Railway Gazette International articles from February 2006

Railway Gazette International archives from February 2006

'Constructive debate' sought over DB sell-off.(COMMENT)
February 1, 2006... PRESENTING a study on options for privatising Deutsche Bahn AG to the Transport Committee in Berlin on January 17, Germany's Federal Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee called for 'a constructive debate' between the Bundestag, the Lander,...

Spending programme unveiled.(COMMENT)
February 1, 2006... MUCH-HERALDED plans to modernise and develop Argentina's run-down railways are finally taking shape. The proposals are contained in a Presidential decree that came into force on January 4, setting out an ambitious programme to upgrade the...

Israel plans massive expansion.(COMMENT)
February 1, 2006... DURING 2005 nearly 27 million trips were made on the 853 route-km Israel Railways network, more than three times as many as in 1999. If that sounds a spectacular increase, consider what ISR envisages in the future: no fewer than 65 million...

Leased locos to work HSL-Zuid.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... FACED WITH the prospect of having no ETCS-equipped trainsets available to operate the Antwerpen-Rotterdam-Amsterdam high speed line when it opens on July 1 2007 (RG 9.05 p519), HSL-Zuid concessionaire High Speed Alliance has decided to start...

EWS International.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... EWS International has started test running in France with loco 66215, equipped with KVB and other French safety equipment before delivery on January 2. Under an agreement with Electro-Motive Diesel, EWS has appointed Eurailtest and IES to...

French safety authority founded.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... JANUARY 1 saw the formal establishment of a new public authority to oversee railway safety in France. Legislation to authorise the Etablissement Public de Securite Ferroviaire was approved by the Assemblee Nationale on December 15. The...

Airport rail link.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... CONTRACTS were signed on January 12 for construction of the long-planned rail link between Taipei and Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport. Taiwan's Bureau of High Speed Rail has awarded the project to a Japanese consortium of Marubeni,...

Heavy haul study.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... AUSTRALIAN mining group Murchison Metals Ltd announced on December 22 that it had reached a preliminary agreement for 'industrial partners' to undertake a feasibility study for a 380 km heavy haul railway in Western Australia. The line...

Paths on the standard gauge network in Switzerland will be allocated by an independent organisation from April 1.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... Paths on the standard gauge network in Switzerland will be allocated by an independent organisation from April 1. Trassenvergabe AG, set up in December to manage and allocate paths, is owned equally by Swiss Federal Railways, BLS...

Order revised.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... RUSSIAN Railways President Vladimir Yakunin confirmed on December 12 that terms had been agreed for a revised contract with Siemens for the supply of high speed trainsets, which is expected to be signed in March. Several agreements were...

The Asian Development Bank.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... The Asian Development Bank confirmed last month that it would provide US$400 000 towards the cost of a US$520 000 study of Chinese Railways, intended to support a policy reform programme. The Chinese government hopes that administrative and...

Chinese wires reach 20 000 km.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... THE INAUGURATION of electric operation on the 625 km Chongqing-Huaihua line on December 27 saw Chinese Railways' length of electrified route pass the 20 000 km mark. According to the China Railway Electrification Bureau, the current total...

Spanish projects make progress.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... SPANISH INFRASTRUCTURE authority ADIF has awarded the last civil works contract for the Cordoba-Malaga high speed line, covering the final 3 km. It includes the construction of two false tunnels 1.93 km in length, one of which will...

Orex upgrade moves ahead.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... WITH 2006 marking the 30th anniversary of South Africa's heavy haul iron ore railway, Spoornet announced in December that it plans to strengthen the 50 kV power supply on the 861 km Sishen-Saldanha line. Additional substations are to be added...

Amtrak.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... By December 2005, Amtrak engineering crews working on the $145m upgrading of the electrified Keystone Corridor between Philadelphia and Harrisburg in Pennsylvania had installed over 158 000 concrete sleepers and replaced or repaired 124...

The government was suspending for six months the start of geological surveying work on the Lyon-Torino rail link through the Susa valley.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... Following local protests (RG 12.05 p760), Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced on December 10 that the government was suspending for six months the start of geological surveying work on the Lyon-Torino rail link through the Susa...

