All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 890
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NewsLuxembourg orders Stadler double-deck trains
LUXEMBOURG: State railway CFL announced an €60m order for eight Stadler Rail double-deck electric multiple-units on October 7. CFL said they will be similar to the double-deck units ordered by Swiss operators SBB and BLS, which Stadler Rail launched under the brand name KISS during InnoTrans. The ...
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NewsProducts & Technology in Brief
Thales UK has launched an application for the Android smartphone operating system providing access to the online journey planner and live departure board services offered by National Rail Enquiries. The Rail Planner Live app includes a 'Get me Home' function to select the most direct route available, and a Nearest ...
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NewsPointers October 2010
Last month the national railways of Russia and Ukraine established a joint working group to investigate high speed passenger services on three routes from Moscow to Kyiv, Adler and Feodosiya. Moscow - Kyiv is the priority, but RZD says 'it is still too early to estimate the time and cost ...
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NewsTrans-Hudson rail tunnel project scrapped
USA: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie halted the 'Access to the Region's Core' project to increase commuter rail capacity across the Hudson River on October 7, saying the cost of the $8·7bn project centred on a 5·5 km twin-bore tunnel could increase to more than $11bn, and possibly as much ...
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NewsTriple-deck automotive wagon on test
USA: Union Pacific's recently unveiled AutoFlex multi-level wagon has an internal rack structure that can be adjusted to carry road vehicles on two or three levels depending on size and customer requirements. An improved design of end door provides convenient access and enhanced loading safety, and the tie-down chocks have ...
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News320 km/h train order as Eurostar sets sights on expansion
EUROPE: Cross-Channel high speed train operator Eurostar announced details on October 7 of a £700m investment programme to expand the business and 'compete in an open access market' across Europe. The first major development since the former joint venture operator became an incorporated stand-alone company on September 1 includes an ...
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NewsClass 599 to Cartagena
SPAIN: National operator RENFE introduced the Class 599 DMU to the Cartagena - Murcia - Valencia route on September 28. Two services are operated each way daily with the new rolling stock, which with a maximum speed of 160 km/h has cut journey times by up to 28 min. Offering ...
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NewsHSA strengthens Fyra shuttle service
NETHERLANDS: The NS-KLM joint venture High Speed Alliance has stepped up its interim Fyra loco-hauled shuttle service between Amsterdam Centraal and Rotterdam Centraal via HSL-Zuid from one to two trains per hour with effect from October 4. Unlike most Dutch routes, the pattern of services is not a precise ...
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NewsValenciennes orders Line 2 trams
FRANCE: Valenciennes regional transport authority SITURV has ordered seven Alstom Citadis trams for the future Line 2. The contract announced on October 5 is worth €17m, and Alstom expects an option for one or two further cars to be taken up in November.The 32 m air-conditioned trams will have the ...
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NewsRailAmerica signs Ottawa Valley Railway lease
CANADA: The RaiLink Canada subsidiary of short line group RailAmerica Inc has signed an agreement to operate a section of Canadian Pacific 's Ottawa Valley Railway, which carries pulp, paper and related products. RaiLink Canada announced the termination of its lease of the OVRR in December 2009, but continued to ...
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NewsEIB supports Hanoi metro
VIETNAM: The European Investment Bank extended its first loan for a metro line in Asia when it signed a €73m finance contract with Vietnam on October 4.The loan is part of a package from Asian Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement and EIB to fund construction of the first phase ...
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NewsAlstom sole bidder in Polish high speed train tender
POLAND: Alstom Transport has been named as sole bidder in the tender to supply 20 high speed trains to PKP Intercity, for which the bids were opened on September 30. Six consortia had expressed interest when the initial request for a fleet of 250 km/h trainsets was issued in August ...
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NewsHammond backs high speed lines to Leeds and Manchester
UK: Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announced the government's preferred option for a high speed rail network north of Birmingham in a speech to the Conservative Party conference on October 4. Development of proposals for a London - Birmingham line started under the previous Labour government, and the new government will ...
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NewsDelhi metro Line 6 opens
INDIA: Managing Director Dr E Sreedharan and the Directors of Delhi Metro Rail Corp celebrated the opening of Line 6 by riding the first train to make the 26 min run from Central Secretariat to Sarita Vihar on October 3. Trains were flagged off from both stations simultaneously at 08.00.Known ...
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NewsDesiro RUS mock-up unveiled in Moscow
RUSSIA: A full-scale mock-up of Russian Railways' new Lastochka electric multiple-unit was unveiled for public consultation at Moscow's Kazansky station on October 1. Passengers are invited to comment on various aspects of the design, including the livery, lighting, seating layout, comfort and information displays. A derivative of the Siemens Desiro ...
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NewsWiring proposals put forward
ISRAEL: At the end of August the National Infrastructure Committee released a railway electrification plan valued at US$1·32bn, excluding rolling stock, which would see most lines electrified within 10 years. Government approval is to be sought next year, following consultation with local authorities. The first stage covers ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - October 2010
The Indonesian Ministry of Transport has approved a proposal to build Jakarta’s first metro line between Lebak Bulus and Bundaran HI in Kota. A tender to design the 15·5 km line with 13 stations is due to be issued this month. The line will be financed by ...
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NewsNews in Brief
The German Land of Thüringen has awarded Erfurter Bahn a contract to operate Dieselnetz Ostthüringen services totalling 4·6 million train-km a year for 12½ years from June 10 2012. Pakistan Railways suffered Rs3bn worth of damage during the recent flooding, with large areas of track were inundated and numerous ...
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NewsEurostar picks Velaro to expand fleet
EUROPE: Recently-restructured cross-Channel operator Eurostar International is understood to have selected Siemens as preferred bidder to supply additional trainsets to operate an expanded route network, with the decision due to be confirmed at a board meeting on October 1. Eurostar has been looking for some time at introducing services to ...
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NewsShenyang metro Line 1 fully operational
CHINA: On September 27 Shenyang metro Line 1 entered commercial service following a year of trial operation on part of the route. The opening ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Shenyang Chen Haibo, Deputy Mayor Xing Kai and government and party officials.The metro project was initiated in the 1960s ...