News Archive
Archive of industry news from the global railway industryNews By Date
February 2012
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Bilfinger Berger secures Berlin underground rail contract
Bilfinger Berger has secured two contracts worth €230m for the construction of an underground railway line in Berlin,...
Chandigarh Metro rail project in India may begin in 2013
Government of Chandigarh in India is planning to start construction of a new Metro rail project from February 2013 which will cost about Rs.83.88bn...
Network Rail approves TT electronics plug and play connectors
TT electronics said Network Rail has approved the ABCIRH connector range after a two year programme of testing, assessment and trials at...
FCC led consortium wins Romanian rail deal
Romania's national railway company (RFC) has awarded a €246m contract to Spanish construction company FCC to refurbish and upgrade the Sighişoara-Atel section of the Simeria-Braşov railway line,...
Russian Railways, Indonesia sign MoU to build $2.4bn rail line
Russian Railways has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Government to build a railway line in the East Kalimantan province at a cost of around...
HIT Rail unveils integrated multichannel rail information system
Netherlands-based information and data communications firm HIT Rail has launched a multichannel interconnected information system which will provide integrated rail message brokering...
Philippines to seek bids for $1.4bn LRT-1 extension in 2012
Light Rail Transport Authority of the Philippines is planning to seek bids for Metro Manila's PHP60bn ($1.4bn) Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) project by the first half of...
Indian Railways launches first mobile vehicle to test locomotive emissions
Indian Railways has introduced a first-of-its kind emission test car (ETC) to test emission levels of diesel locomotives at maintenance and manufacturing depots across the...
Qatar Railways to award six major contracts for $37bn rail project
The Qatar Railways Development (QRC), which is implementing a $37bn integrated rail system in the country, is set to award six major contracts in April...
Michigan University joins national rail research, education centre
Michigan Technological University has been selected as one of seven members of a research university consortium that has been awarded a $3.5m grant from the US Department of Transportation...
Kapsch secures Irish Rail radio system contract
Irish railway operator Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) has awarded a contract to Austria-based Kapsch CarrierCom for the implementation of a digital train radio system for the Dublin Area...
Israel approves Tel Aviv-Eilat railway
Israel has approved the construction of a 350km high-speed Tel Aviv-Eilat railway line, which will offer a new Asian-European trade route to compete with the Suez...
BNSF unveils $3.9bn plan for rail freight infrastructure in 2012
BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) in Texas, US, has unveiled plans to spend about $3.9bn on rail network upgrades this year,...
Centro names CAF as preferred bidder for Midland Metro tram deal
The West Midlands transport authority Centro, in the UK, has chosen Spanish tram manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocariles (CAF) as the preferred bidder for the new Midland Metro...
Singapore awards contracts for new trains, signalling systems
Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded contracts to purchase 18 North East Line (NEL) trains and 16 Circle Line (CCL) trains to enhance train network capacity in the...
Denmark signs signalling contracts with Alstom, Thales and Balfour Beatty
The Danish railway infrastructure owner Banedanmark has signed contracts with a joint venture of Thales Group, Balfour Beatty Rail (Thales-BBR) and Alstom to deliver a signalling system to...
France, Italy sign agreement for Lyon - Turin high speed rail line
France and Italy have entered into an agreement to build a high-speed rail line between Lyon and...
Invensys Rail wins Glasgow south suburban line resignalling deal
Network Rail has awarded a contract to Invensys Rail to deliver resignalling work for the Glasgow south suburban line in Scotland,...
January 2012
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RailCorp begins installation of digital train radio system
Sydney rail network operator RailCorp in New South Wales, Australia, has begun construction of the first of 250 towers required for its new digital train radio system (DTRS)...
UK's Paddington Crossrail station main work to start next month
Construction of the new Crossrail station at Paddington in London, in the UK, will enter next phase of development in February with excavation commencing for the station...
Saudi Arabia preparing to award LandBridge rail project
The Saudi Railway Organisation (SRO) is preparing to award contracts for the construction of the $7bn LandBridge rail...
Ethiopia seeks Indian loan for Ethio-Djibouti railway
Ethiopia is seeking another $300m loan from India for its Ethio-Djibouti railway project, estimated to cost a total of...