Siemens scoops Saudi signalling.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... A CONSORTIUM of Siemens and Nour Communications Co has been selected to undertake a [euro]91m renewal of signalling and communications on the Saudi Railways Organisation network. Under a contract announced on December 21, the consortium...

Yakutsk accord.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... DURING a visit to Yakutsk by President Putin on January 6, RZD President Vladimir Yakunin signed a co-operation accord with V Shimokhin, President of the regionally-owned Yakutsk Railway Co, supporting further construction of the...

Waverley redevelopment.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... SCOTTISH Minister for Transport Tavish Scott and the Chief Executive of Transport Scotland Dr Malcolm Reed visited Edinburgh Waverley station on January 9 to launch a [pounds sterling]150m redevelopment scheme. Phase 1 will increase...

Intermodal sale.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... SYDNEY-based Babcock & Brown has acquired Swiss intermodal operator Crossrail AG, with all shares and staff transferred on January 1. Crossrail was the brand name used since January 2004 for unaccompanied intermodal services operated by...

Palermo awards LRT contract.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... A CONSORTIUM INCLUDING Bombardier Transportation, AMEC Spie and SIS (a subsidiary of Spanish construction group Sacyr Vallehermoso) has been awarded a [euro]192m turnkey contract to build a three-line LRT network totalling 15 km in the Italian...

KL plans to grow.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... PLANS TO expand both of Kuala Lumpur's urban rail networks were unveiled on January 3 by the Chief Executive Officer of the state-owned holding company Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, which was formed to integrate the bus and rail network in the...

Edmonton extends.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... NEW YEAR'S Day saw the start of revenue operation on the first addition to Edmonton's light rail line in 14 years, although formal inauguration ceremonies were not held until the following day. Costing C$100m, the 600 m extension from...

[euro]343m S-Bahn order.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... GERMAN Railway placed contracts with Bombardier and Alstom on December 28 for 78 four-car EMUs for the Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn, with an option for a further 72. Due for delivery between March 2008 and October 2010, the 140 km/h low-floor Class...

Auckland upgrade financed.(CITY NEWS)
February 1, 2006... INVESTMENT worth between NZ$450m and NZ$600m to upgrade Auckland's suburban rail infrastructure was announced on December 20 by Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen and Transport Minister David Parker. At present Land Transport New Zealand...

Montreal spends.(CITY NEWS)
February 1, 2006... A THREE-YEAR programme of renewals and upgrading for the Montreal metro was announced by Societe de Transport de Montreal on December 12. Total value of the capital programme is put at C$1.1bn, of which 57.4% will go on the metro. ...

Chuo line renewal.(CITY NEWS)
February 1, 2006... EAST JAPAN Railway has announced plans to order a new fleet of 10-car EMUs to operate Tokyo's busy Chuo suburban lines. The first of 688 Series E233 cars are expected to enter service in December, starting the replacement of 710 Series 201...

On test from the Alstom plant at Belfort are the first two pre-series Class BB827300 electric locos being built for SNCF's Transilien business unit.(CITY NEWS)
February 1, 2006... On test from the Alstom plant at Belfort are the first two pre-series Class BB827300 electric locos being built for SNCF's Transilien business unit. The 60 Prima derivatives were ordered in February 2004 to replace older locos on outer-suburban...

Reseau Ferre de France.(CITY NEWS)
February 1, 2006... Reseau Ferre de France has called tenders for consultants to assist with the development of an orbital suburban route in northeast Paris. Forming part of the contrat de plan between the government and lle de France, the Tangentielle Nord...

First tram arrives in Velez-Malaga.(CITY NEWS)
February 1, 2006... ON DECEMBER 20 Antonio Souviron, Mayor of Velez-Malaga in Spain, presented the first of three LRVs that CAF is supplying for the light rail route between Velez-Malaga and Torre del Mar. Costing a total of [euro]5.16m, the 100% low-floor LRVs...

ELL shortlists.(CITY NEWS)
February 1, 2006... MARCH 31 has been set as the bidding deadline for the [pounds sterling]500m main works contract to build the East London Line extensions. Part B of the tender documentation was issued by Transport for London to four shortlisted consortia in...

More cars to serve Buenos Aires.(CITY NEWS)
February 1, 2006... ON JANUARY 5 Alstom Transport announced that the Argentinian government had ordered an additional 16 cars for the Buenos Aires metro, as an option on a contract for 80 cars awarded in 1999. Deliveries under this contract resumed in December...

