International Railway Journal back issues from March 2003:
Airport rail links are a growth market. (This Month).
Mar 01, 2003 ... THIS MONTH we report on the growing number of airport rail links around the world--there are currently about 85. This expansion reflects the almost relentless growth in air travel and the associated worsening congestion on the ground around airports. Even allowing for the current problems ...
Florida considers HS proposals. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... FOUR bids, including two offering unconventional technology, have been submitted for a design, build, operate, and maintain (DBOM) contract for the first 145km segment of the proposed state-wide high-speed rail network in Florida. The line will run between Tampa and Orlando with ...
SNCF optimistic about future. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) expects to make an operating surplus of [euro]81 million this year but an overall loss of [euro]144 million. However, it expects to break even next year, and to make a profit in 2005. Capital investment will exceed [euro]2 billion this year, of which half ...
Paris to host month-long railway event. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... THE French capital is to host a rail transport exhibition called Le Train Capitale along the famous Champs Elysees from May 17 to June 15. The exhibition is being staged by French National Railways (SNCF) together with Alstom, Bombardier Transportation, and Siemens. Five million ...
Spain underpins Turkish project. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... MODERNISATION of the 458km Ankara-Istanbul line in Turkey will almost halve the journey time from between seven and eight hours today to four-and-a-half hours on completion. The project will be financed by a $US ...
CPR has a record-breaking year. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... CANADIAN Pacific Railway (CPR) ended 2002 with a record operating profit of $C 857 million ($US 563 million), its best-ever operating ratio of 76.6%, and a 33% increase in net profit to $C 496 million. This was despite a second year of reduced grain shipments because of drought in the ...
Vossloh develops heavy diesel loco. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... VOSSLOH Schienenfahrzeugtechnik, Germany, is developing a diesel locomotive called the R3000 Nordlok for operation in Germany and Scandinavia. RAG, a German industrial railway, and a Swedish railway are collaborating in the project. The new locomotive is based on the G2000 ...
Rail funding crisis deepens. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... BRITAIN's Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has announced its strategic plan for 2003. The plan does not include new funding for the railway, but, instead, the SRA says it is "a stepping stone" towards a submission for rail investment which it will make ahead of the government's spending ...
Swiss test bigger freight trains. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... SWISS Federal Railways (SBB) is considering running freight trains up to 1500m long and 4000 tonnes in weight in transalpine traffic. This would double productivity on the north-south axis, but would only be possible once the Gotthard and Lotschberg base tunnels have been finished. ...
Alstom to build 30 three-system TGV power cars. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) has placed a [euro]188 million order with Alstom for 30 power cars for the TGV Est line and services into Germany, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. The power cars, due for delivery from October 2006, ahead of the mid-2007 opening of TGV Est, will be ...
DB invests to cut Berlin journey times. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... GERMAN Rail (DB) plans to invest [euro]900 million this year to upgrade lines radiating from Berlin and serving the state of Brandenburg. While engineering work will lead to considerable delays in the short term, especially on the lines from Berlin to Hamburg and Cottbus, journey times in ...
Two Swiss railways merge. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... TWO metre-gauge Swiss alpine railways have merged. Brig-Visp-Zermatt Railway (BVZ) and Furka Oberaip Railway (FO) now operate under the name Matterhorn Gotthard Railway (MGB), based in Brig. The new railway owns 164km of track in the middle of the Alps, from Zermatt to Disentis ...
SNCF orders more AGC trains. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... FRENCH National Railways (SNCF) has ordered on behalf of French regions another 73 high-capacity regional trains (AGC) from Bombardier Transportation at a cost of [euro]240 million. Delivery starts in November 2006. French regions ordered 192 AGC trains in December 2001. There are options ...
Eschede trial: worn wheel suffered fatigue. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... THE trial into the ICE catastrophe at Eschede, Germany, on June 3 1998, in which 101 people died and 105 were injured, entered its final phase in Hannover in mid-January, with evidence being heard from 13 specialists. According to the Fraunhofer Institute in Darmstadt, the accident was ...
A government study estimates that it will cost at least $US 4 billion to rebuild the national rail network, which has been badly damaged by a prolonged civil war. (World in Brief: Angola).
Mar 01, 2003 ... A government study estimates that it will cost at least $US 4 billion to rebuild the national rail network, which has been badly damaged by a prolonged civil war. Initially, track is ...
Queensland Rail (QR) is to spend $A 200 million ($US 118 million) on the first phase of refurbishing its fleet of locomotives. (World in Brief: Australia).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Queensland Rail (QR) is to spend $A 200 million (SUS 118 million) on the first phase of refurbishing its fleet of ...
