All News articles – Page 305
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News
Rolling motorway advice on offer
EUROTUNNEL has received a number of requests for advice from other companies providing rolling motorway services. This has prompted thoughts of long-term expansion, probably in partnership with other companies, to help develop and possibly operate similar services to the lorry shuttles it runs between Cheriton and Coquelles. According to Planning ...
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Rails across the roof of the world
INTRO: Unprecedented challenges face the engineers building the Golmud - Lhasa railway across the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Over 85% of the route lies more than 4000m above sea level, where permafrost demands special construction techniques and the rarified atmosphere affects both men and machinesBYLINE: Hou Wen-weiChief Editor,China Railway ScienceXINING, the provincial ...
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Open access is crucial to international freight revival
INTRO: From March 2003 the 50000 km Trans-European Rail Freight Network should be fully open to international freight train operators, whether state or privately owned, and by 2006 the EC hopes to see competition on all routes. Jean-Arnold Vinois told Richard Hope why open access is now seen as absolutely ...
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UIRR members want open access too
INTRO: Europe’s combined transport companies have suffered a dramatic increase in delays during the last three years, stunting previously robust traffic growth, but they get no compensation from the national railways. UIRR Director General Rudy Colle backs the EC’s efforts to promote competition as one way out of this impasseTHE ...
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Customer service academy opened
RICHARD Bowker, Chairman of Britain’s Strategic Rail Authority, opened Midland Mainline’s Customer Service Academy in Derby on April 5. The three-storey building houses training facilities for drivers, train managers, catering staff and booking office personnel.Ian Buchan, Chief Executive of National Express Group’s Rail Division, owner of Midland Mainline, said that ...
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Network Rail launches £9bn Railtrack bid
The Company Limited by Guarantee intended to succeed Railtrack as owner of the British railway infrastructure launched a formal bid for Railtrack plc on March 25. This was lodged with Railtrack Group, and a copy was sent to administrators Ernst & Young. Chairman Ian McAllister said he hoped to reach ...
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Windhoff takeover
German railway equipment manufacturer Windhoff AG has been taken over by Georgsmarienhütte Holding GmbH. Windhoff slid into financial difficulties last year and applied for insolvency in December. The insolvency procedure opened on March 1, and Georgsmarienhütte acquired the assets of the Rheine-based company. Originally a steel maker, Georgsmarienhütte Holding is ...
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Randolph Street refurbishment
RANDOLPH Street station in Chicago is to undergo a $15m multi-phase refurbishment. Served by Metra Electric District and South Shore commuter trains, the station will be expanded by 1300m2, with improved lighting, larger passenger concourses, more convenient ticket sales, revamped toilets and modern information systems. Waiting areas will be air-conditioned, ...
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Publications
Telematics in Public Transport in GermanyTelematics is the combination of telecommunications and information technology, and has found applications with many German operators. In this 588-page book, 15 authors discuss current state-of-the-art applications, including mobile radio communications, locating vehicles, traffic management, passenger information systems, electronic payment, vehicle supervision and security, as ...
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News
Revival in prospect
THERE IS encouraging news for rail users in Nigeria. The Ministry of Transport has given details of plans to lease motive power from South Africa to haul freight, while 50 more locos are being acquired from China for passenger trains. Recent developments include the launch of a regular passenger service ...
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Pointers
n Chinese Railways Minister Fu Zhihuan confirmed in February that CR’s freight and passenger businesses will be reformed as separate companies over the next five years. Foreign companies will be permitted to form joint ventures with Chinese firms from 2003 to operate freight trains on selected routes, and as a ...
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PEOPLE
Amtrak President & Chief Executive Officer George D Warrington announced on March 7 that he was resigning; he is to return to New Jersey Transit, becoming Executive Director in succession to Jeffrey Warsh. John Robert Smith has been elected Chairman of Amtrak in place of Tommy Thompson, who stood down ...
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News
Roving staff on mini-metro
Michel Richardot, formerly a senior French police officer who worked for Interpol, has been appointed to oversee security with French-based contract operator Keolis. Speaking during a visit to the automated metro in Rennes on March 12, Richardot said his company’s policy was to provide a ’firm presence’ that deterred criminal ...
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Metros
France: The Ile-de-France transport authority has voted in favour of extending Paris metro Line 12 from Porte de la Chapelle to Mairie d’Aubervilliers. The 3·8 km route would have intermediate stations at Proudhon-Gardinoux and Pont-de-Stains.Hungary: Budapest city council has approved an HF5·2bn programme to modernise the city’s public transport network. ...
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Market
Brazil: Balfour Beatty Rail Power Systems has been awarded a R$21·7m contract to electrify the Recife - Cajueiro Seco route for Metrorec at 3 kV DC. The contract includes 14 km of double track and the construction of two substations.Cameroon: Nine General Motors GT18MC 1600hp Co-Co locos were sent to ...
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Letter
Zaragoza centreSir - The information regarding the control centre for the Madrid - Barcelona high speed line in February’s Intelligence (RG 2.02 p69) is not completely correct.The €10m contract for traction power supply, communications, station equipment and installation has been awarded to UTE TAVE, a joint venture between Sainco and ...
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News
MPV launched
ITALIAN construction equipment supplier Gallmac has expanded its range of rail construction equipment with the launch of its RMW 115 road-rail multi-purpose vehicle. This is derived from the company’s WMW 115 hydraulic excavator, fitted with retractable rail guide wheels 500mm in diameter.Capable of carrying a shovel, fork lift or other ...
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Killer thieves
We commented in RG 2.02 (p61), after a fatal collision in December 2001, on the deplorable state of commuter services operated by Metrorail, where the average age of EMU cars is 27 years and delays are endemic. While the EMUs are to be refurbished (p205), this will do nothing to ...
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INTELLIGENCE
Brazil: Tenders closed on March 5 for construction of a 57 km section of the North-South Railway between Ribeirão do Campo Alegre and Ribeirão do Coco. State construction authority Valec is evaluating bids for the work, expected to cost US$60m. Work began in January on the section between An