All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 404
-
News
Länsimetro extension opens in Helsinki
FINLAND: The first phase of the Länsimetro extension of the Helsinki metro into Espoo opened to passengers on November 18. The 13·5 km western extension from Ruoholahti to Matinkylä in Espoo has eight underground stations. It was built by Länsimetro Oy and has a forecast ridership of 100 000 passengers ...
-
News
Groupe Eurotunnel rebrands as Getlink
EUROPE: Channel Tunnel concessionaire Groupe Eurotunnel changed its name to Getlink with effect from November 20, saying the new brand reflected ‘the dynamism of connection and exchange’. Getlink is the parent company for four brands: Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel, French private rail freight operator Europorte, railway training centre CIFFCO, and ...
-
News
St Petersburg metro train order placed
RUSSIA: The Vagonmaš joint venture of Škoda Transportation and Kirovsky Zavod is to supply seven six-car trainsets for the St Petersburg metro. Vagonmaš’ 4bn rouble bid came in cheaper than that of Transmashholding subsidiary Oktyabrsky Electric Car Repair Plant. The first four trainsets are to be delivered in ...
-
News
Bishkek trolleybus order placed
KYRGYZSTAN: Bishkek Trolleybus Co has ordered a total of 52 trolleybuses from two suppliers. Russian manufacturer Trolza is to supply 37 vehicles and Belarusian company Belkommunmash is to supply 15. The 12 m long vehicles are being ordered under a €5m contract that is being funded partly through the ...
-
News
CAF awarded Manila rolling stock contract
PHILIPPINES: The Department of Transportation has awarded Mitsubishi Corp and manufacturing partner CAF a €225m contract to supply 30 trainsets for Manila metro Line 1. Announcing the order on November 20, CAF said this was its first contract in the Philippines. Deliveries are scheduled for 2020-22. The bidirectional trainsets powered ...
-
News
EU vehicle authorisation process agreed
EUROPE: A major step towards implementation of the technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package was achieved on November 16, when the European Commission’s Railway Interoperability & Safety Committee voted to adopt the Implementing Act setting out the practical arrangements for the unified vehicle authorisation process. Since the package was ...
-
News
World rail freight news round-up
The European Rail Freight Association has 'strongly welcomed' the adoption of EU rules providing consultation and co-ordination obligations for infrastructure managers, aimed at minimising disruptions to services. Keswick Enterprises Group announced on November 17 that it had reached an agreement to sell its Tibbett Logistics subsidiary in Romania to the ...
-
News
Thales awarded Egyptian signalling contract
EGYPT: Egyptian National Railways has awarded Thales a three-year contract to modernise signalling and telecoms on the 180 km Asyut – Nagaa Hammadi section of the Cairo – Aswan corridor. Announcing the contract on November 16, Thales said its integrated signalling and communications technology would be designed to work with ...
-
News
Northern Rail Corridor feasibility study
MONGOLIA: Aspire Mining subsidiary Northern Railways has signed a memorandum of understanding with China Gezhouba Group International to undertake a bankable second-stage feasibility study for the planned Northern Rail Corridor. The proposed mixed traffic line would run from Erdenet to serve coal reserves at Nurstell and Ovoot. A decision ...
-
News
Nine-section tram arrives in Dublin
IRELAND: The first of seven nine-section Citadis trams has arrived in Dublin from Alstom’s La Rochelle factory. The vehicle was shipped to the port of Rosslare, from where it was transported by road to Luas’ Sandyford Depot on November 16. Transport Infrastructure Ireland placed a €36·5m order for the ...
-
News
Italian urban rail agreement signed
ITALY: National railway FS Group signed a co-operation agreement with investment bank CDP on November 15 to develop urban rail networks in the country. The two parties will co-operate in identifying and promoting construction of new lines as well as extensions to existing networks, and will also look at ...
-
News
Four shortlisted for Docklands Light Railway train order
UK: Invitations to negotiate for a contract to supply 43 trainsets for the Docklands Light Railway driverless light metro were issued to four prequalified bidders by Transport for London on November 17. The prequalified bidders are: Alstom Transport UK; Bombardier Transportation; CAF; a consortium of Siemens, Stadler Bussnang and ...
-
News
Network Rail to sell commercial property business
UK: Network Rail announced plans to sell its commercial property business in England and Wales on November 17. The infrastructure manager said it was the largest provider of small and medium-sized business space in the UK, and the sale of ‘non-core’ property assets, the majority of which are spaces under ...
-
News
ABB 'realigns' transformer manufacturing activities
ABB: A ‘strategic realignment’ of ABB's transformer manufacturing activities was announced on November 6, reflecting what the company said was a ‘dynamic market environment marked by increasing competition and consolidation in the rail industry.’ In the USA, the company is to consolidate power transformer manufacturing at its South Boston and ...
-
News
Dalian to Bratislava freight service arrives
INTERNATIONAL: A trial container service from Dalian in China to the SPaP port on the River Danube in Bratislava arrived in the Slovak capital on November 13, after a 17-day journey via Russia and Ukraine. The 41 containers carrying goods worth more than US$3m including electronics and machine parts were ...
-
News
Pandrol unifies branding
PANDROL: The rail activities of the Delachaux Group are to be unified under the Pandrol brand name, the company announced on November 17. As well as the eponymous rail fastenings business, Pandrol will also be the brand used by the Railtech, Vortok, Pandrol CDM Track, Rosenqvist, Matweld and RSS divisions. ...
-
News
Railway supply industry news round-up
Between April 1 and September 30 Alstom booked €3·2bn of orders, down 49% on the same period the previous year. Sales were up 5% at €3·8bn, and adjusted EBIT increased 16% to €231m, leading to an adjusted EBIT margin of 6·2%. Net income reached €213m. ‘These six first months were ...
-
News
Transport for the North to become statutory body
UK: Legislation to turn the Transport for the North partnership of 19 local authorities, business leaders and 11 local enterprise partnership areas into a statutory sub-national transport body with legal powers and duties was laid in Parliament on November 16. Once approved, TfN would become a statutory body with effect ...
-
News
Resilient rail pads to cut operational noise
BELGIUM: Infrastructure manager Infrabel is to install a new design of resilient rail pad during track renewals from 2018, aiming to equip 120 km a year. Developed in-house over a period of three years, the pads inserted between the rail and concrete sleepers have been proven to reduce operational noise ...
-
News
Sixth Oslo metro line approved
NORWAY: Oslo city council approved plans for the city’s sixth metro line on November 13. Planned to open in 2024, the 8·2 km line with six stations would run from Majorstuen on the existing network to Fornebusenter to the west of the city centre, where the depot would be ...