International Railway Journal back issues from May 2004:
A blurring of roles.(This Month)
May 01, 2004; ... THERE has been a major blurring during the last 10 years or so of the roles traditionally played by the public and private sectors in funding rail projects. There has been a proliferation of funding models such as build, operate, transfer (BOT), design, build, operate, maintain (DBOM), ...
Network Rail to spend 33% more.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... BRITAIN's infrastructure owner, Network Rail (NR), is to spend a total of 26 billion [pounds sterling] to operate, maintain, renew, and enhance the railway network during the next five years. NR says that, excluding enhancements, this is a 33% increase over the previous five years. ...
GM Tier 2 locomotives enter service.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... GENERAL Motors Electro-Motive Division's project to develop diesel-electric locomotives to meet the Tier 2 engine emissions standards that come into force in the United States in January 2005 has moved on schedule to the next stage. Its two SD70ACe Tier 2 ac locomotives have now entered ...
Renfe orders high-speed power cars.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... SPANISH National Railways (Renfe) has awarded a 188 [euro] million contract to Bombardier Transportation and Patentes Talgo for 44 250km/h power cars fitted with adjustable-gauge wheelsets. The power cars will he used to form 22 nine-car trains for operation on ...
Eurotunnel shareholders appoint new board.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... FOLLOWING the victory by Eurotunnel's French shareholders who voted to oust the existing board of directors in mid-April, a new team has now taken over. Mr Jacques Maillot has been appointed chairman, with Mr Jean-Louis Raymond as chief executive, and Mr Herve Huas as deputy ...
Freight Australia changes hands.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... FREIGHT Australia, Victoria, has been purchased from Rail America by Pacific National, a joint venture of Trill Holdings and Patrick Corporation, for $A 285 million ($US 217 million). Freight Australia provides rail infrastructure services in Victoria and also operates grain haulage ...
NSW to improve Sydney network.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... THE New South Wales state government has committed itself to spending $A 2.5 billion ($US 1.9 billion) on the Sydney commuter and regional rail neb work during the next six years in an effort to improve its CityRail services. The funding was announced in the state government's ...
US invests in rail security.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... THE United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has approved the Rail Security Act, which authorises spending more than $US 1.1 billion to protect the rail network against terrorism. The bill was introduced shortly after the Madrid train bombings in March. ...
JR Central spending plans.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... JAPANESE railway, JR Central, is to invest Yen 141 billion ($US 1.35 billion) in the current financial year. This includes Yen 54 billion for improvements in safety and reliability, Yen 27 billion for building seven series 700 trains and improving services, and Yen 22 billion for ...
NS faces tougher conditions.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... THE Dutch government is to set more stringent conditions than currently apply to Netherlands Railways (NS) for its monopoly concession for operating passenger services on the so-called core network up to 2015. NS will face fines if it does not meet any of the conditions it has agreed to. ...
Train blast devastates Ryongchon.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... THE North Korean town of Ryongchon, near the Chinese border, was severely damaged and at least 161 people were killed and 1300 injured on April 22 following an explosion on a freight train carrying ammonium nitrate and off. It is unclear what caused the explosion, but President ...
Arriva buys German operator.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... THE British rail and bus operator, Arriva, which also has franchises in Denmark and the Netherlands, has purchased Prignitzer Railway Group (PEG) in Germany for C6 million. The deal is subject to approval by the German competition authority. PEG currently has three passenger ...
Siemens wins Ukrainian order.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... THE 100 multi-system DS3 electric locomotives (above), being developed jointly by GP NPK Electrovozostroeniya, Ukraine, and Siemens, for Ukrainian Railway (UZ) are to be fitted with electrical equipment supplied by Siemens. GP NPK Electrovozostroeniya has awarded a contract ...
Germany to improve regulation.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... THE German cabinet has approved a draft act to restructure and regulate access to the German railway network. The act will incorporate several European Union (EU) directives into German law, notably that the infrastructure must in future be independent and separate from operations. The ...
DB to reduce investment.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... GERMAN Rail (DB) plans to invest about 5 billion [euro] in new trains between now and 2009, with orders likely to reach 1 billion [euro] this year. This follows investment of about 15 billion [euro] in motive power and rolling stock during the last 15 years. Government funding ...
Reunion to build first railway.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... THE Indian Ocean island of Reunion has decided to build a 70km railway along the north coast linking St Paul, St Denis, and St Benoit. The line will include 10km of tunnel bored through volcanic terrain. The cost of construction is estimated at between 1.3 billion [euro] and 1.4 billion ...
Alstom challenges outlined.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... FRANCE's new finance minister Mr Nicholas Sarkozy, says Alstom still faces three major challenges: obtaining approval from the European Commission (EC) for last year's 3.2 billion [euro] rescue package backed by the French government, renegotiating the terms of the package with Alstom's ...
