Railway Gazette International articles from November 2005

Railway Gazette International archives from November 2005

French network under scrutiny.(COMMENT)
November 1, 2005... THE FRENCH Senate voted on October 19 in favour of a law that calls for private companies to haul domestic rail freight. Also included in the law on safety and transport development, which embodies the government's wish to see PPPs used for...

World's highest railway topped out.(COMMENT)
November 1, 2005... TRACKLAYING on the 1 142 km line from Golmud to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa was completed on October 15. A ceremony at Lhasa station saw the last track panel lowered into position (p665), and arrival of a specially-decorated locomotive...

More change in SA.(COMMENT)
November 1, 2005... SUCCESSIVE attempts by the South African government to restructure Spoornet have met with a conspicuous lack of success over the last 10 years. Now another round of changes is proposed as part of a 'Transport Master Plan' due to be completed by...

MEPs fuel Third Package controversy.(COMMENT)
November 1, 2005... MEMBERS of the European Parliament voted in Strasbourg on September 28 on the four legislative proposals in the so-called Third Railway Package tabled by the European Commission in March 2004. In the first reading of the bill under the...

Sheltam wins Kenya concession.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... THE Rift Valley Railways consortium led by South Africa's Sheltam Trade Corp was named on October 14 as preferred bidder for the 25-year concession to operate freight trains in Kenya and Uganda (RG 10.05 p589). The contract is due to be signed...

Spanish to prepare gauge strategy.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... TWO CONSULTANCIES have been chosen to produce a definitive gauge strategy for the Spanish network, in the light of the government's intention to adopt standard gauge under the 2005-20 PEIT infrastructure programme (RG 8.05 p459). ...

Golmud.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... A decorated track-laying machine formed the centre-piece of celebrations in Lhasa on October 15 to mark the end of construction work on the first railway in Tibet, after four years. Revenue services on the 1 142 km line from Golmud are now...

Bridge contract.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... AN INTERNATIONAL consortium led by civil engineering group Impreglio has been selected for the [euro]3.8bn contract to build the Messina Straits bridge linking Sicily to the Italian mainland. The decision was announced on October 12 by...

Hunter Valley resignalling.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... AUSTRALIAN Rail Track Corp has awarded the first of six work packages in its A$1.4bn three-year project to upgrade the Hunter Valley and East Coast main lines in New South Wales. On October 5 ARTC Chief Executive David Marchant signed a...

Optimised Train Control.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... Norfolk Southern announced on September 21 that it had started installing Optimised Train Control between Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina, and plans to equip other routes over the next two years. Being developed by Lockheed Martin and...

Class 66 starts testing in France.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... ON OCTOBER 11, UK freight operator EWS delivered to Calais the first of 12 Class 66 diesel locos which are being equipped to operate in France. The EMD design is already authorised to run in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, and EWS...

Amtrak break-up starts.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... ON SEPTEMBER 22, Amtrak's board of directors approved a resolution to create a new subsidiary to manage Northeast Corridor passenger services between Washington, New York and Boston. Amtrak Chairman David M Laney expects to have the unit in...

Lyon-Torino.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... European Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot and TEN co-ordinator Loyola de Palacio joined Transport Ministers Dominique Perben of France and Pietro Lunardi of Italy on October 13 to relaunch preparatory works for the Lyon-Torino base tunnel....

Franchises shuffled.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... FURTHER changes to the map of UK passenger train franchises were unveiled by Secretary of State for Transport Alistair Darling on October 18. Central Trains is to be split up and its routes merged into three other franchises, to create...

Funds released.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... ZIMBABWE's Reserve Bank has released Z$58.9bn to fund urgent renovation works on the national rail network. NRZ Operations & Marketing Director Mazikhethela Banana said on September 23 that the money would be used to purchase fuel and...

CFS restoration.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... SYRIAN Railways' new Managing Director Abdel Menem Alboum has set up a taskforce to improve technical standards and oversee rehabilitation of the country's rail infrastructure. Last month CFS called tenders for repairs to the 55 km...

Bulgarian.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... On September 22 Bulgarian Transport Minister Petar Mutafchiev called for BDZ and the national rail infrastructure company to submit financial stabilisation plans for approval by the end of October. The companies are facing collapse as a result...

