Australia: EDI Rail has signed a contract to supply BHP Billiton Iron Ore with 13 GM-EMD SD70ACe diesel-electric locomotives of 4300hp, spares and support, with options for more. Delivery will be in late 2005.
Bulgaria: On December 7 BDZ announced it had selected Siemens for supply of 25 DMUs. Two demonstrator Desiro sets will initially be supplied, with the other 120 km/h units to follow in late 2005. The €67m cost will be recovered through fuel savings within 10 years. In addition, Siemens will supply up to 15 three-car and 10 four-car 160 km/h EMUs during 2006.
Canada: Go Transit has ordered a further 30 BiLevel commuter coaches from Bombardier for C$26m.
China: CR has ordered 180 heavy-haul electric locos from Siemens and CSR Zhuzhou Electric Loco Works for delivery in 2006-07. Derived from the earlier Class DJ1, the 9·6MW twin-unit locos are intended to operate on the 620 km Datong - Qinhuangdao heavy-haul coal line. Siemens says its share of the contract is worth €350m.
On November 30 the Ministry of Railways awarded Systra and China Academy of Railway Sciences a contract to supervise construction of the 4657m Tianxingzhou cable-stayed bridge over the Yangtze. With a 504m main span, the double-deck bridge with four tracks and a six-lane motorway will carry the Guangzhou - Wuhan line.
GE Transportation has been awarded a €10m contract to supply CTS-2 in-sleeper point machines for use on the line to Tibet.
Czech Republic: Lostr is to supply CD with 100 Tadnss four-axle hopper wagons with sliding roofs and 50 Sggmrss six-axle 120 km twin-unit container flats. OOS Ostrava will supply 200 Habbillnss covered four-axle wagons with sliding walls. Astra Vagoane is to supply 30 Zacns 95m3 tank wagons. The KC1·2bn cost of the orders is being funded from commercial credits.
India: Siemens has been awarded a Rs230m contract to provide a GSM-R network and handsets between Guwahati, New Jalpaiguri and Malda. Nortel has won a similar Rs150m contract covering the route between Howrah and Dhanbad.
On November 29 ICF rolled out a prototype three-car stainless steel dual-voltage EMU for use on suburban services in Mumbai.
Kenya: South African, Chinese and Indian firms have been approached by Kenya Ports Authority, which is seeking bids for the construction of 400 container flat wagons to increase capacity on the line to Uganda.
Malaysia: KTMB has signed a five-year agreement worth 100m ringgit to operate landbridge trains carrying sealed containers between Malaysia and Thailand on behalf of Freight Management Holdings Bhd.
Sweden: Botniabanan AB has awarded Alcatel a contract to design and deploy communication systems on the route, which includes 15 tunnels totalling 25 km.
BMT Rail and Stibi AB have been awarded a two-year rolling stock management contact to support the leasing company supplying SJ with 121 new vehicles.
Turkey: Canac Inc has signed a C$793000 contract funded by the World Bank to provide consultancy services for a restructuring of TCDD.
United Kingdom: HSBC Rail has awarded Bombardier a £45m contract to refurbish 61 Class 315 four-car suburban EMUs leased to operator One. The work will be carried in Derby, for completion in June 2008.
Trinity Rail has supplied 70 side tipping wagons to Network Rail.
USA: Montana Rail Link has ordered 16 GM-EMD SD70ACe locos of 4300hp. Five new locos will replace eight older ones on coal and grain trains. They will have IntelliTrain remote monitoring and diagnostics, allowing maintenance staff to access performance data.
GATX Rail has acquired the remaining interest in Locomotive Leasing Partners from GM-EMD. The transaction gives GATX Rail full ownership of LLP’s fleet of 486 locomotives, and GATX now owns or has an interest in approximately 750 locos.
Vietnam: SEN has signed a five-year deal to provide audio-visual equipment and show entertainment programmes on DSVN’s premier Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City trains. Each hour will include 7min of advertising.
Zimbabwe: NRZ has refurbished a further six locomotives, funded by Freight Forwarders of Zimbabwe. A total of 22 have now been modernised as part of a recapitalisation programme.