Turkish Railways awards signalling contract to Invensys Rail
Turkish State Railways (TCDD) has awarded a €76m contract to a joint venture between Invensys Rail and Turkish company Fermak to install European rail traffic management signalling...
Bombardier research shows high-speed trains are viable on Sweden's rail network
A group of Swedish researchers, supported by Bombardier, have found that new-generation trains with higher speeds, lower energy consumption, reduced noise and lower costs can run on the...
Dulles Metro Rail project receives $116m from US Government
The US state of Virginia has secured $116m in funding from the Department of Transportation (DOT) for the first phase of the $2.8bn Dulles Metrorail project in Fairfax...
Israel to seek Chinese funding for Eilat railway
The Israeli Government is looking to seek funds from China for the construction of the Eilat passengers and cargo...
HS2 appoints CH2M Hill as development partner
HS2, the agency responsible for implementing UK's £32bn high-speed rail project, has appointed CH2M Hill as its development partner for the next...
Ansaldo wins signalling contracts in Turkey and UAE
Finmeccanica subsidiary Ansaldo has won contracts worth €120m to deliver signalling systems in Turkey and the United Arab...
Thales wins Hong Kong APM signalling contract
Thales has secured a contract from the IHI Corporation to re-signal the automated people mover (APM) at Hong Kong international...
China unveils new maglev train
Chinese locomotive company Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive has unveiled its new medium and low-speed magnetically levitated (maglev) trains in Hunan...
Bombardier selects Maxwell ultracapacitors for rail braking energy recovery system
Bombardier Transportation has selected Maxwell Technologies’ ultracapacitors as the energy storage element for its EnerGstor braking energy recuperation...
UAE approves Ethiad Rail’s $1.28bn borrowing plan
Etihad Rail has received approval from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government to borrow $1.28bn to finance part of the country's national railway...
HS2 will solve capacity crunch on UK’s West Coast rail line
The first phase of the proposed high-speed rail line (HS2) between London and Birmingham will benefit passengers with faster, more frequent trains, less crowding and better connections,...
Queensland invites bids for bridge works in Bay Rail Link project
The Queensland Government in Australia has invited bids to design and build two of the three road bridges associated with the $1.15bn Moreton Bay Rail Link...
Canadian Pacific Railway unveils $1.2bn infrastructure development plan
Canadian Pacific Railway has revealed plans to invest between $1.1bn and $1.2bn in infrastructure renewal, network enhancements and expansion projects during...
North Carolina votes against US Red Line Regional Rail Project
The Iredell Board in North Carolina, US, has voted against the proposed $452m Red Line Regional Rail...
Delhi to operate monorail system by 2017
The Delhi Government in India has given an in-principle approval for the construction of a 10.8km elevated monorail line in east Delhi at a cost of Rs 16.55bn...
Croatia begins operating first ERTMS equipped rail line
Bombardier has announced the first railway line in Croatia to be equipped with European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) / ETCS (European Train Control System) technology has begun...
Spanish consortium wins Haramain rail project
Saudi Arabia has entered into an $8.22bn deal with a Spanish consortium for the second phase of a high-speed rail project linking Mecca and Medina with the port city of...
Arcadis secures additional contracts in Tours-Bordeaux high speed rail project
Arcadis has secured a contract to design a series of design-build sub-projects from French railway network manager Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) for the Tours-Bordeaux South Europe Atlantic...
Bouygues consortium wins Nîmes-Montpellier rail project in France
A consortium led by Bouygues has won a €1.8bn ($2.3bn) contract from French rail infrastructure manager Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) to build the Nîmes-Montpellier rail link in the south of...
Network Rail signs £1.5bn signalling framework deal
Network Rail in the UK has signed a series of framework contracts worth £1.5bn for implementation of railway signalling projects over the next seven...
Israel's Tel Aviv light rail project moves forward
Israel's Metropolitan Mass Transit System will soon float a tender for digging tunnels for the two lines of the Tel Aviv light railway which included the Red Line and Green...
BART to buy 260 new rail cars for $1bn
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Agency in San Francisco, US, has unveiled plans to purchase 260 new rail locomotives for about $1bn in May...
