Railway Gazette International articles from September 2008

Railway Gazette International archives from September 2008

A good time to be in the rail industry.(COMMENT)
September 1, 2008... THIS MONTH sees the publication of a new study of the world railway market, conducted for UNIFE by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and produced by Eurailpress. Updating an earlier study, the report finds that 'the industry has grown...

Expansion plans approved.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... CHINA: The National Development & Reform Commission has approved construction of the 261 km Tianjin--Qinhuangdao passenger-dedicated line, a 161 km extension from Lijiang to the Shangri La area of Yunnan province, a 487 km line from Kashi to...

SBB to order double-deck EMUs.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways is poised to call tenders for up to 200 high-capacity electric multiple-units for inter-city services. Confirming that bids will be issued before the end of the year, SBB said on August 18 that the trains...

Raijet on test.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... AUSTRIA: Testing has begun of the first Railjet push-pull trainsets to be delivered to Austrian Federal Railways (RG 11.07 p713). OBB placed a [euro]245m order for an intial 23 trains with Siemens in February 2006, excercising a [euro]571m...

Tanzania.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Delivery of 25 locomotives from India has allowed freight services to be restarted on the line north from Dares-Salaam to Tanga and Moshi in Tanzania. A third weekly passenger service between Dar-es-Salaam and Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika is now...

Canadian.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... At the end of July Torch River Rail began operating a 45 km short line between Nipawin and Choiceland in Saskatchewan which was purchased from Canadian Pacific last December. The Canadian province has announced C$0.5m in grants for short line...

Moldovan.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... A 52 km line from the railhead at Cahul to the short section of the Danube within Moldovan territory at Giurgiulesti was formally completed with the operation of the first train on July 25. The line is 'a victory for all Moldovan people', said...

Swedish.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Swedish infrastructure manager Banverket confirmed in July that the Citytunnel cross-city route in Malmo will open with the December 2010 timetable change, six months ahead of the 'summer 2011' deadline envisaged when construction work began in...

Russia.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... RailTransAuto formally opened a 25 ha car import terminal at Mikhnevo in Moscow on August 10. Finland's VR hopes to increase shipment of cars to Russia by rail to 50 000 vehicles a year, and in the longer term aims to carry a third of the 740...

Armenia.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Suburban services between Gyumri, Yerevan, Pemzashen, Artik and Erash in Armenia were resumed on August 2 by South Caucasus Railways, the subsidiary of Russian Railways which has a 30-year concession to manage the Armenian network (RG 7.08...

Chilean.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Chilean freight operator Fepasa has signed an agreement with the Port of Valparaiso that should see work start in the fourth quarter of 2008 on a new bulk terminal for copper exports, costing 200m pesos and involving the construction of a...

Electro-diesel joint order.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... NORTH AMERICA: New Jersey Transit and Montreal's AMT have selected Bombardier to supply a total of 46 electro-diesel locomotives for commuter services. The agencies had jointly called for proposals in May 2007, as both faced a similar need for...

Funding agreed for LGV Bretagne.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... FRANCE: Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development & Planning Jean-Louis Borloo signed an agreement on July 29 establishing the funding mechanism and provisional construction timetable for a 132 km extension of the TGV Atlantique...

Approval for 2030 strategy.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... RUSSIA: The federal government has approved a longterm strategy setting priorities for the development of the national rail network to 2030 (RG 1.08 p21). The strategy is to be implemented in two phases. The main objective of the first...

Heavy freight roll-out.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... RUSSIA: Transmash Holding's Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Works has rolled out the first series-built Class 2ES4K Donchak 3 kV DC electric heavy freight locomotive for Russian Railways. The order for 30 Class 2ES4K locos in March 2008...

Mendoza bidding timetable.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... ARGENTINA: By means of Resolution 514/2008 published on July 25, the federal government has set out a revised bidding timetable for its project to create a 'high performance' passenger route between Buenos Aires and Mendoza (RG 10.07 p595). ...

