Railway Gazette International articles from May 2007

Railway Gazette International archives from May 2007

Rediscovering the value of rail.(COMMENT)
May 1, 2007... IF THERE had been any remaining doubts among investors about the financial health of the US rail industry, they would surely have been dispelled last month when Berkshire Hathaway revealed that it had taken substantial shareholdings in three...

Another rescue plan takes shape.(COMMENT)
May 1, 2007... 'MAKING OUR customers smile' was one objective in the package of short-term measures launched last autumn to try and halt the rot that is sapping the life out of SNCF's freight business. Olivier Marembaud, appointed Deputy Director-General,...

A new force in railway publishing.(COMMENT)
May 1, 2007... THIS ISSUE marks an exciting milestone for our magazine, as we launch a new publishing group dedicated to providing the very best news, business and technical information for the world's railway industry. With our portfolio including...

ZEB consultation.(COMMENT)
May 1, 2007... PROPOSALS for the long-term programme to upgrade and expand the Swiss rail network went out to consultation last month. Building on the completed Bahn 2000 project, Zukunftige Entwicklung der Bahnprojekte will now be scrutinised by the...

Saudi contracts signed.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... THREE CONTRACTS totalling 7.1bn riyals were signed on April 3 covering construction of 1765 km of the North-South Railway in Saudi Arabia (RG 4.07 p184). Minister of Finance Dr lbrahim Al-Assaf said the work would be completed in 42 months. ...

The first of nine EMUs built by Siemens for the standard-gauge airport link in Bangkok was unveiled at Uerdingen works in March.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... The first of nine EMUs built by Siemens for the standard-gauge airport link in Bangkok was unveiled at Uerdingen works in March. The four 4-car express sets and five three-car City Line commuter EMUs are derived from the Desiro UK model. All...

Alstom wins Marmaray fit-out.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... A CONTRACT worth [euro]815m was signed at the end of March for the second phase of work on the 76.3 km Marmaray cross-Bosporus rail link in Istanbul. The Turkish Ministry of Transport has selected the AMD consortium of Alstom, Marubeni and...

Eurostar records strong growth.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... REPORTING ITS first quarter results for 2007 on April 17, Eurostar announced a strong jump in traffic and revenue on its cross-Channel high speed trains. Passenger-journeys increased by 5.4% to 1.79 million, whilst sales revenues of [pounds...

TGV route approved.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... FRENCH Minister of Transport Dominique Perben gave his approval on April 17 to the draft alignment for the Tours-Angouleme section of TGV Sud-Atlantique. The move marks the end of formal consultation for the 181 km route forming the...

ADIF spends [euro]1bn.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... MEETING ON MARCH 30, the board of Spanish infrastructure authority ADIF gave its approval for contracts worth a total of [euro]1.03bn to be awarded or put out to tender. According to the Ministry of Development, this is one of the largest...

Electronic brake trials.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... NORFOLK SOUTHERN and BNSF announced jointly on March 29 that they plan to start revenue service trials later this year using electronically-controlled pneumatic brake systems. The move follows the issuing of an FRA waiver allowing...

Progress in Venezuela.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... VENEZUELAN state railway IAFE announced on April 11 that civil works had been completed on 30 km of the 108.8 km Puerto Cabello-La Encrucijada route, now expected to open in 2011. Of the route's 15 tunnels, five totalling 23.7 km have been...

Crossrail expands.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... SWISS open-access freight operator Crossrail AG announced on April 4 that it had received a licence from the Italian government permitting the company to run its own trains in Italy with effect from mid-2007. At present Crossrail is running...

The 7.1 km link serving Sendai Airport was officially inaugurated on March 18.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... The 7.1 km link serving Sendai Airport was officially inaugurated on March 18. Series E721-500 EMUs operated by JR East provide 40 trains each way per day, with journey times from Sendai of 17 min fast or 23 min calling at the intermediate...

Full service with Level 2.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... ALL TRAINS running on Swiss Federal Railways' Mattstetten-Rothrist line now use Level 2 ETCS. SBB announced on March 22 that the switchover had been completed on March 18, with around 250 passenger and freight trains operating every 24 h. ...

Uzbek signalling.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... COMPUTER-BASED interlockings and LED signals are to make their first appearance in Central Asia on Uzbekiston Temir Yollari's 200 km Tashguzar-Kumkurgan line, following the award of a [euro]29m contract by Japanese trading company Mitsui on...