Amtrak unveils investment plan for 2012
Amtrak has revealed an aggressive growth plan including the construction of electric locomotives, the extension of electronic ticketing to all trains and a groundwork plan for faster trains in...
Indian Rail expands train protection warning system
Southern Railway, a unit of Indian Rail, has revealed plans to extend the train protection warning system (TPWS) currently installed in the Madras Beach-Central-Gummidipoondi EMU line to the...
Palmdale corridor option recommended for California high-speed rail
A staff report released by California High Speed Authority has supported building a high-speed rail line over the Grapevine area of Palmdale rather than through the Antelope Valley alongside...
GE to deliver 43 locomotives to Transnet in South Africa
GE has secured a contract from South African Government-owned rail operator Transnet to deliver 43 new model C30ACi...
Saudi Arabia awards North-South Railway contracts
Saudi Arabia has awarded three contacts worth SAR2.34bn ($623.7m) for various projects related to the country’s North-South Railway...
Fujitsu joins forces with Höft & Wessel to develop rail ticketing solution
Fujitsu has entered into a collaboration with IT and engineering technology group Höft & Wessel to develop ticketing, parking and mobile applications for the rail...
UK HS2 plans approved
UK transport secretary Justine Greening has approved controversial plans for a new high-speed rail network (HS2) linking London to Birmingham, Leeds and...
UK may approve HS2 project next week
The UK Government is expected to approve the first phase of the £32bn HS2 high-speed rail project this...
SMART awards first phase of Sonoma-Marin rail project
Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) in the US has selected US-based Stacey, Witbeck and Herzog Contracting joint venture to carry out the first $103m phase of the new rail line between...
US allocates funds for Chicago-St Louis rail extension
The US Department of Transportation has allocated $186m to the Illinois Department of Transportation to extend the Chicago-St Louis rail...
CSR unveils sword-shaped high-speed train
China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock (CSR) has unveiled a sword-shaped train that can reach speeds of...
Thales consortium wins Hungarian train protection system contract
Hungarian National Infrastructure Development Company (NIF) has awarded a €70m contract to a consortium, including Thales and Hungarian company Dunántúli, to deliver interlocking and...
India allocates $3.5bn for Jammu-Kashmir rail project
The Indian Government has cleared a proposal to earmark Rs190bn ($3.5bn) of additional funds for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail project, which will link the Kashmir valley to the rest of...
Faiveley Transport to supply air-conditioning system to Bombardier and Siemens
France-based train equipment maker Faiveley Transport has won a contract from Siemens and Bombardier to supply air-conditioning systems for ICx trains to be manufactured for Deutsche...
Skanska wins rail contracts in Argentina and US
Skanska has won rail contracts to build two large-scale railway extensions in Argentina and the...
Transmashholding to supply 300 freight locomotives to Ukraine Rail
Russia-based Transmashholding has signed an agreement with Ukrainian State Rail Transport Administration (Ukrzaliznytsia) to supply 300 electric freight...
Saudi Arabia set to award final phase of Al Haramain rail project
The Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) is ready to award the third phase of the Al Haramain high-speed rail project, which will link Makkah, Madinah and...
December 2011
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Season's Greetings from the editorial team
We will be taking a short break over the holiday season. Our daily news service will return in full on 3...
Australian state awards $1.6bn rail contract
The Regional Rail Link Authority of Victoria in Australia has awarded a $1.6bn contract to Leighton Group, Lend Lease and UGL to build a part of the $5.3bn Regional Rail Link...
Twickenham station development project in the UK moves forward
The London Borough of Richmond in the UK has given planning permission to Solum Regeneration, a joint venture between Kier Property and Network Rail, for the development of a £40m station...
Macmahon finalises Solomon Rail Spur contract with Fortescue in Australia
Macmahon Holdings has finalised a $330m contract with Fortescue Metals Group and begun construction on iron ore miner’s Solomon Rail project in the Pilbara region of Western...
Network Rail awards Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme contract
Network Rail has awarded three contracts worth £55m as part of £1bn Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) in...