First CML shipped.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... CHINA: The first of 300 Evolution Series locos being supplied to Chinese Railways by GE Transportation and Qishuyan Locomotive & Rolling Stock Works was due to arrive at Tianjin at the end of August. Rated at 6 250 hp, the six-axle China...

Electrification approved.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... ISRAEL: On August 22 the Ministry of Transport confirmed that ISR can go ahead with its electrification strategy, enabling a preferred bidder to be selected shortly. A development budget had finally been signed on August 12, ending three...

GWI to buy Ohio central.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... USA: Genesee & Wyoming Inc announced on August 4 that it had signed an agreement to purchase Ohio Central Railroad System, the operator of nine short lines in Ohio and Pennsylvania. GWI will pay US$219m in cash and a contingent...

Studies agreed.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... SWEDEN: Banverket has reached agreement with the local authorities in Vastra Gotaland, Jonkoping and Ostsam to undertake a preliminary study of the planned Gotalandsbanan between Boras and Linkoping, which would form part of the proposed...

NSB selects Stadler in largest train order.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... NORWAY: On August 18 the NSB board selected Stadler to supply 50 FLIRT electric multiple-units worth SFr640m, with an option for a further 100. The largest single rolling stock contract to be awarded by NSB is expected to be signed during...

Coradia order.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... GERMANY: On July 30 Alstom announced a [euro]100m order for 26 Coradia Lirex Continental regional EMUs (RG 5.08 p321). The 21 three-car and five four-car trainsets have been ordered by BeNEX, the company established by Hamburger Hochbahn to...

PKP seeks 250 km/h.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... POLAND: PKP Intercity has called tenders for the supply and maintenance of 20 electric multiple-units capable of operating at 250 km/h. Bids are due by September 25. PKP Intercity expects to take delivery of the first 14 trains by May...

Great wall service starts.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... CHINA: To coincide with the Olympic Games an upgraded passenger service was introduced between Beijing and Badaling, a popular tourist destination on the nearest section of the Great Wall to the capital. Launched on August 7, the 16 daily...

Iron ore port projects progress.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... AUSTRALIA: The Western Australia government confirmed on July 29 that it had selected the Oakajee Port & Rail joint venture of Murchison Metals and Mitsubishi for the concession to develop an A$3bn port and rail network serving eight iron ore...

Orex upgrade.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... SOUTH AFRICA: Mining group Kumba Resources and Transnet Freight Rail signed an agreement on August 1 to increase capacity on the 861 km Sishen--Saldanha iron ore line from 47 million to 60 million tonnes per year (RG 6.07 p375). Transnet...

Rouen bypass completed.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... FRANCE: RFF has completed a [euro]50m project to upgrade and electrify the 36 km route between Motteville and Monterolier-Buchy, enabling freight trains from the port of Le Haver top reach Amiens, northeastern France, the Benelux countries and...

High speed boosts share.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... SPAIN: On August 1 RENFE reported that the number of passengers carried by high speed services between Madrid and Barcelona had, compared to the same period in 2007, increased by 84.5% since February 20 when trains began using 1 435 mm gauge...

Government invests in KiwiRail growth.(MAIN LINE)
September 1, 2008... NEW ZEALAND: Improvements to commuter services in Auckland and Wellington and an overhaul of Tranz Scenic services are included in a five-year NZ$80.2m investment package announced by Finance Minister Michael Cullen. He plans to present a paper...

Belarus.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Belarus Railways CEO Vladimir Zherelo has announced an agreement with RZD to increase speeds on the 610 km section of the Warszawa-Moscow corridor between Brest and Osinovka from 140 km/h to 160 km/h. Acquisition of tilting trains is being...

Bulgaria.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Gastrade, Unitranscom and Rail Cargo Austria will be granted licences to operate freight services in Bulgaria this month.

Ecuador.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... The Thomas Cook Overseas Timetable reports that rehabilitation of the rail network in Ecuador is expected to be completed in January (RG 6.08 p361). Two railcars have been built and three refurbished for use on the southern section of the 1 067...

