All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 649
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NewsDubai tramway opens
UAE: The first tram line in Dubai was officially inaugurated on November 11 by the Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Regular passenger services began at 06.30 the following day. The first phase of the tramway is 10·6 km long with 11 stops. Starting near ...
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NewsSlovakia funds free rail travel
SLOVAKIA: With effect from November 17, around 46% of the population will be eligible for free travel on subsidised train services, under a proposal endorsed by the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico on October 22. The provision is part of a €250m national economic stimulus package approved by the ...
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NewsLubrication business sold
GERMANY: As part of a strategy of divestments to concentrate on core activities, Balfour Beatty Rail GmbH has sold its track lubrication and turnout equipment business to LB Foster Co with effect from November 1. The FWO business unit is based in Bochum and has customers in Europe and ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news in brief
MerMec has signed a co-operation agreement with FS Group’s engineering consultancy Italferr. The two companies aim to pool their technical skills to increase their presence in the international market and promote their products and services. Initially running for two years, the agreement envisages that the companies will develop joint ...
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NewsVidiwave wins Colas Rail on-track plant CCTV contract
UK: Following a nine-month development programme and 12 months of rigorous field trials, Vidiwave has been awarded a contract to supply specialised CCTV systems for Colas Rail’s entire UK track maintenance fleet. The mobile CCTV equipment manufacturer has been working with Colas Rail since 2011 to develop an inspection ...
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NewsSiemens unveils ÖBB’s Desiro cityjet
AUSTRIA: The first of 101 three-car Desiro EMUs which Siemens is building for ÖBB was unveiled at the company’s Uerdingen plant on November 10, in a ceremony attended by Federal Minister of Infrastructure Alois Stöger, ÖBB Chief Executive Christan Kern and Siemens Mobility CEO Jochen Eickholt, along with the provincial ...
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NewsNorthern Mongolian Rail Corridor agreement signed
MONGOLIA: The Northern Railways rail infrastructure subsidiary of Aspire Mining has signed an engineering, procurement and construction framework agreement with China Railway 20 Bureau Group covering Phase 1 of the Northern Mongolian Rail Corridor. This follows parliament’s approval of the government’s national rail policy in October. Phase 1 of ...
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NewsAdvanced Train Management System trial contract signed
AUSTRALIA: Live testing of the Advanced Train Management System is set to begin shortly, following the signing of a contract between infrastructure manager Australian Rail Track Corp and Lockheed Martin Australia. The two-year trial is to be undertaken between Whyalla and Port Augusta in South Australia. ATMA uses GPS ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - November 2014
With support from JICA, Myanmar's Ministry of Rail Transportation plans to spend 'more than US$700m' to upgrade and extend Yangon's circular railway. It would replace rolling stock, double train speeds, modernise stations and install fencing. Japan International Co-operation Agency is providing assistance. An elevated urban railway is also proposed, to ...
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NewsFulton Center interchange opens in New York
USA: The Fulton Center interchange opened on November 10 between John and Fulton Streets in New York’s Lower Manhattan district. The metro interchange integrates Fulton Street station on the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J and Z lines with Cortlandt Street on the R Line using a new ...
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NewsLos Angeles breaks ground on Purple Line extension
USA: A groundbreaking ceremony for the metro Purple Line extension took place in the Mid-Wilshire district of Los Angeles on November 7. The 6·3 km first phase will extend the line west from Wilshire/Western along Wilshire Boulevard to La Cienega Boulevard, with intermediate stations at La Brea and Fairfax. ...
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NewsMervis Industries announces $35m wagon refurbishment plant
USA: Following a multi-state search, the Mervis Railcar division of recycling company Mervis Industries has selected Hutchinson, Kansas, as the site for a $35m wagon refurbishment plant to serve the oil, fuel, agricultural and other industries. Announcing its decision on October 30, the company said the Hutchinson site would ‘be ...
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NewsFirst phase of Roma Line C opens
ITALY: The first section of metro Line C in Roma opened on November 9. This links Parco di Centocelle with Monte Compatri-Pantano to the east of the city, making it the first metro line to reach beyond the city boundary. The alignment partly follows a section of the former 950 ...
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NewsIstanbul opens M1 metro extension
TURKEY: Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu attended the opening of Istanbul metro’s latest extension on November 9. The southeastern extension of light metro line M1 from Aksaray to Yenikapı is 700 m long. Interchange is provided at Yenikapı with metro line M2 and Marmaray suburban services. Services from Yenikapı ...
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NewsDhaka metro tenders in January
BANGLADESH: Tenders are to be invited in January for eight work packages on Dhaka Metro Line 6, Transport Minister Obaidul Quader announced on November 5. The minister said he hoped that the contracts could be signed in time for construction to get underway in 2016, which would see the first ...
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NewsMinsk National Airport rail link launched
BELARUS: A passenger service between Minsk Pasažyrski station and Minsk National Airport was launched by Belarus Railways on November 7. The trains call at Smaliavičy to provide interchange opportunities for passengers from regional destinations. There is an initial service of five trains per day with a total journey time ...
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NewsFeature articles in the November 2014 issue of Railway Gazette International
Comment InnoTrans: value the chance conversation News Main Line Urban Rail Market Industry Innovations Pointers Analysis SNCF President Guillaume Pepy sets out his strategy Late change in nomination for EU Transport Commissioner Growing safely in the USA Restructuring Polish regional railKošice race hots upAn intelligent ...
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NewsQueensland port and rail lease
AUSTRALIA: The Queensland government has announced plans to award a long-term lease to operate state-owned assets including the 1000 km Mount Isa line and the associated port of Port Townsville. The 1067 mm gauge single track line is a critical link between inland mining areas and the coast. The ...
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NewsRail industry news in brief - November 2014
Polish freight operator ITL Polska has been renamed Captrain Polska. The UK Department for Transport has confirmed it intends to negotiate a direct award contract for FirstGroup to continue to operate Great Western services for 3½ years from September 2015, with an optional extension of ...
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NewsTampere holds tram industry day
FINLAND: The city of Tampere is holding a Tramway Industry Day on November 17 to inform potential suppliers about a planned two-route standard gauge tram network. The city expects to decide on the procurement model by the end of 2014, with contractors selected next year. Tampere has a population ...