International Railway Journal back issues from April 2008:
Has privatisation come full circle?(This month)
Apr 01, 2008; ... THE answer to this rather provocative question has to be "yes" in places such as Estonia and Guatemala, "no" in others, while some countries are still trying to decide what they want. The question has arisen again because of news this month that New Zealand is considering whether to ...
Record profit empowers IR to boost investment.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... INDIAN Railways (IR) has increased its annual profit by 43% from $US 4.4 billion in 2006-07 to a record $US 6.3 billion last year. As a result, railways minister, Mr Lalu Prasad, has announced the biggest-ever spending plan for IR. The Ministry of Railways plans to invest KS 375 billion ...
Rwanda--Tanzania line planned.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... RWANDA and Tanzania are to build a line between Isaka, on the Tabora--Mwanza line in Tanzania, and the Rwandan capital, Kigali by 2013--though funding arrangements have not yet been decided. It will be built by ...
Pepy to be next SNCF president.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE French government nominated Mr Guillaume Pepy (pictured above) as the next president of French National Railways (SNCF) to succeed Mrs Anne-Marie Idrac. Pepy was previously CEO of SNCF, a position he held for more than 10 years. Idrac took ...
Argentine government seizes control of railways.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... IN a complete reversal of the privatisation policies of the 1990s, the government of Argentina has passed a law that will allow state-controlled companies to operate railways. Under the legislation, which is based on the European model and primarily aimed at passenger operators, ...
China share issue raises $US 5.5 bn.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... CHINA Rail Construction Corporation s share issue last month raised $US 5.5 billion, but gains following the issue were regarded as poor by some analysts. ...
Veolia Cargo to buy Rail4Chem.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] VEOLIA Cargo is set to expand its Dutch and German business considerably, and enter the Swiss and Polish markets, following the announcement that it is to acquire German open-access operator Rail4Chem for an undisclosed sum. The takeover will ...
Russia to build another Trans-Siberian Railway.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... A SECOND east-west link across Siberia could be operational by 2015, according to Russian Railways (RZD) CEO Mr Vladimir Yakunin, who has announced that development work on the SevSib project will begin this year. Construction is expected to begin in 2010 on the 2000km line from ...
Poland studies HS options.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... THE POLISH government is to establish a new agency to oversee the planning and construction of the country's first high-speed line. Two options are currently being considered for a 'Y'-shaped line which will run west ...
Stadler has unveiled the first Flirt emu to be assembled at its new Polish plant in Siedlce.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Caption: STADLER has unveiled the first Flirt emu to be assembled at its new Polish plant in Siedlce. Ten of the four-car emus have been ordered by the Polish region of Masovia, which will receive its first two ...
The Victorian government is to provide $A 20 million ($US 18.86 million).(Australia)
Apr 01, 2008 ... The Victorian government is to provide $A 20 million ($US 18.86 million) in subsidy ...
Network Rail's trial of GSM-R equipment has reached the halfway point, and proved successful to date.(Britain)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Network Rail's trial of GSM-R equipment has reached the halfway point, and proved successful to date. GSM-R will be used to replace the current ...
Westinghouse's Westlock interlockings installed at Leamington Spa have passed their trial and have been accepted as a permanent replacement for the solid state interlocking previously in operation.(Britain)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Westinghouse's Westlock interlockings installed at Leamington Spa have passed their trial and have been accepted as a permanent ...
Passenger services on the Ebbw Vale line started in February.(Britain)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Passenger services on the Ebbw Vale line started in February. The lengthy project to ...
The project to reopen part of the Edinburgh--Carlisle railway as far as Galashiels, 56km from Edinburgh, has been approved.(Britain)
Apr 01, 2008 ... The project to reopen part of the Edinburgh--Carlisle railway as far as Galashiels, 56km from ...
France's national airline, Air France, says it may have to cut 25% of jobs on its domestic network by 2016 because of competition from high-speed rail.(France)
Apr 01, 2008 ... France's national airline, Air France, says it may have to cut 25% of jobs on its domestic network by 2016 because of ...
German Rail is closing the 285km Berlin--Hamburg main line between March and June next year to replace thousands of defective sleepers supplied in the mid-1990s.(Germany)
Apr 01, 2008 ... German Rail is closing the 285km Berlin--Hamburg main line between March and June next year to replace thousands of defective sleepers supplied in the ...
4.5 billion [euro] for Dutch upgrades.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE DUTCH government is to make an additional 4.5 billion [euro] available for rail projects in an effort to sustain the annual 5% growth in passenger numbers. Transport minister Mr Camiel Eurlings wants infrastructure manager Prorail and the ...
