International Railway Journal

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Articles in Sept, 2007 issue of International Railway Journal

• Bidding for the southern extension of light metro line LRT1 has been suspended until the Philippine government is able to assure state support for the project
• Astaldi, Italy, has won a 162.5 million [euro] contract to modernise the 104km Plovdiv-Svilengrad line
• Britain fails to tackle franchising flaws
  by David Briginshaw
• Balfour Beatty Rail Projects says its Pony Express resleepering machine is replacing over 2000 sleepers per shift on the 87 million [pounds sterling] upgrade of the Maitland-Brisbane line
• Vossloh appoints new chairman
• Netherlands Railways and track authority Prorail are to spend 150 million [euro] over the next two years improving passenger information systems
• Lok Ma Chau Spur line opens
• The first phase of light rail Line E was due to open on August 25
• Irish Rail is expected to invite bids for the supply of up to 250 emus and 150 dmus, which could include hybrid trains
• Porterbrook Leasing has awarded a 164 million [pounds sterling] contract to Siemens to supply 37 four-car class 350 Desiro emus for operation on the new London Midland franchise which comes into effect on November 11
• It is hoped that Poland and Russia will sign a new agreement on cross-border railfreight at a meeting between the countries due to be held early next year
• The Federal Railroad Administration plans to increase crashworthiness standards in driving trailers and multiple units
• The consortium building Metro Line 4 has awarded Siemens and Rotem, Korea, a contract to supply 14 six-car trains for the new line
• Vossloh says it generated record sales of 585.2 million [euro] in the first six months of this financial year—a 27% rise on 2006's first half
• Predictors point the way to cutting costs: level crossing predictors can be more efficient to install and operate than conventional warning systems—as well as cutting delays to road users. Westinghouse explains how its latest predictor can cut costs
• Dr Thorsten Bieker took over as chairman of open-access freight operator Rail4Chem in August
• A court in Berlin banned German Rail freight train drivers in the GDL union from striking last month because of fears industrial action could damage the economy
• The Queensland government has released a report detailing plans for a light rail network that could link West End with the city centre and Fortitude Valley
• Aecom, United States, has been appointed prime consultant for the $US 930 million Minneapolis-St Paul light rail project
• Track authority Refer is inviting bids for modernisation of the Douro, Minho, and Norte lines
• Chinese bearing venture is a rolling success story: SKF's Chinese joint venture for the production of railway bearing units has gone from strength to strength since it was set up in 1996, and is not only a major player in the Chinese market but also expor
• Mr Lance Hockridge has been appointed as the new CEO of QR
• The Rail Safety and Standards Boards says installation of seatbelts in trains would cause more deaths and injuries in an accident than by fitting tougher glass on coaches
• Engine manufacturer MTU, Germany, has won Environmental Protection Agency approval for its Series 4000 engine, the first high-speed engine to win this in the USA
• The Argentine government is planning to buy 24 Chinese-built trains for the San Martin commuter rail line, which runs from Retiro to Pilar
• China Southern Locomotive & Rolling Stock Industry is planning a $US 2.5 billion initial public offering next year
• Central Japan Railway says a maglev linking Tokyo and Nagoya could be built for as little as Yen 5 trillion
• First Brazilian LRVs revealed
• South African Rail Commuter Corporation says it is planning to buy 600 emu vehicles over the next 12 years
• Hungarian State Railways is seeking bidders to supply and install electrification components, including 170km of contact wire, a transformer station, and an energy control station
• Harsco, United States, posted record second-quarter results in July, with sales rising 24% to $US 946 million compared with the same period last year
• Gunnebo sets gold standard in Beijing: massive investment in Beijing is delivering major orders for suppliers around the world. IRJ talks to Gunnebo about its latest successes
• Testing starts in Perth tunnel
• Rendezvous
• The Polish region of Masovia has awarded Bombardier a 55 million [euro] contract to supply 37 double-deck coaches
• The start of the summer holiday season has seen record passenger volumes on China's railways
• Japan drops 360km/h plans
• Losses made by Pakistan Railways in 2006-07 soared almost 13 times over 2005-06's figure to Rs 14.47 billion
• The 2.6km extension of LRT Line B from Quinconces to Bassins a Flot opened on July 23
