Albania: HSH is negotiating with Czech companies for supply of spare parts to put back into service the bulk of the main line fleet of 62 Type T669.1 Co-Cos supplied by CKD Praha in 1968-70.
Australia: Alstom Engines’ Paxman Division is to supply 21 diesel engines to SRANSW for repowering its 19 XPT power cars. The Type 12VP185 high-speed engines will replace Paxman Valentas installed nearly 20 years ago.
Belgium: SNCB’s AR41 two-car DMU sets on order from Alstom Transporte will have transmission couplings supplied by Renold Hi-Tec Couplings of Great Britain under contract to Cummins Engine Co.
Canada: CN’s Transcona workshops at Winnipeg has won a contract to overhaul 24 ex-Long Island Rail Road GP38-2 locos now owned by Locomotive Leasing Partners of San Francisco.
Chile: EFE has signed a contract to purchase six Class 440R EMUs from Renfe of Spain for US$11m, to be delivered by the end of 2003 following refurbishment in the Spanish operator’s workshops. They will join 10 similar units on Santiago and Valparaíso suburban services, whose deployment helped to boost ridership by 30%.
China: The first contract in Hong Kong MTR’s platform screen door retrofit programme has been awarded to Swiss supplier Kaba Gilgen AG, covering provision of doors at 30 stations. After proving of a trial system at Choi Hung, installation will run through to mid 2003.
Great Britain: Signalling, train control and communications for Phase I of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link will be provided by the CCA consortium, comprising CSEE Transport, Corning Communications and Amey Rail, under a £56m contract signed with Union Railways (South) on February 22.
West Coast Traincare, the company formed by Alstom and Fiat to take over maintenance of Virgin West Coast’s rolling stock, has signed a contract with Kier Rail for upgrading of its six depots in preparation for arrival of Virgin’s tilting trainsets in 2001.
Iran: The government has given the go-ahead for RAI’s purchase of 100 Type AD43C diesel-electrics from Alstom (RG 12.99 p764). The 192m euros contract is being financed by a consortium of French banks.
Netherlands: The HBSC consortium will build the 22 km Sliedrecht -Geldermalsen section of the Betuwe freight line. The 490m guilders contract price reflects the high cost of working the marshy terrain.
Spain: Tenders are to be called for doubling and upgrading the 14·8 km Las Palmas - Oropesa del Mar section of Barcelona - Valencia route. A budget of Pts5·9bn has been set for the work.
The government has approved the letting of contracts for resignalling the 39·9 km Castejón - Bilbao route, within a budget of Pts2·5bn. The Vitoria - Zum