UP orders first main line goats.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... UNION PACIFIC has ordered 98 RP series hybrid road switcher diesel locomotives from Rail Power Inc of Vancouver, for use on short-distance freight trains in Texas. Developed from the Green Goat trickle-charged shunting loco concept, the RP...

Swedish Train Technology.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... Swedish Train Technology has completed a prototype T43H low-emission hybrid loco for the Scandinavian market, converted from a former SJ Class T43 under a memorandum of understanding signed with Rail Power in September 2004

PPPs arrive in France.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... AN inter-ministerial committee charged with promoting development and boosting France's competitive position met for the first time on October 14, when Transport Minister Dominique Perben was asked to start examining at once the potential for...

On October 17 Scottish Transport Minister Tavish Scott started work on the [pounds sterling]37m project to reinstate the 21 km Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine line.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... On October 17 Scottish Transport Minister Tavish Scott started work on the [pounds sterling]37m project to reinstate the 21 km Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine line, which is expected to reopen in mid-2007. As well as restoring passenger services...

Developers to fund station works.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... NETWORK RAIL announced on October 10 that it was planning to form joint ventures with property developers to fund a programme worth up to [pounds sterling]4bn to enhance facilities at many of its busiest stations over the next 10 years. In...

RFF representatives and local politicans participated in a ceremony at Villefranchesur-Cher on September 22 to mark the start of work on electrification of the 103 km Tours-Vierzon section of the Nantes-Lyon corridor.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... RFF representatives and local politicans participated in a ceremony at Villefranchesur-Cher on September 22 to mark the start of work on electrification of the 103 km Tours-Vierzon section of the Nantes-Lyon corridor, which is due to be...

High speed spend continues.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... ON OCTOBER 5 Bombardier announced that in consortium with Patentes Talgo it had won a [euro]338m order from RENFE to supply 18 high speed trainsets and 10 power cars. Bombardier's share is [euro]122m, including all electrical equipment for the...

TGV Est.(NEWS)
November 1, 2005... French Transport Minister Dominique Perben and Reseau Ferre de France President Michel Boyon were due to take part in ceremonies on October 24 to inaugurate the Moselle viaduct on TGV Est, marking the completion on time of civil engineering...

Auckland looks at electrification.(CITY NEWS)
November 1, 2005... CITING rising oil prices and long-term sustainability, Auckland Regional Transport Authority has recommended electrification of the city's suburban network over the next six years at a cost of NZ$500m. ARTA Chief Executive Alan Thompson...

Roca wiring resumes.(CITY NEWS)
November 1, 2005... ARGENTINA's Minister of Federal Planning, Public Investment & Services Julio De Vido announced on October 6 that tenders would be called 'within 30 or 40 days' for electrification of 17 km of the Roca suburban network between Buenos Aires and...

Warszawa suburban line sold.(CITY NEWS)
November 1, 2005... POLISH State Railway PKP signed an agreement on September 30 to sell its 35 km WKD suburban railway in the capital to a consortium of eight local authorities led by Warszawa municipality. The self-contained Warszawsa-Grodzisk Mazowiecki...

On September 23 Warszawa's main line suburban operator SKM unveiled the first of six rebuilt high-floor EMUs designated 14WE-01.(CITY NEWS)
November 1, 2005... On September 23 Warszawa's main line suburban operator SKM unveiled the first of six rebuilt high-floor EMUs designated 14WE-01. Rebuilt from a Class EN57, the four-car unit has a new bodyshell and interior fittings mounted on the original...

Dublin expansion plans progress.(CITY NEWS)
November 1, 2005... PUBLIC consultation started on October 12 for a [euro]350m programme to upgrade Iarnrod Eireann's main line into Dublin's Heuston terminus. The Kildare Route Project will treble capacity for commuter services to handle up to 7 million...

Paris orders driverless stock for Line 1.(CITY NEWS)
November 1, 2005... ON OCTOBER 20 Paris metro operator RATP signed a [euro]474m contract with Alstom for 49 six-car rubber-tyred trainsets for use on Line 1 between Chateau de Vincennes and La Defense. The driverless MP05 trainsets will be derived from RATP's...

