All articles by Railway Gazette International – Page 973
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NewsFinal double-deck option exercised
EUROPE: SNCF and CFL have exercised an option with Alstom and Bombardier for a further 14 three-car TER 2N NG Coradia Duplex double-deck EMUs for regional express services in France and Luxemburg. Announced on January 13, the €82m order covers 10 units for CFL and one for use by ...
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NewsDSBFirst takes over Øresund operations
SCANDINAVIA: The DSBFirst partnership of Danish state railway DSB and UK-based transport operator FirstGroup took over the operation of train services in the Øresund region of Denmark and southern Sweden on January 11. The services are operated under separate but jointly procured contracts in each country. The ...
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NewsAllegro brand announced
EUROPE: Karelian Trains has confirmed that the upgraded service between Helsinki and St Petersburg to be launched in 2010 is to be branded Allegro. The joint venture of VR and RZD chose the Italian word meaning 'fast' as it is internationally known and pronounceable in both Russian and Finnish. ...
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NewsBiofuel study finds no adverse effect
BIOFUEL: A year-long study into the effects of biofuel on wagon components and lining materials has concluded that there is no adverse effect on rolling stock at current concentrations. Wagon leasing firm VTG Rail and lining manufacturers investigated the effect of petroleum products with 5% bioadditive, the level currently allowed ...
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NewsGATX snaps up Allco wagons
GATX: The receivers of Sydney-based Allco Finance Group sold the company's North American lease fleet of 3 650 wagons to GATX Corp during December. The price of US$217m comprised US$30m in cash and the assumption of US$187m in debt. 'This acquisition reflects GATX's strategy of only acquiring railcars at ...
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NewsDocklands Light Railway opens to Woolwich Arsenal
UK: Mayor of London Boris Johnson inaugurated the 2·5 km extension of London’s Docklands Light Railway from King George V to Woolwich Arsenal on January 12, two days after the start of services. The infrastructure on the £180m light metro extension was built in 3½ years by ...
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NewsWelcome to an intermodal Europe
EUROPE: The first Intermodes international convention and exhibition on intermodal passenger transport will take place in Brussels on February 4-5 2009. The aim of the event is to facilitate the journeys made by the 493 million people who live in the European Union.
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NewsPhoenix light rail starter line up and running
USA: An estimated 150 000 free trips were taken during first two days of public service on the $1·4bn Metro light rail starter line in Phoenix. Despite cold weather, heavy crowds and long queues throughout the weekend of December 27-28, there were no operational problems along the 32·6 km route ...
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NewsADIF heads for profit
SPAIN: As well as directing Europe’s largest high speed line construction programme, infrastructure authority ADIF has been set the amibitious target of moving into profit by 2010. Robert Preston put the questions to ADIF President Antonio González.
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NewsThe most modern fleet in Europe
SPAIN: Representing an investment of almost €6bn, between 2004 and 2010 national operator RENFE will have added 560 new passenger trains, 100 locomotives and 438 wagons to its rolling stock fleet. This will give Spain the most modern fleet in Europe, according to Unife’s Worldwide Rail Market Study.
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NewsWorld rolling stock market January 2009
Belgium: SNCB has exercised an option worth €222m for a further of 60 Siemens Class 18 Eurosprinter ES60U3 electric locos (RG 9.08 p631), to be delivered by April 2012. A €128m contract has been placed with Bombardier and Alstom for a further 72 M6 double-deck coaches for delivery 2010-11, bringing ...
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NewsContracts January 2009
Belarus: Czech freight company OKD Doprava has bought a 90% stake in Belterminal, operator of the container and transhipment terminal at Brest on the Polish border. Belgium: B-Cargo has selected Ab Ovo’s Rail Cargo System to replace its current applications supporting planning and settlement. Malaysia: Bombardier and Hartasuma have ...
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NewsPKP PLK awards signalling contract
POLAND: Infrastructure manager PKP PLK has awarded a consortium led by PKP Energetyka and including Bombardier a contract to supply Interflo 200 signalling equipment for the section of the Warszawa - Gdynia main line through Tczew. Bombardier's share of the contract is worth €20m, and covers the provision of ...
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NewsAntwerpen - Aachen freight corridor is fully electrified
BELGIUM: The electrification of the cross-border link between Montzen and Aachen West was formally inaugurated on December 12. Dr Harry Hondius reports.
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NewsSkoda to supply CityElefants to ZSSK
SLOVAKIA: Skoda Vagónka has been selected to supply national passenger operator ZSSK with 10 three-car double-deck EMUs to replace 1970s rolling stock on suburban and inter-regional services between Trencín, Zilina and Kosice. The €96·1m contract is expected to be signed later this month, and deliveries wil be completed within four ...
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NewsDisplay wall commissioned
VIDEO WALL: Siemens and Barco have commissioned a rear-projected video wall at the Namur signalling centre of Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel. A similar wall was already in service in Brugge, and a further 12 are to be installed across the country by 2012. The wall ‘presents operators with all key ...
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NewsUltracapacitors on test
SOUTH KOREA: National railway research agency KRRI is trialling the use of lineside ultracapacitor modules to store braking energy on the Seoul metro. KRRI has contracted Woojin Industrial Systems to manage the trial. During 2008, Woojin took delivery of 72 Boostcap ultracapacitors rated at 48 V, supplied by ...
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NewsCityCargo in receivership
NETHERLANDS: The CityCargo project which envisaged using Amsterdam's tram network to supply shops and businesses has gone into receivership, although receiver Joris Lensink and Veolia are investigating the possibilities to revive the project. The city council has said it sees potential in the project only as an unsubsidised ...
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NewsIndustry News in Brief
On January 1 signalling supplier AZD Praha became an associate member of the Unisig consortium, established at the request of the European Commission in 1999 to draft technical specifications for ETCS in collaboration with the European Railway Agency. AZD is the first new member since its formation, joining Alstom, Ansaldo ...
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News250 km/h sleeper train enters service
CHINA: Chinese Railways has begun putting a fleet of 20 high speed sleeper trainsets into service on overnight journeys between Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou. In October 2007 the Ministry of Railways placed a €1bn order for a total of 40 high speed trainsets with the Bombardier Sifang Power (Qingdao) ...