A City Rail Tangara double-deck emu on a Sydney--Port Kembla service derailed near Waterfall, 40km south of Sydney, on January 31 killing seven people. (World in Brief: Australia).
Mar 01, 2003 ... A City Rail Tangara double-deck emu on a Sydney--Port Kembla service derailed near Waterfall, 40km south of Sydney, on January 31 killing seven people. The New ...
Belgium National Railways (SNCB) has taken over the German freight forwarding company Spedition Rheinkraft. (World in Brief: Belgium).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Belgium National Railways (SNCB) has taken over the German freight forwarding company Spedition Rheinkraft, which formerly belonged to the SNCB subsidiary ABX, with a view ...
Rail link between Toronto Union station and Toronto International Airport. (World in Brief: Canada).
Mar 01, 2003 ... The transport minister, Mr David Collenette, says that he plans to invite proposals shortly for a public-private project ...
Intercontainer-Interfrigo (ICF) has reduced the transit time from just under two days to around 24 hours for its southbound intermodal block train service between Hamburg Waltershof and Switzerland. (World in Brief: Europe).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Intercontainer-Interfrigo (ICF) has reduced the transit time from just under two days to around 24 hours for its southbound intermodal block train service between Hamburg Waltershof and Switzerland. The trains are sent to Herne (near Duisburg) via ICF's new ...
A group of 28 privately owned freight railways from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium has joined the European Rail Freight Association (ERFA). (World in Brief: Europe).
Mar 01, 2003 ... A group of 28 privately owned freight railways from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium has joined the European Rail Freight Association (ERFA). The chairman of the group, Mr Hartmut Gasser, commented: "In joining ERFA, we want to show a clear signal for the ...
Eurotunnel, the Channel Tunnel operator, achieved cash break-even for the first time during 2002. (World in Brief: Europe).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Eurotunnel, the Channel Tunnel operator, achieved cash break-even for the first time during 2002. This meant it was able to pay the interest on its existing [pounds sterling]6.5 billion debt Pretax profits amounted to [pounds sterling]303 million, compared with a loss of [pounds ...
An arbitration tribunal has rejected claims by French National Railways and BRB. (World in Brief: Europe).
Mar 01, 2003 ... An arbitration tribunal has rejected claims by French National Railways and BRB, the former British Railways Board, that they were forced to pay too much in usage charges to ...
German Rail (DB) will invest [euro]385 million this year in the rail network of Saxony, about [euro]40 million more than last year. (World in Brief: Germany).
Mar 01, 2003 ... German Rail (DB) will invest [euro]385 million this year in the rail network of Saxony, about [euro]40 million more than last year. Both tracks of the flood-damaged Leipzig-Dresden line are scheduled to be fully operational this spring; only ...
DB has combined all its capabilities for planning, project management and monitoring of infrastructure projects in a new subsidiary called DB Projektbau. (World in Brief: Germany).
Mar 01, 2003 ... DB has combined all its capabilities for planning, project management and monitoring of infrastructure projects in a new subsidiary called DB Projektbau. It has a ...
S-Bahn Berlin has taken delivery of the first of the latest-generation four-car half-train class 481 emus built by Bombardier Transportation. (World in Brief: Germany).
Mar 01, 2003 ... S-Bahn Berlin has taken delivery of the first of the latest-generation four-car half-train class 481 emus built by ...
Koehne Gleisbau, a rail infrastructure maintenance contractor based in Oberhausen, has been taken over by Volker Wessels Stevin (VWS), Netherlands. (World in Brief: Germany).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Koehne Gleisbau, a rail infrastructure maintenance contractor based in Oberhausen, has been taken over by Volker Wessels ...
Konkan Railway Corporation. (World in Brief: India).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Konkan Railway Corporation is to build a new 90km line from Katra ...
Asian Development Bank. (World in Brief: India).
Mar 01, 2003 ... The Asian Development Bank has agreed to provide $US 314 ...
The government has approved a Rupees 3.23 billion project. (World in Brief: India).
Mar 01, 2003 ... The government has approved a Rupees 3.23 billion project which will involve constructing a rail bridge across the River ...
JR West has appointed Mr Kakiuchi Takeshi as its new president from next month. (World in Brief: Japan).
Mar 01, 2003 ... JR West has appointed Mr Kakiuchi Takeshi as its new president from next ...
The government plans to build a 22.5km line which will connect Shidiyeh Phosphates Mines to the mainline network. (World in Brief: Jordan).