Chicago Transport pulls 40 Bombardier railcars from service
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in the US has removed 40 Bombardier 5000-series rail cars from service after CTA inspectors identified “a small number of manufacturing quality issues” on...
QR National opens $1.1bn Northern Missing Link rail corridor in Australia
QR National has opened the A$1.1bn ($1bn) Northern Missing Link, a new rail line linking central Queensland mines to the Abbot Point terminal near Bowen, north of Mackay in...
Siemens to deliver Velaro RUS trains to Russian Rail
Germany based Siemens has won a €600m order from Russian Railways (RZD) to supply eight high-speed Velaro RUS...
Thales wins rail signalling contract in Brazil
Thales has won a contract from Andrade Gutierrez (AG) and CR Almeida to deliver its SelTrac communications-based train control (CBTC) signalling solution for Line 17 of the São Paulo metro in...
EIB funds metro rail projects in Bucharest and Prague
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide €465m to Romania to expand a metro rail line in Bucharest and €350m for the extension of Prague Metro Line A in the north-west of the...
Nottingham tram extension project in UK moves forward
The UK Government has allocated funds for the Nottingham tram project allowing construction to start on the £570m network...
Bombardier wins light rail order in Germany
Bombardier has won a $248m order from Frankfurt Transport Authority, VGF Germany deliver additional 78 Flexity Swift high-floor light rail vehicles (LRVs) and ten Flexity Classic...
AECOM JV wins Penn Station project in New York
AECOM Technology, in a joint venture with its Tishman Construction arm and STV, has won a $19m contract for the development of Moynihan Station at Pennsylvania Station in New York,...
Scottish business groups back UK high-speed rail plan
The majority of businessmen in Scotland support proposals to extend the UK high-speed rail project into the country, a new survey has...
Qatar Rail to award $37bn rail projects from June 2012
Qatar Rail is planning to award the first section of its proposed $37bn rail contract in June...
US Government allocates funds for Illinois and Utah rail projects
US Transportation revealed a plan to provide $116m from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to Utah to complete 70 miles of light rail services in the Salt Lake region and $177m to Illinois...
Railway Technology launches new transport survey
To understand what our readers view as the most important business issues for 2012-2013, railway-technology.com is launching a major industry survey covering all its readers...
Siemens to electrify Lima metro line in Peru
Siemens has been selected by the Consorcio Tren Eléctrico consortium to electrify an additional 12 kilometres of the Tren Urbano metro line in the Peruvian capital Lima, which is planned to...
New South Wales unveils North West Sydney rail link
New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has unveiled a plan for the 23km rail line through northwest Sydney, which is expected to cost between A$7.5bn ($7.6bn) and A$8.5bn...
OHL wins $2bn Russian Rail project
Spanish company OHL's Czech unit OHL ŽS has won a €2bn contract from Russian Railways' subsidiary, the Yamal Rail company, for construction of the Polar Ural rail...
Sound Transit recommends route for North Corridor Transit project
The Sound Regional Transit Authority in Washington, US, has made its route recommendations for the construction of the light rail to Lynwood and endorsed the route along the Interstate 5...
$1bn Sydney rail upgrade receives green light
Australia has unveiled a $1.1bn project to upgrade the rail corridor between North Strathfield and Sydney's northern suburbs to Newcastle, paving the way for the next stage in the modernisation...
Santa Clara awards BART extension contract
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board in California, US, has awarded a contract to joint venture firm Skanska-Shimmick-Herzog for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Silicon...
Fairfax County approves Dulles Rail funding agreement
The Fairfax County Board in Virgina, US, has approved the revised funding agreement for the second phase of the Dulles Corridor MetroRail...
Gatwick Express to test new ticket gates
Gatwick Express will test new ticket gates deployed at both London Victoria train station and Gatwick Airport train station from next...
MI09 double-decker EMUs enter Paris RER Line A service
The Paris Transport Authority (RATP) has launched the MI09 double-decker electric multiple-units (EMUs) into passenger service on Paris RER Line...
Scotland's £60bn mega-plan includes high-speed rail proposals
The Scottish Government has unveiled plans for a high-speed rail network in a new £60bn mega infrastructure plan that includes 54 projects for road and rail, among a total of 80...
