All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 704
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First Korean PowerHaul locomotive on test
SOUTH KOREA: National operator Korail has begun testing the first of 25 GE Transportation PowerHaul locomotives which are being built in South Korea. Designated Class 7600, Korail ordered the locomotives in 2011 from a partnership of Hyundai Rotem and GE Transportation. They are intended for use on passenger and freight ...
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Battery EMU ready to start testing
JAPAN: East Japan Railway's Series EV-E301 prototype 1·5 kV DC/battery electric multiple-unit was delivered to the Karasuyama Line on January 22, ready for the start of test running. Branded 'Accum', the two-car unit is derived from the experimental 'Smart Denchi-kun' battery railcar which was tested on the same line in ...
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Network Rail orders eight Robel Mobile Maintenance Systems
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail has confirmed an order worth around €50m for eight Robel self-propelled Mobile Maintenance System 69.70/4 trainsets. Developed from a concept devised by Austrian Federal Railways and also supplied to Norway, Germany and the Netherlands, the MMS is designed to provide a safe and well-lit environment ...
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Crenshaw/LAX line breaks ground
USA: A groundbreaking ceremony for the Crenshaw/LAX light rail line was held in Los Angeles on January 21 at Crenshaw station on the Expo Line. The 13·7 km north–south line will link the existing Expo and Green lines, serving the Crenshaw Corridor, Inglewood, Westchester and the area around Los ...
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Isolux Corsán wins Santiago metro contract
CHILE: Metro de Santiago has awarded Isolux Corsán a €75m, 28-month contract for the construction of a section of Santiago metro Line 3. The scope of the agreement includes the boring of a 3·7 km tunnel under the Mapocho River using the new Austrian tunnelling method, as well as ...
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Efacec wins Dublin tram contract
IRELAND: Efacec has been awarded a €25m contract covering E&M systems for the Luas Cross City tram line in Dublin. This includes substations, remote power control, electrical installations, signalling, fleet management, communications, CCTV and a control centre. The Cross City line would link the existing Red and Green ...
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Nizhny Novgorod metro extension to start soon
RUSSIA: Nizhny Novgorod city authorities announced on January 17 that construction of the Sormovskaya Line extension to Strelka will begin in April. Construction is expected to cost €261m. A further extension from Strelka to Meshcherskoye Ozero is also planned, as well as a northern extension of the Avtozavodskaya Line ...
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Rail Academy to be created in the United Arab Emirates
UAE: A memorandum of understanding to establish a Rail Academy has been signed by the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training and Thales. The planned Rail Academy would provide Emiratis with high-level professional and academic training programmes to support the country's railway and urban transport projects. The partnership ...
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Strategic analysis targets high speed rail decision-makers
EUROPE: An economic study published on January 21 aims to help determine how best to expand the current European high speed network. Commissioned by Alstom and SNCF from German management consultants Civity, the study formed the basis for a debate entitled ‘The Relevance of High Speed’ held at the European ...
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New Thameslink Class 700 train mock-up on show to public
UK: A mock-up of the future Class 700 Desiro City electric multiple-units which Siemens is building for Thameslink commuter services through London is to be displayed to the public this month. Siemens, the Department for Transport and current Thameslink/Great Northern franchisee First Capital Connect will be showing the mock-up ...
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Shenzhen plans metro extension and light rail
CHINA: On January 20 MTR Corp signed a strategic co-operation framework agreement with the Longhua New District Administration Commission for an extension of Shenzhen metro Line 4, which MTR operates, and construction of a light rail line. The proposed metro extension, intended to serve the growing population in Longhua ...
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First Škoda tram enters service in Miskolc
HUNGARY: The first of 31 Škoda Transportation 26T trams has entered passenger service in Miskolc. City transport operator MVK and the Ganz-Škoda consortium signed a KC1·85bn contract for 31 trams in February 2012. This also includes an option for 10 years of servicing worth KC200m. The first vehicle ...
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News in Brief - January 2014
ADB is to provide $225 000 to support the creation of the Greater Mekong Railway Association, which will aim to develop railway institutional capacity and support connectivity and inter-operability in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. EIM has voted to revise its statutes to allow all European rail ...
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Project Marathon tests long freight trains
EUROPE: Fret SNCF, Kombiverkehr and RFF ran their first 1·5 km long freight train between Sibelin yard near Lyon and Nîmes on January 18, marking the start of the demonstration phase of the Project Marathon research programme. Three of Kombiverkehr’s regular intermodal trains between Germany and Spain were reformed as ...
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SNCF to expand Eurostar terminal in Lille
FRANCE: SNCF’s Gares et Connexions business unit has announced plans to double the capacity of the Eurostar terminal at Lille Europe station in a seven-month project valued at €3m. Work to expand both the waiting areas and security zone of the ‘Transmanche terminal’ will begin in March for completion by ...
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World rail market January 2014
Finland: VR is to use Quintiq software supplied through distributor Ab Ovo for locomotive planning and dispatching. Poland: PKP Cargo has signed a 1·3bn złoty contract for PKP Energetyka to supply traction energy until December 2016. PKP IC has selected Kraft to develop apps for tablet computers it ...
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GySEV orders Desiro Mainline EMUs
EUROPE: GySEV has awarded Siemens a contract to supply five Desiro Mainline electric multiple-units by May 2016. The EMUs are to be deployed on services across the border between Hungary and Austria, from Fertöszentmiklós to Neusiedl am See and from Deutschkreutz to Wulkaprodersdorf and Eisenstadt. Siemens was awarded ...
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TasRail TR Class locomotives on test
AUSTRALIA: The first two of 17 TR Class freight locomotives which Tasmanian state operator TasRail ordered from Progress Rail Services and Downer Rail in December 2011 have started acceptance and commissioning trials ahead of entry into revenue service. The next four locomotives are expected to arrive shortly. Intended for use ...
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SJ to refurbish and repower its SJ2000 fleet
SWEDEN: State-owned passenger operator SJ announced on January 16 that it is to invest SKr3·5bn in the modernisation and repowering of its 36 SJ2000 tilting trains. Originally designated X2000, the 200 km/h trains date from the late 1980s and SJ had been considering whether to refurbish or replace them. The ...
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InterCity East Coast franchise shortlist announced
UK: The Department for Transport announced the shortlisted bidders for the InterCity East Coast passenger franchise on January 17. East Coast Trains Ltd (FirstGroup plc); Keolis/Eurostar East Coast Ltd (Keolis (UK) Ltd and Eurostar International Ltd); Inter City Railways Ltd (90% Stagecoach Transport Holdings Ltd, 10% Virgin Holdings Ltd). ...