California light rail lines grow.(CITY NEWS)
November 1, 2005... LAST MONTH saw the start of revenue services on two more light rail extensions in California. First off was the final section of VTA's 8.5 km Vasona line linking San Jose to Campbell, which opened on October 1. A short segment of the route...

Alger metro deal.(CITY NEWS)
November 1, 2005... IN PARTNERSHIP with CAF and Vinci, Siemens is negotiating to supply E & M equipment for the Alger metro. The firm expects to sign a contract with Entreprise du Metro d'Alger by the end of the year. Worth around [euro]350m, the contract will...

DLR to expand.(CITY NEWS)
November 1, 2005... FORMAL consent for a programme to expand capacity on London's Docklands Light Railway was announced on October 17, when Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman approved the necessary Transport & Works Order application. Costed at more than...

NJ Transit's fleet renewal continues.(CITY NEWS)
November 1, 2005... ON SEPTEMBER 27 Bombardier confirmed that New Jersey Transit had exercised options to buy 131 more double-deck coaches at a cost of US$250m. The first of the initial 100 'multi-level' cars was unveiled at Newark's Penn station on September...

Nanjing.(City News in Brief)
November 1, 2005... Nanjing Metro set a ridership record of 300 000 passengers on October 1, just four weeks after the formal opening of Line 1, requiring the operation of 11 six-car trains. Following completion of the extension to Olympia Centre, that station was...

Cairo.(City News in Brief)
November 1, 2005... November 15 is the deadline for bids to provide consultancy and project management services for the construction of Cairo metro Line 3. National Authority for Tunnels has prequalified 25 contractors for the main construction packages, for which...

Hyderabad.(City News in Brief)
November 1, 2005... The government of Andhra Pradesh has extended to October 30 the deadline to submit expressions of interest in a BOT concession to build a metro network in Hyderabad at an estimated cost of Rs63.5bn. Land is being acquired for the first three of...

Reims.(City News in Brief)
November 1, 2005... The French city of Reims has shortlisted three consortia headed by Vinci Concessions, Effiage and Alstom Transport to submit bids by January 3 2006 for a 30-year concession to build and operate an initial 10.5 km light rail line, running north...

Austin.(City News in Brief)
November 1, 2005... On September 19 Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority in Austin, Texas, ordered six articulated GTW diesel railcars from Stadler Bussnang AG with an option for a further 12. Due for delivery in 2007-08, the 39.5 m long 70% low-floor...

Metronet.(City News in Brief)
November 1, 2005... London Underground PPP contractor Metronet announced on October 5 that it had awarded GB Railfreight a 10-year contract worth [pounds sterling]80m to provide engineering train services from July 2008. Over [pounds sterling]15m will be invested...

Australia.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... Australia: The first revenue train on the 110 km Bauhinia line in Queensland left Xstrata's Rolleston coal mine on October 2, carrying 7 000 tonnes of coal to Gladstone. QR owns and operates the A$240m line, with Rolleston Coal paying an access...

Chile.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... Chile: The first of four two-car Class 593 DMUs that RENFE's Valladolid workshops have refurbished for EFE's Puerto Montt service (RG 9.05 p520) under a US$12.5m contract was unloaded at the port of Valparaiso on October 7. The second left...

China.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... China: On September 21 work began on a 184 km rail link from Yuxi to Monzhi in Yunan. It will form part of a planned 250 km line from Yuxi to Hekou which is expected to open in 2008 (RG 8.05 p480). The main station in Nanjing was formally...

Europe.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... Europe: On October 14 a consortium of Siemens and Bombardier announced an agreement with DB worth [euro]43m to convert five 1CE3 multi-system trainsets for use on Paris-Frankfurt TGV Est services from 2007. High-voltage systems, door and brake...

France.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... France: Intermodal operator CNC has been restructured and renamed Naviland Cargo. It will concentrate on hauling maritime containers, launching 10 return services between major ports and industrial areas on December 12. SNCF and the board of...

International.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... International: On September 21 the Israeli and Palestinian Authority transport ministries agreed to form a common authority funded by the EU to work on joint transport projects.

Moldova.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... Moldova: On September 19 President Voronin attended a ceremony to mark the completion of a 268m leu project work to reinstate the railway between Revaca and Cainari, which was closed after suffering severe damage in the Second World War....