RZD infrastructure reform.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... RUSSIAN Railways announced at the end of March that its infrastructure maintenance business is to be restructured over the next two years, as part of the country's ongoing railway reform programme. The first stage of the process is...

Infrabel and SNCB inaugurated the north-south junction in Antwerpen on March 23 (RG 1.04 p28).(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... Infrabel and SNCB inaugurated the north-south junction in Antwerpen on March 23 (RG 1.04 p28). Central to the [euro]765m project forming part of Belgium's northern high speed line is a 3.8 km tunnel between the city's Berchem and Luchtbal...

Grand Central plans Chinese trains.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... ASPIRING open-access operator Grand Central Railway announced on April 13 that it plans to buy three 225 km/h diesel trainsets from CSR Ziyang of China 'immediately following the launch' of its Sunderland-London service later this year. ...

One bid for Buenos Aires-Cordoba.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... THE CONSORTIUM of Alstom, lecsa, Emepa and Isolux emerged as the only candidate to build Argentina's first high speed line when technical bids for the 710 km Buenos Aires-Cordoba project were opened in the presence of President Nestor Kirchner...

Zurich S-Bahn stock.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... TENDERS will be called shortly for 60 double-deck S-Bahn trains and a fleet of double-deck coaches to run in the existing fleet of 115 double-deck push-pull S-Bahn sets serving Zurich. Demand for travel on the S-Bahn is expected to rise by...

High speed across Andalucia.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... ON MARCH 27 the Andalucia regional government announced that it had awarded a joint venture of OHL and Vera a [euro]43.6m contract to build the 12.5 km Marchena-Osuna section of a high speed line that will eventually link Sevilla with Granada...

French Transport Minister Dominique Perben announced on April 3 that he had approved plans for the dedicated freight bypass line around Lyon.(NEWS)
May 1, 2007... French Transport Minister Dominique Perben announced on April 3 that he had approved plans for the dedicated freight bypass line around Lyon, and commissioned RFF to undertake detailed design for the northern section of the route in...

Indonesian House of Representatives.(News in Brief)
May 1, 2007... The Indonesian House of Representatives approved legislation in March that would further restructure the country's railway sector and transfer all rail assets from state ownership into a free-standing company. A comprehensive technical audit of...

Gatwick Express service.(News in Brief)
May 1, 2007... The premium Gatwick Express service from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport is to be retained under franchise restructuring plans announced by the UK Department for Transport on April 4. DfT Rail had suggested eliminating the service to relieve...

The Malaysian government confirmed in March that it had decded to reactivate plans for double-tracking KTM's northern main line from Ipoh to Butterworth.(News in Brief)
May 1, 2007... The Malaysian government confirmed in March that it had decded to reactivate plans for double-tracking KTM's northern main line from Ipoh to Butterworth and the Thai border at Padang Besar; local firms Gamuda and MMC Corp are expected to...

Dubai looks at light rail.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... PLANS TO develop a network of light rail lines in Dubai were unveiled by the Chairman of the emirate's Roads & Traffic Authority Mattar Mohammed Al-Tayer at the Metro Rail conference in Roma on March 29. With Dubai's population expected to...

Stagecoach wins in Manchester.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... GREATER Manchester PTE announced on April 3 that it had selected Stagecoach Group as preferred bidder for a contract to operate the 37 km Manchester Metrolink network. Including infrastructure and rolling stock maintenance, the 10-year contract...

Extra stations on Athens Line 3.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... THREE stations on the northern section of Line 3 of the Athens Metro are to be constructed under a [euro]90m deal signed on March 16 between state-owned Attiko Metro and an AEGEK-Impreglio-Alstom consortium. The consortium will supply and...

East Japan Railway.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... East Japan Railway announced in March that it plans to introduce Series E233 suburban EMUs on Joban Local Line services in Tokyo from mid-2008. As these run onto Tokyo Metro's Chiyoda Line at Ayase, to provide through trains between Toride and...

Unveiled by STIB at Haren depot on April 20, the first of 15 six-car Boa trainsets being supplied by CAF and Elin for the Brussels metro is expected to enter service on Line 1B in June.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... Unveiled by STIB at Haren depot on April 20, the first of 15 six-car Boa trainsets being supplied by CAF and Elin for the Brussels metro is expected to enter service on Line 1B in June, with five sets to be in service by September. The...