NZ government declares interest in Toll.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... THE government of New Zealand says it has "huge strategic interest" in returning the country's largest rail operator, Australian-owned Toll NZ, to state ownership. Finance minister Dr Michael Cullen confirmed that the government is negotiating with Toll, although the two sides have yet to ...
Sao Paulo to invite bids for Airport Express.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... INVITATIONS to tender will be issued next month for a contract to finance, build and operate the Reais 1.44 billion ($US 844 million) Sao Paulo Airport Express line. The contract will be awarded by August and the line will open by the end of 2011. The 28km electrified line will ...
BDZ boss sacked after fatal blaze.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... THE CEO of Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) Mr Olev Petkov and five other senior managers have been sacked after a fire killed nine passengers on a Sofia--Kardam sleeper train on February 28. Petkov is succeeded as CEO Mr Hristo Monov, who has already vowed to instil ...
Network Rail fined for engineering overruns.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... BRITAIN's Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has fined infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) 14 million [pounds sterling], and ordered it to address systematic weaknesses in its planning and management, after January's overrunning engineering work in London, Rugby, and Glasgow caused major ...
All investment reaches record level.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... LATIN American Logistics (ALL) is to invest Reais 700 million ($US 410.5 million) in its Brazihan and Argentine operations this year and it expects to exceed the record tonnages it achieved in 2007 by 12-14%. Most of the money will be spent in Brazil on new and reconditioned ...
Britain plans tram-train trial.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... BRITAIN is to test tram-trains on a 59km line from 2010 in a bid to reduce the cost of providing regional and urban services. A competition for new vehicles will take place shortly. The trial will take place on the Huddersfield--Barnsley--Sheffield line, which is used by 1.2 ...
Student Agency, the Czech Republic air ticket agency, says it plans to launch open-access passenger operations by 2011 between the capital, Prague, and Ostrava.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Caption: STUDENT Agency, the Czech Republic air ticket agency, says it plans to launch open-access passenger operations by 2011 between the capital, Prague, and Ostrava. Six emus would provide the service, under the branding HighJet. ...
German freight at 18-year high.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... THE market share of railfreight in Germany held steady last year despite rising competition from road hauliers, according to statistics released by the German Federal Statistical Office. ...
Rail.One.(Germany)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Rail.One has appointed Mr Tilo Brandis as its new president and CEO, taking over from Mr Hans Bachmann, who is retiring. Brandis was born in 1967, ...
India's prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, laid the foundation for the Rs 12.57 billion ($US 314.1 million) Maxi--Godhra and Chota--Udaipur--Dhar lines last month.(India)
Apr 01, 2008 ... India's prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, laid the foundation for the Rs 12.57 billion ($US 314.1 million) Maxi--Godhra ...
A special purpose vehicle is being formed to build a new line to Bangalore International Airport.(India)
Apr 01, 2008 ... A special purpose vehicle is being formed to build a new line to Bangalore International Airport ....
A new carriage factory is to be built in Kerala to cope with growing demand for metro vehicles.(India)
Apr 01, 2008 ... A new carriage factory is to be built in Kerala to cope with growing demand for metro vehicles ....
The long-planned Kolkata (India) to Dhaka (Bangladesh) passenger service was due to start operating on April 14.(International)
Apr 01, 2008 ... The long-planned Kolkata (India) to Dhaka (Bangladesh) passenger service was due ...
The first stage of work on the reopening of the Navan line is due to start soon after winning approval.(Ireland)
Apr 01, 2008 ... The first stage of work on the reopening of the Navan line is due to start soon after winning approval. Phase one of the project will see a new 7.5km line built from ...
Three Bombardier Traxx electric locomotives have been handed to High Speed Alliance by Angel Trains Cargo for operation on the HSL South high-speed line.(Netherlands)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Three Bombardier Traxx electric locomotives have been handed to High Speed Alliance by Angel Trains Cargo for operation on the HSL South high-speed line. The locomotives undertook test runs in anticipation of class 186 locomotives ...
400 jobs to go in SBB Cargo restructuring.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... SBB Cargo, the freight arm of Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), is planning to shed 400 jobs in an effort to stem operating losses, which reached SFr 87.9 million last year ($US 88.7 million), more than double the losses sustained in 2006. SBB Cargo boss Mr Thierry Lalive d'Epernay, ...
