Passenger rail news – Page 252
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News
Seating in brief
Grammer is to supply its IC3000 range of first class seats for use in the Gold Class cars of the Dubai metro trains, currently under construction (RG 4.08 p225). The leather-upholstered seats will feature a folding table with laptop holder. The seat contours will be trimmed in blue and turquoise, ...
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Perth plans to expand
AUSTRALIA: Perth's suburban network is primed for a major expansion to the north, south and east of the city under a plan announced by the Western Australia state government on June 29. State Premier Alan Carpenter said the programme would be delivered in stages over two decades, building on the ...
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Extra cars expand NS fleet
NETHERLANDS: The first of 51 additional VIRM double-deck EMUs for NS Reizigers was formally handed over at Bombardier’s Talbot plant in Aachen on June 27. Ordered in 2006, they will bring the number of VIRM cars to 872, with 87 000 seats providing almost one-third of the capacity of the ...
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NewsInter-city stock brought up to modern standards
POLAND: A motley collection of rolling stock was inherited by PKP Intercity, which had to launch an urgent programme of modernisation to meet the expectations of today’s market, reports Ryszard Piech.
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NewsMetering validates regeneration saving
ENERGY: Long-term metering of the electric current consumed by a Virgin Trains Class 390 Pendolino in revenue-earning service in the UK has shown energy savings in line with the 16·5% discount on Network Rail's existing traction current tariff for trains equipped with regenerative braking.
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News
Double-deck on Paris Line A
FRANCE: Following a finance agreement with STIF, the Ile-de-France transport authority, RATP intends to call tenders for replacement rolling stock on RER Line A. At the end of June, RATP presented STIF with its proposals to procure an initial batch of 30 double-deck EMUs at a cost of €600m to ...
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News
DMU framework in place
GERMANY: Following a month-long tendering process, DB has awarded five framework contracts covering the supply of up to 300 regional DMUs to Alstom, Siemens and Stadler. Orders can be called off as required up to 2011 at a total cost of €430m. 'We want to have modern, efficient vehicles available ...
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News
Segregation for 200 km/h running
UKRAINE: Minister of Transport & Communications Yosyp Vinsky has announced the designation of a number of UZ’s major inter-city routes as dedicated passenger lines under a US$6·5bn project to permit the operation of 200 km/h services by the time the country co-hosts the UEFA European football championship in 2012 (RG ...
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News
Tram-trains to Mont Blanc
FRANCE: 'We see an amazing future for this line', proclaimed SNCF President Guillaume Pepy on July 6, when he joined the celebrations to mark the centenary of the metre-gauge line between Chamonix and Vallorcine in Haute-Savoie. Accompanied by the President of Rhône-Alpes Jean-Jacques Queyranne and the regional Vice-President in ...
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NewsMore VLocity in Victoria
AUSTRALIA: Victoria state premier John Brumby announced the purchase of a further nine three-car VLocity DMUs on July 31, along with an extra centre car to lengthen an existing two-car unit. The Bombardier trains will be used to boost capacity as part of an A$236m package of investment in ...
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NewsBeijing - Tianjin high speed line opens for business
CHINA: Tickets for high speed services between Beijing and Tianjin went on sale on July 31, the day before the formal opening of the 117 km line. Testing was successfully completed on June 30, since when 100 000 km of trial running has been undertaken without passengers. Regular services will ...
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NewsFunding agreed for LGV Bretagne
FRANCE: On July 29 Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development & Planning Jean-Louis Borloo signed an agreement establishing the funding mechanism and provisional construction timetable for a 132 km extension of the TGV Atlantique high speed line from Le Mans to Rennes. Costed at €3·4bn, the project also involves ...
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NewsBeNEX places €100m Coradia order
GERMANY: Alstom announced a €100m order for 26 Coradia Continental regional EMUs on July 30. The 21 three-car and five four-car trainsets have been ordered by BeNEX, the company established by Hamburger Hochbahn to bid for operating contracts beyond the Hamburg area and now 49% owned by Babcock & ...
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NewsFaiveley to supply Matangi EMU brakes
NEW ZEALAND: Faiveley Transport has won a contract to supply brake controls, bogie brakes and air generation equipment for 45 two-car EMUs which are being built by a consortium of Hyundai Rotem and Mitsui for use on Metlink suburban services in Wellington. Called 'Matangi' from a Maori word for 'wind', ...
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NewsAn ABC of good design
CHINA: With the Summer Olympic Games just a few weeks away, major infrastructure projects are coming to fruition across Beijing. Prominent amongst these projects is the automated rail link to the city's international airport, where design has been given a high priority.
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NewsSNCF seeks high-capacity double-deck trains
FRANCE: SNCF has called tenders for a fleet of up to 860 double-deck electric trainsets. Designated Porteurs Hyperdenses - literally Ultra-High-Capacity Carriers - they are intended for busy regional and outer-suburban routes and are required in two versions. The Porteur Hyperdense Coeur de Cible would be ordered in four ...
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NewsSwedish high speed strategy
SWEDEN: Infrastructure manager Banverket has submitted a report to the government recommending the construction of two high speed corridors over the next 20 years, at an estimated cost of SKr100bn to SKr150bn. According to BV Director General Minoo Akhtarzand, the rail network will need 50% more capacity by 2020 ...
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NewsNTV announces ambitious service pattern in 2011
ITALY: At a press conference in Roma on July 15, Europe's first private-sector high speed train operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori outlined details of the services it plans to launch in 2011. Guests at the high-profile event included newly-appointed European Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani, who congratulated NTV on its initiative. ...
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NewsNTV unveils Italian AGV livery
ITALY: The red and gold colour scheme which will be carried by the 25 AGV trainsets ordered by Europe's first open-access high speed operator was unveiled in Roma on July 15. Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori announced in January that it had chosen Alstom's Automotrice à Grande Vitesse design for its ...
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NewsArriva chosen in Sweden
SWEDEN: Arriva Skandinavien has been awarded a contract to run Kinnekulletåget passenger services between Göteborg and Örebro from June 14 next year. The agreement with transport authority Västtrafik runs for seven years, with an option for a two-year extension. Services have been run by Veolia since 2003, with eight DMUs ...