Enefer has won the bidding for the final engineering design of the 113km Salgueiro-Missao Velha section of the Trans-Northeastern railway.(Brazil)
May 01, 2004 ... Enefer has won the bidding for the final engineering design of the 113km Salgueiro-Missao Velha section of the Trans-Northeastern railway. Award of the contract now ...
Novoeste is to invest Reais 13 million ($US 4.5 million) to begin rebuilding its 860km main line between Bauru and Campo Grande.(Brazil)
May 01, 2004 ... * Novoeste is to invest Reais 13 million ($US 4.5 million) to begin rebuilding its 860km main line between Bauru and Campo ...
An interim station to the northeast of the existing St Pancras station in London will be in use until 2006 while the historic 140-year-old Victorian station is extended and renovated to become London's new international station.(Britain)
May 01, 2004 ... An interim station to the northeast of the existing St Pancras station in London will be in use until 2006 while the historic 140-year-old Victorian station is extended and renovated to become London's new ...
Go Ahead.(Britain)
May 01, 2004 ... * Mr Michael Hodson has been appointed director, rail domestic services, for Go Ahead to concentrate on the company's bid for the Integrated ...
DB Netz.(Germany)
May 01, 2004 ... DB Netz has announced the next step in its plan to switch to the digital Global System for Mobile Communications-Rail (GSM-R). It aims ...
The fifth airport to be served by German Rail's (DB) ICE high-speed trains.(Germany)
May 01, 2004 ... * The fifth airport to be served by German Rail's (DB) ICE ...
Indian Railways (IR) hauled 555.74 million tonnes of freight in the recently-concluded financial year, an increase of 34 million tonnes compared with the previous year.(India)
May 01, 2004 ... * Indian Railways (IR) hauled 555.74 million tonnes of freight in the recently-concluded financial year, an increase of 34 ...
Inauguration of the Kalaikunda solid state interlocking (SSI) project look place on March 9.(India)
May 01, 2004 ... * Inauguration of the Kalaikunda solid state interlocking (SSI) project look place on March 9. The project used the Microlok II Wayside Control System of Union ...
Regular European railfreight services using Britain's new Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) got underway in April with intermodal export trains operated by English Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS), which has a track access agreement with CTRL Ltd.(International)
May 01, 2004 ... Regular European railfreight services using Britain's new Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) got underway in April with intermodal export trains operated by English Welsh & Scottish ...
In the first quarter of this year, Eurostar, which operates high-speed services from London to Paris and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel, carried just over 1.6 million passengers, an increase of 19% compared with the same period last year.(International)
May 01, 2004 ... * In the first quarter of this year, Eurostar, which operates high-speed services from London to Paris and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel, carried just over 1.6 million passengers, an increase of 19% compared with the same period last year. As more people switched ...
Mr Bryan Nye, chief executive of the Australasian Railway Association, and Mr Philippe Roumeguere, Chief Executive of the UIC, have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation between the two organisations.(International)
May 01, 2004 ... * Mr Bryan Nye, chief executive of the Australasian Railway Association, and Mr Philippe Roumeguere, Chief Executive of the UIC, have signed a memorandum of understanding to ...
JR Kyushu opened the 126.8km Shin-Yatsuhiro-Kagoshima-Chuo high-speed line in March.(Japan)
May 01, 2004 ... JR Kyushu opened the 126.8km Shin-Yatsuhiro-Kagoshima-Chuo high-speed line in March. In the first 10 days of operation ...
Britain vetoes private project.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... THE British government has decided not to support legislation needed for the 4.7 billion [pounds sterling] private-sector Central Railway project to create a 650km freight line, mainly using existing railway rights-of way, from northern France via the Channel Tunnel to Manchester and ...
Tenders invited for Sicilian link.(World Report)
May 01, 2004 ... PROSPECTIVE contractors have until July 13 to submit bids for the construction of a 3.6km road and rail bridge across the Strait of Messina to provide the first fixed link between the Italian mainland and the island of Sicily. It is hoped to start work on the 4.6 billion [euro] project in ...
German rail is not yet ready for privatisation.(Letter to the Editor)
May 01, 2004; ... Sir--The March issue of IRI covered the German rail reform in great detail. I feel, however, that a more balanced view is needed. It certainly goes without saying that German Rail (DB) has come a long way during the past decade. On the other hand it is also quite clear that travellers, ...
A freight emu, called Super Rail Cargo, developed by JR Freight for container transport, is now operating nightly on the 550km Tokaido line between Tokyo and Osaka.(Japan)
May 01, 2004 ... * A freight emu, called Super Rail Cargo, developed by JR Freight for container transport, is now operating nightly on the 550km ...