Mar 01, 2003 ... The government plans to build a 22.5km line which will connect Shidiyeh Phosphates Mines ...
The government says it has earmarked Naira 86.7 billion ($US 671 million) for extending the rail network. (World in Brief: Nigeria).
Mar 01, 2003 ... The government says it has earmarked Naira 86.7 billion ($US 671 million) for extending the rail network. This is the first stage ...
The Ministry of Railways plans to invest Roubles 4 billion. (World in Brief: Russia).
Mar 01, 2003 ... The Ministry of Railways plans to invest Roubles 4 billion ($US 126 million) in upgrading ...
The joint committee responsible for the privatisation of the Dakar-Bamako Railway has selected the Canadian consortium of Canac and Getma as its preferred concessionaire. (Senegal/Mali).
Mar 01, 2003 ... The joint committee responsible for the privatisation of the Dakar-Bamako Railway has selected the Canadian consortium of Canac and Getma as its preferred concessionaire ....
The government has agreed to absorb 80% of the [euro]6.87 billion debt accumulated by Spanish National Railways Reafe), leaving the operator with remaining debt of [pounds sterling]1.51 billion. (World in Brief: Spain).
Mar 01, 2003 ... The government has agreed to absorb 80% of the [euro]6.87 billion debt accumulated by Spanish National Railways Reafe), leaving the operator with remaining debt of [pounds ...
The opening of the Madrid-Lerida section of the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed line has been delayed until next month. (World in Brief: Spain).
Mar 01, 2003 ... The opening of the Madrid-Lerida section of the Madrid- Barcelona high-speed line has been delayed until next month. The line had been due to open at the beginning of this year, but problems with ERTMS signalling being ...
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and the canton of Baselland have decided in favour of constructing a long tunnel at Wisenberg to bypass Liestal for the high-speed link between Basle and Olten. (World in Brief: Switzerland).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and the canton of Baselland have decided in favour of constructing a long tunnel at Wisenberg to bypass Liestal for the high-speed link between Basle and Olten. A ...
Ukraine Railways (UZ). (World in Brief: Ukraine).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Ukraine Railways (UZ) is to receive a loan of $US 120 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development towards the purchase of passenger ...
More than 40 people were killed in a head-on collision between a Bulawayo--Victoria Falls passenger train and freight train near Dete. (World in Brief: Zimbabwe).
Mar 01, 2003 ... More than 40 people were killed in a head-on collision between a Bulawayo--Victoria Falls passenger train and ...
RailAmerica plans to sell Chilean holding. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... RAILAMERICA intends to sell more than $US 100 million of assets by the end of 2004. The objective is to reduce its net debt-to-capital ratio to the current US railway average of about 50%. The rationalisation plan includes the sale of RailAmerica's 55% interest in Ferronor, a Chilean ...
DB seeks ETCS subsidy. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... GERMAN Rail (DB) says it will only install the European Train Control System (ETCS) on its trains if it receives adequate subsidies from the European Union (EU) to do the job, according to Dr Kurt-Friedrich Rausch, DB's board member for technology. Up to now the EU has only approved ...
Mugabe dismisses NRZ board. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... PRESIDENT Mugabe of Zimbabwe has "dissolved" the entire board of National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) following a collision between a passenger train and a freight train at Dete, near Hwange, in which more than 40 people lost their lives last month (see World in Brief item). ...
European landbridge planned. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... A NEW landbridge planned by the German port of Rostock will offer several block trains a week for intermodal traffic between the Baltic port and Rotterdam from the second quarter of this year, via the inland port of Duisburg. "This means that Rotterdam will receive a better, ...
Ruhr Maglev project still in doubt. (World Report).
Mar 01, 2003 ... FUNDING for the construction of the Metrorapid mag1ev line in the Ruhr is still not fixed, according to Transrapid International at the end of January. The German federal government had promised another [euro]250 million if the two companies taking part in the project, Siemens ...
Underground hit by derailment. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... LONDON Underground (LUL) is fitting new Rotabolts and new traction motor safety brackets to its fleet of 89 Central Line and Waterloo & City Line trains following a derailment in January. The Waterloo & City Line reopened last month, but it is likely to be the end of this month before the ...
Tokyo privatises metro company. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... TOKYO's biggest metro operator, Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA, also known as Eidan), is to be privatised next year. Owned jointly by the Japanese government (53.4%) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (46.6%), TRTA will be transferred to the Tokyo Underground Company in April 2004 ....
So to go. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... JACK C K So, chairman and chief executive officer of Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) is to leave the job for personal reasons in September when his contract expires. He said he would not ...
