Railway Gazette International articles from January 2006

Railway Gazette International archives from January 2006

Concessions may not be enough.(COMMENT)
January 1, 2006... THE BITTER row between Toll Holdings and Patrick Corp, equal joint owners of rail freight operator Pacific National, shows no sign of abating. Toll is pressing ahead with its A$4.6bn hostile bid to take over Patrick, but this is stalled by...

Late deliveries justify compensation.(COMMENT)
January 1, 2006... DANISH State Railways ordered a fleet of 83 IC4 diesel multiple-units from AnsaldoBreda in December 2000 at a cost of DKr5bn. Intended to work inter-city services between Kobenhavn and cities in Jutland, the four-car 200 km/h articulated...

ETCS waltz continues to play.(COMMENT)
January 1, 2006... GERMAN Railway and its suppliers Siemens and Alcatel proudly announced on December 6 that commercial services with trains controlled by Level 2 ETCS had begun on the 100 km Juterbog-Leipzig section of the Berlin-Leipzig main line. Setting...

High speed go-ahead.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... FORMAL approval for construction of two high speed lines in Portugal was announced on December 13. Prime Minister Jose Socrates said they would help to bind the country closer into the European Union and the Iberian peninsula. Detailed...

Fleet renewal plans.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... SWISS FEDERAL Railways unveiled its first RABe514 EMU at Zurich on December 2 (RG 12.05 p770), presaging the launch of the 35 Siemens-built double-deck sets on the city's growing S-Bahn network. Following commissioning trials, the units are...

US Congress.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... On November 18 the US Congress finally approved the federal transport budget for the 2006 financial year which began on October 1. The bill provides $8.59bn for public transport, 12.3% up on 2005, including $1.34bn for fixed guideways and...

Emirates rail study.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... A 700 km line connecting the United Arab Emirates will form a key element in the planned Gulf rail network, according to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi General Shaikh Mohammad bin Zayed al Nahyan. Speaking at the UAE's 34th anniversary...

Test running began on the 89 km Nurnberg-Ingolstadt Neubaustrecke in early December, with DB's ICE-S test train attaining 330 km/h.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... Test running began on the 89 km Nurnberg-Ingolstadt Neubaustrecke in early December, with DB's ICE-S test train attaining 330 km/h. The line will open in May, ready for the 2006 football World Cup, cutting the Nurnberg-Munchen journey time by...

Three franchises awarded.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... THE UK Department for Transport has awarded three more replacement franchises which will start on April 1. They cover three London commuter networks plus long-distance services to the west of England and South Wales. On November 30 DfT...

SEITT to attract private finance.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... THE SPANISH Ministry of Development announced on November 30 the creation of a new state-owned company that will be responsible for the government's land transport infrastructure projects. In addition, SEITT is to act as a conduit for...

Reseau Ferre de France decided to launch feasibility studies.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... Following the completion of public consultation over proposals for the TGV Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur high speed line to Nice, Reseau Ferre de France decided on December 6 to launch feasibility studies in 2006 for the three route options, for a...

Rolling motorway agreement.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... MARCH 31 2007 has been set as the launch date for a rolling motorway service running for more than 1 000 km across France, Transport Minister Dominique Perben announced on December 12. He said the autoroute ferroviaire would link Perpignan,...

Saudi project management deal.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... AN INTERNATIONAL consortium led by the US-based Louis Berger Group is to undertake detailed design and manage the construction of a 1 800 km heavy haul network serving mineral reserves in northern Saudi Arabia. Other members of the consortium...

Passengers return to Puerto Montt.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... CHILEAN President Ricardo Lagos was on board EFE's inaugural Victoria-Puerto Montt service on December 6, marking the completion of a $44m upgrade that has restored passenger services on the 388.8 km Temuco-Puerto Montt route (RG 9.05 p520)....

SNCF.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... SNCF President Louis Gallois and Michel Boyon of RFF joined local representatives to watch the simultaneous arrival of a TGV and TER EMU at Saint-Malo on December 8, marking the 25 kV 50 Hz electrification of the 70 km line from Rennes at a...

