Railway Gazette International articles from August 2007

Railway Gazette International archives from August 2007

London's PPP unravels.(COMMENT)
August 1, 2007... IT TOOK five years to create the immensely complex Public-Private Partnership under which Tube Lines and Metronet Rail assumed full responsibility for maintaining and renewing infrastructure and trains on the London Underground for 30 years,...

Minimum service voted through.(COMMENT)
August 1, 2007... ONE OF French President Nicolas Sarkozy's key policy objectives came a step closer last month when the Senate debated proposals designed to ensure a minimum level of service on land-based public transport networks. Xavier Bertrand,...

Railteam bids to relaunch international rail travel.(COMMENT)
August 1, 2007... A DRIVE to position rail as the natural mode for international travel across Europe came on July 2, when the Railteam alliance of high speed train operators was launched in Brussels. A year of detailed negotiations has shaped the Railteam...

DB board approves EWS and Transfesa takeover.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... ON JUNE 28 the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bahn AG approved the purchase of all shares in UK freight operator English Welsh & Scottish Railway Holding Ltd, at a cost of [euro]400m, and the acquisition of a majority stake in Spanish logistics...

Express link moves ahead.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... FEASIBILITY studies for the planned Express Rail Link between Shenzhen and Kowloon were submitted to the Hong Kong government at the end of June. The project covers a 28 km alignment from Futian in Shenzhen to a terminus in West Kowloon. ...

Bolivia renationalises.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... PRESIDENT Evo Morales of Bolivia announced on July 15 that his government would be 'nationalising' the two concessions to operate the former ENFE network that were awarded in 1996. The necessary legislation had been promulgated by the president...

Off to a fresh start at MAV.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... LAST MONTH Hungarian Railways launched MAV Start as a subsidiary company to run the passenger business, marking a key step in the government's plans to reform the state railway. The new company began life on July 1 using a temporary...

A ceremony was held at Tokyo's Shinagawa station on July 1 to mark the entry into revenue service of the first Series N700 trainsets operation on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... A ceremony was held at Tokyo's Shinagawa station on July 1 to mark the entry into revenue service of the first Series N700 trainsets operation on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen. JR Central and JR West are introducing the new sets on Nozomi...

Lyon-Torino accord.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... MEETING in Roma on July 16, Italian Transport Minister Antonio di Pietro and France's new Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development & Spacial Planning Jean-Louis Borloo signed a joint application for European Union funding towards...

Velaro E enters service.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... ON JUNE 22 Spanish national operator RENFE put into service the first of its Series 103 high speed trainsets on the routes from Madrid to Sevilla and Camp de Tarragona. This follows over 300000 km of test running on both lines with the sets...

First train to Modi'in.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... ON JULY 2 Israel Railways operated its first trial train on the new line from Ben Gurion Airport to Modi'in. The IC3 Flexliner DMU carried guests from the local municipalities and selected press representatives, covering the 14 km in around 20...

TGV PPP bids.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... THREE CONSORTIA have submitted prequalification bids for the public-private partnership to build and operate the TGV Atlantique extension from Tours to Poitiers, Angouleme and Bordeaux. The 302 km line, which is intended to bring Bordeaux...

Madrid-Valencia makes progress.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... SPANISH infrastructure authority ADIF has awarded the last outstanding civil works contracts for the high speed line between Madrid and Valencia via Motilla del Palancar (RG 6.07 p330). Aldesa Construcciones SA has been awarded a...

More tunnels to take double-deckers.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... SWISS Federal Railways is to spend SFr626m on a 10-year programme to improve tunnels on its 3087 km network. Signed off by the board of management in July, the package will see work carried out on 84 tunnels with a total length of 105 km. ...

Fehmarn link approved.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... DANISH Transport Minister Flemming Hansen and his German counterpart Wolfgang Tiefensee announced on June 29 that they had reached agreement on the construction of a fixed link across the Fehmarn Belt, following a meeting in Berlin. Work...

Six on Saudi shortlist.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... ON JUNE 25 Saudi Railways Organisation announced that six of the seven bidding groups had been shortlisted for a BOT concession to build the 444 km Western Railway high speed line linking Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah (RG 8.06 p447). ...