Pakistan.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... Pakistan: A team from the Japan External Trade Organisation has travelled to Karachi to assess the feasibility of reviving the Circular Railway. A report will be published in January, and the Japanese government will then consider the provision...

Panama.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... Panama: In 2004 Panama Canal Railway Co carried 708 433 tonnes of freight, up 37.9% on the year before. Passenger traffic was up 27.9% at 76 657 passenger-journeys.

Poland.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... Poland: Connex was the only company to express interest in the privatisation of the Gdansk-Sopot-Gdynia Tri-City commuter railway. The regional authority is holding talks with the French company, and formation of a joint venture is being...

Serbia.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... Serbia: On September 17 Minister of Capital Investment Velimir Ilic inaugurated electric services on the 9.5 km line from Cacak to Zablace, completing the first phase of upgrading the Cacak-Kraljevo line.

Spain.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... Spain: Two more TBMs were brought into use to excavate the 25 km Pajares base tunnel on September 20 and 23, following the formal start of tunnelling on July 13 (RG 8.05 p462). A total of five TBMs are to be used on the [euro]1.4bn project.

Sri Lanka.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... Sri Lanka: The Railway Ministry has announced plans for the Ratmalana rail workshops to covert 21 left-hand drive buses donated by the Austrian government into 10 two-car rail vehicles for use on short-distance and rural services. The...

Switzerland.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... Switzerland: On September 10 Rhatische Bahn formally began construction of a 75 m long replacement for the 87 m Saas tunnel which dates from 1889 and has restricted clearances. Due for completion by autumn 2006, the SFr6m project will remove a...

USA.(INTELLIGENCE)
November 1, 2005... USA: Last month BNSF sold a 115 km line between Lakota and Sarles in North Dakota to Northern Plains Railroad for an undisclosed sum. Flooding and an unstable subgrade have affected the line's ability to serve grain elevators on the route.

Europe.(Finance)
November 1, 2005... Europe: On September 29 the European Investment Bank signed the first half of a [euro]200m loan to Mitsui, which is to establish a leasing pool of 200 locos.

France.(Finance)
November 1, 2005... France: RFF issued [euro]300m of debt on October 6, bringing to [euro]2bn the amount raised under a programme which began in February 2003. Falling due in 2023, the notes carry a rate of 2.45%.

Netherlands.(Finance)
November 1, 2005... Netherlands: Transport Minister Karla Peijs has signed a [euro]200m agreement for the Installation of ETCS equipment on 50 locos owned by leasing firms Mitsui and Angel Trains. These could be made available to smaller operators unable to afford...

Russia.(Finance)
November 1, 2005... Russia: Standard & Poor's has raised its long-term issuer credit rating on RZD from BB+ to BBB-, moving it 'from the high-yield category to investment grade'.

USA.(Finance)
November 1, 2005... USA: The Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority has secured over $500m of federal, state and local funding to eliminate 20 level crossings and upgrade 42 others as part of its plan to upgrade the 56 km route from East Los Angeles to...

Vietnam.(Finance)
November 1, 2005... Vietnam: France has agreed in principle to provide a grant of up to [euro]30m towards a [euro]72m project funded by the Asian Development Bank to upgrade the Yen Vien-Lao Cai section of the Hanoi-Lao Cai line in 2007-10.

Canada.(Market)
November 1, 2005... Canada: Wabtec subsidiary MotivePower has been awarded a US$112m contract to supply GO Transit with 27 diesel-electric locos in 2007-08, with an option for a further 26 worth US$105m.

China.(Market)
November 1, 2005... China: The Ministry of Railways has placed an order with TTCI for supply and installation of 24 Trackside Acoustic Detection System rolling stock bearing inspection units. A further two devices are being supplied for use on the line to Tibet.

France.(Market)
November 1, 2005... France: To link its established analogue communications networks with GSM-R systems, RFF is commissioning 60 RECbridge units supplied by Kapsch in a [euro]4.6m order.

Germany.(Market)
November 1, 2005... Germany: CBRail has ordered eight two-car and nine three-car FLIRT EMUs from Stadler for [euro]60m. The units will enter service between Essen, Siegen, Hagen and Iserlohn at the end of 2007. LNVG has ordered 11 Bombardier Traxx P 160 diesel...