Major Belgian station project approved.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... SNCB Holding has approved the construction of a new station in Mechelen. The existing station, with 21,000 passengers a day, is the sixth largest in Belgium and is located on the Brussels--Antwerp main line. The new station will be linked to the new high-speed line to be built ...
Zambian operator rapped over "shameful" performance.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... RAILWAY Systems of Zambia (RSZ) has been told it could have its concession revoked by the government unless it improves performance, which has been described by President Mr Levy Mwanawasa as "shameful". Mwanawasa said the Livingstone--Lusaka Chingola line had become a "death ...
British operator breaches franchise.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... FIRST Great Western (FGW), which operates passenger services between London Paddington, western England and South Wales, has been told by Britain's Department for Transport that it is in breach of its franchise for cancelling too many trains between August and December last year and for ...
The $A 400 million ($US 377 million) programme to relay the Melbourne--Sydney--Brisbane railway has reached the halfway point.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: THE $A 400 million ($US 377 million) programme to relay the Melbourne ...
Swiss boost for Allgau line upgrade.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE governments of Germany and Switzerland have signed a declaration of intent to kick-start the long-proposed electrification of the Allgau line from Munich to Lindau, which forms part of the Munich--Zurich route. Under the deal, the German ...
Mildura promotes new railway.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... THE city of Mildura, in Victoria, Australia, is promoting construction of a north-south railway to the east-west Transcontinental line near Broken Hill, New South Wales. The 220km line would cost around $A 300 million ($US 283 ...
Coal line set for $US 734 million upgrade.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... INDONESIAN mining company Tambang Batugara Bukit Asam says it intends to upgrade railway lines on the island of Sumatra. Its existing line will gain capacity enhancements to allow it to ...
British freight operator First GBRf has won a major expansion of its mail contract with the country's national mail company, Royal Mail, and new rolling stock will soon arrive following the award of three coal haulage contracts.(News)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Caption: British freight operator First GBRf has won a major expansion of its mail contract with the country's national mail company, Royal Mail, and new rolling stock will soon arrive following the award of three coal haulage contracts. While the mail contract has won headlines ...
The 13km branch from Zwolle to Kampen could be converted into an electrified light rail line once the new Hanze line opens between Zwolle and Lelystad with a station at Kampen South.(Netherlands)
Apr 01, 2008 ... The 13km branch from Zwolle to Kampen could be converted into an electrified light rail line once the new Hanze line opens between Zwolle and Lelystad with a station at Kampen South ....
A Russian delegation visited North Korea last month to discuss reconstruction of the 55km line from Rajin to the border with Russia at Khasan.(North Korea)
Apr 01, 2008 ... A Russian delegation visited North Korea last month to discuss reconstruction of the 55km line ...
The Cordoba--Malaga and Madrid--Valladolid high-speed lines recorded punctuality of 99.9% and 98.9% respectively after their first month in service.(Spain)
Apr 01, 2008 ... The Cordoba--Malaga and Madrid-Valladolid high-speed lines recorded punctuality of 99.9% and 98.9% respectively after their first ...
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation says more than 20 million passengers have now used the Taipei--Kaohsiung high-speed line.(Taiwan)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation says more than 20 million passengers have now used ...
Plans to build a $US 400 million line to link the Kansanshi and Lumwana copper mines could be abandoned unless mine operators commit to using it.(Zambia)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Plans to build a $US 400 million line to link the Kansanshi and Lumwana copper mines could be abandoned unless mine ...
Buenos Aires plans to double metro network.(Transit news)
Apr 01, 2008 ... THE newly-elected mayor of Buenos Aires Mr Mauricio Macri has announced a $US 2.5 billion plan to almost double the size of the city's 56km metro network in just three years. In a bid to tackle chronic traffic congestion, Macri hopes to borrow $US 1.5 billion from international ...
Rio poised for major train orders.(Transit news)
Apr 01, 2008 ... THE STATE government of Rio de Janeiro is to buy 120 new metro cars and 400 commuter rail emu vehicles with financial assistance from manufacturers and operators. A contract has been negotiated for the purchase of 108 metro cars, 24 to be paid for by the State and the remainder ...
Dubai metro contracts to be awarded soon.(Transit news)
Apr 01, 2008 ... DUBAI's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) says contracts for the construction of the emirate's next two metro lines will be awarded in the second quarter of this year. The 49km Purple Line will run from Dubai International Airport to the massive new Al Maktoum International Airport via ...
