All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 965

  • DMU (Photo: Arriva).
    News

    Arriva awarded Czech operating contract

    2009-03-10T12:00:00Z

    EUROPE: Arriva's Vogtlandbahn subsidiary has been awarded a contract to operate regional passenger services on the 56 km line linking the Czech towns of Liberec, Varnsdorf and Rybniste via Zittau and Seifhennersdorf in Germany. Running for 10 years from December 2010, the contract was awarded jointly by the Liberec ...

  • Class 319 EMU.
    News

    Thameslink Programme starts to take off

    2009-03-10T10:00:00Z

    UK: ‘We are about to break cover’, commented Andrew Mitchell following a presentation to the Institution of Engineering & Technology in London on February 10. As Network Rail’s Major Programme Director for the Thameslink Programme, he is looking forward to March 22, when the past four years of preparation for ...

  • tn_us-california-hs_04.jpg
    News

    High speed frenzy follows election

    2009-03-10T06:00:00Z

    USA: Not surprisingly, a request for expressions of interest to develop high speed rail corridors has attracted a considerable degree of attention, despite the country’s poor track record with privately-funded projects and the limited prospects for such schemes going ahead in the current economic climate. Legislation passed by Congress last ...

  • QR commuter EMU.
    News

    More EMUs for Queensland

    2009-03-09T14:45:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Bombardier Transportation and joint venture partner Downer EDI Rail announced an A$205m order from the Queensland government for a further 20 three-car SMU260 commuter EMUs on March 9. Deliveries of the 130 km/h units are scheduled to run from August 2010 to December 2011, bringing the total number ...

  • tn_eu-euro-bank-notes_15.jpg
    News

    Anti-corruption drive lands DB in trouble

    2009-03-09T12:00:00Z

    GERMANY: An extraordinary row about the sensitive subject of personal information is occupying senior managers at Deutsche Bahn. The affair is serious enough for politicians to demand the head of DB’s pugnacious Chairman Hartmut Mehdorn, who not for the first time is defending his patch with characteristic vigour. The ...

  • The first of 10 250 km/h tilting trains built for TCDD by CAF has been undergoing comissioning trials.
    News

    On the fast track to reform

    2009-03-09T06:00:00Z

    TURKEY: With construction of new lines moving ahead, modernisation of the existing TCDD network is also getting underway. Meanwhile, draft legislation presented to the government last year envisages the restructuring of the rail sector to introduce competition between train operators.

  • tn_eu-euro-bank-notes_16.jpg
    News

    World rail market March 2009

    2009-03-08T06:00:00Z

    Belgium: A 1·6 tonne capacity Europont overhead crane with a Verlinde Eurobloc hoist has been installed at STIB’s Woluwe tram depot in Brussels. Netherlands: INIT has a contract to provide Copilotpc onboard equipment and GPRS communications for 129 trams, 226 buses and 41 other vehicles operated by Rotterdam transport ...

  • tn_generic-tracks-electric_31.jpg
    News

    Pointers March 2009

    2009-03-07T06:00:00Z

    Ferrocarriles de Gran Canaria SA has been set up by the island government to manage the construction of a railway on Gran Canaria. A technical consultant will be employed to prepare tenders for project planning on the section between the capital and San Bartolomé de Tirajana, on which construction is ...

  • News

    Sustainable design for sustainable cities

    2009-03-06T16:19:00Z

    Book review

  • News

    Funding review is overdue

    2009-03-06T16:15:00Z

    Letter to the Editor

  • CAF will supply vehicles for the expansion project.
    News

    Houston awards light rail expansion contract

    2009-03-06T09:45:00Z

    USA: Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority board of directors voted unanimously on March 4 to award a $1·46bn design, build, operate and maintain contract covering the construction of four more light rail lines to the HRT joint venture headed by Parsons Transportation Group. Following from the city's initial light rail ...

  • The prototype locomotive uses a former Green Goat diesel-battery hybrid as a platform (Photo: David Lustig).
    News

    BNSF explores the fuel cell

    2009-03-06T06:00:00Z

    USA: A hydrogen-powered shunting locomotive now being assembled will serve as a testbed for reducing diesel fuel use by North America’s railroads. David Lustig reports from Topeka.

  • Map of Laos cross-border rail route (copyright Railway Gazette International).
    News

    Inaugural train begins Laos royal visit

    2009-03-05T15:03:00Z

    LAOS: Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand presided over the inaugural cross-border rail journey into Laos on March 5. Following a ceremony at Nong Khai station, the princess travelled across the Mekong to Tha Na Laeng, where she began a two-day official visit to Laos. The Thai-Lao Friendship bridge ...

  • Russian railway wagons.
    News

    Agreement reached on Tyva railway

    2009-03-05T11:00:00Z

    RUSSIA: A protocol confirming the route of the planned 415 km railway from Kuragino to Kyzyl was signed by the Tyva republic's head of government Sholban Kara-ool and Eniseiskaya Industrial Corp CEO Dmitry Sahno on February 27. An extension of the Russian Railways network to Kyzyl, the capital of ...

  • DB Schenker.
    News

    DB Schenker structure revised

    2009-03-05T10:00:00Z

    EUROPE: Deutsche Bahn has announced the new management team for the European rail-based logistics activities which have been grouped under the DB Schenker Rail brand. This now contains three geographic and two sector-based business units. DB Schenker Rail encompasses the former Railion Group and English Welsh & Scottish Railway ...

  • GATX tank wagons.
    News

    Wagon prices attractive

    2009-03-05T06:00:00Z

    GATX: Chicago-based leasing firm GATX reported net income from continuing operations of $196m in 2008, up from $185·8m the previous year. Wagon sales in the secondary market raised $55m, and ‘robust scrapping activity’ took advantage of high scrap prices. As a result, utilisation of the North American fleet of ...

  • Tehran's main station.
    News

    Tehran - Mashhad electrification contract

    2009-03-04T15:14:00Z

    IRAN: A €792m contract to electrify the Tehran - Mashhad route and supply 70 electric locomotives has been awarded to consortium led by engineering firm Hirbodan and including electrical specialist Barsan, TAM Irankhodro and rolling stock manufacturer Wagon Pars. Islamic Republic of Iran Railways will also install ETCS Level ...

  • Coal train.
    News

    Ansaldo STS signs €153 signalling agreement

    2009-03-04T12:00:00Z

    AUSTRALIA: Ansaldo STS and Australian Rail Track Corp have signed an alliance agreement covering signalling works to increase the capacity and efficiency of coal lines in New South Wales and Victoria. Ansaldo STS said the agreement will generate €153m in revenue over three years. The works include control systems ...

  • Luas tram.
    News

    Four bids to build Dublin Metro North

    2009-03-04T09:00:00Z

    IRELAND: The Railway Procurement Agency received four tenders on February 27 for the PPP contract to build and maintain the 18 km Metro North light rail line from St Stephen's Green in central Dublin to the airport, Swords and Belinstown. The bids reflect a substantial decrease in construction costs, ...

  • Aeroplane.
    News

    Miami airport Metrorail extension contract

    2009-03-04T06:00:00Z

    USA: The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners has approved a $360m contract for construction of the 3·9 km Airport Connection Metrorail extension. This will run from the existing station at Earlington Heights to an intermodal centre adjacent to Miami International Airport which will provide interchange with Tri-Rail and local ...