Afghan rebuild underway.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... CEREMONIES were held at Towraghondi in Afghanistan and Serhetabat near Gushgy in Turkmenistan on July 11, marking the start of work to rehabilitate 2 km of cross-border railway. The cost of the reconstruction is put at US$550000, which...

Afghanistan's only other rail link is a branch of less than 10 km across the Friendship Bridge from Termiz in Uzbekistan to a large freight terminal at Hayratan, which currently receives three or four daily trains carrying food, fuel and building materials.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... Afghanistan's only other rail link is a branch of less than 10 km across the Friendship Bridge from Termiz in Uzbekistan to a large freight terminal at Hayratan, which currently receives three or four daily trains carrying food, fuel and...

Arriva takes New CrossCountry.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... THE OPERATION of inter-regional inter-city services in the UK will transfer to Arriva in November. The Department for Transport announced on July 10 that the company had been selected to run the remodelled New CrossCountry franchise until March...

Spanish tenders.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... THE SPANISH cabinet has given its approval for tenders to be called for the construction of 5.64 km of high speed line running in tunnel between Sants and Sagrera in Barcelona (RG 7.07 p405). A budget of [euro]246.2m has been set for the work,...

Latvia completes rail restructuring.(NEWS)
August 1, 2007... A TWO-year programme to restructure Latvian Railways was completed on July 4 with a formal registration of three new companies in the national Register of Enterprises. Started by a government decision on May 10 2005, the process has been...

The governments of Senegal and Mali have invited expressions of interest in a revised concession to operate the 1230 km railway between Dakar and Bamako.(News in Brief)
August 1, 2007... The governments of Senegal and Mali have invited expressions of interest in a revised concession to operate the 1230 km railway between Dakar and Bamako, after earlier attempts over the past decade failed to bear fruit. Under a new concession...

The board of Russian Railways voted on June 28 to approve the formation of its first freight operating subsidiary.(News in Brief)
August 1, 2007... The board of Russian Railways voted on June 28 to approve the formation of its first freight operating subsidiary, which will be partially privatised as part of the reform programme, although RZD will retain a controlling interest. The First...

French railway safety authority EPSF announced on June 28 that it had issued its first safety certificate under the new European regulations which provide for international recognition of safety management elements.(News in Brief)
August 1, 2007... French railway safety authority EPSF announced on June 28 that it had issued its first safety certificate under the new European regulations which provide for international recognition of safety management elements. This certificate covers...

Border reopens.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... THIS MONTH is expected to see the launch of through passenger services between Kolkata and Dhaka, according to the Director-General of Bangladesh Railways Belayet Hossain. This will see the restoration of cross-border passenger services...

Mine forces move.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... DEEP-LEVEL mining of iron ore will require the relocation of Sweden's Malmbanan at Kiruna, as the present alignment of the Lulea-Narvik main line will be affected by ground deformation. According to Thomas Nordmark of mining company LKAB,...

Comsa ready to roll.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... ON JUNE 29 Comsa Rail Transport became the third private operator after Continental Rail and Acciona Rail to be granted a safety certificate by ADIF to operate freight trains on the Spanish national network. Comsa had secured an operating...

Marseille tramway inaugurated.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy participated in the ceremonies on July 3 to inaugurate the first phase of the Marseille light rail network, joining the city's Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin, Deputy Mayor & Transport Commissioner Renaud Muselier and...

U-Bahn to extend north and south.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... THE Austrian government and the city authorities in Wien have unveiled plans to add 14 km to the Wien U-Bahn network in a [euro]1.85bn expansion programme stretching to 2019. Announcing details of the extensions on July 12, Vice-Chancellor...

More than half the NZ$55m project to double-track 24 km from Newmarket to Swanson on Auckland's 28 km Western suburban line to Waitakere was completed in June with commissioning of the 7.5 km between New Lynn and Henderson and second platforms at the three intermediate stations.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... More than half the NZ$55m project to double-track 24 km from Newmarket to Swanson on Auckland's 28 km Western suburban line to Waitakere was completed in June with commissioning of the 7.5 km between New Lynn and Henderson and second platforms...

Taipei orbital nears E & M bidding.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... TENDERS for electrical and mechanical work on the first phase of the medium-capacity orbital transit line in Taipei are likely to be called in September, according to Chung-Cheng Kao, Chief Engineer of the Department of Rapid Transit Systems....

