All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 353
-
NewsIsfahan metro reaches Soffeh
IRAN: The sole line of the Isfahan metro was extended south from Azadi to Soffeh on July 10. The 4 km extension adds four stations, taking Line 1 to 20·2 km with 20 stations. On the same day two infill stations were opened on the northern section ...
-
NewsCompetition concerns trigger full European Commission review of Siemens-Alstom merger
EUROPE: Following an initial Phase I investigation which raised concerns about competition in the rolling stock and signalling markets, the European Commission confirmed on July 13 that it had opened a Phase II in-depth investigation under the EU Merger Regulation to assess the proposed combination of Alstom with Siemens’ transport ...
-
NewsJacobs awarded Etihad Rail consultancy contract
UAE: Etihad Rail has appointed Jacobs Engineering Group to provide technical and programme consulting services to support the expansion of its network under stages 2 and 3 of its national railway plan, now scheduled for completion by 2024. Jacobs will provide engineering and design services, review and provide critical oversight ...
-
NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Romania’s national Environment Fund Administration has approved funding to support CFR Marfă with the operation of rolling motorway services. The freight operator owns 160 Greenbrier Type Saadkms wagons which operated between Wels in Austria and Glogovat in Romania in 2002-06. In February 2018 a trial train with 10 lorry ...
-
NewsFreightliner to deploy RailSmart software suite
EUROPE: Freightliner has signed a five-year deal to use 3Squared’s RailSmart software suite, including exclusive collaboration for future developments. The Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary will initially roll out RailSmart in the UK, starting this year with the RailSmart EDS competency management module and RailSmart ORS rostering system. Subsequent modules ...
-
NewsLoco control and communication connectors
CONNECTORS: TE Connectivity’s MU27P connectors are designed to provide reliable control and communication connections between locomotives and rolling stock. The 27-point plugs and receptacles with aluminium shells in five colours can be used for applications such as door controls, public address systems and brake indications. ‘These high-quality units are ...
-
NewsFranco-Belgian passenger services to be enhanced from December
EUROPE: Amid concern from policymakers and rail advocates about the extent and quality of cross-border passenger services in Europe, SNCB is to reintroduce conventional services linking Charleroi and Mons with Maubeuge and Aulnoye in France from the December timetable change. Direct inter-city trains had linked Paris with the Wallonie region ...
-
NewsDriverless heavy haul train completes first iron ore delivery
AUSTRALIA: Rio Tinto completed its first iron ore delivery using a driverless train on July 10. The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator had granted approval on May 16, and full commercial operation is planned for late 2018. The fully-loaded autonomous train with three locomotives carried 28 000 ...
-
NewsUTM unveils two prototype trams
RUSSIA: Uraltransmash Holdings unveiled two prototype trams at the Innoprom-2018 industrial exhibition held in its home city of Yekaterinburg on July 9-12. The Type 71-415 is a fully-low floor vehicle designed in-house by UTM as the basis for a planned family of two, three and four-section vehicles. The single section ...
-
NewsFruit, meat and sweets could take the Trans-Caspian route to China
INTERNATIONAL: Polish broad gauge operator PKP LHS and Far East Land Bridge have organised a trial container shipment from the Euroterminal Sławków to Urumqi using the Trans-Caspian route via Ukraine, the Black Sea, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea and Kazkhstan. This route ‘fits into the needs of freight forwarders and ...
-
NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Abellio and Regiobahn have awarded N-ERGIE contracts for the supply of traction electricity in Germany. Law firm Baker & McKenzie has joined the Rail Working Group, which represents the rail industry in regard to the implementation of the 2007 Luxembourg Protocol to the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in ...
-
NewsMariupol trolleybus network modernisation financing in place
UKRAINE: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development is providing Mariupol city transport operator MTTU with a loan of up to €13m to finance the acquisition of up to 72 low-floor trolleybuses, spare parts and maintenance equipment and the modernisation of the existing depot and electrification equipment. The loan will ...
-
NewsHamburg S-Bahn automation agreement signed
GERMANY: The Digital S-Bahn Hamburg agreement to automate operations on a section of the city’s suburban rail network was signed by the mayor, Deutsche Bahn and Siemens on July 12. The partners have agreed to share the €60m cost of the pilot phase of the project, which aims to have ...
-
NewsRooftop running in Paris-Nord expansion plan
FRANCE: The refurbishment and expansion of Paris-Nord station took a step forward on July 9 when the management board of SNCF Mobilités selected Ceetrus as preferred partner for exclusive negotiation with Ceetrus to undertake the programme. Ceetrus is the commercial property arm of retail group Auchan, and SNCF said that ...
-
NewsGöteborg orders 30 electric buses
SWEDEN: The GS Buss subsidiary of Göteborgs Spårvägar and public transport authority Västtrafik have ordered 30 electric buses from Volvo, the supplier announced on July 3. Due to be delivered in the third quarter of 2019, they will operate on routes 59, 60 and 62 in Göteborg. The Volvo ...
-
NewsHydrogen fuel cell trainset approved for passenger service
GERMANY: Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell multiple-unit was formally approved for passenger service on July 11. The two prototype units are expected to enter pilot service on the Elbe-Weser network with the first scheduled services planned for late summer. ‘Hydrogen is a true low-emission and efficient alternative to diesel’, ...
-
NewsChinese companies sign Serbian railway upgrade agreement
SERBIA: A €943m agreement for the modernisation of the 108 km section of the Beograd – Budapest corridor between Novi Sad and the Hungarian border at Subotica was signed by Serbia’s Ministry of Construction, Transport & Infrastructure, China Railway International and China Communications Construction Co on July 7. The work ...
-
NewsÎle-de-France funds initial Grand Paris fleet
FRANCE: Île-de-France Mobilités confirmed on July 11 that it had allocated €680m to fund 53 driverless metro trains for the initial phases of the Grand Paris Express project. Representing the first tranche of orders expected to be worth up to €1·3bn, the funds cover the purchase of 30 six-car trainsets ...
-
NewsFirst Caen tram unveiled
FRANCE: The first Alstom tram for Caen was unveiled on July 10. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in October with entry into service scheduled for September next year. In November 2016 the city awarded Alstom a €52m contract to supply 23 Citadis X05 trams for the 16·8 km three-line network ...
-
NewsArriva awards maintenance contract
NETHERLANDS: Arriva has awarded Stadler a contract to maintain the 69 multiple-units which it is to operate on regional routes in Friesland and Groningen under the 15-year Noordelijke Lijnen concession which starts in December 2020. The maintenance contract signed on July 10 builds on a similar agreement which has been ...