Fourteen days after the inauguration of the Korean high-speed train, KTX, which plies between the capital Seoul and the second city, Busan, the operator Korail carried its one millionth high-speed passenger--a 70-year old gentleman who was given flowers and 10 free KTX travel passes.(Korea)
May 01, 2004 ... Fourteen days after the inauguration of the Korean high-speed train, KTX (page 18), which plies between the capital Seoul and the second city, Busan, the operator Korail carried its one millionth ...
Holland Railconsult.(Netherlands)
May 01, 2004 ... Holland Railconsult has appointed Mr Johan van den Elzen as director of the ...
NS has sold its 6% stake in the freight operator Railion to Stinnes.(Netherlands)
May 01, 2004 ... NS has sold its 6% stake in the freight operator Railion to Stinnes, the German Rail (DB) ...
Camera surveillance on trains on the Zoetermeer line.(Netherlands)
May 01, 2004 ... Camera surveillance on trains on the Zoetermeer line has reduced ...
At the end of this year Tranz Rail begins a 10-year contract to haul coal 195km from the port of Tauranga to Huntley power station.(New Zealand)
May 01, 2004 ... At the end of this year Tranz Rail begins a 10-year contract to haul coal 195km from the port of Tauranga to Huntley power station. The ...
Joint divestiture of Uganda Railways Corporation and Kenya Railways Corporation has been agreed by the presidents of the two countries.(Uganda/Kenya)
May 01, 2004 ... Joint divestiture of Uganda Railways Corporation and Kenya Railways Corporation has been agreed by the ...
The government is said to be "preparing to approve investment" in the form of bonds for a four-year, $US 206 million project to build a railway line from Yen Vien on the outskirts of Hanoi to the northeastern port of Cai Lan.(Vietnam)
May 01, 2004 ... The government is said to be "preparing to approve investment" in the form of bonds for a four-year, $US 206 million project to build a railway line from Yen ...
National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) is using Garratt steam locomotives--some borrowed from the railway museum--to haul commuter trains on two routes to and from Bulawayo.(Zimbabwe)
May 01, 2004 ... National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) is using Garratt steam locomotives--some borrowed from the railway ...
Nagoya builds Maglev Metro.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... JAPAN's fourth-largest city, Nagoya, will open an 8.9km elevated double-track metro line, based on magnetic levitation, in March 2005. The line will run from Fujigaoka, the eastern terminal of the east-west Higashiyami Line of the Nagoya Metro, to Banpaku-Yakusa. The line will ...
MTR invests in Beijing Metro.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... HONG KONG Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is to invest Yuan 2.4 billion ($US 290 million) in the Yuan 16 billion project to build Beijing's Metro Line 4. MTR has signed a memorandum of understanding with two Chinese companies, Beijing Infrastructure Investment and Beijing Capital Group, both ...
Chicago plan gets underway.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... THE Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has awarded contracts to begin engineering work on parts of the $US 1.5 billion modernisation of the freight and passenger rail infrastructure in the greater Chicago area. So far $US 12.5 million has been contributed to the ...
Innsbruck expands LRT services.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... INNSBRUCK Transport Authority and Stubaital Railway (IVB), Austria, have called bids by May 7 for low-floor LRVs for a regional rail network in the Innsbruck area, including a new line from Hall to Vols in the east. The expansion of services also includes vehicles for the ...
Australia's longest light rail vehicle, the 29.85m-long, five section class D2 Combino has entered service in Melbourne.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... AUSTRALIA's longest light rail vehicle, the 29.85m-long, five section class D2 Combino has entered service in Melbourne. Twenty-one of the 35-tonne Siemens 100% low-floor LRVs ...
The Hague orders tram-trains.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... HAGUE Tramways, Netherlands, has placed a 150 million [euro] order with Alstom for 50 RegioCitadis tram-trains (below) destined for the Zoetermeer-The Hague section of Randstadrail, a light rail link project to connect the centres of The Hague, Zoetermeer, and Rotterdam. The ...
LRT on the agenda again in Macao.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... PUBLIC consultation in Macao could lead to the revival of a Patacas 2.7 billion ($US 336.4 million) light rail scheme in the Chinese special administrative region. Consultation will be based partly on a feasibility study due to be completed early next year by Hong Kong's Mass Transit ...
Tenerife orders Citadis LRVs.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... METROPOLITANO de Tenerife, which is building the first light rail line on the Spanish island, has awarded a 50 million [euro] contract to Alstom for 20 30m-long Citadis LRVs. The contract includes options to maintain the vehicles, to extend them to 40m, and to ...