Laval under budget.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... THE THREE-station, 5.1 km Orange Line Metro extension to Laval was scheduled to open on April 28. The project, budgeted at C$803.6m after repeated cost increases, ended up with a price tag of C$745m, or C$143.2m per km. According to Joel...

More extensions in Madrid.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... ON APRIL 11 two further extensions to the Madrid metro network were opened to traffic, both serving a new interchange at Pinar de Chamartin which will also be the southern terminus of a light rail route to Sanchinarro and Las Tablas, due to...

Charles-de-Gaulle VAL opens.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... APRIL 4 saw the opening of the 3.5 km automatic shuttle with five stations linking the three airport terminals, RER and TGV stations and remote car parks at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport. End-to-end journey time is 8 min, with trains running...

Second Avenue groundbreaking.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... THE FOURTH groundbreaking ceremony for New York's Second Avenue subway was held on April 12 in a section of tunnel completed more than 30 years ago but never used. Planning for the line began in 1929 but was sidelined by the Depression and...

Dulles deal done.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... VIRGINIA's Department of Rail & Public Transportation announced last month that it had reached an agreement with the Bechtel-led Dulles Transit Partners consortium for construction of the first 18.7 km of the Washington DC Metro extension to...

Newly-elected Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick promised on April 4 to restore commuter services to New Bedford and Fall River by the end of 2016.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... Newly-elected Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick promised on April 4 to restore commuter services to New Bedford and Fall River by the end of 2016. The project will cost an estimated $1.4bn, including a significant expansion of South Station,...

Toronto's light rail blueprint.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... TORONTO Transit Commission has approved plans for approximately 122 km of new light rail route costing C$6bn that, along with the current tram network, would cover much of the city. The seven proposed lines would be completed within 15...

Northstar Corridor Development Authority.(CITY NEWS)
May 1, 2007... Following the track access agreement reached at the end of February for the first phase of the Northstar commuter rail project (RG 4.07 p187), the Northstar Corridor Development Authority on April 5 gave the go-ahead to a $128000 study for the...

Transport authority for the French city of Tours.(City News in Brief)
May 1, 2007... The transport authority for the French city of Tours has voted to take forward a [euro]260m project to build a 13 km light rail route running north-south from Quartier de l'Europe via the SNCF station to Joue-les-Tours, equipped with...

The first line of the metro network planned for Palma de Mallorca was due to open on April 25.(City News in Brief)
May 1, 2007... The first line of the metro network planned for Palma de Mallorca was due to open on April 25, running from a transport interchange at Plaza de Espana to Universitat de les Illes Balears via seven intermediate stations. The underground route...

Metro Rail Corp.(City News in Brief)
May 1, 2007... Bangalore Metro Rail Corp invited bids last month for prequalification to design and supply a fleet of 39 three-car EMUs to operate the city's planned 750 V DC standard-gauge metro network. The 18.1 km east-west line and 14.9 km north-south...

Asia.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... Asia: On April 9 Pakistan and India agreed an extension to January 19 2010 of their 2004 agreement for the operation of Samjhota Express cross-border services between Lahore and Amritsa via Wagah.

Bosnia.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... Bosnia: During a visit to Sarajevo at the end of March, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader signed an agreement for Bosnia's three railway companies to use HZ's IT applications and participate in a two-year technology transfer programme...

Croatia.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... Croatia: The government has announced it is to sell HZ's hotel and catering, construction and project design, and security and cleaning businesses for a total price of 168m kuna.

Czech Republic.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... Czech Republic: On March 29 CD inaugurated 160 km/h services on a 14.6 km section of Corridor 2 between Krasikov and Zabreh na Morave. A consortium of SSZ, Subterra and Metrostav carried out a KC4.36bn upgrade, with the construction of tunnels...

Europe.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... Europe: Railion Deutschland, RZD and DFDS have introduced a weekly train ferry service between Sassnitz and Baltiysk in Kaliningrad, simplifying connections between Germany and Russia. The ferry Vilnius is equipped with 1520 mm gauge tracks and...

Ireland.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... Ireland: Prime Minister Bertie Ahern officially opened Adamstown station on April 16. Built by Laing O'Rourke for Chartridge Developments Ltd, the west Dublin commuter station is the first to be provided under legislation which requires...

