Passenger rail news – Page 243
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NewsIRSI awarded VIA Rail refurbishment contracts
CANADA: Industrial Rail Services Inc has been awarded contracts for the overhaul of VIA Rail Canada's 98 LRC coaches and accessibility improvements to 12 Renaissance cars. The work will be undertaken at IRSI's plant in Moncton, New Brunswick, supported through the government's Economic Action Plan to create skilled jobs and ...
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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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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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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 ...
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NewsDesertXpress consultation starts
USA: Public consultation hearings are taking place this week in California and Nevada into the Environmental Impact Statement for the privately-promoted DesertXpress high speed line linking the southern California region with Las Vegas. The meetings in Las Vegas, Victorville and Barstow follow approval of the Draft EIS by the Federal ...
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NewsParis – Caen in 90 min by 2020
FRANCE: Secretary of State for Transport Dominique Bussereau has announced the go-ahead for plans to for improve rail services between Paris and Normandie, with €4bn to be invested in the Paris – Caen – Cherbourg route by 2020. A key element is a cut-off between Mantes and Nanterre in the ...
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NewsMoscow - St Petersburg at the height of luxury
RUSSIA: Tickets have gone on sale for the Alexander Nevsky luxury train which is to be launched between St Petersburg and Moscow on April 26. Rolling stock for the service has been refurbished by Oktyabrsky Electric Car Repair Plant. The 'first VIP' car has four convertible compartments, which can ...
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NewsHigh speed stations for a high speed railway
SAUDI ARABIA: A joint venture of Foster + Partners and Buro Happold has been appointed to design four stations for the 444 km Haramain High Speed Railway project. The rapid three-year construction timescale has led to a modular approach to the design of the Makkah, Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic ...
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NewsElectrification to cut Zürich – München times
GERMANY: An agreement for electrification and infrastructure upgrades between München and Lindau in Bayern was signed in Memmingen on April 17. Tilting trains will be able to run at 160 km/h, cutting München – Zürich journeys from 4 h 10 min to 3 h 15 m by 2015. Services will ...
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NewsHitachi drops out of Thameslink competition
UK: Hitachi Europe Rail Group confirmed on April 22 that it was pulling out of the bidding to supply commuter trains for Thameslink services through London. 'By doing so, the company is able to continue its focus on current and future commitments', said a statement from Hitachi. In July ...
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NewsSBB invites bids for biggest train order
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways invited bids on April 20 for the supply of 59 double-deck trainsets, which it says will be its largest-ever rolling stock order. Three types of train are planned: 20 inter-city sets 200 m long, 30 inter-regional trains of 200 m and nine inter-regional sets of ...
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NewsObama announces inter-city rail funding programme
USA: An ambitious strategic programme to spend $13bn on 10 'high speed' rail corridors over five years was unveiled by President Barack Obama on April 16, as part of an initiative to reduce fuel consumption, pollution, traffic congestion and airport overcrowding. The federal $787bn economic stimulus plan includes ...
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NewsNairobi commuter upgrade plan
KENYA: Kenya Railways signed a joint venture agreement with InfraCo on April 15 commissioning a two-year study into a major upgrading of commuter rail services in Nairobi. Implementation of the recommendations would take a further 18 months, for completion in 2012 when national rail concessionaire Rift Valley Railways loses the ...
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NewsDMUs shipped to Ghana
GHANA: Two diesel multiple-units built by CNR Tangshan Railway Vehicle Co for Accra - Tema commuter services were shipped from the Chinese port of Tianjin at the end of last month. The 1 067 mm gauge DMUs are expected to be cheaper to operate and capable of more intensive ...
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NewsParis announces MI09 double-deck EMU order
FRANCE: Paris transport operator RATP announced on April 8 that it is to place a €917m order for 60 MI09 five-car double-deck EMUs with a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier. The EMUs will replace MI84 single-deck rolling stock on RER Line A, and there is an option for a further ...
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NewsEurostar refurbishment design contract awarded
EUROPE: Eurostar has selected Italian consultancy Pininfarina to undertake design work for the mid-life refurbishment of the 28 high-speed trains used on services from London to Paris and Brussels. Announcing the contract on April 8, Eurostar emphasised the extensive rail sector experience of Pininfarina. Although best known for its ...
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NewsDMU contract could be China South's door to Europe
TUNISIA: China South signed a US$100m contract to supply 20 two-car diesel multiple-units to state railway SNCFT on March 30. The order comprises 12 standard gauge DMUs with a top speed of 160 km/h, and eight 130 km/h metre gauge units. CSR Nanjing Puzhen Rolling Stock Co is hoping ...