All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 970
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NewsEuskotren renewal
SPAIN: Basque regional operator Euskotren and CAF have agreed to research jointly an on-board energy storage system based on supercapacitors, with the aim of installing a prototype on one of the operator’s trains. As part of its Euskotren 21 programme, the railway ordered 27 three-car EMUs from CAF on December ...
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NewsSystra wins in Santiago
CHILE: Systra has been appointed to supervise construction, testing and commissioning of two extensions on the Santiago metro network. The 28 month contract covers the 4 km Line 1 extension to Los Dominicos and the 14 km extension of Line 5 to Maipú. Systra has already started verification of the ...
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NewsOn the move
SWEDEN: Wagon manufacturer Kockums Industrier is to relocate its headquarters and production plant to a former Trelleborg AB factory in the city of Trelleborg over the next year. The company’s current site in a former shipyard in Malmö is to be redeveloped, so Kockums sought a new home. Sites in ...
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NewsNation Building investment plan
AUSTRALIA: The commonwealth government is to inject A$1·2bn into Australian Rail Track Corp as part of a A$4·7bn package of investment in railways, roads and education which was announced by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on December 12. The ‘Nation Building’ spending is intended to boost the competitiveness of the Australian ...
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NewsTyne & Wear Metro shortlist announced
UK: The four bidders shortlisted for a contract to operate the Tyne & Wear Metro were named by owner and current operator Nexus on January 30. A total of nine expressions of interest were received. Invitations to negotiate will be sent to DB Regio Tyne & Wear Ltd, Hong ...
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NewsGrowth is key to strategic plan
CANADA: Toronto commuter rail operator GO Transit plans to acquire more of the infrastructure used by its trains, rather than relying on trackage rights agreements with the country’s two main freight railroads. The operator already owns some tracks near Union Station and parts of its Barrie, Lakeshore and Stouffville lines. ...
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NewsRail pioneers honoured in Brussels
EUROPE: At a ceremony in Brussels on January 20, Swiss Transport Minister Moritz Leuenberger was presented with the European Railway Award for 2009, to reflect his work in promoting environmentally-friendly transport policies. Presenting the political award on behalf of CER and Unife, European Commissioner for Transport Antonio Tajani said that ...
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NewsControl centre opens
ISRAEL: All ISR trains are now controlled and monitored from a single site following the completion of the National Centre of Control & Management in December. Formally opened on January 20, the Masua facility in Haifa replaces 10 regional signalling centres, and will enable more effective management of the network. ...
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News
Dieter - February 2009
UK: An animal protection charity appealed for information after boxes containing 42 pet rats were found at Chester station last month. ‘We don’t know whether they were left on the platform by mistake or whether they were abandoned, but I’m hoping anyone who knows anything about them will get in ...
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NewsFirst stone laid for Oran tram
ALGERIA: On December 16, Algerian President Bouteflika, accompanied by Minister of Transport Amar Tou, laid the first stone near the future depot at Sidi Maarouf, symbolically marking the start of the Oran tram project. The contract to build the 18·7 km 32 station line was awarded to the Tramnour consortium, ...
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NewsKraków tram tunnel opened
POLAND: Trams began regular Route 50 services through a 1 538 m pre-metro tunnel beneath Kraków’s main station on December 12. The tunnel was planned in the 1960s as part of a proposed east–west metro line, which was subsequently dropped in favour of a north–south pre-metro. Construction was undertaken intermittently ...
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NewsSanto Domingo metro enters service
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: President Leonel Fernández officially inaugurated the first metro line in Santo Domingo at 17.40 on January 29, in a ceremony held at Centro de Los Héroes station. Full public service started at 06.00 on January 30. Speaking at the launch, Diandino Peña, MD of OPRET (the organisation responsible ...
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NewsDB Schenker buys into Polish freight market
POLAND: Deutsche Bahn announced on January 30 that it had reached agreement to purchase PCC Logistics, the largest private-sector rail freight operator in Poland. The deal was signed in Warszawa by DB Chairman Hartmut Mehdorn, Board Member, Logistics, Norbert Bensel and the founder of PCC Group Waldemar Preussner, and is ...
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NewsLight rail pioneer secures a long-term future
UK: A £300m government financing package has been agreed for Metro Re-invigoration, a two-stage investment programme to overhaul the Tyne & Wear Metro. The pre-qualification process to create a shortlist for a seven-year operating concession is due to be completed this month, marking the start of a decade of change. ...
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NewsAlstom awarded ERTMS service contract
SWITZERLAND: Alstom has signed its first service contract with Swiss Federal Railways. The €22m deals covers the maintenance of Alstom ATLAS ETCS Level 2 equipment fitted to trains using the Mattstetten - Rothrist section of the Bern - Zürich route, for which Alstom also supplied trackside equipment. The company's ...
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NewsCabinet approves Chennai metro phase 1
INDIA: The government announced cabinet approval for the 45 km first phase of the Chennai metro on January 29. Two lines will be built in the first phase. One will run from Washermanpet to Saidapet and Chennai Airport, with 14·3 km of the 23·1 km route being underground. The ...
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NewsHeiterBlick to assemble Bielefeld trams
GERMANY: Bielefeld city transport operator MoBiel announced a €47m order for 16 high-floor light rail vehicles with options for a further 25 on January 26. Consortium leader Vossloh Kiepe will supply the electrical equipment for the cars, which are to be delivered from January 2011 to July 2012. They ...
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NewsUK Transport Minister to speak at Railway Gazette capacity conference
UK: Minister of State for Transport Lord Andrew Adonis will make the opening address at the Growth & the Capacity Challenge conference in London on March 10. The minister will present a keynote speech at the first session of the conference after opening the Railtex 2009 exhibition at Earl’s Court. ...