Buenos Aires tests LRT.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... PRESIDENT Nestor Kirchner of Argentina formally opened a 2 km light rail demonstrator line in Buenos Aires on July 14, running on upgraded dockside track through the Puerto Madero redevelopment area. Alstom has supplied two Citadis LRVs for...

Stratford International gets DLR link.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... THE MAIN contract to build the next extension of the Docklands Light Railway from Canning Town to Stratford International was awarded to a Skanska and GrantRail partnership on July 2. The partners had already secured in January 2007 a [pounds...

Helsinki metro heads west.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... CONSTRUCTION of a 13 km western extension of Helsinki's only metro line is due to commence in 2009 following a favourable vote by the City Council of Espoo on June 18. At present, the 1524 mm gauge line is 21 km long with two branches at...

Delhi orders 340 Movia cars.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... BOMBARDIER Transportation has won a [euro]427m contract to build 340 of its Movia cars to operate Phase 2 of the Delhi Metro. The deal was announced on July 19, and deliveries are due to start towards the end of 2008 with completion of the...

Skytrain expands.(CITY NEWS)
August 1, 2007... CHANGCHUN RAILWAY Vehicles is to build 48 cars for Bangkok Mass Transit System's elevated Skytrain lines under a 2.34bn baht contract announced on July 16. Mitsui & Co (Thailand) Ltd and CITIC International are Changchun's partners in the deal,...

The 2.6 km extension of light rail Line B in Bordeaux from Quinconces to Bassins a Flot was due to be officially opened on July 23.(City News in Brief)
August 1, 2007... The 2.6 km extension of light rail Line B in Bordeaux from Quinconces to Bassins a Flot was due to be officially opened on July 23, built at a cost of [euro]68m and requiring the deployment of an additional three LRVs on the line. This follows...

Storstockholm's Lokaltrafik.(City News in Brief)
August 1, 2007... Storstockholm's Lokaltrafik has issued a request for information seeking industry views about experience of tendered operation elsewhere, before calling tenders for a new concession to operate and maintain the Stockholm metro network. SL hopes...

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has signed an agreement with the city's airport authority MWAA for operating the Dulles Corridor metro extension.(City News in Brief)
August 1, 2007... Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has signed an agreement with the city's airport authority MWAA for operating the Dulles Corridor metro extension. Construction of the 18.6 km first stage from East Falls Church to Reston is being...

Mayor of Arad Gheorghe Falca signed an agreement with Spie Rail of France on July 6 covering the first stage of a [euro]40m rehabilitation of the city's tram network.(City News in Brief)
August 1, 2007... Mayor of Arad Gheorghe Falca signed an agreement with Spie Rail of France on July 6 covering the first stage of a [euro]40m rehabilitation of the city's tram network. Under the [euro]24m initial stage, which is largely being funded by a...

Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung approved the proposed funding structure for the first line of the Ho Chi Minh City metro on June 19.(City News in Brief)
August 1, 2007... Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung approved the proposed funding structure for the first line of the Ho Chi Minh City metro on June 19. The city will contribute 17% of the estimated US$1.1bn cost, with the remainder being provided...

Argentina.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Argentina: Buenos Aires suburban operator TBA has introduced three air-conditioned nine-car trainsets on the Sarmiento route, under a 318m pesos programme to refurbish 125 EMU cars funded by the government.

Australia.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Australia: On June 19 Victorian Minister for Roads & Ports Tim Pallas announced that Leighton Contractors had won a A$116m contract to design and build the Dynon Port Rail Link, which will provide 24 h rail access along a fully-segregated...

Belgium.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Belgium: To further separate infrastructure from operations, 1500 Infrabel staff working mainly in commercial roles at stations are to transfer to SNCB. The programme is due for completion by the end of this year.

Canada.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Canada: A report by consultancy Tecsult has backed proposal to open two new stations serving McGill University and Edouard Montpetit on AMT's Deux Montagnes commuter line in Montreal.

Denmark.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Denmark: Testing of the Ansaldobreda IC4 DMUs in passenger service has begun between Arhus and Aalborg.

Europe.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Europe: The European Conference of Ministers of Transport has been renamed the International Transport Forum.

Hungary.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Hungary: Rail services between Budapest Nyugati station and Terminal 1 at Ferihegy Airport were launched on July 16. The EU cohesion fund provided [euro]21.3m towards the project.

