All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 937
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NewsPolish ETCS programme continues
POLAND: Infrastructure manager PKP PLK has selected Bombardier Transportation as the preferred bidder for a contract to install ETCS Level 2 on the route from Legnica to Wgliniec and Bielewa Dolna on the German border. Part of corridor E-30, the route has been recently upgraded for operation at up to ...
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NewsThree shortlisted for rolling motorway
FRANCE: Transport Minister Jean-Louis Borloo and Transport Secretary Dominique Bussereau announced on October 5 that three bidders had been shortlisted for the concession to operate a service carrying road trailers between the Aquitaine region, Paris and Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Known as the Autoroute Ferroviaire Atlantique, the service is due to start in ...
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NewsWork starts on Manukau Rail Link
NEW ZEALAND: Transport Minister Steven Joyce turned the first sod on September 18 to launch construction of the first new passenger rail route in Auckland since the Eastern Line opened in 1930. The 2 km Manukau Rail Link will branch off from the Southern Line at Puhinui then run ...
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NewsAll aboard the I-Bullet
JAPAN: JR Central is stepping up efforts to sell Shinkansen technology to other countries. Announcing details of an export version of the Series N700 trainset called the N700-I Bullet at the HSR Summit in London last month, JR Central’s Senior Executive Director Tsutomu Morimura emphasised the need to consider Shinkansen ...
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NewsPointers October 2009
Following the start of trial operations to Cerillos using an ex-FEVE DMU, the city of Salta in Argentina has signed an agreement with the provincial and federal governments that should see up to 50m pesos invested in developing the Tren Urbano network with 17 stations. A project to restore ...
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NewsVale coal haul
COLOMBIA: Last month Brazilian mining firm Vale expected to begin using the Atlantic railway network to carry up to 3·5 million tonnes of coal a year between its mines and Puerto Córdoba. Vale bought a 8·4% stake in railway concessionaire Fenoco in April, and has built a 7 km ...
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NewsMetro operating shortlist down to two
Local transport authority Nexus has postponed naming a preferred bidder for a seven-year Tyne & Wear Metro operating contract until early 2010. Two candidates, DB Regio Tyne & Wear and the in-house Nexus bid team, have been asked to ‘revise and confirm’ their detailed tenders with a view to ...
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NewsSydney Metro operator shortlist announced
AUSTRALIA: Two consortia have been shortlisted to bid for the Integrated Metro Operations contract for phase 1 of Sydney Metro between Central and Rozelle.The successful bidders are: Kujika consortium, comprising Bovis Lend Lease, Downer EDI, Keolis, McConnell Dowell, Thales and financial advisor Plenary Group; Met One, comprising Serco, Bombardier Transportation, ...
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News€500m loan for Paris tram T3 extension
FRANCE: A €500m agreement to finance an extension of tram line T3 in the east of Paris was signed by Anne Hidalgo, First Deputy to the Mayor of Paris, and Philippe de Fontaine Vive Curtaz, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, on September 28. EIB has previously contributed €130m towards ...
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NewsFurther firm orders for Talent 2
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn has placed further firm orders for Bombardier Talent 2 electric multiple -units within the terms of a framework agreement for up to 321 of the modular trainsets. The latest order announced on October 2 is worth €35m. It covers four three-car and four five-car Class 442 ...
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NewsBridge opening completes link
TURKMENISTAN: President Yushchenko of Ukraine joined President Berdimuhamedov to open a 1414 m bridge over the Amu Darya river between Atamyrat and Kerkichi on September 16. The 14 spans were built by Ukranian firm Ukrtransstroy at a cost of US$123m, connecting the main rail network with lines on ...
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NewsFirst ETCS contract for French conventional network
FRANCE: Infrastructure manager RFF announced on September 28 that it had awarded its first contract to install ETCS Level 1 on conventional routes to Alstom. Due for completion by 2018, the project should see Level 1 installed on the 2 200 km that form the French sections of European ...
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NewsTrain seats get own business unit
GERMANY: Vehicle seat manufacturer Grammer has established Grammer Railway Interior GmbH as a wholly-owned subsidiary which will be responsible for the group's rail activities from January 1. The company said this will provide the rail business unit with greater independence and facilitate more flexible decision making, reflecting the project-based ...
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NewsCzech regional passenger franchising agreed
CZECH REPUBLIC: A key agreement paving the way for regional services to be operated under long-term contracts has been signed by the government and 14 regional authorities. The intention is that the contract system will be opened to competition, however practical constraints are likely to mean that CD will be ...
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NewsAfghan railway to go ahead with ADB funding
AFGHANISTAN: Construction of a rail link to Mazar-i-Sharif is set to go ahead following Asian Development Bank's announcement of an US$165m grant on September 30. The Afghan government will provide US$5m towards the US$170m project, which is to be undertaken by Uzbek Railways under the supervision of the Afghan ...
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Beijing Line 4 starts trial operation
CHINA: Beijing Municipal Communist Party Secretary Liu Qi officially initiated trial operation of Beijing metro Line 4 on September 28. Following the ceremony at National Library station, Liu Qi, accompanied by Mayor of Beijing Guo Jinlong, Hong Kong Secretary for Transport & Housing Eva Cheng, MTR Corp Chairman Dr Raymond ...
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NewsGranada tram wiring contract
SPAIN: The regional government of Andalucía has awarded a €16·4m contract to Alstom Transport and Inabensa for the supply and installation of overhead line equipment and power supplies for the initial tram route in Granada.Due to open for revenue service in 2011, the 15·9 km initial route will link Armilla ...
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NewsPrototype train for Bosnia nears completion
CROATIA: A prototype electric multiple-unit developed by Koncar and ordered by Bosnian railway ZFBH was displayed to members of the Croatian government at the manufacturer's Zagreb plant on September 28. The 25 kV 50 Hz EMU is intended for inter-city and regional services at up to 160 km/h. It ...
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NewsHelsinki metro extension automation deal
FINLAND: Helsinki transport operator HKL has exercised an option for Siemens Mobility to provide automation equipment for the 14 km, seven station extension of the capital's metro westwards to Espoo. The contract announced by Siemens on September 28 is worth €56m. It follows a €100m deal covering automation ...
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NewsExperimental battery locomotive unveiled
USA: Norfolk Southern unveiled an experimental 1 500 hp battery shunting locomotive at its Juniata workshops in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on September 28. Based on an EMD GP38 locomotive, NS 999 has no onboard power plant, instead the 1 080 lead-acid 12 V cells are charged by plugging the locomotive ...