India.(Market)
November 1, 2005... India: Uppal station has been equipped with ESA 11IR electronic signalling and interlocking by AZD Praha and Hytronics Enterprises, which have adapted Czech equipment to suit Indian conditions.

Italy.(Market)
November 1, 2005... Italy: GE Transportation Rail has placed a [euro]650 000 order with Nexans for specialist copper cables which will be used in the installation of ERTMS balises.

Netherlands.(Market)
November 1, 2005... Netherlands: NS has signed a contract with Essent to purchase electricity at a fixed price for eight years from January 2007. NS currently accounts for around 1% of Dutch electricity consumption.

Poland.(Market)
November 1, 2005... Poland: In September PESA delivered two EN81 EMU cars ordered by the Krakow regional authority at a cost of 8m zloty. The 120 km/h air-conditioned vehicles have space for 60 seated and 80 standing passengers and accessible toilets.

Spain.(Market)
November 1, 2005... Spain: Tecsa has been awarded a contract worth [euro]35.9m to renew track and electrification on the 27.4 km double-track Villacanas-Alcazar de San Juan section of the Madrid-Cordoba main line. Work is expected to take 28 months to complete....

Switzerland.(Market)
November 1, 2005... Switzerland: On September 20 Alcatel announced a contract to provide SBB with a 2 600 km optic fibre data network which will link 900 stations by the end of 2006.

United Kingdom.(Market)
November 1, 2005... United Kingdom: Skanska has won a [pounds sterling]6.5m contract from Network Rail to replace the six-span Harthorpe Viaduct on the West Coast Main Line in Scotland with a two-span reinforced concrete structure. The GTBB joint venture of...

USA.(Market)
November 1, 2005... USA: Verint Systems and IK Systems have been selected to supply video security networking equipment to AirTrain JFK.

Guinea.(Pointers)
November 1, 2005... Rio Tinto Iron Ore is discussing with the government construction of a 900 km heavy haul railway from the Simandou mountain range in the east of Guinea to a new deep-water port. The cheaper option of reviving the abandoned Lamco Railway leading...

Baton Rouge-New Orleans.(Pointers)
November 1, 2005... Amtrak, the Regional Transit Authority, Kansas City Southern and other interested parties have proposed the introduction of a twice-daily Baton Rouge-New Orleans passenger service to help people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. An Amtrak...

Russian.(Pointers)
November 1, 2005... The Russian government is developing plans to sell its 87% stake in RAO VSM, a company established in 1981 to build a Moscow-St Petersburg high speed line.

Kars and Akhalkalaki.(Pointers)
November 1, 2005... The governments of Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan have agreed terms to construct a rail link between Kars and Akhalkalaki, ministers announced following multilateral talks in early October. Azerbaijan is seeking EU funding towards the estimated...

Ezeiza International Airport.(Pointers)
November 1, 2005... On October 13 the Argentinian government unveiled a 200m pesos scheme to provide a dedicated rail service over the 40 km between the Plaza Constitucion terminus in Buenos Aires and Ezeiza International Airport. This would operate over the Roca...

Guadalajara.(Pointers)
November 1, 2005... Tenders have been called to undertake a feasibility study for introducing commuter services on existing rail routes passing through the city of Guadalajara in Mexico. Costing 160m pesos, the project would see passenger services introduced over...

Monaco.(Pointers)
November 1, 2005... The extension of the TGV network beyond Nice through Monaco to the Italian border was due to be discussed at a meeting between the principality's Minister of State Jean-Paul Proust and French Land Use & Planning Minister Christian Estrosi on...

New York State.(Pointers)
November 1, 2005... Parsons Brinckerhoff has been selected by the High Speed Rail Task Force to lead a team of consultants producing a study of short-term measures to revitalise passenger services in New York State, and a longer-term plan for high speed services.

Austria.(Metros)
November 1, 2005... Austria: Innsbuck Transport has ordered 22 Flexity Outlook 100% low-floor trams from Bombardier with Elin EBG electrical equipment. The [euro]51m contract includes an option for a further 10 of the 27.6 m long vehicles.

Belgium.(Metros)
November 1, 2005... Belgium: Parkeon is to supply STIB with 110 Astreo ticket vending machines for use at Brussels metro stations. They will initially sell magnetic strip tickets, but will be upgradeable to use contactless smart cards.