Ireland.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Ireland: Last month Iarnrod Eireann and Mott MacDonald Pettit began public consultation on the detailed routing of the 5.2 km Interconnector tunnel which will carry DART suburban electric services between Dublin's Docklands and Heuston...

Italy.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Italy: Modena Transport Agency has appointed Steer Davies Gleave to review options for improving the 20 km railway between Modena and Sassuolo, considering integration with other routes and the feasibility of introducing tram-train services.

Libya.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Libya: Under an agreement between China's Ministry of Railways and the Libyan government, a 190 km railway costing an estimated US$477m is to be built in western Libya by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. A second line may be built...

Netherlands.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Netherlands: Two-thirds of the shares in state-owned rail, sneltram and bus concessionaire Connexxion are to be sold to a joint venture owned 75% by Transdev and 25% by Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten for around [euro]250m. The remaining third of...

Nigeria.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Nigeria: A refurbished 13-coach train conveying 1560 seated passengers has been introduced between Iddo in Lagos and Alagbado 25 km away in Ogun state. NRC spokesman David Ndakotsu said it includes two air-conditioned coaches for the 'comfort...

Malaysia.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Malaysia: By the end of the month Kulala Lumpur's Sentral station will be equipped with common-use airline check-in facilities, enabling all airlines to offer city-centre check-in for passengers travelling to the International Airport by KL...

Serbia.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... Serbia: On June 14 month the UN Mission in Kosovo announced that NewCo Ferronikeli had signed a [euro]2m five-year contract with Kosovo Railways for the transport of 1 million tonnes of magnesite a year from the Golesh mine to its plant at...

South Africa.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... South Africa: SARCC has launched a 530-seat Soweto Business Express limited-stop service to Johannesburg using eight dedicated coaches upgraded from 5M2A suburban vehicles at a cost of 2m rand. Aimed at young professionals, the train offers...

UK.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... UK: Inter-city operator Midland Main Line and online ticket retailer TheTrainline have begun trials of mobile telephone message ticketing with a corporate travel customer.

USA.(INTELLIGENCE)
August 1, 2007... USA: Shortline operator Watco has formed Michigan Central Railway to operate 600 km of former Norfolk Southern routes in the state, from Ypsilanti to Kalamazoo and Jackson to Lansing, and the line from Grand Rapids to Elkhart, Indiana. Michigan...

Canada.(Market)
August 1, 2007... Canada: CN has ordered 40 ES44 DC locos of 4400 hp from GE, and 25 SD70M-2 locos of 4300 hp from EMD. Deliveries will be completed by August 2008. All will be equipped with distributed power capability for operation by remote control in the...

Croatia.(Market)
August 1, 2007... Croatia: TZV Gredelj has been awarded a 30m kuna contract running to October 2008 to supply Swiss-based leasing firm AAE with wagon bogies.

Estonia.(Market)
August 1, 2007... Estonia: Eesti Raudtee has placed a 80m kroon order for flat wagons with UVZ & AVR, and awarded Skinest Rail a contract to supply wagons worth 212m kroons.

France.(Market)
August 1, 2007... France: On June 27 the SNCF board confirmed a [euro]2.1bn order for 80 double-deck TGV Duplex trains. The 320 km/h trains will be delivered from 2009, with 52 of their 509 seats adapted for passengers with reduced mobility, and some will be...

India.(Market)
August 1, 2007... India: Terry Farrell & Partners has been awarded a contract by Indian Railways to develop a masterplan for the redevelopment of New Delhi station.

Morocco.(Market)
August 1, 2007... Morocco: ONCF has awarded Thales a [euro]14m contract to supply PC-based LockTrac 6171 P1PC electronic interlockings for eight stations on the 117 km line from Taurirt to Nador which will open next year.

Netherlands.(Market)
August 1, 2007... Netherlands: NS Reizigers has ordered two motion and two multi-functional driving simulators with 300 km visual databases from Corys TESS. They will be installed at a purpose-built training facility in Amersfoort

Spain.(Market)
August 1, 2007... Spain: Invensys Dimetronic has announced four contract wins. A [euro]3.5m contract from ADIF covers updating the ASFA train protection on the Madrid-Sevilla route, a [euro]7m contract covers the supply of ATC equipment to FGC for the...