Myanmar.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... Myanmar: On April 19 Lt-Gen Myint Swe of the Ministry of Defence sprinkled scented water on MR's first domestically-produced loco to formally launch the 96 km/h machine. The design of the 66 tonne 783 kW Class DF 1200 diesel is derived from a...

Poland.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... Poland: PKP LHS has announced plans for a 150m zloty upgrade of the 1520 mm gauge line from Ukraine to Katowice. 10 main line locomotives are to be purchased, in addition to six shunters which are on order from Transmash Holding.

Russia.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... Russia: On March 21 RZD and SNCF signed a memorandum of understanding in Delhi, covering co-operation to exchange their experience of railway reform, mass transit services, high speed operation and introduction of new technologies. The...

Spain.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... Spain: On March 24 ADIF brought into service 2.7 km of 1668 mm gauge infrastructure at El Prat de Llobregat, including a station which will also be served by high speed services and the Barcelona metro. Putting the railway underground has freed...

Turkey.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... Turkey: TCDD has hired Italian infrastructure manager RFI's ETR500-derived measurement train for testing of the Ankara-Eskisehir 250 km/h line due to begin on April 23 (RG 2.07 p72).

UK.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... UK: This summer Hines is to begin work on a [pounds sterling]360m redevelopment of Cannon Street station in the City of London. The project to replace a 1960s building with a new mixed-use development designed by Foggo Associates will be...

USA.(INTELLIGENCE)
May 1, 2007... USA: On March 30 Union Pacific announced a $300m modernisation of its Port of Los Angeles intermodal container transfer facility to double capacity while lowering the environmental impact. Stacking will be made more efficient, the 10 diesel...

Australia.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Australia: On April 3 ARTC signed an A$85m deal under which Telstra will replace nine separate communication systems between Brisbane and Perth and in the Hunter Valley. When it is fully operational in June 2009, the integrated system will use...

Belgium.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Belgium: SNCB has awarded Bombardier a [euro]50m contract for the refurbishment of 130 M5 double-deck coaches in 2008-11, including heavy maintenance of bogies and brakes. The project is the first Bombardier will undertake in partnership with...

Bosnia.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Bosnia: Last month DPOV Prerov took delivery of six stored ZFBH Class 441 Bo-Bo 25 kV electric locos which the Czech Railway subsidiary has been contracted to return to working order at a cost of [euro]9m.

Botswana.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Botswana: BR has signed an eight-year signalling and communications maintenance deal with Ansaldo STS subsidiary Union Switch & Signal.

France.(Market)
May 1, 2007... France: Acting on behalf of regional authorities, on April 3 SNCF confirmed it was exercising options with Bombardier for an additional 67 dual-mode and dual-voltage AGC multiple-units worth [euro]311m to be delivered from August 2009. At...

Germany.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Germany: DB has taken up a 2003 option for a further 53 Bombardier double-deck coaches for Dresden suburban services. The [euro]72m order includes 13 driving cars.

India.(Market)
May 1, 2007... India: The Ministry of Defence has awarded Stone India a Rs140m contract to refurbish I 115 wagons over eight months.

Italy.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Italy: RFI has awarded Alstom a [euro]15m contract to supply 1000 MET in-sleeper point machines for harsh environments and locations with restricted clearances.

Jordan.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Jordan: Last month Aqaba Railway Corp was due to take delivery of four C24 MMI locomotives remanufactured at GE Transportation's plant at Contagem in Brazil. The 1050 mm gauge locos have 20 tonne axleloads and GE's Brightstar control and...

Mexico.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Mexico: On April 3 Bombardier announced a framework agreement to assemble 100 SD70Ace locos at its plant in Sahagun by the end of the year, under a deal with Electro-Motive Diesel worth US$67m. The plant has produced more than 1100 EMD locos...

Netherlands.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Netherlands: NS Reizigers has commissioned Bombardier to refurbish 30 two-car SGM II Sprinter EMUs at a cost of [euro]40m. Renewal of the interiors to the standard of the SGM III units, installation of real-time information system and...

Russia.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Russia: On April 20 RZD and Siemens signed a contract worth more than [euro]300m under which the German firm will maintain for 30 years the eight Velaro RUS 10-car trainsets it is supplying for 250 km/h St Petersburg-Moscow services from 2009...

