All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 886
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NewsAnsaldo STS selected to upgrade Stockholm Red Line signalling
SWEDEN: Stockholm public transport authority Storstockholms Lokaltrafik has awarded Ansaldo STS an €80m contract to replace the existing signalling on the metro’s Red Line with communications-based train control in order to increase capacity on the route.The Red Line is operated as two routes, T13 from Norsborg to Ropsten and T14 ...
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NewsWabtec buys Swiger Coil Systems
USA: Wabtec Corp has acquired Swiger Coil Systems, which manufactures and services traction motors and electric coils for the rail and power generation markets. Founded in 1975 and based in Cleveland, Ohio, Swiger Coil has annual sales of $35m in the USA and internationally. 'Swiger Coil expands our product ...
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NewsPantograph spots faults
UK: Two Alstom Pendolino trainsets operated by Virgin Trains on the UK’s West Coast Main Line have been fitted with monitoring equipment designed by Serco which can identify faults in the overhead electrification while running in regular service. Accelerometers on the pantograph frame detect unusual impacts from defects such as ...
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NewsProducts & Technology in Brief
Ab Ovo and Quintiq have implemented a scheduling system covering Swedish freight operator Green Cargo’s 433 locomotives and 1700 staff. It takes into account factors including working time rules, route knowledge, certification and salaries. Four US Class I railways and Amtrak have approved the use of Standard Strength rails ...
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NewsSolar power on the roof
FRANCE: A photovoltaic module has been integrated into the roof of an SNCF train to demonstrate lightweight and flexible thin-film modules developed by Ascent Solar Technologies. They can be integrated into standard construction materials to provide portable and off-grid power. During October the US firm signed a distribution deal for ...
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NewsHigh Speed 1 concession awarded to Canadian pension consortium
UK: A consortium of Borealis Infrastructure and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan has been selected for a 30-year concession to manage High Speed 1, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announced on November 5. The deal will be completed by the end of November, and will see the consortium pay a total of ...
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NewsAlstom pursues Eurostar challenge
EUROPE: The European Commission confirmed on November 4 that it was reviewing Eurostar International’s decision to order e320 Velaro trainsets from Siemens as part of its planned £700m expansion programme. Described as ‘preliminary’, the four-week investigation has been triggered by a complaint from Alstom alleging that Eurostar’s tendering process ...
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NewsHSBC sells Eversholt train leasing business
UK: HSBC announced on November 4 that it had agreed to sell rolling stock leasing business Eversholt Rail Group to the Eversholt Investment Group consortium of funds managed by 3i Infrastructure, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and STAR Capital Partners. One of the three rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs) formed in ...
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NewsSwivel seats
INTERIORS: London-based design agency SeymourPowell has released its FLEX saloon layout targeted at the premium long-distance rail travel segment. The agency claims that, by using six swivelling seats, a major increase in internal layout permutations is possible, with the loss of just four to five seats from the overall capacity ...
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NewsJR Central unveils L0 maglev
JAPAN: Central Japan Railway announced on October 26 that it is to build 14 pre-production maglev vehicles as prototypes for the 500 km/h trainsets that it expects to put into commercial operation on the Chuo Shinkansen route between Tokyo and Osaka from 2027 onwards. The first five-car trainset will be ...
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NewsRENFE tightens belt
SPAIN:Presenting the national operator’s 2011 budget to parliament on October 7, RENFE President Teófilo Serrano said income was expected to be €2·18bn, with passenger operations providing 87·7% of this. Freight would provide 12·3% or €269m, up from €233m in 2009 and the forecast of €241m for 2010. RENFE expects to ...
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NewsEurotunnel buys more rescue locomotives
EUROPE: A further two diesel rescue locomotives able to haul failed passenger trains out of the Channel Tunnel and on High Speed 1 are to be acquired, Eurotunnel announced on November 3. The €1·3m cost is being co-financed by Eurostar. To be delivered 'soon', the ex-DB Schenker Rail Nederland MaK ...
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NewsRussian Railways looks to increase energy efficiency
RUSSIA: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development and Russian Railways have signed a memorandum of understanding for co-operation in the development of long-term energy efficiency policies and mitigation of the carbon footprint of RZD, which is one of Russia's largest energy users. A joint working group is planned to ...
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NewsSuburban expansion in Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla
SPAIN: Under its 2009-15 investment programme for the Madrid suburban network, the Ministry of Development has awarded study and design contracts worth a total of €22m. Prorail Ingenieros Civiles is to design the Humanes – Illescas extension of route C5, including track doubling, electrification and two stations, while Técnicas ...
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NewsUGL announces locomotive and wagon orders
AUSTRALIA: Rolling stock manufacturer UGL Ltd announced a series of locomotive and wagon orders totalling A$250m on November 1. QR National has placed an A$35m order with UGL for six standard gauge C44ACi locomotives to support its growing iron ore haulage activities in Western Australia, along with 227 wagons. Deliveries ...
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NewsArriva awarded 10-year Polish operating contract
POLAND: On October 26 Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodship selected incumbent Arriva RP for a 10-year contract to operate local passenger services on non-electrified routes from December 11. Arriva's bid included a lower subsidy than the rival tender from Przewozy Regionalne, the former PKP regional train business. A joint venture of Arriva ...
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NewsDaegu - Busan high speed line opens
SOUTH KOREA: Passenger services on the 129 km Daegu - Busan second phase of the high speed rail network began on November 1, following the formal inauguration and celebrations on October 28. Construction of the 420 km high speed route between Seoul and Busan began in 1992. In 1998 it ...
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NewsMidi-Pyrénées regional rail investment
FRANCE: The European Investment Bank has signed a financing agreement for the Midi-Pyrénées region’s 2008-13 Rail Plan, which will see TER regional express routes modernised to provide an ‘upgraded and permanent’ 500 km network. The project is the first of its size in France to be mainly devoted to ...
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NewsProgress Rail announces location for US locomotive plant
USA: A former ABB factory in Muncie, Indiana, which has been empty since in 1998 was named as the location for Progress Rail Services' new US diesel locomotive plant on October 29. To be up and running by the end of 2011, the factory will be operated by a new ...
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NewsSilverliner V makes its debut in Philadelphia
USA: Philadelphia operator SEPTA ran its first Silverliner V regional commuter train in passenger service on the Cynwyd Line on October 29. The three-car electric multiple-unit departed Cynwyd station shortly after 09.00 on its inaugural run and called at Bala, Wynnefield and 30th Street before terminating at Philadelphia’s Suburban Station, ...