All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 835
-
NewsVossloh tests Tramlink light rail vehicle
SPAIN: Vossloh España has begun testing of a prototype Tramlink light rail vehicle at its Albuixech plant outside Valencia. Developed at a cost of €20m, Tramlink is designed for both surface and underground operations; Spanish metre-gauge operator FEVE has ordered four units for the future tram-train network in León. Built ...
-
NewsArriva acquires open access operator Grand Central
UK: Arriva plc confirmed on November 4 it that it had acquired open access operator Grand Central Railway for an undisclosed price. Launched in late 2007, Grand Central runs inter-city passenger services from Sunderland and Bradford to London, with around 700 000 passenger-journeys a year. It is to 'remain a ...
-
NewsAfghan railway ambitions awarded funding
AFGHANISTAN: Plans for east–west and north–south railways are making progress, with Asian Development Bank approving a US$754m multi-tranche package of transport assistance in September. As well as road rehabilitation this includes around US$300m for the extension of the recently-completed 75 km Hayratan – Mazar-i-Sharif railway 225 km west to Andkhvoy. ...
-
NewsGrowth & the Capacity Challenge: now available to watch on demand
RAILWAY GAZETTE TV: With demand for passenger and freight movement by rail projected to rise significantly over the coming 20 years, infrastructure managers and train operators across Europe are facing the challenge of squeezing extra capacity from busy networks and building new lines despite financial constraints. Railway Gazette International held ...
-
NewsAutomated trains launched on Paris Line 1
FRANCE: The first automatic trains to operate in revenue service on Paris metro Line 1 were officially launched on November 3 by RATP Chairman & CEO Pierre Mongin, at an event attended by Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport & Housing Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, and Jean-Paul Huchon, President of the Ile-de-France ...
-
NewsMarmaray railway upgrading contract awarded
TURKEY: The Transport Ministry’s Directorate of Railways, Harbours & Airports Construction, DLH, has confirmed the award of contract CR3 for the Marmaray Project in Istanbul. This covers reconstruction of the existing lines which will feed the cross-Bosporus immersed tube tunnel now being fitted out and installation of signalling and automatic ...
-
NewsMobile phone ticketing specialist secures venture capital
UK: Mobile phone ticketing technology developer Masabi announced it had secured US$4m from mobile technology venture capital fund m8 Capital on November 2. This will support further mobile ticketing deployment in the UK, the development of features including NFC and expansion into new markets, particularly the USA where ...
-
NewsAnsaldo STS awarded LGV Bretagne signalling contract
FRANCE: LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire construction and maintenance concessionaire Eiffage has awarded Ansaldo STS a €62m contract to supply signalling for the high speed line. The contract announced on November 2 covers the design, supply and commissioning by 2016 of ETCS Level 2 and TVM 300 signalling equipment for ...
-
NewsCummins to produce Tier 4 compliant diesel engine
USA: Cummins Inc is to produce a Tier 4 compliant 16-cylinder QSK95 diesel engine for rail, mining, power generation and offshore drilling applications, the company announced on November 1. Prototypes of the QSK95, codenamed 'Hedgehog', will be available in 2013, with limited production starting in 2014 and full production from ...
-
NewsRedlands Passenger Rail Project preliminary engineering and environmental services contract awarded
USA: San Bernardino Associated Governments has awarded HDR an 18-month contract to provide preliminary engineering and environmental services for the Redlands Passenger Rail Project in California. The proposed commuter service between San Bernardino Intermodal Transit Center and the University of Redlands would use a 14 km former ...
-
NewsWork set to begin on Rio de Janeiro Line 3
BRAZIL: Construction of Rio de Janeiro metro Line 3 is set to begin by the end of the year for opening in 2014, the Brazilian Ministry of Works has announced. An existing 23 km suburban rail alignment between Niterói, São Gonçalo and Itaboraí will be converted to metro standards, and ...
-
NewsCalifornian high speed plans revised
USA: The California High Speed Rail Authority launched a revised ‘draft business plan’ for its proposed 832 km Phase I of a 400 km/h network connecting San Francisco with Anaheim and Los Angeles. In announcing what it described as a ‘foundation for an economically-viable high speed rail system’, CHSRA has ...
-
NewsFEVE electrification plan
SPAIN: As part of the programme to electrify the Infiesto – Cabezón de Sal section of its Oviedo – Santander route, FEVE announced on October 6 that work had been completed on the 21·2 km between Infiesto and Arriondas at a cost of €7·1m. The 17·4 km Arriondas – Ribadesella ...
-
NewsJR East to acquire Tokyu Car
JAPAN: Tokyu Corp announced an agreement to sell its Tokyu Car rolling stock manufacturing business to East Japan Railway on October 27. Tokyu said it had reviewed its activities in the light of intensifiying competion, shrinking markets and a recent decline in demand. Tokyu Car will be spun off ...
-
NewsLondon Bridge rebuild contracts awarded
UK: Network Rail announced the award of two major contracts for the rebuilding of London Bridge station on November 1. The project forms the second phase of the Thameslink Programme to upgrade the north-south commuter route through central London. Costain has been awarded a £400m contract for detailed design and ...
-
NewsSin Bundang Line opens
SOUTH KOREA: Revenue services on the Sin Bundang Line between Jeongja and Gangnam near Seoul began on October 28, after flooding in July had delayed the opening of the route, branded as the DX Line. Work on the largely underground route with six stations began towards the end of 2005. ...
-
NewsStation counter-terrorism guideline study launched
EUROPE: The EU-backed Secure Station project has been launched with the aim of producing guidelines to assist station managers, designers and the construction industry in making transport hubs safer and more resilient to terrorist attacks. The three-year project is being undertaken by a group of organisations led by Spanish defence ...
-
NewsAlger metro inaugurated
ALGERIA: President Abdelaziz Bouteflika officially inaugurated the country’s first metro line on October 31, paving the way for the start of revenue operation. Under construction for almost three decades, the first phase of Alger metro Line 1 links Haï el Badr in the southeast to Tafourah Grande Poste in the ...
-
NewsIndependent Transport Co wins Freight One auction
RUSSIA: Independent Transport Co was the winning bidder for the 75% minus two shares stake in Russian Railways' First Freight Company subsidiary which was sold by auction on October 28. ITC is owned by Vladimir Lisin, Chairman of Novolipetsk Steel and reported by Forbes to be Russia's richest ...
-
NewsJeolla upgrade completed
SOUTH KOREA: President Lee Myung-bak joined the celebrations in Yeosu on October 5 to mark the completion of double-tracking and electrification work on KR’s Jeolla line between Iksan and Yeosu. Upgrading of the 180 km route for 180 km/h operation has been brought forward to enable Korail to run ...