Plant contracts.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... AS PART of its cost-reduction programme, Network Rail has revised its policy on leasing on-track plant. At present NR leases on-track machines such as tampers for maintenance, and its renewals contractors either own or hire their machines...

PPP upgrading.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... FINNISH infrastructure authority RHK has decided to undertake the upgrading of its eastern main line from Lahti to the Russian border at Vainikkala using a public-private partnership. Work on the 152 km route is due to start in 2007 as part...

Trinidad tenders called.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... THE GOVERNMENT of Trinidad & Tobago has invited expressions of interest for the construction of two new rail routes in Trinidad, which it plans to offer as a DBOM contract. Frequent passenger services are planned to try and overcome growing...

Speedway upgrade.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN and Norfolk Southern have agreed to form a joint venture to improve the 515 km KCS route between Meridian, Mississippi, and Shreveport, Louisiana. Under the 'Meridian Speedway' project, KCS, which retains operational...

Contracts renegotiated.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... ON NOVEMBER 29 the RENFE board approved the last three of six contracts for new rolling stock that have been renegotiated since they were awarded in 2004. Renegotiation of the first three contracts was completed in July 2005 (RG 8.05 p461), and...

Madrid-Valladolid makes progress.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... WITHIN a budget of [euro]177.3m, bids have been invited for a contract to supply interlockings, train protection systems, telecommunications, GSM-R radio and a traffic control centre for the Madrid-Valladolid high speed line and its branch to...

Faster by design.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... FRENCH consultancy Systra announced on December 12 that it had won a contract to assist with the construction of the Beijing-Tianjin high speed line. Working in partnership with the China Academy of Railway Sciences, Systra will review the...

Kenyan.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... Kenyan President Moi Kibaki signed the Kenya Railways Corporation Amendment Act into law on November 25, paving the way for signing of a 25-year operating concession with the Sheltam-led Rift Valley Railways consortium (RG 11.05 p665). The...

Hopper sale agreed.(NEWS)
January 1, 2006... CANADIAN Transport Minister Jean-C Lapierre and Finance Minister Ralph Goodale announced on November 24 that terms had been agreed for the sale of the government-owned grain hopper fleet, which totals around 12 000 vehicles. The hoppers...

Santiago metro keeps growing.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... ON NOVEMBER 15 President Ricardo Lagos of Chile announced the next phase of an extension programme which will take the Santiago metro to 104.5 km and 108 stations by the end of 2009. Work on the 4 km extension of Line 1 from Escuela Militar...

Skoda Transportation.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... The first of 20 Type 14T low-floor trams being built for Praha by Skoda Transportation began test running in the Czech capital on December 11. Powered by six Skoda 90 kW motors, the 30 m five-section cars styled by Porsche are all due to enter...

Canada Line cars ordered.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... SOUTH KOREAN rolling stock builder Rotem has won the contract to supply trainsets for the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver automated metro, which has been named the Canada Line to mark Vancouver's role as a gateway between North America and Asia. ...

T1 to meet Line 13.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... A PUBLIC enquiry began on December 12 for the planned extension of Paris tram route T1 from Saint-Denis to Asnieressur-Seine, as part of the process leading to the Declaration of Public Utility. Due to enter service in 2010, the 4.9 km...

Bombardier-led Yongin LRT Consortium.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... Groundbreaking celebrations were held on November 18 to mark the start of construction on the Everline light metro in the South Korean city of Yongin. Connecting the Everland amusement park with the Seoul metro network, the 18.5 km...

Tram-train timetable set.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... MEETING in Mulhouse on November 26, the steering committee for the city's pilot tram-train project agreed a target date of 2010 for opening the initial route between Mulhouse and Thann. Headed by the President of the Alsace regional council...

Buenos Aires metro construction authority SBASE.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... Buenos Aires metro construction authority SBASE has called tenders for civil works on Section C1 of Line H, comprising the tunnel between Once and Corrientes, Corrientes station and a turnback spur. A budget of 64m pesos has been set for the...

Boost for Concepcion commuters.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... AS PART OF the US$ 155m Biovias programme to improve public transport in the greater Concepcion area, Chilean State Railways (EFE) launched its Biotren commuter network on November 24. EFE has acquired seven Class 440 EMUs from RENFE of...