Bangkok Metro's "soft" opening.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... PRE-REVENUE service operation began on the 20km Blue Line between Hua Lamphong and Bang Sue in the Thai capital, Bangkok, on April 13. The concessionaire, Bangkok Metro Company Ltd will provide services for 25 years for the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) of Thailand. The official ...
Swings and roundabouts.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... INFRASTRUCTURE company, Metronet, one of the consortia responsible for maintaining and improving London Underground lines, tasted the carrot and felt the stick over its performance last year. The effect was detrimental overall with Metronet, a consortium of Balfour Beatty, ...
Work started at the end of March on the 3.6km middle section of Line 5 of the Beijing Metro.(Beijing)
May 01, 2004 ... Work started at the end of March on the 3.6km middle section of Line 5 of the Beijing Metro. The whole line will be 27km long, linking ...
The Serbian capital's minister for transport says that Dinars 180 million ($US 3.1 million) is to be invested in the suburban rail system.(Belgrade)
May 01, 2004 ... The Serbian capital's minister for transport says that Dinars 180 million ($US 3.1 million) is to be ...
Steelmaker Corus, which is supplying grooved and vignole rail for the Bergamo Tramway, has now won a contract to study the wheel/rail contact position in order to define the optimum wheel/rail profile for minimum material wear and maximum ride quality.(Bergamo (Italy))
May 01, 2004 ... Steelmaker Corus, which is supplying grooved and vignole rail for the Bergamo Tramway, has now won a contract to study the wheel/rail contact position in order to define the ...
The 21km Line 1 of the metro was completed on March 31 with the opening of the 8.9km Inderlok-Rithala section.(Delhi)
May 01, 2004 ... The 21km Line 1 of the metro was completed on March 31 with the opening of the 8.9km Inderlok-Rithala ...
Delhi Metro has called prequalification bids for electrical, hydraulic, and fire protection systems.(Delhi)
May 01, 2004 ... Delhi Metro has called prequalification bids for electrical, hydraulic, and fire ...
FAAC, a subsidiary of Arotech Corporation, Israel, has delivered a $US 490,000 full-mission light rail transit simulator using computer-generated imagery to the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston) in Texas.(Houston)
May 01, 2004 ... FAAC, a subsidiary of Arotech Corporation, Israel, has delivered a $US 490,000 full-mission light rail transit simulator using computer-generated imagery to the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston) in ...
Falcon Protec has won a one-year contract from Serco Docklands, which has the franchise for Docklands Light Railway (DLR), for in-train CCTV surveillance.(London)
May 01, 2004 ... Falcon Protec has won a one-year contract from Serco Docklands, which has the franchise for Docklands Light Railway ...
South Florida Regional Transportation Authority is abandoning plans for a new Tri-Rail commuter service in favour of an extension of the Metrorail subway service to Florida International University.(Miami)
May 01, 2004 ... South Florida Regional Transportation Authority is abandoning plans for a new Tri-Rail commuter service in favour of an extension of the Metrorail ...
A $US 53 million plan to reintroduce vintage streetcars is being promoted by a local councillor.(Minneapolis)
May 01, 2004 ... A $US 53 million plan to reintroduce vintage streetcars is being promoted by a local councillor. The line would run on the Midtown Greenway, currently a bicycle and pedestrian way that cuts ...
TRTA moves towards privatisation.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... IN preparation for full privatisation by 2010, Tokyo's Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA) was reorganised and renamed Tokyo Metro Co Ltd (TMC) at a settlement meeting on April 1. It handles about 2 billion journeys a year on an eight line network covering 183.2km with 168 stations, and ...
Kolkata improves rail links.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... IMPROVEMENTS to commuter services and an airport rail link are in the pipeline in Kolkata, India. The circular railway, which provides a connection from DumDum junction to Princep Ghat, is to be extended by 5.85km with two stations from Princep Ghat to Majerhat and electrified from DumDum ...
Charlotte orders Siemens LRVs.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... THE Metropolitan Transit Commission of Charlotte, North Carolina, has awarded a contract worth $US 52.5 million to Siemens for 16 LRVs with an option for 24 more cars during the next four years. ...
DLR refurbishes its fleet.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... THE first of 94 London Docklands Light Railway (DLR) vehicles to be refurbished under a 20 million [pounds strerling] contract with Alstom arrived at the Beckton depot on a low loader from Alstom's Wolverton works for testing and commissioning last month. The entire DLR fleet is ...
Bart shortens trains.(Transit News)
May 01, 2004 ... INCOME shortfalls both from the farebox and local sales tax due to a stagnant economy have forced San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit (Bart) to make cuts in order to balance its budget. One of the measures aimed at stemming a $US 41 million shortfall this year was "tailoring ...