UK.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... UK operator South West Trains is trialling biofuel made from diesel, soya and rape seed oil in a Class 159 DMU. 'Widespread adoption will depend on a number of factors, such as pricing, taxation and the current debate on the overall...

Crossrail bill gets Royal Assent.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... UK: The [pounds sterling]16bn Crossrail project to link London's Liverpool Street and Paddington stations via an east-west tunnel (RG 11.07 p679) gained parliamentary approval on July 22. The Crossrail Act grants powers for land acquisition to...

Warszawa prepares fleet renewal.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... POLAND: An agreement has been signed between ZTM, the Warszawa city transport authority, and the mayor to replace much of the capital's tram fleet over the next 20 years. The 16bn zloty programme will see 246 low-floor trams bought by...

North-south link agreed.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... GERMANY: A north-south S-Bahn service through Berlin Hauptbahnhof should be in place by 2016, under plans agreed by the Berlin Senate's Office for Urban Development. With work expected to start within the next year, the project would see a...

Stuttgart.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Construction of a 13 km extension to Stuttgart S-Bahn Line S1 began on July 23. The [euro]32.5m project will take the route from Plochingen to Kirchheim, with a projected opening date of December 2009.

Cairo.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Dutch firm Smartrac is to supply Egyptian partner MasriaCard with ticketing smart cards for use on the Cairo Metro.

Bangkok.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... The financial restructuring of Bangkok Mass Transit System is progressing, although the company's plans to list on the Thai stock exchange are likely to be put back until at least the first quarter of 2009. BTS has identified 'three to four'...

Portland.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Local authority approval has been granted for the long-planned $1.4bn project to extend Portland's MAX light rail network into suburban Milwaukee. The 10.5 km extension from Portland State University to Oak Grove would follow an existing...

Oyster contract to end early.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... UK: Transport for London announced on August 8 that it has given the required two years' notice of termination of its [pounds sterling]100m a year contract with TranSys for the operation and maintenance of the Oyster smartcard ticketing system....

Madrid resignals two lines.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... SPAIN: Under a programme costing [euro]104m, Madrid Metro is resignalling lines 1 and 6 with communications-based train control to increase capacity by 50% and 31.8% respectively. So far, 94 km of radiating cable has been laid, as well as over...

Tyne & Wear operations to be tendered.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... UK: An operating concession for the Tyne & Wear Metro is to be let as part of an agreement under which the government will fund the second phase of a three-stage modernisation programme. The tendering process will commence on September 9...

Two from three shortlisted.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... AUSTRALIA: Victoria's Department of Transport has shortlisted the Keolis/EDI Downer joint venture and incumbent operator Yarra Trams as the process to re-let Melbourne's tram franchise progresses (RG 6.08 p352). Yarra Trams, itself a joint...

Singapore.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Singapore Land Transport Authority has awarded a S$231.9m contract to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Corp for the construction of Promenade station on the Downtown Line, work on which is already underway.

Mumbai.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Five groups have been shortlisted for a consultancy contract to assess options for grade-separating the Western Railway corridor in Mumbai. The project would involve shifting the Churchgate-Virar service to an elevated alignment. The consultant...

Phoenix.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Local officials are studying options for a commuter rail service to the West Valley district of Phoenix. The service would connect the city with Wickenburg, and the study will focus on how it might be accommodated along BNSF's right-of-way....

Paris.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... A second car has entered service on the Montmartre funicular in Paris. A single vehicle had been in service since the middle of last year following an accident in December 2006. The line is operated by RATP and carries 3 million...

Gearless bogie enters service.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... GERMANY: A Munchen metro car fitted with Siemens Syntegra bogies began running in passenger service on August 13. By combining running gear, a three-phase gearless drive and brakes into a single unit with fewer mechanical parts than existing...

FrontRunner forges ahead.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... USA: The Utah Transit Authority's Front Lines project took a significant step forward on August 12 with a groundbreaking ceremony to launch construction of the FrontRunner South commuter rail line. Scheduled to open in 2012, the 70 km line...

