All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 840
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NewsBrookville to produce modern tram
USA: An expansion of tram manufacturing was announced by Brookville Equipment Corp on September 14. The company said it is developing an articulated tram with a low-floor section and the capability to run for short distances without overhead supply. Founded in 1918, Brookville's core business is the production of rail ...
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NewsČD closes Railjet deal
CZECH REPUBLIC: State-owned operator ČD finally signed a €200m deal with Austrian Federal Railways and Siemens Mobility on September 30 under which it will acquire 16 Viaggio Comfort (Railjet) push-pull trainsets using an option on ÖBB’s original contract with Siemens which was no longer required by the Austrians. Announced in ...
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NewsIJmeerlijn visions revealed
NETHERLANDS: Three feasibility studies for a direct metro line between Amsterdam and the growing satellite town of Almere across the IJmeer lake have been completed on behalf of development agency Werkmaatschappij Almere-Amsterdam. Two of the options will now be selected for further analysis, and the selected project could be completed ...
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NewsSkoda 109 E2 ready for trials
SLOVAKIA: This month Skoda Transportation will begin trials with the first of two Type 109 E2 three-voltage electric locomotives ordered by ZSSK for €4·8m. It is expected to enter regular service in December, with the second to follow in June 2012. The 6·4 MW Class 381 is derived from the ...
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NewsProducts & Technology in Brief
DB is testing a 300 m section of noise barrier just 760 mm high alongside tracks at Celle-Garßen, aiming to reduce noise in the immediate vicinity of the source. The results of a national programme to test methods of reducing noise are to be presented next year. Trelleborg Industrial ...
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NewsGPS tracking
EUROPE: During September freight operator Europorte began fitting its locomotives with GPS beacons linked to a movement monitoring system developed by Belgian firm Railnova in partnership with Kerlink. The Railster system will provide real-time location reporting for Europorte’s fleet. Automatic collection of temperature, average speed and distance covered data will ...
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NewsEuropean Commission launches Channel Tunnel infringement proceedings
EUROPE: The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against France and the UK over their 'failure to implement legislation to open the market for rail services in the Channel Fixed Link'. On September 29 the Commission said the countries have two months to respond before it requests full implementation of ...
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NewsDB Schenker to launch daily freight train to China
INTERNATIONAL: DB Schenker Rail Automotive is to launch a daily container train service between Germany and China in late November, carrying BMW automotive components from Leipzig to Shenyang. 'With a transit time of 23 days, the direct trains are more than twice as fast as maritime transport followed by transport ...
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NewsCamera helps spot overhead line defects
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail has provided electrification equipment maintenance crews with 30 cameras which can be used to identify overhead line defects without needing to turn off the power. Supplied by Kongsberg Maritime Ltd, the cameras can be attached to the overhead cables, where they are held steady by ...
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NewsCeremony launches Tanger – Casablanca high speed project
MOROCCO: A foundation stone was laid in Tanger on September 29 to mark the start of construction of a high speed line to Casablanca. The ceremony was attended by King Mohammed VI and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, reflecting the close relationship between the two countries which has underpinned the project ...
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NewsRegioJet launch brings inter-city competition
CZECH REPUBLIC: Open access operator RegioJet launched services between Praha and Havírov on September 26, breaking Czech Railways' monopoly on long-distance passenger services by competing directly with CD's premium Pendolino service. RegioJet is initially running three trains each way per day, calling at nine intermediate stations including Ostrava-Hlavní, Olomouc and ...
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NewsElectrification and extension to boost Central Asian connections
ASIA: The Asian Development Bank has approved funding for electrification in Uzbekistan and construction of a 225 km line in northern Afghanistan. On September 28 the ADB board agreed a US$100m loan towards a US$176m modernisation of Uzbek national railway UTY's 140 km route between Marakand near Samarkand and Qarshi. ...
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NewsCameroon orders Chinese coaches
CAMEROON: CSR Nanjing Puzhen Rolling Stock has won a contract to supply 38 metre-gauge coaches including sleeping, dining and baggage cars to Cameroon. Announcing the deal on September 20, the manufacturer said it was its third passenger rolling stock order from Africa, after contracts to supply coaches to Guinea and ...
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NewsASEAN announces infrastructure fund
ASIA: A fund to finance major infrastructure projects was announced by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on September 24, with Malaysian finance minister Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah saying it would 'help forge the road, rail and energy links the region needs to create a greater degree of well-being for ...
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NewsPresident marks Benguela revival
ANGOLA: President José Eduardo dos Santos was in Huambo on August 30 to welcome the first passenger train to arrive from Lobito over the latest 380 km section of Caminhos de Ferro de Benguela to be rehabilitated. The line had been out of action since 1975 owing to destruction during ...
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NewsSt Gallen upgrade agreement signed
SWITZERLAND: A letter of intent to go ahead with the Durchmesserlinie Appenzell - St Gallen - Trogen project to upgrade and connect the Trogen and Appenzell railways in St Gallen was signed by operator Appenzeller Bahnen and three cantons on September 12. The metre-gauge lines are both operated by Appenzeller ...
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News1520 signalling joint venture
RUSSIA: Alstom and Promelectronica have to agreed to establish a joint venture to distribute their signalling products in the 1520 mm gauge region. The 51:49 joint venture will be formed by the end of the year and based in Moscow. As well as distributing the two firms' current ranges of ...
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NewsMadrid metro cars move to Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA: Shipments to Buenos Aires are now underway of 24 Series 5000 cars which formerly operated on lines 6 and 9 of the Madrid Metro. The Buenos Aires city government has acquired the four trainsets for €4·2m, in order to meet the expected increase in demand when the extension of ...
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NewsCH2M Hill to buy Halcrow
HALCROW: Engineering and project management firm CH2M Hill is to buy infrastructure planning, design and management consultancy Halcrow for £124m, the Halcrow board announced on September 26. Subject to shareholder approval the transaction is expected to close in November. 'The board's decision to approach CH2M Hill to discuss the sale ...
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NewsLausanne tram plan approval
SWITZERLAND: The Federal Council announced it had granted a concession for the construction of a tram line between Lausanne-Flon and Renens-Gare on September 16. Planned as part of the Projet d'Agglomération Lausanne Morges scheme to improve transport in the city, line T1 will replace buses which local transport authority TL ...