All News articles – Page 94
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NewsPointers November 2008
Romanian Transport Minister Ludovic Orban confirmed in October that the government expects to privatise the state-owned rail freight operator CFR Marfa during 2009. All of the shares will be offered for sale, either through an open tender or direct negotiation, with a target price of at least €1bn. The ...
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NewsAirport peoplemover extension contract
MALAYSIA: A €45m contract to extend the automated peoplemover at Kuala Lumpur International Airport has been awarded to a consortium of Bombardier and local partner Hartasuma. Bombardier's share of the contract is worth €27m, and includes automatic train control, power and communications systems, a control centre in a new ...
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NewsAccords signed to bring broad gauge to Wien
SLOVAKIA: In a ceremony at the Dobra container transfer terminal near the Ukrainian border, Minister of Transport Lubomir Vazny signed a Memorandum of Intent on November 25 with Russian Railways President Vladimir Yakunin and Deputy Director of Ukrainian Railways Michael Kospjuk for the construction of a 1 520 mm gauge ...
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NewsQishuyan completes first locally-built China Mainline Locomotive
CHINA: GE Transportation and its Chinese partner Qishuyan Locomotive rolled out the first China Mainline Locomotive to be assembled in China at a ceremony on November 25. The Ministry of Railways placed a US$450m order for 300 of the CML diesel locos in October 2005. The first two ...
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NewsAfrican track laying venture launched
SOUTH AFRICA: Tracklaying and maintenance joint venture Isithimela Rail Services was officially launched on November 21 by Bombardier Transportation and Strategic Partners Group, an empowerment organisation formed by 12 organisations and individuals representing the interests of 'a large spectrum of previously disadvantaged individuals'. Isithimela will be responsible for tracklaying ...
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NewsKeep the railway affordable
PRICING: Whilst the rail sector was trying not to talk itself into recession, the underlying message from industry leaders at InnoTrans 2008 was the need to keep tight control on costs and prices. Peter Badcock reports from Berlin.
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NewsFreight maglev study
USA: Despite a conspicuous lack of progress in developing maglev for the passenger sector, it seems that North America remains fixated with the concept. We hear that Union Pacific has commissioned Skytech Transportation and American Maglev Technology to develop a feasibility study for an 8 km maglev line to ...
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NewsKnorr-Bremse and Kyosan sign agreement
JAPAN: On November 24 Knorr-Bremse announced an exclusive co-operation agreement under which Kyosan Electric Manufacturing Co will sell Westinghouse Platform Screen Door equipment in the Japanese market. In return, certain Kyosan products will be marketed outside Japan by Knorr-Bremse under the WPSD brand, including a gap-filler which ...
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NewsHaenel seeks another compromise
FRANCE: Creation of a separate network operating unit is being proposed to address the dysfunctional relationship between RFF and SNCF, reports Jean-Paul Masse.
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NewsUIC cleared of training fraud
INTERNATIONAL: Proposals to revise the statutes of the International Union of Railways were circulated for consultation by Provisional Administrator Béatrice Dunogué-Gaffié last month. Appointed by a Paris court earlier this year (RG 6.08 p361), Dunogué-Gaffié was able to write to UIC Chief Executive Luc Aliadière on September 19 to assure ...
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NewsShinkansen prototype launched
JAPAN: West Japan Railway and JR Kyushu have unveiled the first of 29 eight-car Shinkansen trainsets which will operate through services between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chuo when the second phase of the Kyushu Shinkansen has been completed. Unit S1 is expected to undergo extensive testing before the remainder of the fleet ...
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NewsFreight merger still stuck in the sidings
EUROPE: Delegates attending Terrapinn's CEE Rail conference in Budapest on October 28 were given a clear warning that reinforcing rail's share of the freight market through mergers and acquisitions would be far from straightforward.
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NewsLoan targets western China development
CHINA: The Asian Development Bank has announced a US$300m loan towards the US$8·6bn cost of building a 820 km railway from Lanzhou in Gansu province, through Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces to the manufacturing city of Chongqing. Intended to bolster economic growth in poorer areas of western China where nearly 17 ...
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NewsWorld infrastructure market November 2008
Australia: This month QR and Van Elk Contracting will begin work on a A$30m rail replacement contract in Tasmania. The state government said it is committed to ensuring rail freight remains viable, despite Pacific National’s decision to sell its Tasmanian operation (RG 7.08 p422). Belgium: CSC Tech has won ...
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NewsLondon agrees new Oyster smart card contract
UK: Transport for London announced on November 14 that it had agreed a new contract for the management of the Oyster smart card ticketing system. In August TfL gave the required two years' notice that it was exercising a break option in the 17-year Prestige Private Finance Initiative contract ...
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NewsArriva acquires LNWR
UK: Transport operator Arriva announced on November 18 that it had acquired train maintenance company LNWR for £2·4m, including repayment of a shareholder loan and the assumption of approximately £2m of debt. Founded in 1993 by music producer and entrepreneur Pete Waterman, LNWR operates a maintenance depot at Crewe ...
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NewsATP for track machines
NETHERLANDS: Lloyd’s Register Rail Europe has developed a low-cost variant of the ATB on-board automatic train protection equipment that will be mandatory from January 2009 for all trains running at above 40 km/h in the Netherlands. Lloyd’s Register is using the ATBE product to target the operators of track ...
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NewsTurnkey rail mill contract
RUSSIA: Russian mining and metals company Mechel has awarded Chinese state-owned firm Minmetals a US$300m turnkey contract for the construction of a rail and structural steel mill at Chelyabinsk. Minmetals will construct the workshop, and install and commission equipment to be provided by Italian firm Danieli. Completion is planned ...
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NewsEuro 2012 deadline catalyses network upgrade
POLAND: The unexpected decision to name Poland as co- host of the UEFA European football championship in 2012 has focused attention on ensuring passenger services are able to meet the anticipated demand. A raft of improvements to inter-regional lines and major stations is now underway, as Ryszard Piech explains.
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NewsWorld rolling stock market November 2008
Bulgaria: Tüvasas has won a €32m contract to supply BDZ with 30 sleeping cars within 18 months. Croatia: TZV Gredelj has signed a €6m contract to supply IRS with 600 Y25 bogies by the end of May 2009. Germany: The city of München has placed a €29m contract with ...