All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 826
-
NewsLow-cost level crossing warning system goes into service
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has put into service a low-cost warning system designed for deployment at unprotected level crossings which are lightly used but cannot be closed. Supplied by Swiss firm Verkehrs- und Industrietechnik AG, the 'micro' system is costed at SFr180000, less than half the cost of conventional crossing ...
-
NewsChiang Mai line included in infrastructure package
THAILAND: Construction of a 750 km standard gauge line from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is the largest single project included in a 400bn baht programme of infrastructure investment announced by the government on January 10. Comprising 128 different work packages for completion by 2016, the programme includes a range of ...
-
NewsWorld rolling stock market January 2012
Argentina: Under a contract worth €75m, the federal government has purchased a further five Class 2400 DMUs from Spanish metre gauge operator FEVE as well as three Class 1500 diesel locomotives. FEVE has already sold six Class 2400 DMUs for operation in Argentina. Australia: In November FMG placed an ...
-
NewsQueensland masters course produces first graduates
AUSTRALIA: The first five graduates of the Queensland University of Technology’s Master of Railway Engineering (Infrastructure) completed the course on December 12. QUT claims its course, launched in 2008, is the only online postgraduate railway engineering course which expressly targets professionals already working in the industry. Course Co-ordinator Mike Garrett ...
-
NewsNews in Brief
A €270m package to fund electrification of the (Paris –) Gretz-Armainvilliers – Troyes route and the Provins branch by 2017 was signed by RFF and the Ile-de-France and Champagne-Ardenne regions on December 9. Last month Pakistan’s Railways Minister confirmed the country’s intention to accede to OTIF, the Inter-governmental Organization for ...
-
NewsWork to begin on Chad rail network
CHAD: Construction of what may be the country’s first railway is set to begin in February, following the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation and China Civil Engineering Construction Corp on December 24. The US$5·6bn four-year plan covers a 1 364 ...
-
NewsNetwork Rail awards signalling framework contracts
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail announced a series of framework contracts on January 11 covering the majority of its signalling renewal and enhancement works. The agreements with Invensys Rail, Atkins and the Signalling Solutions joint venture of Alstom and Balfour Beatty Rail are scheduled to commence on April 2. They ...
-
NewsBouygues selected to build Nîmes - Montpellier line
FRANCE: Réseau Ferré de France announced on January 12 that it has selected a Bouygues-led consortium as preferred bidder for the 25-year PPP concession to design, build, maintain and finance the 60 km mixed-traffic high speed line bypassing Nîmes and Montpellier. The consortium includes Bouygues TP, DTP Terrassement, Colas, Alstom ...
-
NewsCeremony launches Swazilink rail project
AFRICA: A sod-turning on January 12 ceremonially launched work to develop a 146 km rail connection between Lothair in South Africa and Sidvokodvo Junction in Swaziland. The Swazilink project includes upgrading of the existing lines at each end. This will provide landlocked Swaziland with a direct western rail connection with ...
-
NewsHigh performance rail milling train ordered
CHINA: The Ministry of Railways ordered a rail milling train from a joint venture of Maschinenfabrik Liezen & Giesserei and China Railway Large Maintenance Machinery Co on December 28. To be supplied with 18 months, the train will have a working speed of up to 2 km/h and incorporate a ...
-
NewsBrazilian wagon plant announced
BRAZIL: Production is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2012 at new wagon plant which Usiminas Mecânica is building on a 102 000 m2 site at Congonhas in the state of Minas Gerais. This follows the signature of a memorandum of understanding with RCC Holding which is ...
-
NewsGE Transportation invests in engine facilities
USA: Investments of $35m in a new plant to remanufacture diesel engines in Grove City, Pennsylvania, and an additional $37m in its existing engine facility there were announced by GE Transportation on December 27. The company is expecting demand for remanufacturing services to increase significantly, driven by routine locomotive overhaul ...
-
NewsBeijing metro lines open
CHINA: The first phase of Beijing metro Line 9 and two other extensions were opened on December 31, with over 126 000 passengers carried on the first day. The three routes are officially being operated as a trial service for the fist 12 months, pending formal approval. The new lines ...
-
NewsCentral California Traction gets low-emissions locomotive
USA: Central California Traction Co has taken delivery of a Brookville Equipment Corp low-emissions locomotive under a government-backed programme to cut pollution in the San Joaquin Basin. The GP38 has three Cummins QSK-19 engines with TMV controls in a genset configuration, branded CoGeneration by Brookville. The dynamic braking recovers ...
-
NewsTransnet orders more GE locomotives
SOUTH AFRICA: A contract for a further 43 GE Transportation C30ACi diesel-electric general freight locomotives was signed at Transnet Rail Engineering's facility in Koedoespoort on January 10, taking Transnet's total order to 143. 'The acquisition of these locomotives is part of our fleet renewal programme, a key element of our ...
-
NewsChina's easternmost line opens
CHINA: A railway from Qianjin to Fuyuan at the easternmost point of China in Heilongjiang province was opened on December 6. The initial freight services will be joined by passenger trains during 2012, with eight daily return services. The 169 km line is designed for 120 km/h running and has ...
-
NewsGovernment to go ahead with High Speed 2 plans
UK: In a statement released on January 10, Secretary of State for Transport Justine Greening confirmed that the government would press on with the first phase of the planned 540 route-km High Speed 2 following an extensive public consultation. Noting that this was ‘one of the largest national consultations ever ...
-
NewsSeinäjoki to Vaasa electrification completed
FINLAND: National railway VR launched electric services on the 75 km line between Seinäjoki and Vaasa on December 12. Electrification at 25 kV 50 Hz has permitted the introduction of direct express services from Helsinki, with a daily return Pendolino as well as inter-city trains. Ratatek was main contractor for ...
-
NewsTamping in three dimensions
GERMANY: Launched at its training centre in Bingen am Rhein last month, Deutsche Plasser's three-dimensional tamping machine simulator is claimed to be the first of its kind in the world. The simulator includes a number of authentic parts from a Plasser & Theurer continuous-action tamper to create a realistic operating ...
-
NewsShenyang to build 65 km tram network
CHINA: Shenyang municipality signed an agreement with CNR Corp on December 1 for the development of a 40bn yuan tram network. The 65 km five-line network will connect Taoxian Airport, Shenyang South high speed rail station, National Games Village and Olympic Sports Centre. Segregated surface alignments are planned, with grassed ...