All News articles – Page 426

  • News

    Alice in Texas

    1998-09-01T10:00:00Z

    ON JULY 31 the Surface Transportation Board released Union Pacific from the emergency order it had imposed on October 31. Admitting that UP has still not restored normal service on all routes, the STB said that it could not force the railway to continue assigning business to other carriers who ...

  • News

    Conrail handover moves ahead

    1998-09-01T10:00:00Z

    FORMAL control of the Consolidated Rail Corp passed to CSX and Norfolk Southern on August 22, a statutory 30 days after the Surface Transportation Board issued its written approval of the merger on July 23. With effect from this ’Control Date’, Conrail’s stock was removed from its holding trust, allowing ...

  • News

    Bringing advanced bogie technology to Europe will cut life-cycle costs

    1998-09-01T10:00:00Z

    INTRO: English Welsh & Scottish Railway is due to begin operations this month with four-piece Swing Motion¨ bogies using a common secondary suspension for both axles. The aim is to reduce purchase and maintenance costs while meeting European ride quality standardsBYLINE: Steve BeckerExecutive Vice President, NACO TechnologyIn its search for ...

  • News

    Acses to speed NE Corridor

    1998-09-01T10:00:00Z

    THE US Federal Railroad Administration has instructed Amtrak to install a transponder-based system to enforce adherence to permanent speed restrictions on its Northeast Corridor between New Haven and Boston. The work forms part of Amtrak’s programme to upgrade and electrify the route to accommodate 240 km/h American Flyer trainsets from ...

  • News

    EC directives seek genuine open access

    1998-09-01T10:00:00Z

    PROPOSALS for three directives intended to prevent the national railways from blocking access to their tracks by competitors were launched by European Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock on July 22. He said they would ’make a major contribution to ensuring that rail can compete effectively with other forms of transport’.The first ...

  • News

    LKAB invests in 30 tonne axleloads

    1998-09-01T10:00:00Z

    Swedish mining giant LKAB is investing SKr1·1bn in three new trainsets and nine locos for the Malmbanan iron ore corridor. Heavier axleloads to boost rail capacity and cut transport costs form a key element in the company's strategy to boost production from 20 to 30 million tonnes a year

  • News

    InterRail 26+ covers southern Europe

    1998-09-01T10:00:00Z

    After several years of varying restrictions, the popular InterRail ticket is once again available for use throughout almost all of Europe, and by all age groups.The InterRail 26+ ticket is now accepted in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and Morocco, as well as most other countries. Restrictions in availability ...

  • News

    Flumitrens to transfer on November 1

    1998-09-01T10:00:00Z

    CONTROL of the Rio de Janeiro suburban rail network will pass to the private sector Bolsa 2000 consortium on November 1 under the terms of a 25 year operating concession awarded on July 15. Compañía Fluminense de Trenes Urbanos was auctioned by the Rio state government.The Bolsa 2000 consortium is ...

  • News

    Praha’s first M1 trainset handed over

    1998-09-01T10:00:00Z

    ON JULY 8 the first of 22 five-car metro trainsets for the Praha metro was handed over to DPHMP at the Kacerov depot in the Czech capital. Following acceptance trials it will be unveiled to the public later this month at the Brno International Engineering Fair.DPHMP expects to have 15 ...

  • News

    Transnet still in trouble

    1998-08-01T10:00:00Z

    Further improvement in the financial position of South Africa’s transport holding group Transnet has increased the prospect of partial or complete privatisation. The multi-mode corporation is being focused into business groups, with restructuring likely to lead to sweeping job cuts across many sectors, including senior management. So drastic have the ...

  • News

    Sidetrack

    1998-08-01T10:00:00Z

    All steamed upOne of the world’s most famous railways now has its own international support group. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society has been established with the support of Indian Railways to help keep trains climbing 2135m up the 88 km, 610mm gauge line. Each monsoon season results in numerous trackbed ...

  • News

    Track rules revised

    1998-08-01T10:00:00Z

    THE US Federal Railroad Administration has revised its track safety regulations to incorporate the latest data on dynamic performance of vehicle and track systems. Major changes include new standards for installation and maintenance of continuous welded rail, with related staff training.More frequent inspection of track for internal flaws will see ...

  • News

    People

    1998-08-01T10:00:00Z

    Pakistan Railways has designated Managing Directors for the three business units which are being formed as part of a restructuring ahead of privatisation (p500). Chaudhry Abdul Qayyum has been named head of the Passenger business, with Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam as head of Freight and Nasir Amin as head ...

  • News

    Paris projects

    1998-08-01T10:00:00Z

    IN A CEREMONY at Madeleine station on June 24, Paris Transport Authority President Director General Jean-Paul Bailly officially launched the construction of the second phase of the Météor automated metro Line 14. He was joined for the event by Ile de France and Paris Préfet Jo

  • News

    Product News

    1998-08-01T10:00:00Z

    OLE inspection equipment India's Research Designs & Standards Organisation has awarded two contracts totalling £1·6m to SMIS of Guildford, Britain, for overhead line inspection equipment using instrumented pantographs. 16 units will be installed in new vehicles built by the Integral Coach Factory and another ...

  • News

    MARKETPLACE

    1998-08-01T10:00:00Z

    Argentina: Ferrocarril General Belgrano SA has called bids for renewal of 100 km of track, including material supply.Australia: Bowditch & Partners has won a n A$300000 contract to provide earth-moving plant to the Railway Services Authority of NSW. The five-year deal covers the northwestern part of the state.Bangladesh: Wagon Pars ...

  • News

    St Louis speed-up

    1998-08-01T10:00:00Z

    ILLINOIS Department of Transportation has signed a $3·75m contract with Gateway Western Railroad to build a cut-off line parallel to the Mississippi River, eliminating many conflicts between passenger and freight trains on the approach to St Louis. The link through East St Louis will cut 20 min off the timings ...

  • News

    INTELLIGENCE

    1998-08-01T10:00:00Z

    Argentina: Ferrocarril General Belgrano SA has contracted out locomotive maintenance and depot operations to Co-operativa Talleres Alta Córdoba.Metropolitano was to begin track renewal between Libertad and Aldo Bonzi on its Belgrano Sur network, following completion of the Libertad - Marineros del Crucero General Belgrano section. Work between Buenos Aires and ...

  • News

    Unbinding Prometheus - systems integrators in search of profitability

    1998-08-01T10:00:00Z

    INTRO: Andrew F Saxe* takes an incisive look at the performance of the major railway suppliers in the last yearWHEN IT rains it pours. The railway supply industry was still slogging through another year of restructuring when news broke on June 3 of the catastrophic ICE accident at Eschede in ...

  • News

    Palm-top help

    1998-08-01T10:00:00Z

    DB has issued inspection staff with Psion Workabout hand-held computers running software developed by Mobile Systems & Solutions to improve monitoring of train cleaning contractors.The results of 10 or more checks on each of a number of different trains is keyed-in during inspection, and directly downloaded each day - avoiding ...