Sweden.(Market)
August 1, 2007... Sweden: Following a year of testing by postal service Posten, Kockums Industrier has been awarded a SKr32m contract to supply 26 intermodal wagons for mail traffic, with an option for an additional 60 wagons valued at SKr75m. Banverket has...

Switzerland.(Market)
August 1, 2007... Switzerland: Subject to approval by the cantons of Aargau and Zurich in October, BDWM Transport will place a SFr80m order with Stadler for 14 low-floor EMUs for use on the metre-gauge Bremgarten-Dietikon line from the end of 2009. The route...

Ukraine.(Market)
August 1, 2007... Ukraine: UZ has ordered two Desec TL 70 Tracklayers for switch and crossing replacement. During 2006 the state railway's two existing TL 70s replaced 290 turnouts.

UK.(Market)
August 1, 2007... UK: Freight operator First GBRf said last month it is ordering 'up to 50' HYA coal hopper wagons from IRS in Arad, Romania. Transport for London has placed a [pounds sterling]36m order with Bombardier for a further three four-car Class 378...

USA.(Market)
August 1, 2007... USA: Last month Tennessee Southern Railroad began taking delivery of six GP10 locos refurbished by National Railway Equipment Co and equipped with an N-Force wheel slip system which the shortline says will allow the 1700 hp locos to exert the...

Belgium.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... Belgium: Work has been completed at Sainte-Catherine under a programme running until 2009 to refurbish 24 stations on the ST1B metro and pre-metro networks in Brussels. The [euro]100m programme is being funded by the regional and federal...

Canada.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... Canada: On June 27 the TransLink board authorised a study for a rapid transit line along the Broadway from Commercial Drive, through central Vancouver to the University of British Columbia. SkyTrain and light rail will be considered, with the...

China.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... China: Shenzhen Metro Corp has awarded a consortium of Siemens and China Railway Signal Et Communication Corp a [euro]28m contract to supply LZB 700 M automatic train control systems for the 23 km extension of Line 1 which is due to open to the...

India.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... India: Bangalore Metro Corp has awarded RITES and Systra a contract to design a Rs970m depot and related property development at Byapanahalli to serve the first phase of the planned two-line metro.

South Korea.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... South Korea: Construction consortium subcontractor Rotem has awarded Thales a contaract to supply SelTrac communications-based train control for the 23.4 km driverless light metro being built between Pusan and Kimhae. 25 Rotem trainsets will...

Netherlands.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... Netherlands: On July 19 RET announced an order for 53 Alstom Citadis trams worth more than [euro]100m to replace Duewag ZGT vehicles. A contract will be signed in October, with deliveries beginning in mid-2009 at a rate of four/month and...

Poland.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... Poland: This month Rail. One will complete the delivery of 5000 m of Rheda City ballastless track to Warszawa for use in the upgrading of the east-west tram route along Aleje Jerozolimskie.

Russia.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... Russia: On July 6 Siemens and Moscow transport operator Mosgortrans signed an agreement for the joint development of a low-floor tram for the capital.

Spain.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... Spain: FGV has opened the first section of light rail Line 4 in Alacant (RG 6.07 p330), a 2 km branch from Lucentum to Avenida de las Naciones via three intermediate stops. Work is due to begin later this year on an extension to form a loop off...

Sweden.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... Sweden: Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings has won a 10-year contract from Storstockholms Lokaltrafik to manage advertising space on local trains, the metro, buses and other sites from January 1 2008. General Manager Maria Skoglund said 'transit...

UK.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... UK: On July 18 airport owner BAA handed over to London Underground 1.7 km of tunnels which will extend the Piccadilly Line to serve the [pounds sterling]4.3bn Terminal 5 now being completed at Heathrow Airport. Public services will begin on...

USA.(Metros)
August 1, 2007... USA: Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan council has authorised a contract with DMJM Harris worth up to $35.5m for preliminary engineering on the 17.7 km Central Corridor light rail project. The study will identify savings to reduce the $1bn price...

Canada.(Finance)
August 1, 2007... Canada: Under a shortline investment programme announced on July 5, the federal government is proving C$30m, the province of Quebec C$20m and rail operators C$25m for the renewal of 1641 km of track on nine shortlines, upgrading to Class 1...