• PCC, Germany, is expected to buy a holding in open-access freight operator PTKiGK
• The crucial interface: the wheel-rail interface is fundamental to rail transport: any failure in this area can have fatal consequences. Pavel Manasek of the Bonatrans Group and a member of the 15th International Wheelset Congress organising committee, pre
  by Pavel Manasek
• Armenia to concession railways
• The first stage of the 1.2km Glenelg light rail line extension was completed in August, with the opening of a new tram stop at Victoria Square
• Nordmann quits as SBB Cargo remains in the red
• Production of the 250km/h Siemens Velaro RUS high-speed train fleet started at the end of July
• Infosys Technology, India, has signed a multi-year agreement with Canadian Pacific to provide information technology services
• Gulf states railway edges forward
• Government slams the brakes on Rio-Sao Paulo HS project
• Planners in Brazil and Paraguay are studying a new link between the countries
• The first test runs were carried out on the city's first light rail line in July, in preparation for the start of commercial services in November
• German Rail has finally sealed its planned takeover of Spanish railfreight operator
• Taking crossings to the next level: managing level crossing safety in the largely flat Netherlands is a huge challenge, but innovative thinking is cutting risks for road and rail users
  by Peter Badcock
• Queensland resists calls for QR privatisation
• Belarusian Railway plans to electrify lines linking the Baltic states with the Black Sea by 2012
• Three pre-qualify for Britain's IEP
• Bangkok metros need more integration
• Bangalore metro project management contract awarded
• Queensland Rail is buying crew management software from Jeppesen, United States
• Tri-logical Technologies, Israel, is to install GPS positioning and monitoring equipment on 300 locomotives, dmus, and driving trailers operated by Israel Railways
• Asian demand fuels metro vehicle boom: strong economic growth in Asia, and the resulting increase in urbanisation, is increasing the demand for metro vehicles in the region. Keith Barrow examines the findings of a recent study by SCI Verkehr into the glob
  by Keith Barrow
• TTCI proves the worth of R&D: the Association of American Railroads is celebrating 25 years of operating the Pueblo test centre and 10 years since it set up Transportation Technology Center Inc as a subsidiary. Mr Roy Allen, president of TTCI, talks
  by David Briginshaw
• Britain's Department for Transport has awarded National Express Group a seven-and-a-half year franchise to operate inter-city services on the East Coast Main Line from London to Leeds, Newcastle, and Scotland
• Kawasaki to win Indian wagon contract?
• Berlin extensions approved
• Canada backs Great Lakes plan
• Translink, the operator of Northern Ireland Railways says it is preparing a business case for the purchase of up to 25 additional dmus
• The Japanese Bank for International Cooperation has agreed to lend the public debt management office Baht 5.76 billion to finance the construction of the first 23km section of the Metro Purple Line from Bang Yai to Bang Sue
• Boring of a tunnel under the River Thames on the Docklands Light Railway extension to Woolwich Arsenal was completed in July when the 540-tonne boring machine emerged south of the river
• Wabtec, United States, has won a 20.1 million [pounds sterling] contract to maintain 31 200km/h electric locomotives operated by GNER
• Pakistan Railways is to buy 75 diesel locomotives, and is seeking suppliers
• Life-cycle costs get special attention in Prague: wheelset life-cycle costs and maintenance has been growing in importance in recent years, linked with the drive for more efficient and safer rail transport. Pavel Manasek explains why this subject is bein
  by Pavel Manasek
• Seven in the running for MAV Cargo
• The company constructing the North-South railway, Valec, is studying whether to build a 558km extension to Santa Fe, which is served by Latin American Logistics' former Ferronorte line
• DB orders more Coradia Lirex emus
• Early start for Moscow ring line
• Latin American Logistics saw pre-tax profits for the second quarter of the year rise 38.1% to Reais 312.7 million compared with the same period last year
• Keihin Electric Express Railway has increased its stake in Seibu Holding, Japan, to 2% for around Yen 5 billion
• ERTMS: finding favour across Europe: while the European Rail Traffic Management System has attracted more than its fair share of criticism, experience gained from early installations is now being widely applied. Alstom product portfolio director and form
  by Jacques Pore
• China orders world's most powerful electric locomotive
• New York orders 620 metro cars

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