Budapest Mayor Gabor Demszky visited the Siemens SGP plant.(CITY NEWS)
February 1, 2006... Budapest Mayor Gabor Demszky visited the Siemens SGP plant in Wien on December 14 to see the 40 six-section GT12N cars being built for the Hungarian capital. The 53 m long Bo'2'Bo'Bo'2'Bo' cars are the longest low-floor trams to be ordered....

Guangzhou grows as two lines open.(CITY NEWS)
February 1, 2006... TWO FURTHER sections of the growing metro network in Guangzhou were put into operation on December 26. Revenue services started on the first section of Line 3, six months ahead of schedule. Trains are operating between the Line 1 terminus...

The start of work on the Gautrain regional rail project linking Pretoria and Johannesburg has been delayed further.(CITY NEWS)
February 1, 2006... The start of work on the Gautrain regional rail project linking Pretoria and Johannesburg has been delayed further. The 80 km network was originally due for completion by 2006, and the regional government said in December that it hoped...

International Airport.(City News in Brief)
February 1, 2006... Anxious to get rail service to Dulles International Airport as soon as possible, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has proposed that it should build the planned 37 km metro extension from West Falls Church, now priced at $3.8bn. The...

Amsterdam.(City News in Brief)
February 1, 2006... Amsterdam transport operator GVB is planning to order between 150 and 300 new metro cars to operate the north-south line now under construction and to replace its existing stock from 2008 onwards. Specifications are currently being drawn up,...

The Philippine Department of Transport & Communications.(City News in Brief)
February 1, 2006... The Philippine Department of Transport & Communications has approved private-sector proposals to build Manila metro Line 7 as a BOT concession. The 20 km route would link Caloocan City with North Avenue, serving Fairview, Batasan, Diliman and...

Hamburger Hochbahn AG.(City News in Brief)
February 1, 2006... Hamburger Hochbahn AG has awarded a [euro]40m contract to Siemens Transportation Systems for upgrading of the train control equipment on parts of Lines U2 and U3. To be completed by 2012, the City East project will see the installation of an...

MBTA.(City News in Brief)
February 1, 2006... MBTA has reached an agreement with AnsaldoBreda over the problem-ridden Type 8 LRVs it ordered for Boston's Green Line more than a decade ago. The operator halted deliveries in December 2004 after 47 of the planned 100 cars had arrived,...

Africa.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Africa: Botswana Railways CEO Andrew Lunga has announced that negotiations are underway with National Railways of Zimbabwe to reinstate the passenger service between Francistown and Bulawayo suspended in 1999. Three return trips would operate...

Argentina.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Argentina: The government has transferred ownership of the 244 km route between Chamaico and Colonia Alvear Oeste to a consortium of local authorities from the provinces of La Pampa, San Luis and Mendoza. They hope to see passenger and freight...

Belgium.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Belgium: SNCB has announced that its Mechelen and Cuesmes workshops are to refurbish 44 four-car AM75 EMUs, 130 three-car AM80 EMUs and 130 M5 double-deck coaches in 2006-14. 172 million domestic passengers were carried by SNCB in 2005, up...

Chile.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Chile: EFE has completed a US$6.5m programme to improve security and facilities at 17 stations between Pedro Aguirre Cerda and San Fernando on the Metrotren commuter network in Santiago. Access is controlled by turnstiles which will be...

Cuba.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Cuba: Beijing February 7th Rolling Stock Works of China has delivered 12 DF7G-C diesel locos ordered at a cost of US$15m (RG 3.05 p125) to Cuban Railways. The operator has repaired 60 locos and 1 800 wagons since freight traffic resumed at the...

Czech Republic.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Czech Republic: A consortium of Tchas Ostrava and Firesta Brno has begun preparatory works for 3 kV electrification of the 7 km link between Ostrava Hlavni Nadrazi and Kuncice. The EU is meeting 65% of the costs of the KC924m plan, which...

Estonia.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Estonia: An 81% increase in coal traffic pushed up the total tonnage of rail freight by 3.3% to 44.2 million tonnes in 2005.