DLR reaches City Airport.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... MAYOR of London Ken Livingstone and UK Transport Minister Karen Buck officially opened the latest extension of the Docklands Light Railway at London City Airport station on December 6. Services on the 4.4 km branch from Canning Town to King...

Second Avenue design contract.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... THE BOARD of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted on November 16 to award a $150.4m contract for final design of the 3.5 km first section of the Second Avenue subway. The contract with DMJM+Harris and Arup covers the...

Government to fund EDSA upgrade.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... SEVERE OVERCROWDING on Manila's privately-operated light rail Line 3 is to be relieved under a proposal being drawn up by the Philippines Department of Transportation & Communications. Built under a 25-year BOT concession, Line 3 from Taft...

Shenyang Mayor Chen Zhenggao initiated work on the city's first 22.8 km metro line, linking Zhangshi with the Liming Cultural Museum.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... On November 18 Shenyang Mayor Chen Zhenggao initiated work on the city's first 22.8 km metro line, linking Zhangshi with the Liming Cultural Museum. Due to be completed by the end of 2009 at an estimated cost of 8.9bn yuan, Line 1 will have 18...

Valparaiso gets a metro.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... ON NOVEMBER 23 Metro Valparaiso was formally inaugurated by President Ricardo Lagos of Chile, marking the completion of a US$332m programme to upgrade the Puerto-Limache suburban route operated by EFE subsidiary Merval. As part of the upgrade,...

Stockholm.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... Stockholm transport authority SL has selected the Stockholmstag AB joint venture as concessionaire to operate the Swedish capital's suburban service over the next five years, following a tendering exercise that attracted six bids. Stockholmstag...

Trams return in New Orleans.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... LIMITED tram services resumed in New Orleans on December 18, four months after the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Earlier estimates indicated it might take a year to restore the services, but RTA has come up with a compromise. ...

Ceremonies were held at Jing-an Temple station.(CITY NEWS)
January 1, 2006... Ceremonies were held at Jing-an Temple station on November 29 to mark the start of work on an extension of Shanghai Line 7 to serve the site of the 2010 World Expo in Pudong. One of eight metro projects totalling 389 km to be built by 2012, the...

Australia.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Australia: QR's pre-tax profit for the year to June was up from A$ 191m to A$287m. Freight traffic was up 8.4% to 175 million tonnes, with QR winning all the coal contracts it bid for in Queensland, and taking 13% of the market in NSW.

Brazil.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Brazil: A pre-feasibility study by the federal district and Goias state has rejected proposals for a 300 km/h link between Brasilia and Goiania, as the number of stops would prevent such a speed being achieved. The Ministry of Transport has...

Bulgaria.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Bulgaria: Private freight operator Bulgarian Railway Company ran its first train on the night of December 8, hauling sulphuric acid tanks between Pirdop and the port of Varna.

Canada.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Canada: On December 1 Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc bought the Menihek Subdivision of the Quebec North Shore & Labrador Railway from Iron Ore Co for C$1. Owned by three First Nation communities, TRT will run passenger and freight services...

China.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... China: Construction of train ferry wharves at Dalian and Yantai was completed in November. Two ships will enter service on the 164 km route in mid-2006. Feasibility studies are being reviewed for two lines planned in northern Jiangsu. The...

Czech Republic.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Czech Republic: SZDC plans to start 25 kV electrification of the 50 km route from Ceske Budejovice to the Austrian border at Ceske Velenice during the coming year, for completion in 2008 at a cost of KC 1.9bn. A ceremony on November 20...

Denmark.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Denmark: Railion Danmark is to cease domestic wagonload traffic during 2006, to focus on the domestic trainload business and international services.

France.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... France: SNCF has agreed to integrate the iDTGV company set up to manage low-cost TGV services into the parent Grande Lignes business unit; new iDTGV services will run from January 23 between Paris, Bordeaux and Toulouse and from April 3 between...

Hungary.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Hungary: A consortium of Mavti, Unitef, MSC and Ring Mernoki Iroda has won a [euro]2.28m contract to upgrade the route between Nyiregyhaza and Zahony on the Ukrainian border, with one-third of the cost to come from EU funding sources.