New Jersey Transit (NJT) has awarded Bombardier a $US 229 million contract to supply 27 ALP-46A electric locomotives for commuter rail services, with options for up to an additional 33.(Transit news)
Apr 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: New Jersey Transit (NJT) has awarded Bombardier a $US 229 million contract to supply 27 ALP-46A electric locomotives for commuter ...
Mayor of London Mr Ken Livingston has unveiled the first of 55 new driverless trains for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) being supplied by Bombardier.(Transit news)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Caption: Mayor of London Mr Ken Livingston has unveiled the first of 55 new driverless trains for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) being supplied by Bombardier. The trains have been part- ...
US transit ridership hits 50-year high.(Transit news)
Apr 01, 2008 ... METRO, commuter rail and light rail use in the United States has reached its highest level for half a century, according to the American Public Transit Association (APTA). APTA says 10.3 billion journeys were made by public transport in the United States last year, a 2.1% increase over the ...
The Thai Finance Ministry has agreed terms for a Baht 31 billion ($US 1 billion) loan to part-finance construction of the Baht 54.8 billion Metro Purple Line.(Bangkok)
Apr 01, 2008 ... The Thai Finance Ministry has agreed terms for a Baht 31 billion ($US 1 billion) loan to part-finance construction of the Baht 54.8 ...
Construction will begin later this year on a SFr 104 million ($US 105.4 million) project to extend light rail Line 8 across the Swiss-German border to Weil-am-Rhein town centre and railway station.(Basle)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Construction will begin later this year on a SFr 104 million ($US 105.4 million) project to extend light rail Line 8 ...
Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority says a 4km light rail line through the centre of the Alabaman state capital could be built for $US 33 million.(Birmingham (USA))
Apr 01, 2008 ... Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority says a 4km light rail line through the centre of the Alabaman state capital could be ...
The Brazilian capital is planning to spend Reais 1 billion ($US 1.7 billion) in the run-up to the 2014 Soccer World Cup extending its metro network and building a 42km light rail network.(Brasilia)
Apr 01, 2008 ... The Brazilian capital is planning to spend Reais 1 billion ($US 1.7 billion) in the run-up to the 2014 Soccer World Cup extending its metro network and building a 42km light rail network. The Metro Orange Line will be extended 7km southwards from ...
Crotram, a consortium of Koncar and TZV Gredelj, Croatia, is reportedly planning to bid for the 230 million [euro] contract to supply a fleet of 100 LRVs for the city.(Bratislava)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Crotram, a consortium of Koncar and TZV Gredelj, Croatia, is reportedly planning to bid for the 230 million ...
International bids were due to be invited on March 11 for the electrification of 97km of commuter lines, including the lines to La Plata and San Martin.(Buenos Aires)
Apr 01, 2008 ... International bids were due to be invited on March 11 for the electrification of 97km of commuter lines, ...
Tunneling has begun on the 12.5km Central Secretariat--Qutub section of Delhi Metro Line 2 using a tunnel boring machine (TBM).(Delhi)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Tunneling has begun on the 12.5km Central Secretariat--Qutub section of Delhi Metro Line 2 using a tunnel boring machine (TBM). The TBM will be used to excavate an 8km ...
Public transport operator DVB has ordered 11 additional Flexity Classic LRVs from Bombardier at a cost of 30 million [euro].(Dresden)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Public transport operator DVB has ordered 11 additional Flexity Classic LRVs from Bombardier at a cost of 30 million [euro] ....
The Irish government has admitted the planned light metro from the city centre to the airport will be delayed by at least a year, with completion now scheduled for 2013.(Dublin)
Apr 01, 2008 ... The Irish government has admitted the planned light metro from the city centre to the airport will be delayed by at least a year, with completion now scheduled for 2013. Luas light rail lines have also been affected, with the line ...
The ministry of transport says that a 49.6 million [euro] integrated ticketing system will be launched on Luas and buses next year.(Dublin)
Apr 01, 2008 ... The ministry of transport says that a 49.6 million [euro] integrated ticketing system will be ...
The 14.4km metro Orange Line from Sun Yat-sen University to Taliao is set to open in August, according to City Mayor Mr Chen Chu.(Kaohsiung)
Apr 01, 2008 ... The 14.4km metro Orange Line from Sun Yat-sen University to Taliao is set to open in August, ...
Thales has been awarded a 12.3 million [pounds sterling] contract to supply the entire telecommunications infrastructure for Phase 1 of the East London Line.(London)
Apr 01, 2008 ... Thales has been awarded a 12.3 million [pounds sterling] contract to supply the entire telecommunications infrastructure for Phase 1 ...