Serbia.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Serbia: On March 16 AZD Praha signed a KC300m contract to supply ESA11 interlockings and control equipment for the 25 kV electrified rail network serving the Nikola Tesla power station at Obrenovac, 40 km from Beograd. The Czech firm is also...

Spain.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Spain: Alcatel Transport Solutions has been awarded a four-year contract worth [euro]57.6m to maintain signalling and train control systems on the Madrid-Sevilla high speed line, including the branch to Toledo and the workshops at La Sagra. A...

Sweden.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Sweden: Hector Rail has bought the three Class 1012 electric locos from OBB Traktion. The 6.4 MW machines were supplied by SGP in 1997 as prototypes for a planned standard fleet of Austrian Federal Railways locos, and will be modernised by OBB...

Switzerland.(Market)
May 1, 2007... Switzerland: AAR bus+bahn has placed a SFr14m order with Stadler for 10 new low-floor single-car electric units, which will be put into service in 2009 as part of the modernisation of the metre-gauge Wynental and Suhrental lines running south...

UK.(Market)
May 1, 2007... UK: The Department for Transport has selected leasing company Porterbrook to finance 48 additional Bombardier Electrostar EMU cars for use by train operator Southern, releasing Class 319 dual-voltage EMUs for transfer to First Capital Connect...

USA.(Market)
May 1, 2007... USA: Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District has issued Sumitomo Corp of America and Nippon Sharyo with a notice of award for a $48m contract covering 14 EMU gallery cars, to be delivered by March 2009. On March 30 Bombardier...

Belgium.(Metros)
May 1, 2007... Belgium: On March 21 Managing Director of Brussels transport authority STIB Alain Flausch said he hopes to take up options to purchase between 135 and 150 Bombardier trams in 2007-11, enabling the elimination of high-floor PCC cars from the...

Canada.(Metros)
May 1, 2007... Canada: The city of Calgary has selected the West Line as the next light rail project to be developed, with a planning document anticpating the start of work 'within the next few years'. The C$600m line would run from the existing terminus at...

India.(Metros)
May 1, 2007... India: Haryana's state assembly has passed a resolution in favour of extending the Delhi Metro to Guragaon. About 10 km of the route costing Rs7.3bn would be within Delhi, and 7.5 km costing Rs6.9bn in Haryana.

Ireland.(Metros)
May 1, 2007... Ireland: On April 17 the Railway Procurement Agency signed a [euro]51.2m order for 18 additional Citadis 402 trams for Dublin. Six will go to the Red Line and 12 to the Green Line, to accommodate the Docklands and Sandyford-Cherrywood...

South Korea.(Metros)
May 1, 2007... South Korea: The Ministry of Information & Communication has announced plans fit metro trains with in-cab screens with wireless links from station CCTV systems, allowing drivers to monitor platforms from up to 500 m away. Including suicides,...

Malaysia.(Metros)
May 1, 2007... Malaysia: Developer 1-Berhad has proposed the construction of a light rail link between Kelana Jaya and the 1-City development in the city of Shah Alam. The plan will be put to Rapid KL, the government organisation responsible for developing...

Netherlands.(Metros)
May 1, 2007... Netherlands: GVB has selected Arcadis to undertake the modernisation of 3.6 km of metro tunnels in Amsterdam, with improvements to fire safety and public address systems. Movares will plan the work, which is to include a seven week closure in...

Saudi Arabia.(Metros)
May 1, 2007... Saudi Arabia: The General Investment Authority and the Ministry of Transport are reviewing a study for the construction of a 7bn riyal monorail in Makkah. Elevated 5 1/2 m above ground level, the line would link the pilgrimage sites of...

Spain.(Metros)
May 1, 2007... Spain: At a cost of [euro]21m, CAF is to supply four light rail vehicles for the Metro-Cenro line under construction in Sevilla.

Turkey.(Metros)
May 1, 2007... Turkey: Skoda has won a KC243m contract to supply 34 sets of IGBT asynchronous traction equipment and auxiliary electrics to Rotem, for use on 750 V DC stainless steel metro cars ordered by Istanbul Elektrik Tramvay in 2005 for the 4.4 km...

USA.(Metros)
May 1, 2007... USA: In mid-March Bombardier delivered the last of three additional light rail vehicles ordered by Metro Transit for the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, allowing an increase in the number of two-car trains operated in the peaks. Chicago...