All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 939
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News200 km/h on Czech tracks
CZECH REPUBLIC: Infrastructure manager SZDC has launched a programme to raise speed limits on its main lines from 160 km/h to 200 km/h. The main limitation is the presence of level crossings and need for upgraded signalling. A pilot project will take place on the 77 km Brno - ...
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NewsBeijing metro still expanding
CHINA: Last month saw the start of work on the first phase of Beijing metro Line 7, between Beijing West and Jiaohuachang. The project is part of an ambitious plan to expand the capital’s metro network to 560 km and 20 lines by 2015, from 200 km at the time ...
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NewsKarlsruhe orders more tram-trains
GERMANY: Bombardier has been awarded a €129m contract to supply Albtal-Verkehrs GmbH and Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe with dual-voltage Flexity Swift tram-trains between August 2011 and September 2013. The contract announced on September 18 includes an option for up to 45 additional vehicles. The three-section 50% low-floor cars will be ...
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NewsThe hare and the tortoise
VIETNAM: We reported last month on the plethora of nascent inter-city rail projects emerging in the USA on the back of President Obama’s decision to dedicate US$13bn in funding, thus raising the prospect of the country being catapulted up the rankings in the ‘hare and tortoise’ race to develop high ...
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NewsSidetrack - September 2009
CZECH REPUBLIC: A programme is underway to replace the escalators on the Praha metro. However, it is reported that European Union regulations require the replacement escalators to be much slower than the existing ones, with speeds cut from 2·5 m/sec to just 0·7 m/sec. ‘The old escalators, which were ...
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NewsUrban rail news in brief - September 2009
An experiment that began last September to remove up to 14 seats from six of Chicago Transit Authority's 39-seat 'L' cars to reduce overcrowding has ended, with public opinion against converting any more cars to ‘Maxi' configuration. Additional stanchions and grab handles were added to the test cars for safety, ...
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NewsIndustry must look at whole-life costs
WHEELSETS: Procurement managers must continue to look beyond initial capital cost when making purchasing decisions, despite the pressures of the global recession.
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NewsBangalore metro train control contract signed
INDIA: On September 16 Bangalore Metro Rail Corp signed a €91m contract for signalling and train controls for its first two lines with a consortium of Alstom, Thales and Sumitomo. Consortium leader A lstom's share is worth around €57m, and includes the supply, installation and commissioning of Urbalis 200 ...
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NewsERTMS programe consultants chosen
DENMARK: Infrastructure manager Banedanmark has awarded a 12 -year contract for consultancy services throughout its national resignalling programme to a joint venture of Rambøll, Atkins, Emch+Berger and Parsons. The contract is worth DKr1bn, and includes advice on tendering, supplier oversight, implementation of early deployment schemes by 2015 and final ...
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NewsGreengauge 21 proposes UK high speed network
UK: High speed rail lobby group Greengauge 21 published a report on September 16 calling for a 1 550 km network of high speed lines. GG 21 Director Jim Steer said that the message was simple: 'what Britain needs today is a high speed network, not a single line'. ...
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NewsWorld rolling stock market September 2009
Australia: Faiveley is to supply United Group with braking equipment for 18 four-car Oscar trains to be delivered from November 2010 in the third phase of the Sydney outer-suburban rolling stock programme. Cuba: Iranian firm Wagon Pars has supplied 100 covered vans to Cuba under a 60bn rial contract, ...
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NewsAlstom unveils X'trapolis UK
UK: Alstom formally presented X’trapolis UK, its contender for the Thameslink electric multiple-unit contract, on September 15. Alongside Bombardier and Siemens, Alstom had submitted its bid to the Department for Transport on June 25. An exhibition accompanying the presentation included models of ...
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NewsPowerHaul locomotives receive Freightliner colours
UK: Freightliner has unveiled the livery for its PowerHaul locomotives, with the four in the second batch nearing completion at GE Transportation's Erie plant in the USA. The two PowerHaul locomotives which formed the initial batch are currently undergoing more than 170 tests including ride, gauge and electromagnetic compatibility, ...
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NewsBrest and Dijon award joint tram order
FRANCE: The cities of Brest and Dijon have jointly awarded Alstom a contract to supply 52 Citadis trams worth more than €100m. In November last year the two cities agreed to co-operate to streamline procurement of their vehicles. Brest requires 20 trams for a 14·3 km line scheduled to ...
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NewsLocomotive maintenance joint venture created
PORTUGAL: The EMEF maintenance subsidiary of national railway CP has established a joint venture with Siemens Mobility to maintain locomotives which the German firm has supplied to Portugal. Siemens has a 49% stake in the joint venture, which will service 29 LE 5600 and 25 LE 4700 Eurosprinter electric ...
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NewsRotherham tram-train replaces Penistone scheme
UK: Proposals to test diesel 'tram-trains' on the Sheffield - Huddersfield line have been put on hold in favour of linking Sheffield city centre with Rotherham through a new connection between the Supertram light rail network and a Network Rail freight line at Meadowhall South. 'We have learned a ...
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NewsCAF wins Istanbul metro train order
TURKEY: Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF has been awarded a €139m contract to supply 30 four-car metro trainsets for the Kadikoy - Kartal line now under construction in Istanbul. The trainsets will be 90 m long with a capacity of 1 300 passengers, and will use 1·5 kV ...
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NewsVagonmash introduces NeVa
RUSSIA: Vagonmash launched its fourth-generation metro car during a ceremony attended by St Petersburg city governor Valentina Matvienko, local government officials and representatives of Russian and CIS metro networks on July 10. The NeVa series is the result of a collaboration agreement signed with Skoda Transportation on November 4 ...
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NewsSNCFT orders LockTrac interlockings
TUNISIA: SNCFT has awarded a consortium of Vossloh Cogifer and Thales a €20m contract to supply electronic interlockings for a total of 14 stations on the Borj Cédria - Kalaâ Seghira section of the Tunis - Gabès line and the Manoube - Ghardimaou section of the Tunis - Alger route. ...
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NewsPortland and Dallas open new Green Lines
USA: September 12 marked the inauguration of a Green Line in both Portland and Dallas. In the former, TriMet celebrated its fifth new MAX light rail route, connecting Clackamas Town Center and the Portland State University campus just south of downtown Portland. Opening day ceremonies were held at many of ...