All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 1069
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Three-dimensional lasers
Laser profile sensors are being employed in Russia by Infotrans to measure track wear. The sensors, developed by Micro-Epsilon, are used on Infotrans' inspection train to assess the state of RZD's track. The sensors build on existing track measurement technology by enabling profiling at speed as the inspection train passes. ...
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Japanese invest in US wagons
MARUBENI Corp and its US affiliate Marubeni America have acquired Illinois-based wagon lessor Midwest Railcar Corp, the Japanese firm announced on December 4. MRC was established in 1999, and now leases around 3 000 wagons to railways and freight shippers, provides a brokerage service and manages vehicles owned by third ...
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Infrared at speed
Following two and a half years of development, FLIR Systems has developed an infrared thermographic camera capable of processing images taken from a train travelling at line speed. This advance should enable engineers to undertake thermal imaging of infrastructure without recourse to time-consuming and costly possessions. The ThermoVision SC6000HS can ...
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Rail giant takes shape
A COMPANY described as the world’s leading rail producer is to be created with the US$2?3bn purchase of Oregon Steel Mills by the specially-formed Oscar Acquisition Merger subsidiary of Evraz Group, one of Russia’s largest vertically-integrated steelmakers.The Russian steel and mining company commenced a cash tender offer to purchase the ...
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Getting smarter
WMATA has awarded Cubic Transportation Systems an $11?6m contract to upgrade Washington DC’s rail, car park and bus payment systems to accept a common smart card and provide centralised transaction processing and reporting. Tri-Reader contactless readers will be installed at stations and car parks to expand acceptance of the SmarTrip ...
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A watchful eye
AN INTENSIVE security network is to be installed on 13?km of line through Washington DC, used by Virginia Railway Express, Amtrak and CSX, under a $10m pilot project being promoted by the US Department of Homeland Security.CCTV cameras will send live images to law-enforcement agencies and provide a permanent record ...
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Eddington report is music in Treasury ears
AS GNER’s ambitious InterCity East Coast franchise starts to fall apart (p6), Virgin Rail Group’s West Coast business is getting up and running again. On December 13, UK Secretary of State for Transport Douglas Alexander announced the end of the so-called ’Letter Agreement’ which has seen Virgin run West Coast ...
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Czech electrification progress
DECEMBER 8 saw the start of 3?kV DC electric services on the 27?km single-track route between Ostrava-Svinov and Opava-V?chod in the Czech Republic, marking the completion of a KC1?73bn upgrading for 100?km/h operation, which has cut journey times by 15 to 20?min.It was the second Czech wiring scheme completed in ...
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Evergreen II completed on time
A CEREMONY at London’s Marylebone station on December 12 marked the completion of Chiltern Railways’ ?70m Evergreen II capacity expansion project. UK Transport Minister Tom Harris was joined for the ribbon-cutting by Laing Rail and Chiltern Chairman Adrian Shooter.Chiltern has largely completed a programme of improvements worth ?371m to which ...
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East Coast to be re-franchised
EXPRESSIONS of Interest to operate the UK's InterCity East Coast franchise were invited by the Department for Transport on December 15. Submissions are due by January 15, with the aim of having a new operator in post within 12 to 18 months. As an interim measure, existing operator GNER will ...
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Moving People, moving cities
THERE IS A strong and reciprocal link between urban public transport and the cities and regions that it serves neither can be truly successful without the other. Cities need public transport to thrive, but transport systems can only be successful if they form an integral part of urban fabric. To ...
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Chinese expansion continues
CHINESE RAILWAYS has confirmed plans to invest 300bn yuan during 2007 on network extensions and capacity enhancement, as part of the 11th five-year plan which is due to see investment total 1 500bn yuan in 2006-10. Describing the package as ’the biggest in Chinese history’ the National Development & Reform ...
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Change needed
Sir - I thought there were some valid points in ’Policy changes are urgently needed in Eastern Europe’ (RG 11.06 p697). However, a few pages later the headline ’Weibel’s last task’ (RG11.06 p710) sounded almost mournful, and underlines the urgent need for policy changes in Western Europe also. Despite ...
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Open and shut case
TEETHING TROUBLES continue to afflict the RandstadRail network in Den Haag.Delays in installing the train control system put back the planned opening on September 3, but a provisional metro service between Rotterdam Hofplein and Nootdorp began on September 10. HTM started light rail route 4 between Zoetermeer Javalaan and Monstersestraat ...
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Manila capacity expanded
ON DECEMBER 10 Philippines President Gloria Arroyo and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe formally inaugurated the first of 12 new four-car trains being supplied as part of a 8?9bn pesos upgrade of Manila light rail Line 1.After cutting a ribbon at Pasay depot, the VIPs took a ride in one ...
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Coal branch planned
BOTSWANA RAILWAYS CEO Andrew Lunga announced on November 17 that the railway is planning to build a rail connection from Erasmus on its main line to serve the Mmamabula coalfield, which is being developed by Toronto-based CIC Energy Corp and its local subsidiary Meepong Resources.Construction of the new line is ...
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Saudi Binladen Group wins North-South Railway work
SAUDI Binladen Group confirmed on November 27 that it had been awarded the main construction contract for Saudi Arabia's 2 000 km north-south mineral railway, which is due to be completed by 2011. Eight consortia submitted bids for the work tendered by the Public Investment Fund, which is part of ...
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Barrot tackles cross-acceptance red tape
A SERIES of measures to support the revitalisation of the railway sector’ was announced by European Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot on December 13.Insisting that ’we need to streamline and reduce the amount of rules that railway undertakings have to comply with before they are allowed to use the railway networks ...
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Carex backs Cargo TGVs
THE PROSPECT of high speed freight trains linking France and neighbouring countries took a step forward on December 8 with publication of a feasibility study by Cargo Rail Express. Carex brings together representatives from Air France, Aeroports de Paris, La Poste, the French government and local authorities with FedEx, TNT ...
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Ministers back multimodal service
ANNOUNCING THE results of a joint study on December 4, French Transport Minister Dominique Perben and Minister for Environment & Sustainable Development Nelly Olin backed rail and maritime development in the Rh?ne valley and the ’Langeudoc arc’, rejecting plans to expand the A7 and A9 motorways.The ministers expect to launch ...