International.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... International: On December 7 Russia's Ministry of Transport and TCDD agreed to set up a train ferry service between Kavkaz and the Turkish port of Samsun.

Israel.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Israel: ISR introduced passenger services between Be'er Sheva and Dimona on December 17. There are five daily return trips, and 150 000 passengers are expected in 2006, rising to 900 000 by 2015.

Mexico.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Mexico: TFM SA de CV has been renamed Kansas City Southern de Mexico. Ferromex has announced plans to purchase Ferrosur for US$307m. Grupo Mexico, the majority owner of Ferromex, said the acquisition will help it compete with KCSM.

Mozambique.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Mozambique: This month work will begin in South Africa to rehabilitate the first of 45 CFM diesels and 1 000 wagons which are to be modernised at a cost of US$31m. Some will be available for hire through Xitimela Leasing, which is owned 67.5%...

Pakistan.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Pakistan: On December 5 Minister for Railways Mian Shamin Haider told a seminar that the government has approved the Access to Track Policy. Pakistani companies will be able to negotiate 20-year contracts to run passenger or freight services on...

Russia.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Russia: Central Suburban Passenger Co was founded on December 1, with 50% less two shares owned by RZD and 25% plus one share owned by each of the Moscow region and the city of Moscow. The joint stock company will begin operating the 156 km...

Slovakia.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Slovakia: The SDU state regulatory body was renamed the Office for Regulation of Railway Transport (URZD) on November 1.

United Kingdom.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... United Kingdom: The Crown Prosecution Service announced on December 6 that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute any individuals over the 1999 Ladbroke Grove crash which killed 31 people. Network Rail, as successor to Railtrack, is to be...

USA.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... USA: FRA has given approval for the maximum speed of passenger trains in the Chicago-Detroit corridor to be raised from 144 to 152 km/h when running under GE Transportation's Incremental Train Control System. Approval for 176 km/h operation...

Australia.(Market)
January 1, 2006... Australia: BHP Billiton Iron Ore has ordered a further 10 SD70ACe 4 300 hp diesel locos from Downer EDI subsidiary EDI Rail, taking the mining firm's total order to 24. They will be assembled in Canada by EMD for delivery during 2007.

Belgium.(Market)
January 1, 2006... Belgium: SNCB has ordered a further 90 M6 double-deck coaches worth [euro]166m for delivery in 2008-09 from a consortium of Alstom and Bombardier. The 18 driving and 72 trailer cars take the total ordered to 370, the first having entered...

Cuba.(Market)
January 1, 2006... Cuba: Under its first contract from Latin America and the Caribbean, China Northern has shipped to Cuba 12 DF7G-C diesel-electric locos of 2 500 hp which were ordered in January 2005 (RG 3.05 p125).

Czech Republic.(Market)
January 1, 2006... Czech Republic: CD has taken delivery of 50 Sggmrss 90 twin-section container wagons suitable for 120 km/h operation. Lostr Louny built the six-axle vehicles using Y25 Lssd1 bogies from Tatravagonka Poprad.

Namibia.(Market)
January 1, 2006... Namibia: The Namibian Rail Contractors joint venture which was responsible for tracklaying between Tsumeb and Omuthiya has secured the N$75m contract for the 75 km second phase onwards from Omuthiya to Ondangwa, scheduled for completion in...

Nigeria.(Market)
January 1, 2006... Nigeria: RITES and Ircon representatives visited Nigeria on November 8-10 and agreed to supply 10 Indian-built locos to NRC as part of a proposed upgrading and network expansion programme.

South Africa.(Market)
January 1, 2006... South Africa: Following a successful pilot project (RG 7.05 p388), Wabtec Railway Electronics has signed a US$13m contract to retrofit electronically-controlled pneumatic braking and distributed power control to around 50 locos and 3 300 wagons...

Spain.(Market)
January 1, 2006... Spain: A consortium of Sacyr, Cavosa and GEA 21 has been awarded a [euro]75.7m contract to build 5.3 km of new alignment between Meirama and Bregua on the Santiago de Compostela-A Coruna route. Expected to take 36 months, work will include...

