All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 1090
-
News
Sabah modernisation begins
LAST MONTH was due to see the start of work to modernise the 134 km railway between Tanjung Aru and Tenom in the Malaysian state of Sabah. Assistant Infrastructure Development Minister Aklee Abbas announced in March that two contractors had been appointed to undertake the upgrading at a cost of ...
-
News
Beginning of the end for PN?
UNCERTAINTY still clouds the future of Australia’s rail freight market as the fiercely-contested eight-month takeover battle between Toll Holdings and Patrick Corp draws to a close.The Patrick board finally conceded defeat on April 13, accepting a second revised offer from Toll which valued the company at A$5·8bn, compared to the ...
-
News
Balkan co-operation
KONCAR Inem and Gosa have signed an agreement to restore past co-operation in the production of rolling stock, under which the Croatian firm will supply electrical equipment for passenger vehicles to be built by the Serbian company.Gosa’s rolling stock factory in Smederevska Palanka is currently building 30 freight wagons for ...
-
News
Bacteria down from the glacier
INDIA’S Research Design & Standardisation Organisation, IIT-Kanpur and the Defence Research Development Organisation are studying the use of bacteria to treat waste in toilet retention tanks, as part of a campaign by Railways Minister Laloo Prasad to improve on-train toilets.The three research bodies are adapting military technologies developed to support ...
-
News
AV network opens up commercial opportunities
TRACK and overhead line equipment is already complete on much of the high speed line between Milano and Bologna. The first section is due to open next year, adding a key route to Italy's north-south high-speed/high-capacity corridor. According to Renato Casale, RFI's Financial Director, the AV/AC network offers the opportunity ...
-
News
Automation is the way to go
Fully-automatic metro operation looks set to be widely adopted over the next two decades, if feedback from delegates at the Metro Rail 2006 conference is anything to go by. Organised by Terrapinn in Barcelona on March 28-30, the event drew a wide mix of operators, suppliers and consultants from cities ...
-
News
Transandine tenders by August
DURING her first state visit abroad, President of Chile Michelle Bachelet announced in Buenos Aires on March 21 that tendering for the project to restore the 225 km route from Los Andes to Mendoza in Argentina (RG 4.06 p218) would start before July 31 2006. The preceding week the Chilean ...
-
News
Belgians to install interim ATP
PENDING the long-term introduction of ETCS, Belgian infrastructure company Infrabel is to fit interim automatic train protection equipment across its 3500 route-km network to prevent drivers passing red signals. The programme will cost €306m.Starting next year, the company will install the TBL1+ system at all main line signals on its ...
-
NewsDouble-deck multiple-units arrive on Zürich's S-Bahn network
Due to enter service on S-Bahn routes in Zürich this summer are the first of 35 double-deck commuter EMUs ordered from Siemens in 2003, which offer a high rate of acceleration for rapid journeys between the closely-spaced stops and level boarding from the station platforms
-
News
Arica - La Paz changes hands
RESPONSIBILITY for the Chilean section of the Arica - La Paz Railway (RG 2.06 p65) is to be taken over by EPA, the state-owned company which manages the port of Arica. According to EPA General Manager Mario Moya, major investment in track repairs will be required before tenders are called ...
-
News
Display area sets new record
INTRO: Four extra halls will be needed to accommodate all the exhibitorsFive months before the start of InnoTrans 2006, the Berlin show is on course to be bigger than ever. The international trade fair has been expanding steadily since the first event 10 years ago, and this year it will ...
-
News
Comfortable cars approved
TVER Carriage Works completed acceptance testing of three models of ’high comfort’ coaches at the end of March. Series production is to begin shortly, with the first of the 160 km/h vehicles to be used on Red Arrow expresses between Moscow and St Petersburg.The 61-4452 sleeping car has eight two-berth ...
-
News
Ansaldo IPO
FINMECCANICA SpA’s initial public offering of the Ansaldo STS SpA business was fully exercised in March, with the sale of 60 million shares at €7·80 each. Trading on the Milano exchange began on March 29. The IPO comprised 52·17 million shares, representing a 52·17% stake in the rail unit, plus ...
-
News
Anchors don’t weigh
DEBRIS control netting on embankments and cuttings requires anchoring on thrust blocks. These are conventionally made from heavy pre-cast concrete, but are difficult to install when steep slopes and inaccessible locations make the use of appropriate plant difficult. Expanded polystyrene maker Cordek and specialist access contractor CAN Geotechnical have developed ...
-
News
Stadler wins Alger contract
ALGERIAN national railway SNTF announced on March 18 that Stadler Bussnang AG had won an international tender called last summer for the supply of EMUs to operate suburban services around the capital. The Swiss manufacturer is to supply 64 four-car Flirt electric multiple-units between the second half of 2008 ...
-
News
More suburban spend in Buenos Aires
THE GOVERNMENT of Argentina was expected to begin tendering last month for a programme of electrification, resignalling, track renewals and station refurbishment on the Roca suburban network in Buenos Aires.Due to take two years to complete at a cost of 1·42bn pesos, the work will be funded by the state. ...
-
News
Merger agreed in Hong Kong
MTR Corp signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on April 11, setting out terms for the proposed merger with Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp.The deal provides for MTR to make an upfront payment of HK$4·25bn for a Service Concession ’to acquire certain ...
-
News
African concessions make progress
ETHIOPIAN Transport Minister Juneidi Sado confirmed on March 29 that Comazar of South Africa had been selected as preferred bidder for a concession to operate the Ethio-Djibouti Railway, ahead of a rival tender from Rites of India. Following discussions with his counterpart from Djibouti Esmael Ibrahim, the minister ...
-
NewsRisks inherent in open access
TO MARK the opening up of the domestic rail freight market on March 31, six French transport unions declared a 'day of action' on May 5 to protest against 'the European project to deregulate passenger transport by road and rail'. Experience since the Trans-European Rail Freight Network was opened up ...
-
News
Delhi aims for 400route-km
ON APRIL 1 Delhi Metro Rail Corp began commercial operation on the 6·5 km extension of Line 3 to Dwarka Sub-City, completing the 62 km Phase I network. Built in just 22 months at a cost of Rs3·2bn, the extension adds six stations to Line 3. The metro viaduct was ...