France.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... France: RFF is to spend [euro]45m on track renewals on the Douai-Valenciennes-Blanc-Misseron route from 2008, with complete renewal of 11 km and replacement of ballast and sleepers on a further 40 km. Work is expected to begin this spring...

International.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... International: Train ferries from Kavkaz in Russia to Poti in Georgia are to begin calling temporarily at Samsun. After trials in April, two vessels will be dedicated to the Kavkaz-Samsun route under a protocol signed by TCDD and Russia's...

Latvia.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Latvia: LD carried 54.8 million tonnes of freight in 2005, up 7.4% on 2004. The company expects this to fall to 51 million tonnes in 2006 because of increasing competition for transit traffic.

Lithuania.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Lithuania: LG carried 49.3 million tonnes of freight in 2005, up 8% year on year. Passenger numbers were down 3%.

On December 15 AFE restored regular Montevideo-Victor Sudriers passenger services.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... On December 15 AFE restored regular Montevideo-Victor Sudriers passenger services, following an inaugural trip by the AFE board and Canelones province Governor Dr Marcos Carambula the previous day. The 44 km route has 14 stops and four daily...

The first of four Class 441 electric locos being refurbished by Koncar for Bosnian operator ZFBiH was delivered on December 23.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... The first of four Class 441 electric locos being refurbished by Koncar for Bosnian operator ZFBiH was delivered on December 23; the locos are designed to run at a maximum speed of 120 km/h. ZFBiH recorded a 191% increase in traffic on its...

Canada.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... Canada: CP plans capital spending of C$810m to C$825m for 2006, down from C$920m in 2005. C$570m will go on infrastructure, C$160m on locos, C$50m on IT and C$25m to expand intermodal terminals.

Croatia.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... Croatia: Zagreb city council has agreed to guarantee financing for the purchase of 18 EMUs for HZ's suburban services.

Estonia.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... Estonia: The government is to provide Edelaraudtee with 152m kroon subsidy in 2006 to retain current passenger services.

France.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... France: The Centre regional council has agreed to fund the purchase by SNCF of five TER-2N EMUs for Paris-Chartres-Nogent-le-Rotrou TER regional services and six AGC EMUs for Tours-Vierzon.

Germany.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... Germany: Standard & Poor's has assigned its BBB+ long term issuer credit rating to Rostocker Strassenbahn, its first rating of a German local transport operator.

Lithuania.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... Lithuania: The EU Cohesion Fund is to provide [euro]51.4m towards a [euro]60.5m project to modernise LG's radio communications.

Luxembourg.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... Luxembourg: CFL is borrowing [euro]180m from EIB and BCEE to fund the purchase of 85 double-deck passenger coaches and 20 locos, as well as maintenance work at Luxembourg station.

Nigeria.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... Nigeria: China has offered a US$2bn loan to fund railway modernisation. Managing Director Abdulrahman Abubakar said NRC is not obliged to buy from China, and is considering the purchase of Korean locos.

Romania.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... Romania: EIB is to provide [euro]300m to fund the upgrading for 160 km/h operation of the 175 km double-track line between Simeria and Curtici north of Arad, and the doubling and rehabilitation of the 9 km line from Curtici to the Hungarian...

Peru.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... Peru: Ferrocarril Andino Central is to invest US$ 14m in new traction and rolling stock during 2006. Existing motive power is to be converted to use liquefied natural gas fuel.

Spain.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... Spain: On December 27 2005 the RENFE board agreed to spend [euro]92.5m on equipping 217 EMUs deployed on the Madrid suburban network with ERTMS.

Switzerland.(Finance)
February 1, 2006... Switzerland: The federal parliament has approved SFr7.5m and the canton of Graubunden is to allocate SFr20m for the SFr50m Porta Alpina scheme for a station in the Gotthard base tunnel, linked to the surface at Sedrun by an 800 m lift.

Montenegro.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Montenegro: ZCG has signed a [euro]50m contract with ZS Brno, AZD Praha, Remont Priga and Minel Beograd for the modernisation, re-signalling and 25 kV 50 Hz electrification of the 64 km line from Podgorica to Niksic by 2009.

Spain.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Spain: The Ministry of Development has selected the alignment of the high speed route between Albacete and Xativa, following approval by the Ministry of the Environment of the route option passing to the south of Almansa. Construction will...

