo has called tenders to prepare documentation for planning and obtaining finance for the second phase of the Capão Redondo - Embuaçu metro Line 5.Canada: GM EMD has been awarded a six-year ...
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Lubricant monitoring
HEATHROW Express is using remote track lubrication monitoring developed by Interfleet Technology. The installation gives direct feedback on the operation of lubricators on the Airport Curve near Heathrow. A wheel proximity switch alerts a lineside PC to the presence of an approaching train. Transducers monitor the grease pressure, and rail-mounted ...
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No love lost
A FURIOUS row has broken out between German Railway and the construction industry. On May 17 DB issued a statement from its outspoken Chairman Hartmut Mehdorn refuting accusations that DB was not capable of implementing its own investment programme. Saying that he was amazed how the industry was treating its ...
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Letters
LIRR freight privatisationSir - In Rail Investment 2001, published as a supplement to your October edition last year, I noted an article about freight privatisation by Henry Posner III. In discussing the process of bidding and concessioning, the author wrote ’In some cases, it becomes clear that despite a formal ...
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INTELLIGENCE
Australia: NSW Minister for Planning Dr Andrew Refshauge has approved a A$40m redevelopment of Yennora freight terminal in Sydney.Brazil: CVRD is planning to run 3·2 km, 320-wagon iron ore trains on its EFVM line to Tubarão port using Locotrol equipment. A 10% cut in fuel consumption would save 20 million ...
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Manila plans head south
CONCERN about an economic downturn in the Philippines has prompted property developer Ayala Land to withdraw from the proposed Manila - Calabazon railway upgrading and rehabilitation project. The company had envisaged a build-operate-transfer scheme to develop commuter rail services linked to property development south of the capital, but it no ...
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S-Bahn grows
BASEL S-Bahn services will start running into Germany in mid-2003, thanks to the award of a contract to Swiss Federal Railways on April 12. This followed the signing of an accord between the Land of Baden-Württemberg and the canton of Basel-Stadt for integration of the Wiesental line into the regional ...
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IR goes for intermodal
FORTY YEARS ago, for the usual reasons, Israel Railways abandoned haulage of high-value export goods such as citrus fruit. With a maximum possible haul of little more than 150 km on an under-developed rail network, road transport looked the natural choice for this small country; railways seemed destined to wither. ...
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Indian Railways gears up to handle growth
INTRO: Appointed Chairman of the Indian Railway Board on April 1, I I M S Rana has instigated a major programme of capacity expansion. Plans include more gauge conversion, new lines, track doubling and a range of other modernisation projects. Murray Hughes put questions on key issues to the new ...
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Gautrain shortlist
On May 2 the Gauteng regional government in South Africa announced that two consortia had been shortlisted for the concession to build and operate the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link between Johannesburg, Pretoria and Johannesburg International Airport. The formal prequalification process was launched in February, and 10 bids had been received ...
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Finance
Australia: The 2002-03 federal budget includes A$650000 to fund half the cost of a study into a light rail line serving Queensland’s Gold Coast resorts. The state will provide the remainder. Four consultancies have been shortlisted for a contract to develop the A$200m Southport - Broadbeach proposals by December 2003.Victoria’s ...
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Starlight express
We reported last month on the construction of the NASA ’space railroad’ on the International Space Station (RG 5.02 p236). Sidetrack is delighted to learn that the significance of this achievement has been recognised in official circles.On April 29 the US National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association awarded honorary membership ...
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Export orders offer prospects
ALTHOUGH turnover among members of the German Railway Industry Association fell from €8·1bn in 2000 to €7·7bn last year, President Dr Dieter Klumpp was able to present an encouraging picture in his annual review on April 17.In an analysis of developments last year, Klumpp drew attention to improved sales of ...
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International routes expand
ESTONIAN international passenger operator EVR Ekspress is to introduce direct Tallinn - St Petersburg and Tallinn - Minsk services with the summer timetable change on June 2. In the first quarter of this year EVR Ekspress reports a 10% increase in patronage on the existing Tallinn - Moscow service compared ...
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UK maps a rational ERTMS strategy
INTRO: A study by 50 train control experts concludes that premature installation of ETCS Level 1 could cost up to £6bn as well as cutting network capacity. As Richard Hope reports, the preferred option is to develop Level 2 fully over the next six years, allowing most key routes to ...
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Mandurah EMUs
WESTERN Australia’s government has placed an A$437m order for 31 three-car 130 km/h EMUs with a joint venture of Bombardier and EDI Rail. Deliveries are scheduled for mid-2004 to 2006, and there is an option for a further 10 units. The commuter trains will be used on the southern leg ...
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President digs in
NAMIBIAN President Sam Nujoma has decided to put his free time to good use, by helping to build the TransNamib Northern Railway Extension from Tsumeb to the Oshikango free trade zone and the Angolan border.’I have decided to use some of my spare time to go and voluntarily participate in ...
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Desiro UK on the test track
INTRO: Chris Jackson reports from the Siemens test centre at WildenrathAYEAR to the day after Angel Trains ordered a fleet of Desiro UK EMUs for lease to Stagecoach’s SouthWest Trains franchise, Siemens Transportation Systems unveiled the first completed Class 450 at its Wildenrath test track. Among over 200 guests invited ...
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DB expands ICE-T fleet
GERMAN Railway announced on May 13 that it was ordering a further 28 ICE-T tilting high speed trainsets at a cost of €420m. Due for delivery between June 2004 and February 2006, the seven-car Class 411 units will join DB’s existing fleet of 43 sets, designed to operate at up ...