All News articles – Page 76
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NewsBrenner base tunnel approved
AUSTRIA: The final go-ahead for the construction of the Brenner base tunnel is due to be signed at a meeting of the German, Italian and Austrian transport ministers on May 18. Infrastructure Minister Doris Bures announced on April 15 that legal procedures were complete. The 55 km tunnel will ...
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NewsHigh speed PPP tendering underway
PORTUGAL: Tendering was launched on March 30 for the second 40-year PPP concession to design, finance, build and maintain the high speed line between the capital and the Spanish border, covering the 34 km between Lisboa and Poceirão. Work on the route, designed for mixed traffic and a maximum ...
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NewsInfrastructure firms to merge
SPAIN: COMSA and EMTE announced on May 7 that they are to merge to form COMSA EMTE Group. Subject to regulatory approval the agreement will form a combined group with turnover of €2·2bn, more than 8 600 employees and subsidiaries in 12 countries outside Spain. EMTE undertakes electrical and ...
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NewsTackling the challenges to standard train control
ETCS: Some decisive action needs to be taken soon in order to ensure the evolution of a truly standardised European Train Control System.
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NewsGrand presidential designs for a greater Paris
FRANCE: President Nicolas Sarkozy's vision for a revitalised Greater Paris region which was unveiled on April 29 includes €35bn of transport projects, designed to improve mobility in order to stimulate the economy and promote sustainable development in the suburbs. The main proposal is the construction of 130 km of ...
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NewsScotRail Desiro mock-up on show in Glasgow
UK: A mock-up of the Class 380 Desiro electric multiple-units being supplied to First ScotRail by Siemens Mobility has gone on display in Glasgow, where it was visited by the Scottish Government's Minister for Transport, Infrastructure & Climate Change Stewart Stevenson on May 6. The 20 tonne wood and ...
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NewsSapsan claims Russian rail speed record
RUSSIA: A Sapsan high speed trainset reached 281 km/h during trials between Okulovka and Mstinskiy Most on May 2. 'This is the first time that such a speed has been achieved on the Russian railway', said RZD Senior Vice-President Valentin Gapanovich. The trials are scheduled to last until ...
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NewsDB Regio orders EMUs for Stuttgart S-Bahn
GERMANY: DB Regio has placed a €452m order for 83 four-car ET 430 electric multiple-units, to be delivered between February and December 2012 for use on Stuttgart suburban services. The order announced on May 5 follows the signing of a contract on April 3 for DB Regio to operate ...
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NewsTrans-Siberian in seven days
RUSSIA: Meeting in Moscow on April 29, RZD’s Scientific & Technical Council endorsed plans to improve the efficiency of container transport, notably transit shipments on the Trans-Siberian landbridge. According to the railway, achieving international quality standards for container transport is one of RZD’s strategic priorities. Although freight volumes have fallen ...
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NewsTrain scheduling research benefits commuters
OPERATIONS: While automatic generation of timetables remains a goal for many train operators, the Sujic programme optimises passenger benefit and is seen as a valuable decision support tool.
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NewsFerroeste consolidates its expansion plans
Samuel Gomes, Chairman & CEO, Estrada de Ferro Paraná Oeste SA This year will be a decisive time for Ferroeste, as we press ahead with our long-term expansion strategy. By the end of the year, we expect to have completed all the technical and environmental studies for a series of ...
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NewsWork set to start on Mongolian coal line
MONGOLIA: Construction of a 260 km railway to carry coal from Energy Resources LLC’s mine at Ukhaa Khudag to the Chinese border at Gashuun Sukhait is set to begin by the end of the year, with the first trains running in 2011. Having already completed a preliminary study, DB ...
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NewsA ‘sound launching pad’
VOSSLOH: Sales at Vossloh were up 19% at €1·2bn in 2008, with EBIT up 24% on 2007 to €138m. Earnings jumped from €71m to €139m, with €47m from the disposal of Vossloh Infrastructure Services to Vinci Group. After adjusting previous figures to allow for the divestment, Vossloh’s Rail Infrastructure division ...
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NewsMarubeni buys into Australia
RJV: Marubeni Corp has signed a deal to acquire a 49% stake in the Australian arm of Chicago Freight Car Leasing Co for an undisclosed price. Rail Joint Venture has a A$200m fleet of 37 locomotives and 805 grain and container wagons on lease across Australia. CFCLA Managing Director Ian ...
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NewsUIC assembly endorses ‘a new start’
INTERNATIONAL: Meeting in Paris on March 31, the General Assembly of the International Union of Railways unanimously approved a package of new statutes and governance rules which had been agreed by the Executive Board on the previous day. Based on the principles established last December (RG 1.09 p21), the ...
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NewsPointers May 2009
A Slovenian and Italian joint commission approved the final version of the construction plans for a 35·6 km direct link from Trieste to Divaca on April 15, and agreed to form a joint co-ordination body for the €2·4bn project (RG 10.08 p789). Armenia and Iran have agreed to undertake a ...
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NewsOn a mission
MEXICO: With the Mexican government planning US$49bn of rail investment by 2012 and all tariff barriers on industrial goods removed by the free trade agreement with the European Union and Mexico, UK suppliers have identified the country as a potential market opportunity. UK Trade & Investment, the government’s international ...
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NewsSNCB reforms intermodal freight
BELGIUM: As part of the ongoing rationalisation of its freight business unit, SNCB is consolidating the activities of its two intermodal subsidiaries with effect from May 1. Within SNCB Groupe Fret, IFB (Inter Ferry Boats) and TRW (Transport Route Wagon) have operated in parallel for several years, with IFB specialising ...
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NewsThe heat is on
AUSTRIA: Reflecting a steady transition from standard grade rails to high-strength premium steel grades, Voestalpine has recently inaugurated a new heat treatment facility at its Leoben rail rolling mill in Austria. According to the supplier, this is the largest dedicated rail mill in Europe, able to produce a broad range ...
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NewsNS may lose its stations
NETHERLANDS: Further reforms are needed to open up the rail market, according to a review commissioned by Transport Minister Camiel Eurlings. A committee chaired by former minister Winnie Sorgdrager was asked to consider the relationship between NS, ProRail and the state. Its report, Over 't Spor, was published on April ...