Connecticut commences Fairfield Metro rail station service
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) in the US opened the Fairfield Metro railroad station for commuter service...
Los Angeles speeds up Metro Expo Line testing
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority in California, US, has ramped up tests along the future Exposition Line, a new light rail line under construction between downtown...
UK delays HS2 decision
The UK Government is to again look at the £32bn 100-mile high-speed 2 (HS2) rail line between London and Birmingham, and may consider drilling a 1.5-mile tunnel under the Chiltern...
California plans Merced to Fresno high-speed rail route
The California High-Speed Rail Authority in the US has recommended a preferred route for the Merced to Fresno section of the state's 800-mile high-speed train...
SmartWater forensic technology reduces rail cable theft
SmartWater Technology has developed a new crime reduction technology to protect trackside cable and other materials from theft and...
Honululu awards $1.3bn driverless metro rail contract
Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) in Hawaii, US, has awarded a $1.3bn contract to the Ansaldo Honolulu JV to supply the technology and rolling stock for the Honolulu driverless...
Queensland establishes new centre to support rail jobs
The rail industry in Queensland, Australia, has initiated plans to control the massive skills shortages that will affect major national economic drivers, such as the mining, freight and...
November 2011
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US allocates funds for Houston light rail project
US Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has extended a $900m grant to Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) to extend Houston's light rail system...
Referendum in Germany favours €4.5bn Stuttgart 21 rail project
Nearly 60% of voters in a referendum in the German state of Baden-Württemberg have backed the controversial Stuttgart 21 rail project, which involves replacing the Stuttgart city's main...
Indra to unveil new system for railway traffic management solutions
Indra is planning to unveil its advanced railway traffic management solution, ticketing and access control systems, as well as its STACrail, a system for assisted exploitation, at BcnRail,...
Bombardier to supply propulsion system to Indian Rail
Bombardier Transportation has won a $214m contract from Mumbai Railway Vikas (MRVC), a joint venture between the Indian Ministry of Railways and the Government of Maharashtra state, to provide...
GCC to spend $79bn on rail projects
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are planning to spend Dh290bn ($79bn) between 2011 and 2020 in railway projects, including metros, trams and stations, according to a new study...
Etihad Rail invites bids for phase II of UAE rail network
Etihad Rail has invited prequalification bids for phase II of the UAE's $11bn rail plan, which includes civil and track works, and design, procurement and construction of the rail...
Australia completes half of the Broken Hill-Parkes rail upgrade
Australia has completed 50% of the reconstruction of the interstate rail network between Broken Hill and Parkes, which is being implemented at a cost of A$253m...
Crossrail awards Farringdon and Whitechapel stations contracts
Transport for London subsidiary Crossrail has awarded the Farringdon station contract to a BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial Agroman (UK) and Kier Construction JV, and the Whitechapel station contract...
US allocates funds for California high-speed rail project
The California High-Speed Rail Authority in US has secured nearly $1bn from the US Department of Transport (DOT) to carry out the first phase of the Central Valley segment of the...
UGL and GE jointly launch new narrow-gauge locomotive in Australia
Australia-based UGL and GE Transportation, a subsidiary of General Electric, have unveiled their new PowerHaul Series locomotive (PH37ACmai) at AusRail Plus 2011 in Brisbane,...
Alcatel-Lucent to provide communication solution to Paris Métro rail system
Alcatel-Lucent has partnered with France-based public transport operator RATP to provide broadband communications services on Line 1 of the Paris...
DFCC invites tenders for western freight corridor project
India's Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation (DFCC) has invited pre-qualification bids of Rs80bn ($1.5bn) for a 625km stretch of the western rail freight corridor that will run from Delhi to...
India to help Sri Lanka rebuild Pallai-Kankesanthurai railway line
Sri Lanka has signed an agreement with India for $149m reconstruction of the rail line between Pallai and Kankesanthurai in the northern province of the...
Alstom to supply locomotive and rail transport system to Belgrade Metro
Alstom has signed a deal with Serbian capital Belgrade to supply trains and a new rail transport system for the country's first metro rail...
