All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 545
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NewsLondon Underground track renewals contract extended
UK: London Underground has extended its Track Partnership alliance with Balfour Beatty for further two years to March 2018 in a deal worth £170m. Track Partnership undertakes turnout and ballasted track installation and renewals across the London Underground network, as well as associated drainage, signalling, traction power and conductor rail ...
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NewsDoha metro tunnel breakthrough
QATAR: Qatar Rail celebrated the completion of tunnelling on the Red Line North section of the metro when a TBM broke through between Legtaifiya and Qatar University stations on March 21. Boring of the 11·3 km tunnel started on July 19 2014 and used four earth pressure balance TBMs. ...
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News£800m London Waterloo capacity programme launched
UK: A £800m package of works intended to provide a 30% increase in peak capacity on the routes into London Waterloo station by 2019 was officially launched on March 23. This encompasses a number of previously-announced projects, including: Rebuilding the former Waterloo International terminal to provide an extra five ...
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NewsBrookville takes Oklahoma City Streetcar contract
USA: The Oklahoma City council approved a $24·9m contract on March 22 under which Brookville Equipment Corp is to supply five low-floor streetcars. The city council had previously approved a $22m contract with Inekon last September, but this was not finalised, as the supplier could not provide the required ...
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NewsNew operator for Dakar – Bamako railway
AFRICA: The governments of Senegal and Mali have established Dakar Bamako Ferroviaire to manage the revival of the 1 286 km railway between the port of Dakar and Bamako. The new company replaces concessionaire TransRail, a 51% subsidiary of Advens which had operated the metre-gauge line under a concession awarded ...
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NewsLos Angeles County MTA publishes 40-year capital plan
USA: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority published a draft expenditure plan on March 18 outlining capital projects for the next 40 years. These would be funded with revenues generated through a tax increase that could be put to a vote in November. Following public feedback, Metro’s board of ...
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NewsHS2 Phase I civil works shortlist announced
UK: High speed project delivery company HS2 Ltd has shortlisted nine consortia to bid for between £7·1bn and £11·8bn worth of contracts covering preparatory works for and construction of the first phase of HS2. This 190 km high speed line would link London with Birmingham and the West Coast Main ...
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NewsGreece extends rail privatisation deadlines
GREECE: The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund has extended the timetable for the submission of bids for 100% stakes in national train operator Trainose and rolling stock maintenance business EESSTY, also known as Rosco. HRADF said three investors interested in Trainose had requested an extension to the March 21 deadline ...
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NewsBi-mode order planned as Hull Trains gets 10-year access agreement
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has approved open access inter-city operator First Hull Trains’ application for track access rights for a further 10 years from 2019. The FirstGroup subsidiary said this would enable it to go ahead with a £68m plan to order five Hitachi electro-diesel multiple-units which ...
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NewsBozankaya delivers its first tram to Kayseri
TURKEY: Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality took delivery of the first of 30 trams from Bozankaya on March 23. It will now undergo a month of testing on the standard gauge network. Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality placed a €42m order in August 2014 for 30 trams that will augment its existing fleet ...
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NewsTest running begins on Changsha metro Line 1
CHINA: Regular test runs on Changsha metro Line 1 started on March 21, following the first through run of a train on the route on January 20. The mostly underground Line 1 is expected to open to passengers at the end of June. The 23·6 km north-south route has ...
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NewsFirst train to Moreton Bay
AUSTRALIA: Queensland Rail has started test running on the 12·6 km Moreton Bay Rail Link, which is expected to open for revenue service later this year. Following energisation of the 25 kV 50 Hz electrification in January, the first test EMU operated over the line on March 16. Diverging from ...
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NewsFurther Xi’an metro plans approved
CHINA: The National Development & Reform Commission has approved plans for the further development of the Xi’an metro. One new line and further phases of two more are among the projects approved, in addition to revised plans for Phase 2 of Line 5 and Phase 2 of ...
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NewsSan Diego MTS approves capital funds
USA: San Diego Metropolitan Transit System approved $108m for its capital improvement programme for the 2017 financial year on March 17. Among the projects included in the funding is the purchase of eight low-floor light rail vehicles, which has been allocated $31m. Construction of new stop to serve San ...
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NewsNingbo metro Line 1 extended
CHINA: March 19 saw the start of trial operation on Phase 2 of Ningbo metro Line 1. The 25·3 km extension runs east from Donghuan Nanlu to Xiapu. Qiuga station is underground, while the other eight are elevated. The 20·9 km first phase of Line 1 opened on May ...
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NewsStacked depots in Singapore
SINGAPORE: Land Transport Authority has awarded GS Engineering & Construction Corp a S$2bn civil works contract for the East Coast Integrated Depot, which LTA says will be the first in the world to integrate three train maintenance depots and one bus depot in a single site. The 36 ha ...
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NewsIsrael Railways expands double-deck fleet
ISRAEL: Israel Railways has exercised an option for an additional 60 Bombardier Transportation Twindexx Vario push-pull coaches, and called tenders for the supply and maintenance of 60 double-deck electric multiple-units. The €106m firm order announced on March 21 has been placed within an October 2010 framework contract with Bombardier. ...
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NewsUniversity Link opens in Seattle
USA: The University Link extension of Seattle’s light rail line opened on March 19, six months ahead of schedule. The 5·1 km underground extension runs north from Westlake to the University of Washington. An intermediate stop at Capitol Hill provides interchange with the First Hill streetcar line. Journey time ...
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NewsNorthwest Extension opens in Phoenix
USA: The first phase of Valley Metro’s Northwest Extension opened on March 19 with a day of free travel across the Phoenix light rail network. The 5·2 km extension runs north along 19th Avenue from Montebello Avenue to Dunlap Avenue, with intermediate stops at Glendale Avenue and Northern Avenue. ...
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NewsParis metro hackathon prizes awarded
FRANCE: Alstom and programming school Ecole 42 have announced the winners of the hackathon that was held in Paris on March 17-18 with the aim of developing apps for connected metros. The prizes were handed out by Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge and Ecole 42 Principal Xavier Niel. The aim ...