Marseille ditches the private sector.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... FRANCE: Following the election of a new socialist administration earlier this year, Marseille Provence Metropole, the authority for the greater Marseille area, has voted to terminate the eight-year contract to operate the city's light rail...

Sydney appoints metro advisors.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales government has appointed engineering and financial advisors for the development phase of the proposed A$12bn North West Metro between central Sydney and Rouse Hill (RG 4.08 p210). Macquaire Bank will provide...

Stockholm sets sights wider.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... SWEDEN: Stockholm Transport authority SL has expanded its plans for a light rail line in the centre of the capital. Expressions of interest were invited in 2007 for a BOT concession of at least 15 years covering a line linking Djurgarden,...

Manila.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Discussions are underway between the Department of Transportation & Communications and Metro Rail Transit Corp regarding the purchase of 73 additional cars for Line 3 of the Manila metro. The talks are separate from those taking place over the...

Jakarta.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... The Indonesian government is reportedly to fund 42% of the construction cost of the Jakarta metro. The government is expected to seek financial support in the form of soft loans from the Japanese government. The first phase of the line from...

New Orleans.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority has provisionally selected Veolia Transportation to operate the city's historic tram network for the next three years. The company saw off competition from First Transit and an employee-led team. The...

Milano.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... The mayor of Milano, Letizia Moratti, is examining options for three metro lines to be built as part of the city's plan to host the Expo 2015 world fair. Improved suburban rail services and better links to Malpensa airport are also on the...

Philadelphia.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
September 1, 2008... Eight Comet I cars are to be bought outright by SEPTA for use on commuter rail services around Philadelphia. The former New Jersey Transit cars will be joined by a ninth vehicle for spares, and are intended to offer an interim capacity boost...

Hyderabad consortium selected.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... INDIA: Last month the government of Andhra Pradesh presented the NMII Consortium with a 'letter of award' for a design, build, finance and operate concession for the Hyderabad metro. Financial close is expected within six months. The...

Toronto airport link edges closer.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... CANADA: The Ontario government is holding talks with engineering group SNC Lavalin to revive plans for a rail link between Toronto's Union Station and Pearson international airport. The company won a concession to build and operate the project...

Sofia Line 2 contractors appointed.(URBAN RAIL)
September 1, 2008... BULGARIA: Construction of a second metro line in Sofia is expected to begin this month, following the appointment of civil works contractors in July. Turkish firm Dogus Insaat ve Ticaret will build the 3.8 km four-station section running...

Czech Republic.(CONTRACTS)
September 1, 2008... CZECH REPUBLIC: OKD Doprava, the largest private freight operator in the country, has taken over Viamont Cargo, the third largest.

Europe.(CONTRACTS)
September 1, 2008... EUROPE: European Commission clearance enabled investment bank Arcapita to complete its acquisition of Freightliner Group Ltd from 3i, Electra Private Equity and the company's management and staff on July 24 (RG 7.08 p404).

South Korea.(CONTRACTS)
September 1, 2008... SOUTH KOREA: LMS International and Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials have developed software to model the interaction between maglev vehicles and guideways.

Norway.(CONTRACTS)
September 1, 2008... NORWAY: Following tests, 60 PID-station LED information displays from Init are to be installed on 17 of the busiest Oslo metro stations.

Turkey.(CONTRACTS)
September 1, 2008... TURKEY: TCDD has appointed RENFE to train 24 drivers and 12 instructors ready for the deployment on the Istanbul-Ankara route of 10 high speed trainsets being supplied by CAF. This includes training runs on RENFE high speed trains as well as...

UK.(CONTRACTS)
September 1, 2008... UK: The Department for Transport has shortlisted NedRailways, National Express Group, Stagecoach and incumbent Govia to bid for the 5 year 10 month South Central franchise which begins on September 20 2009.