High-speed rail project between Québec and Windsor to cost $21.3bn
A new study released by Canada Minister of Transport estimates that the construction of a high-speed rail line between Québec City and Windsor, Ontario, in Canada could cost more than...
GE Transportation to buy rail software maker RMI
GE Transportation is planning to acquire rail software provider RMI from alternative asset manager Carlyle Group for an undisclosed...
Network Rail to renew Western route
Network Rail has launched a new business unit in Swindon, UK, that will take control of the revamped Western route serving more than 200 stations and monitoring 995 miles of rail...
Gindalbie finalises Karara rail agreement in Western Australia
Australian iron ore miner Gindalbie Metals has finalised a A$900m (US$911m) contract with rail freight operator QR National for the transportation of up to 10Mtpa of magnetite concentrate over...
Turkey completes section of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars rail line
Turkey has completed the Turkish segment of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line at a cost of TRY333m...
UK unveils rail reform plan to improve efficiency
Network Rail in the UK has developed a plan to divide the country's rail infrastructure into ten strategic routes as part of its plan to improve operational efficiency and cut costs by £5bn...
Bellevue City in US approves light rail project
Bellevue City Council in the US has approved the Sound Transit plan to run light rail trains across the Interstate 90 floating bridge and underground tunnel into...
Michigan DOT seeks proposals for high-speed rail project
Michigan Department of Transportation (DOT) in the US has issued a request for proposal forthe Chicago-Detroit rail corridor investment plan and environment...
Indian Institute of Technology develops new train device to prevent derailment
Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IITK) in India has developed a matchbox-sized device to monitor the wear and tear of railway tracks and prevent...
China to resume bullet train operation after safety modifications
China will resume operation of 54 bullet trains on the new Beijing-Shanghai line after modifications have been completed a following high-speed rail accident in...
Indian Rail to switch from DC to AC power in Western section
Indian Rail is planning to upgrade the trains running in its Western Railway (WR) section from 1.5kV direct current (DC) to 25kV alternating current (AC) to improve the speed of the...
Network Rail to consolidate signalling centres
Network Rail is devising a 30-year strategy to consolidate its signalling control centres to 14 rail operating centres that will offer a cost saving of £250m a year as well as improve...
Crossrail opens tenders for Custom House station
Crossrail is seeking bids for the development of Custom House station, the only above ground station within the central section of London’s biggest railway construction...
Dulles Metro Rail project moves forward
US Government has agreed to fund phase two of the Dulles Silver Line rail project, which will extend Metro services from Wiehle Avenue in Reston, Virginia, to eastern Loudoun County through...
Malaysian electrified double-track rail project progresses
MMC-Gamuda joint venture has completed 57% of the MYR12.285bn ($3.9bn) electrified double-track rail project from Ipoh-Padang Besar on Malaysia’s northern border with...
GO Transit launches new mobile app for rail passengers
GO Transit, an inter-regional public transit system in Ontario, Canada, has launched a mobile application that will allow passengers to view departures, set arrival alerts and bookmark...
India Rail lays foundation on Garhwal rail project
Indian Railways has laid foundation for the Rs42.9bn ($843m) Rishikesh-Karanprayag rail project, connecting Garhwal region with the rest of the...
Venezuela awards Italian consortium additional Puerto Cabello rail contract
The Railways Institute of the Venezuelan Republic (IFE) has awarded a €763m contract to an Italian consortium comprising Impregilo, Astaldi and Ghella to complete the rail line from Puerto...
Vossloh Kiepe wins railcar contract from Wuppertaler Stadtwerke
Wuppertaler Stadtwerke, the transport service company of the city of Wuppertal in Germany, has awarded a €122m contract to Vossloh Kiepe to supply 31 new suspension...
EIB funds Polish rail modernisation project
The European Investment Bank (EIB) will extend a €120m loan to Poland for the reconstruction and modernisation of a 58km twin-track rail line from Wroclaw to the border of the lower...
Duos Technologies wins rail security contract in Indianapolis
Duos Technologies, a manufacturer of digital video surveillance and analytics, has won a $6.8m contract to equip a rail line with intelligent video security solutions in Indianapolis,...