Sweden.(Market)
January 1, 2006... Sweden: Hector Rail has ordered two ES64F4 electric locos from Siemens for delivery in the first quarter of the year. The 6 400 kW Eurosprinters will replace Rc locos which Hector Rail currently leases from SJ.

Switzerland.(Market)
January 1, 2006... Switzerland: On December 14 Stadler announced that Rhatische Bahn had exercised a SFr11m option for a further six panoramic coaches. They will enter service on the Bernina route in summer 2007. BLS Lotschbergbahn has ordered an operations...

United Kingdom.(Market)
January 1, 2006... United Kingdom: Network Rail has awarded AMEC a [pounds sterling]20m contract to renew track, power lines, drainage and various structures between Sandbach and Wilmslow on the West Coast Main Line. On December 10 Network Rail finalised a...

USA.(Market)
January 1, 2006... USA: NJ Transit has awarded a $97.9m contract to Skanska to double capacity at its Morrisville yard. The 18-month project includes provision of a 8 000 [m.sup.2] two-track maintenance building with lifting and wheel profiling equipment.

Argentina.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... Argentina: Buenos Aires metro operator Metrovias has put into service on Line D the first of four six-car trains purchased from Nagoya Subway. Arriving in Argentina during the 2001 financial crisis, they were stored in bond pending payment of...

Austria.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... Austria: Ascom Security Solutions has won a SFr3m contract to supply Wiener Linien with passenger information systems for stations on extensions to metro lines U1 and U2 which are expected to open by 2010.

Brazil.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... Brazil: Belo Horizonte Metro has commissioned a [euro]6m Ansaldo computer-based interlocking covering the 7 km between Vilarinho and Sao Gabriel stations. The multi-station CBI has a central control at Vilarinho and four peripheral posts.

China.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... China: Knorr-Bremse has signed a contract with Mitsui covering the supply of its EP 2002 braking for 200 metro cars ordered for Beijing Line 10 and the Olympic Line.

Czech Republic.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... Czech Republic: Praha city council and the transport authority have approved plans to fit automatic ticket gates to metro stations, and test security measures including CCTV and machines to detect explosives.

Germany.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... Germany: Gluhwein was served on December 10 to mark the opening of a 0.54 km extension of Stuttgart Line U5 from Freiberg to Monchfeld, which cost [euro]10m. On December 16 Bombardier announced a [euro]70m order from Dortmund for 47...

India.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... India: Corys TESS has won a contract from Delhi Metro to supply and maintain for six years a full cab simulator with a six degrees of freedom motion platform, replicating the metro's Rotem trainsets.

Pakistan.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... Pakistan: Following a feasibility study by PR and the Capital Development Authority, four companies have submitted a bid to build an 8 km hill railway in Islamabad to carry tourists on a circular route between Shakarparian, Rose & Jasmine...

Poland.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... Poland: Using 50% funding from the EU, Wroclaw has exercised a [euro]28m option with Skoda Transportation for nine five-section low-floor trams based on the 14T Vektra vehicles being supplied to Praha. Deliveries will begin in January 2007.

Spain.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... Spain: The Ministry of Development has signed an agreement with the Catalunya regional government and the municipality of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to build a new interchange at La Torrasa which will be served by Barcelona metro Lines 1 and 9....

UAE.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... UAE: Mashreqbank and Mizuho Corporate Bank have signed an agreement providing a guarantee facility for the Dubai Rapid Link consortium which holds the contract to build the Dubai metro (RG 7.05 p391). Nakheel has awarded Marubeni, Hitachi...

United Kingdom.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... United Kingdom: Main contractor Multiplex has awarded Westinghouse Rail Systems the contract for resignalling London Underground's Central Line at White City as part of a major development over the depot site.

USA.(Metros)
January 1, 2006... USA: MTA New York City Transit awarded Wabtec's MotivePower subsidiary a $93m contract for 28 twin-cab diesel locos, with a $29m option for a further 10. Able to work within restricted clearances, they will enter service in 2007-09 hauling...

First ScotRail.(INTELLIGENCE)
January 1, 2006... Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell (right) formally re-opened the Larkhall to Hamilton line on December 9. There are two intermediate stations on the 4.7 km branch, where First ScotRail began a half-hourly passenger service to central...