130 die in Taegu metro arson attack. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... MORE than 130 passengers were feared dead and many were injured on the morning of February 18 in an arson attack on a crowded metro train in Korea's third city; Taegu, 320km southeast of the capital, SeouL A 56-year-old man, said by witnesses to have set fire to a milk carton containing ...
China JV wins Movia car order. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... CHANGCHUN Bombardier Railway Vehicles (CBRC), a joint venture between Bombardier Transportation and Changchun Car Company, has received an additional order from Shenzhen Metro, China, for three six-car Movia metro trains for the first phase of Line 1 of the metro. The [euro]22 ...
Cespa. (Transit Briefs: Bordeaux).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Cespa, Italy, has delivered a set of 16 lifting jacks for ...
Systra, responsible for engineering services for phases 1 and 2 of the Bordeaux LRT. (Transit Briefs: Bordeaux).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Systra, responsible for engineering services for phases 1 and 2 of the Bordeaux LRT, has been awarded contracts for two ...
Dresden Transport Authority (DVB) has placed an order with Bombardier Transportation for 20 low-floor LF2000 light rail vehicles. (Transit Briefs: Dresden).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Dresden Transport Authority (DVB) has placed an order with Bombardier Transportation for 20 ...
Construction will start this year of a $US 730 million, two-line metro. (Transit Briefs: Dubai).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Construction will start this year of a $US 730 million, two-line metro. The Red Line will run from the border with Sharjah to Jebel Ali, while the Green Line will ...
Grenoble's transport authority, SMTC, has placed a [euro]90 million contract with Alstom for 35 Citadis LRVs. (Transit Briefs: Grenoble).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Grenoble's transport authority, SMTC, has placed a [euro]90 million contract with Alstom for 35 Citadis LRVs ....
Docklands Light Railway has proposed a 5.5km extension from Gallions Reach to Dagenham Dock, via Barking Reach, with five stations. (Transit Briefs: London).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Docklands Light Railway has proposed a 5.5km extension from Gallions Reach to Dagenham Dock, via Barking ...
Metra creates a Star. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... METRA, the commuter rail operator for Chicago and northeastern Illinois, has announced a $US 1.1 billion, 88.5km line linking Joliet with Chicago's O'Hare international airport. No funding is yet in place for the line, which would take about 12 years to complete. The Suburban ...
Portland ponders transit plans. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... VOTERS in Portland, Oregon, may soon be asked to re-visit a light rail proposal they rejected in 1998 in order to ease growing highway congestion between Portland and its southern suburbs. The rejected plan was for a 25.7km route from Clackamas town centre, through Milwaukie, ...
Zurich votes in new LRT line. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... VOTERS in Zurich, Switzerland, have approved the construction of a new SEr 650 million ($US 479 million) 12.7km T-shaped LRT line serving the northeastern Glattal region. Glattal is one of the most dynamic economic regions in the Zurich area with 140,000 inhabitants and 120,000 workers. ...
Venice to build LRT network. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... VENICE (ACTV) has invited bids by March 24 for the design, construction, and puffing into service of a 20km two-line rubbertyred guided LRT network. Line 1 will be 14km long and connect Venice with Mestre and Favaro. Line 2 will be 6km long and run from Mestre to Marghera ...
Budapest upgrades Metro Line 2. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... WORK will start this year on a four-year, Forint 40 billion ($US 174.8 million) project to upgrade Budapest Metro's 30year-old Line 2 (the Red Line). The city council approved the plan in January and is now seeking foreign investors to help finance the project, which has already ...
New London underground MD. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... TRANSPORT for London (TfL) has appointed the previous president and CEO of the former US Class 1 freight railway, Conrail, Mr ...
London mayor abandons PPP challenge. (Transit News).
Mar 01, 2003 ... THE mayor of London, Mr Ken Livingstone, has abandoned his legal baffle against public-private partnership (PPP) plans for London Underground (LUL), and has made a [pounds sterling]400 million agreement with the British government for the transfer of the Underground to Livingstone's ...
Siemens is to start construction of the Maracaibo Metro next month. (Transit Briefs: Maracaibo (Venezuela)).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Siemens is to start construction of the Maracaibo Metro next month. The $US 150 million first phase covers 6.4km of Line 1. Bidding for the second section will start next year ...
Bombardier Transportation seven-section Eurotram. (Transit Briefs: Melbourne).
Mar 01, 2003 ... Pictured on a demonstration run near Flinders Street station is a Bombardier Transportation seven-section Eurotram, by ...