All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 1278
-
News
Tunnel safety standards
SAFETY in rail tunnels is greater than on open line because of the absence of level crossings and restricted access, and rail travel is about 45 times safer than road. These are among the conclusions of a report on the safety of rail tunnels commissioned by the Swiss Ministry of ...
-
News
Publications
Trans-Siberian HandbookBryn ThomasThe fifth edition of this travellers’ guide has been updated to take advantage of the removal, for the first time in Russian history, of most restrictions on tourist travel in Siberia. This pocket-sized volume contains new and updated maps, and the 432 pages have been fully re-researched since ...
-
News
PPP structure to be revised
DISCUSSIONS were under way between the British government and Transport for London last month over the structure of the London Underground Public-Private Partnership. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced on February 2 that he had asked TfL’s Commissioner for Transport Bob Kiley ’to take the lead in working up proposals ...
-
News
Pointers
n Queensland Competition Authority has recommended ending QR’s virtual monopoly of coal haulage within the state, and the introduction of access prices for private sector companies wanting to compete. The report claims opening up the network to competition could cause costs to fall by up to 30%, creating an ...
-
News
Stock orders promised
PAUL Blumenthal, Head of Swiss Federal Railways’ Passenger Division, has confirmed that SBB plans to place several major orders for rolling stock in the next few years. Speaking at the unveiling of a refurbished MkIV coach in Olten, Blumenthal outlined SBB’s procurement plans for passenger rolling stock.A decision will be ...
-
News
Norwegians try ticketless travel
Norwegian State Railways is offering passengers ticketless travel on its Signatur tilting trains. The ’Station in Train’ project is based on text messaging and digital communications designed and delivered by ICL Invia, ICL’s Nordic e-business services company. Each train is equipped with a computer terminal with a GSM link, and ...
-
News
Motorail services revised
DB AutoZug is to offer users of its motorail service a money- back guarantee. The trains are being equipped with refurbished sleeping cars, with new bogies, quieter disk brakes and air-conditioning, and if facilities on the refurbished trains are not functioning or unavailable, passengers can claim a travel voucher.When the ...
-
News
Track monitoring on the TGV network
INTRO: To maintain high standards of ride on high speed lines with growing traffic, it is essential to improve monitoring of track components. SNCF has put in hand development of more powerful monitoring equipment, including a video rail surface inspection system in service since the start of this year. The ...
-
News
Modem monitors minute movements
Saltwood tunnel in Kent lies just 15m below a cutting for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link now under construction. To ensure that rail traffic can continue during construction, Rail Link Engineering has installed monitoring equipment in the brick-lined tunnel.Four of Leica Geosystem’s TCA2003 robotic land surveying units, calibrated to an ...
-
News
Metros
Argentina: Suburban operator Trenes de Buenos Aires has refurbished San Isidro station on the Retiro - Tigre route for 1·5m pesos. Vicente López, La Lucila, Martínez and Olivos will follow.Czech Republic: Praha metro Line A is to be extended 1 km from Skalka to Hostivar, using an existing depot access ...
-
News
Tunnel scraping mechanised
REPAIRand cleaning of tunnel linings has been simplified by the development of a range of rail-mounted tunnel scraping machines by Italian mining equipment supplier Costruzione Macchine Marconi.The FGF 75 and FGF 110 rail tunnel scraping machines are carried on a bogie well frame, with a power pack above one bogie ...
-
News
Market
China: Bombardier Sifang Power Transportation Ltd (RG 4.00 p242) has awarded Temoinsa of Spain a Pts3·5bn contract to supply interiors for 300 inter-city coaches. Temoinsa has recently invested Pts100m in establishing a facility at Qingdao with a Chinese partner.Leighton Contractors (Asia) has won a HK$907m contract to extend KCR’s Tuen ...
-
News
Manacor re-opening next
WORK was due to begin last month on a Pts4·5bn project to re-open the 30 km Inca - Manacor section of the former line to Arta on the island of Mallorca. This follows the restoration of passenger service on the Inca - Sa Pobla line on January 6. Regional operator ...
-
News
THSRC starts major work this month
INTRO: With a contract for E&M equipment and rolling stock signed and sealed, civil works are getting under way on the Taipei - Kaohsiung high speed line. Murray Hughes reports from TaiwanON DECEMBER 12 2000 Chairman of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp Nita Ing signed the NT$95bn Core System contract ...
-
News
Una valley line reinstated
ASPECIAL TRAIN on January 26 marked the restoration of through rail services between Zagreb and Knin, along the Una river valley. Linking the Croatian capital to the Adriatic ports, the line had been closed since 1991 due to war damage. It now passes through the western part of Bosnia-Herzegovina, requiring ...
-
News
Letters
Transatlantic tram terminologySir - The article ’Trolley launch’ (RG 1.01 p10) regarding the extension of San Diego’s light rail system may cause people to wonder why Americans call trams ’trolleys’.The word originated in New Jersey when the early Asbury Park system was electrified. The Daft system of overhead was chosen, ...
-
News
Pendolino launches test track
THE FIRST pre-series Pendolino Britannico for Virgin Trains’ West Coast franchise made its initial run on February 14, as part of celebrations to mark the opening of Alstom Transport’s British test centre at Asfordby, near Melton Mowbray. The company has acquired the former British Rail test track at Old Dalby, ...
-
News
INTELLIGENCE
Argentina: Buenos Aires provincial operator Uepfp has begun work to re-open the Bahía Blanca - Carmen de Patagones route to passenger traffic, including repair of earthwork damage caused by burrowing animals. Completion would allow Buenos Aires - San Carlos de Bariloche services to run in conjunction with Sefepa of Río ...