All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 849
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News
Mark Langman
Mark Langman has been designated Route Managing Director for Network Rail’s new Wales Route, which is to be established in October with a local headquarters in Cardiff (RG 4.11 p28). He was previously Route Director for NR’s Western Route, which included Wales.
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NewsCIT Rail orders 5000 wagons
USA: On July 26 CIT Rail announced it had placed orders for a total of 5 000 covered hopper and tank wagons to be supplied by various manufacturers during 2012. 'It is important that we maintain a young, modern fleet of high-quality railcars that enable carriers and shippers to maximise ...
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NewsAlstom to equip West Papua mining railway
INDONESIA: Mining company PT Freeport Indonesia has awarded Alstom a contract worth around €90m to supply railway systems and train control equipment for a mining railway in West Papua. Alstom said on July 28 that it would supply track, catenary, electrical substations, signalling and telecoms equipment for the internal railway ...
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NewsBarcelona tunnel complete
SPAIN: Development Minister José Blanco visited Barcelona on July 26 to mark completion of the tunnel that will carry high speed trains under the city centre between Sants and La Sagrera. The 2 300 tonne earth pressure balance TBM 'Barcino' reached an extraction shaft located at the intersection ...
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NewsUIC figures show growth in global rail traffic
INTERNATIONAL: Statistics from UIC members indicate an average overall growth of 3·4% in freight tonne-km in 2010, confirming economic and trade recovery, as well as a 3·5% increase in passenger-km due in part to rail development in Asia, particularly India. Publishing the figures on July 27, UIC said there was ...
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NewsNorth-south tram line approved
SLOVAKIA: On June 30 Bratislava council approved construction of the first phase of a long-awaited urban transport backbone which will be centred on a north-south light rail route connecting Safárikovo námestie in the city centre with Bosákova ulice in Petrzalka. This will involve heavy renovation of the old bridge ...
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NewsProgress Rail announces Brazilian locomotive plant
BRAZIL: Progress Rail Services has leased a previously disused plant at Sete Lagoas in Minas Gerais state where it will assemble Electro-Motive Diesel branded locomotives for the South American market. Progress Rail Services said on July 25 it is planning 'significant investment' in the facility, which will be operated by ...
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NewsEuropean-profile wagons reach London
UK: DB Schenker Rail operated its first train of standard European-profile wagons over High Speed 1 in the early hours of July 23, and has confirmed plans to launch regular services. The trial involved two wagons from DB Schenker's Spanish logistics business Transfesa and four curtain-sided Mega Combi swap ...
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NewsSydney suburban link design contract
AUSTRALIA: New South Wales Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian announced the award of the first contract for the North West Rail Link in suburban Sydney on July 14. A consortium led by Aecom and including Cox Architects Pty Ltd, Grimshaw Architects and Parsons Brinckerhoff Australia Ltd will undertake ‘a range of ...
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NewsMonongahela line upgraded in eight-day blockade
USA: Norfolk Southern reported on July 20 that it had completed a $16·2m programme of track, bridge, and signalling improvements on its Monongahela Valley routes in southwestern Pennsylvania during an eight-day blockade. Serving five mines that shipped 37·5 million tonnes of coal last year, the route normally carries around 30 ...
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NewsTalgo 250 arrives in Toshkent
UZBEKISTAN: The first of two Talgo 250 trainsets ordered to cut journey times on the 344 km Toshkent - Samarkand route from 3½ h to 2 h arrived in Toshkent on July 22, with the second due to follow in September. The trainsets have been given the name 'Afrosiyob'. Each ...
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NewsFirst fatal crash on Chinese high speed line
CHINA: Up to 43 passengers are reported to have been killed and over 200 injured following a rear-end collision between two high speed trains at Shuangyu near Wenzhou on July 23. The world’s first fatal train accident on a dedicated high speed line took place on the 250 ...
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NewsRATP orders 66 trains for Paris metro
FRANCE: Paris transport operator RATP has exercised an €300m option for 66 more MF01 metro trains, supply consortium leader Alstom announced on July 25. They are to be delivered for Line 9 by Alstom, Bombardier and Areva between May 2013 and August 2016, with financing split equally between RATP ...
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NewsHammer attachment eases electrification
UK: A specially commissioned hydraulic hammer attachment for road-rail excavators is allowing Terrawise Construction to install an average of 11 electrification mast piles in an 8 h shift as part of the expansion of Manchester's Metrolink light rail network. The DX-RT from BSP International Foundations can be quickly erected from ...
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NewsWorld Bank approves Dedicated Freight Corridor loan
INDIA: The World Bank has approved a US$975m loan towards the 343 km Khurja – Kanpur first phase of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. Running from Ludhiana to Sonnagar and Dankuni, the 1843 km EDFC is intended to ease congestion on the Delhi – Kolkata axis and achieve a smaller ...
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NewsNews in Brief
Bangladesh has signed loan agreements for the planned 6·2 km Padma Multi-purpose Bridge, which is intended to cut Dhaka – Khulna road journeys from 12 h to 3 h and will include provision for a rail line. The World Bank is providing US$1·2bn, JICA US$425m and IDB US$140m towards the ...
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NewsJena places first Tramino export order
GERMANY: Polish bus and tram manufacturer Solaris announced its first tram export order on July 12, a €13·7m contract to supply five Tramino cars to Jena transport operator Jenaer Nahverkehr. Delivery is scheduled for the first half of 2013. The 100% low-floor cars will be custom-designed for Jena's metre gauge ...
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NewsSignalboxes to go as Network Rail accelerates control strategy
UK: Network Rail began formal staff consultations on July 20 for a 25-year strategy to eliminate around remaining 800 mechanical signalboxes and relay interlockings and concentrate control of the national network in 14 regional operating centres. This will form a key element in its proposed investment plans for 2014-19 (Control ...
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NewsFEVE assists Ecuador Railways revival
ECUADOR: On July 8 Ecuador Railways General Manager Jorge Eduardo Carrera signed two contracts worth a total of US$30m with FEVE President Ángel Villalba, as the Spanish metre-gauge operator continues to participate in the revival of the Ecuadorian network under an existing co-operation agreement (RG 5.10 p30). A US$25m contract ...
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NewsChicago orders 300 more 5000-series metro cars
USA: Chicago Transit Authority has placed a $331m firm order for 300 more 5000-series metro cars, Bombardier Transportation announced on July 20. The order is an option under a July 2006 contract and brings the total number of 5000-series cars ordered by CTA to 706, worth a total of ...