Sri Lanka.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... Sri Lanka: The Transport Ministry announced in December that Indian financial assistance has been obtained for modernisation of the 160 km Colombo-Matara route, including reductions in journey times and double tracking south of Kalutara North.

United Kingdom.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... United Kingdom: The Department for Transport has shortlisted Arriva, FirstGroup, National Express, Stagecoach and a joint venture of GNER Holdings and MTR Corp for the South Western franchise. Invitations to tender will be issued at the end of...

USA.(INTELLIGENCE)
February 1, 2006... USA: In December RailAmerica sold its 246 km San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad in Colorado to Permian Basin Railways for $6.5m. It also received $0.5m cash from the sale of surplus SLRG real estate.

Argentina.(Market)
February 1, 2006... Argentina: Benito Roggio and Esuco have been awarded a contract for track renewals on the 750 mm gauge Rio Turbio to Rio Gallegos route in Santa Cruz province. Maximum speed is to be raised to 40 km/h.

Australia.(Market)
February 1, 2006... Australia: Siemens has an [euro]85m share of a [euro]150m order placed by QR with the German firm and United Group for modernisation of 60 Class 3100 and 3200 freight locos by December 2010. The 25 kV locos used on Goonyella coal trains will be...

Canada.(Market)
February 1, 2006... Canada: On December 21 Bombardier announced a firm order from GO Transit for a further 10 BiLevel commuter coaches worth C$56m, to be built at Thunder Bay and delivered in 2007.

China.(Market)
February 1, 2006... China: A consortium of Arcadis, MAA Engineering Consultants International and local partners has been awarded a contract worth [euro]16m to manage construction on the 247 km Wuhan-Hwadu section of the Wuhan-Guangzhou high speed line.

Europe.(Market)
February 1, 2006... Europe: Eurofima has reported 'stronger annual business volume and increased earnings' for 2005. Railway financing for 369 locos, 1 275 multiple-unit cars, 1 365 coaches and 59 wagons totalled SFr3.8bn, the highest figure for 10 years. Cash...

France.(Market)
February 1, 2006... France: On January 4 Bombardier announced a [euro]290m order from SNCF for an additional 73 AGC trainsets, including twin-voltage electro-diesel units, to be delivered in 2007-10.

Germany.(Market)
February 1, 2006... Germany: On December 22 DB placed a [euro]36m order with Bombardier for 25 double-deck coaches, which will be used between Rostock, Schwerin and Hamburg from 2007.

India.(Market)
February 1, 2006... India: Minister of Railways Laloo Prasad has announced plans to place wagon orders with Burn Standard and Braithwaite & Co to revive work at the state-owned companies.

Ireland.(Market)
February 1, 2006... Ireland: On January 3 Minister for Transport Martin Cullen announced a [euro]62m order had been placed with Mitsui for a further 10 three-car DMUs. To be built by Rotem and Tokyu Car Corp, they will be used on services from Dublin to Sligo and...

Slovenia.(Market)
February 1, 2006... Slovenia: Siemens has delivered the first of 20 Class 541 three-system electric locos it is building for SZ under a [euro]74m contract funded by a Eurofima loan. Similar to the OBB Class 1216, they will be able to run in Austria, Slovenia and...

Spain.(Market)
February 1, 2006... Spain: Ferrovial Agroman has been awarded a [euro]61.9m contract to undertake civils and track work on the Cerceda-Meirama section of the Santiago-A Coruna high speed line. Within a combined budget of [euro]99.7m, tenders have been invited for...

Sweden.(Market)
February 1, 2006... Sweden: Vasttrafik has ordered three additional three-car Regina trainsets from Bombardier, and four cars to lengthen existing units, at a total cost of [euro]31m.

Syria.(Market)
February 1, 2006... Syria: CFS has appointed Indian consultancy Balaji Railroad Systems and Jordanian firm International Technical & Engineering Services Corp to carry out a three-month inspection of rail welds on the line between Deir es Zor and Al Bokamal, and...

USA.(Market)
February 1, 2006... USA: Amtrak has awarded Cianbro Corp a $76m contract to replace a bascule bridge over the Thames River in Connecticut with a 57 m span vertical lift bridge by 2008. US wagon orders in 2005 were the highest for seven years, at 80 793 units....