Refurbished coaches.(MARKET)
September 1, 2008... ITALY: On August 1 Ferrovie del Sud Est took delivery of 10 Silberling coaches formerly used by Deutsche Bahn and Luxemburg's CFL. Refurbishment work was carried out in Croatia by TZV Gredelj.

Wired up.(MARKET)
September 1, 2008... FRANCE: After three years of work, electrification on the 103 km Tours-Vierzon line went live on July 11. The Centre region provided [euro]60m of the [euro]107m cost, central government [euro]30.1m, the EU [euro]15.9m and RFF [euro]1m. The...

Argentina.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... ARGENTINA: Tenders have been called for accessibility and other improvements at 22 Buenos Aires suburban stations, divided into two packages totalling 60m pesos. Also funded under a US$132m World Bank programme for 2008-10, an underpass is to...

China.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... CHINA: China Railway Group has announced a number of major contracts, including the construction of Tianjin West station on the Beijing--Shanghai high speed line at a cost of 2.lbn yuan. Container terminals will be built in Wuhan at a cost of...

Croatia.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... CROATIA: On June 10 HZ Infrastructure reopened the Sutla--Harmica section of the Savski Marof--Kumrovec suburban line. Harmica station is on the border with Slovenia.

India.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... INDIA: Karnataka State Industrial Investment & Development Corp has invited expressions of interest in a DFBOT concession for the planned 34 km rail link to Bangalore International Airport (RG 4.08 p207).

Delhi Metro.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... Delhi Metro has awarded Blue Star a Rs 1bn contract to provide air-conditioning at seven underground stations to be built under the Phase 2 extension programme.

Italy.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... ITALY: Isozaki Arata Associates, M+T & Partners and Ove Arup have been selected to redevelop Bologna Centrale station.

North Korea.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... NORTH KOREA: On August 6 a contract was signed for Russian Railways to lease the 54 km railway between Tumangan and Rajin for 49 years, and construct a container terminal at Rajin port (RG 6.08 p346). RZD, Russian-Korean joint venture...

Malaysia.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... MALAYSIA: On July 25 a joint venture of MMC and Gamuda formally signed the 12.5bn ringgit fixed-price contract to double-track the 329 km route from Ipoh to Padang Besar.

Netherlands.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... NETHERLANDS: Using [euro]45m of local government funding, ProRail is to upgrade the Dordrecht-Geldermalsen line with new passing loops at Dordrecht Stadspolders and a station to be built at Bovenhardinxveld. Four other stations are planned....

Pakistan.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... PAKISTAN: Delhi Metro Rail Corp is to prepare ridership forecasts and advise on routes for the proposed Karachi metro.

Poland.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... POLAND: Poyry is to undertake a [euro]2.9m feasibility study into upgrading the 573 km Tczew-Pszczyna section of TEN Corridor VI to permit freight trains to run at 120 km/h and passenger trains at 160 km/h, with 200 km/h in places.

Spain.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
September 1, 2008... SPAIN: The Ministry of Development has awarded Dragados and Tecsa a [euro]105.2m contract to build a 1 620 m long viaduct over the river Ulla between Vilagarcia de Arousa and Padron on the Vigo-A Coruna route (RG 8.08 p473). The longest steel...

Australia.(ROLLING STOCK)
September 1, 2008... Australia: Victoria state premier John Brumby has announced an order for a further nine three-car Bombardier VLocity DMUs to boost capacity on the V/Line network, along with an extra centre car to lengthen an existing two-car unit.

Croatia.(ROLLING STOCK)
September 1, 2008... Croatia: During June TZV Gredelj delivered eight modernized passenger cars to HZ. Three couchette cars were extensively tested on the network during mid June. In early June TZV Gredelj delivered the first two Class 2132 shunters from the...

Cuba.(ROLLING STOCK)
September 1, 2008... Cuba: Following the acquisition of 40 DF7G-C diesel-electric locomotives from China Northern (RG 7.08 p414), UFC is looking to order 28 locomotives from a Russian supplier next year.