All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 1323
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KTZ monopoly to be ended
THE GOVERNMENT of Kazakhstan has approved draft proposals for the restructuring of the national railway network and the introduction of competition for support services. Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) General Director Ablai Myrzakhmetov announced at the beginning of August that the ’demonopolisation’ process would be phased over the next four years.Noting that ...
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Graffiti drive
Under a contract worth 4bn euros, work is due to begin in September to apply anti-graffiti film to 1600 passenger vehicles operated by Italian State Railways’ Transport Strategic Business Area, which is responsible for regional and urban services. Application of film to this first batch of vehicles operating around Torino, ...
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Dieter
Il viaggio a Reims. To celebrate the total solar eclipse in Europe on August 11, 250 VIPs enjoyed a trip from Paris on the Nostalgie Orient Express, including a ’brunch astronomique’ with caviar and champagne. Dieter wonders whether a steam train is really ideal for a solar observation tour.
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Taiwan deal
THE SIGNING of a three-way accord on August 13 appears to have salvaged the 35-year concession for the 345 km Taipei - Kaohsiung high-speed line. The agreement followed two days of talks between the Taiwan government, concessionaire THSRC and bankers' representatives. THSRC gave notice at the end of July that ...
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SkyTrain deal
ON AUGUST 3, Bombardier Transportation confirmed that it had been awarded a C$205m contract for design and supply of electrical and mechanical systems for the 21 km SkyTrain Line 2 in Vancouver. Rapid Transit 2000 Ltd had already awarded the company a C$165m contract for 60 ALRT MkII cars last ...
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Still in court
ON JULY 29 the Taiwanese High Court awarded NT$1·1bn to Matra Transport International as compensation for its work on Taipei’s troubled Mucha metro line. This should have been welcome news to the French supplier, which has been battling with Taipei City Council’s Department of Rapid Transit Systems for ...
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Safety costs mount
A record fine for a health and safety offence of £1·5m was imposed on Great Western Trains in July by Mr Justice Scott-Baker for not preventing the collision at Southall in West London on September 19 1997. Seven passengers died when a diesel High Speed Train ran through signals at ...
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Control modules
Schneider Electric is developing a range of distributed input/output modules for traction control and other rolling stock applications, compliant with European standards EN 50155 and EN 50121-3-2. Featuring a robust and compact plastic housing for mounting on a DIN rail, the lightweight modules can operate between -40í C and 85í ...
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More West Rail contracts let
ON JULY 27 Kowloon-Canton Railway Corp announced a further six contracts for West Rail phase I, totalling HK$5·4bn. Four are for civil works, one for railway systems and one for design.Kier-Zen Pacific JV is to build Mei Foo station for HK$1·2bn, whlist Tin Shui Wai station and the light rail ...
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Moscow tries commuter expresses
MOSCOW Railway commuters between Vladimir and the Russian capital are flocking onto the latest design of EMU to emerge from the Demikhovo rolling stock plant (left). On July 31 MR President Gennadi Fadeev and Railways Minister V I Starostenko launched the city’s third express commuter service using a build of ...
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Mystery surrounds Gaisal collision
Despite fears that the death toll in the August 2 collision at Gaisal on India’s Northeast Frontier Railway might exceed the 300 killed at Firozabad near Agra in 1995, the official figure was set at 286 when a mountain of wreckage was finally cleared three days later. Commissioner for Railway ...
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Trials will settle final ETCS choices
BYLINE: Nina BarrsCommercial DirectorERTMS Users Group THIS AUTUMN sees Europe’s railways start live tests with ETCS. Developed primarily for the Trans-European Network high speed line projects, ETCS is the child of a core group of European railways and infrastructure companies: Deutsche Bahn, Réseau Ferré de France, Ferrovie dello Stato, Railtrack, ...
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Can the public sector meet the profit challenge?
INTRO: At its Ninth Scientific Symposium, the Arab Union of Railways will examine how national railways can restructure for profitabilityBYLINE: Eng Mourhaf SabouniGeneral SecretaryArab Union of RailwaysWITH privatisation now in vogue around the world, the members of the Arab Union of Railways are faced with a particular challenge. While keeping ...
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Underground rail carrier
Developed for track renewal work on London Underground’s Waterloo & City line, the Bance Rail Transportation Unit comprises four lifting traversers with an Alumi-Cart inspection trolley at each end. Able to carry four people, the Alumi-Carts can be uncoupled from the RTU for inspection duties at speeds up to 30 ...
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Trouble in the Cape
SOUTH AFRICA’S national railway Spoornet has on many occasions helped its Cape gauge neighbours to the north with technical expertise, supply of rolling stock and motive power. Now it is Spoornet that is in need of help - although something more fundamental is called for.The recent economic downturn brought a ...
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Line C revived
THIS MONTH is due to see the handover to Roma’s Sistema di Transporti SpA of detailed engineering designs for the first 12 km section of metro Line C. Project design for the route linking the Line A interchange at San Giovanni to Torrenova, where it would meet the Cotral suburban ...
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Industry in Brief
France: Alcatel has appointed Credit Suisse First Boston to find a buyer for its Saft batteries operation. Sale to another manufacturer or an investment concern is expected to be completed by the end of September, and offers of more than 500m euros are anticipated.Ascom Monétel, Ascom Elsydel and Ascom SA ...
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Passenger in Brief
n France Télécom is to remove its 700 payphones installed in domestic SNCF TGV trainsets, as usage has fallen with the rising popularity of mobile phones. The space freed is to be enclosed as an area where mobile phones can be used without disturbing other passengers.n Ticket machines have been ...
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Products in Brief
Faiveley Transport is supplying 250 TOM data recorders to Alstom Transport, meeting ERTMS requirements and capable of resisting temperatures as high as 700í C as well as loads of 2 tonnes. The data recorders are being installed in tilting trains for Virgin West Coast, Class 334 EMUs for ScotRail, Class ...
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Last segment completes Øresund bridge
A royal ceremony marked the placing of the last section of the spectacular 7·8 km Øresund bridge on August 14