All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 1406
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News
Skirmishes over Conrail turn to war
THE BATTLE raging for the control of Conrail has hotted up, with the alarums and excursions of the early weeks changing to a full-scale war in the courts. On November 20 a federal judge denied Norfolk Southern’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt the first step in CSX’s attempt ...
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TFM wins Noreste concession
ON DECEMBER 5 the Mexican government accepted a US$1·4bn bid from Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana for the 50 year concession to operate the Ferrocarril del Noreste (RG 12.96 p805). TFM will also pay 0·5% of net operating income in each of the first 15 years and 1·5% for the remainder. There ...
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GSM data link research completed
Improved passenger information and emergency communications are in prospect following a research programme funded by Britain’s Department of Trade & Industry. Details of the Hiflirts project are to be unveiled by ERA Technology on January 24. The High Intensity data For Light Rail Transport Systems concept uses GSM radio links ...
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Heathrow Express completes commissioning trials
INTRO: Murray Hughes rides the first three-car Heathrow Express set on the Velim test track in the Czech RepublicSTREAKING through the birch forest on the circular test track at Velim northeast of Praha, the first train for Britain’s Heathrow Express service was clocking 160 km/h as part of an intensive ...
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Smart cards: too much hype?
INTRO: With smart card ticketing being tested in London, Manchester, Paris and Hong Kong, the concept is generating considerable interest among transport operators. But investing in contactless fare collection has risks as well as benefits, suggest Matthew Lawson and Bill Steinmetz from the Railway Technology Strategy Centre at London’s ...
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Smart card revolution under way at last
INTRO: Market developments are encouraging the long-awaited introduction of smart cards to a ticketing industry which has been dominated by magnetic stripe technology. Roger Ford looks at the technical and operational implicationsENCODED MAGNETIC stripes on tickets were seen as a key technology in combating fraudulent travel. In practice the forecast ...
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Six-axle car to power NS double-deck EMU
INTRO: Netherlands Railways unveiled its first Bo’Bo’Bo’ power car at Leidschendam on November 12; the 2·4MW vehicles will work with double-deck coaches in four or five car sets. Harry Hondius reportsBETWEEN 1992 and 1994, Netherlands Railways put into service 258 double-deck coaches for commuter operations in the Randstad region. Built ...
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Fireproof cable protection
THIS month PMA of Switzerland plans to launch a range of ’banana-angle’ cable connectors. Developed primarily in response to demand from Adtranz, the connectors will be available in a range of sizes and materials.Later this year PMA will add to its range nylon-based cable protection conduits that meet the demanding ...
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Commuter rail boosts mobility
INTRO: Opening of the Green Corridor route across central Madrid in 1996 concluded an important phase in a major investment programme that has transformed the Spanish capital’s commuter services. Construction of new lines to dormitory suburbs has been matched by rolling stock deliveries to create the most modern commuter train ...
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Blue Tiger stalks world market
LOCOMOTIVE: Adtranz and GE Transportation Systems unveiled a prototype lightweight diesel at a spectacular premiere in Kassel on November 12. The two companies were also celebrating their first order: 30 locos with 3000hp engines will be built for Pakistan Railways for delivery in mid-1998. Development of the family of modular ...
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Bursa LRT bidders shortlisted
CONSTRUCTION of the long-planned 55 km light rail network in the Turkish city of Bursa moved a step closer in November, when the Municipality shortlisted five consortia to build and equip the 20·6 km initial stage. The five are:
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Bright and light beneath two capitals
INTRO: Robert Preston reports on station design concepts on London Underground’s Jubilee line extension and the Paris Météor lineARCHITECTS and engineers working on major extensions to the metro networks in Paris and London have sought to create a better environment for passengers. In both cities the aim has been to ...
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News
Bangkok calls EOM bids
BANGKOK Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority has invited bids for supply of electrical and mechanical equipment for its initial 22 km heavy metro route from the city centre near Hua Lampong to Bang Sue via Asok, Huai Khwang and Lat Phrao. The aim is to award the contract on the basis ...
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Changi branch approved
SINGAPORE’s Mass Rapid Transit network is to be extended to Changi Airport by 2001, at a cost of S$700m to S$800m. The long-awaited decision was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on November 15. The 6·4 km branch from Tanah Merah was proposed as part of the initial ...
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Amtrak in focus
Metroliner upgradeAmtrak has started upgrading 90 loco-hauled Amfleet coaches in a bid to increase ridership on the Northeast Corridor Metroliner trains between Washington and New York. In the year to September 30 1996 the Metroliners carried 2 million passengers and earned $155·7m in revenue, 10% up on 1995.Two refurbished seven-car ...
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Barcelona agrees transport authority
ON NOVEMBER 4 the Catalan regional government, Ministry of Development, Barcelona council and local transport operator EMT signed an agreement to create a new metropolitan transport authority for the greater Barcelona area. When new legislation is in place, Autoridad del Transporte Metropolitano will be responsible for investment; the current contract ...
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SNCF ups agents’ commission
January 1 saw an agreement between French National Railways and the national travel agents’ association SNAV come into force, with the immediate effect of increasing commission paid to agents by 0·4%. In an effort to boost sales of rail tickets, an identical rise is scheduled for January 1 1998, when ...
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Short line sales accelerate
Canada’s two Class I railways are pushing ahead with line sales under the terms of the Canada Transport Act.Canadian National set off a major controversy on November 15 when it announced the sale of 1300 km in northern Manitoba to Colorado-based OmniTrax. The network comprises a main route from CN ...
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Railtrack reshapes Thameslink 2000
With a £600m upgrade of the north - south link through London underpinned by contractual agreements, Richard Hope asked Chris Jago, Director of Railtrack's Southern Zone, how the project is taking shape