High-speed rail to double by 2014
The number of countries operating high-speed rail (HSR) is expected to almost double over the next few years, according to new research by the Worldwatch...
EIB to fund Île-de-France tramway
The European Investment Bank (EIB), along with various other French organisations including STIF, RATP and members of BPCE, has signed a €378m leasing contract to buy trams for Île-de-France...
Chicago unveils new 5000-series railcars
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has unveiled the city's new 5000-series railcars, which will run on the Pink Line after completing prototype...
Georgia to go ahead with Tbilisi Railway project without EBRD fund
Georgian Railway is planning to finance the construction on the Tbilisi Railway Bypass project from its own resources and without funds from the European Bank for Reconstruction and...
Skanska wins railway modernisation contract in Czech Republic
Skanska has won a SEK350m ($53m) contract from the Czech Railway Infrastructure Administration (RIA) to modernise the railway junction in Plzen's 3rd transit...
India's Kozhikode monorail project to cost $199.8m
The proposed Kozhikode monorail project in the Kerala state of India will cost Rs10bn ($199.8m) based on a feasibility survey conducted by Wilbur Smith...
Alstom to supply 20 Coradia Nordic regional trains in Sweden
Alstom has signed a €100m contract with Swedish transport authority Skånetrafiken to supply 20 additional Coradia Nordic regional...
Thales wins Kuala Lumpur monorail signalling contract
Thales has won a €13.5m contract from Scomi Engineering to deliver signalling solutions for the Kuala Lumpur monorail project in...
Union Pacific unveils Autoflex convertible railcar
US-based railroad operator Union Pacific has unveiled the AutoFlex railcar, built and designed at the company’s De Soto...
Singapore awards Tuas station contract
Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded a S$190m (US$150m) contract to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering for the construction of Tuas station on the Tuas West...
Baosteel develops corrosion-resistant material for rail wagons
China's steelmaker Baosteel has developed a new variety of corrosion-resistant bearing steel, dubbed S450EW, for railway...
Florida buys SunRail tracks from CSX
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in the US has bought the 61-mile SunRail commuter rail track from CSX for $150m, allowing first phase construction of the commuter rail system...
Chicago to upgrade Red and Purple rail lines
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in the US, along with local authorities, is planning to invest $1bn to eliminate slow zones, repair tracks, improve stations on Red Lines and improve the Purple...
China plans to build $162bn underground metro
China is planning to invest $162bn to build an underground metro rail connecting 28...
Paris launches driverless trains on Metro Line 1
Paris transit authority RATP has launched the first driverless trains on Metro Line 1 as part of a €600m automation...
Amtrak achieves success in beef powered locomotive trial
US rail operator Amtrak has completed a successful trial of a new biodiesel fuel containing beef tallow to power the Heartland Flyer train that runs between Oklahoma and...
Masabi raises funds for mobile ticketing application
Masabi, a developer of mobile phone ticketing technology for the rail sector, has raised $4m from London-based m8 Capital to expand mobile ticketing deployment in the...
Ansaldo wins signalling contract in France
France-based Ansaldo STS (STS), a unit of Finmeccanica, has signed a €62m contract with Eiffage to provide a signalling system and services on the high-speed Le Mans-Rennes line in the...
Invensys Rail wins Turkey signalling contract
Invensys Rail has won a €195m contract from DLH, the Turkish Directorate of Railways, Harbours and Airports Construction to provide the signalling technology for the CR3 Marmaray project in...
South Africa to invest $17bn to upgrade rail infrastructure
The South African Government has unveiled a plan to allocate R137bn ($17bn) to the Passenger Rail Agency (PRASA) to modernise rail infrastructure in the...
China allocates funds for rail projects
China has unveiled a plan to invest 200bn yuan ($31.5bn) in capital to support railway construction projects throughout the country, according to...
Cummins unveils QSK95 engine
US-based Cummins has launched its new diesel engine QSK95 with 4,000hp (2,983kW) output, which is designed for high-speed diesel for freight locomotives and ultra-class mine haul...
Brazil to begin construction on Rio de Janeiro metro Line 3 by end of the year
Brazil is planning to begin construction on the R$1.2bn (US$687.9m) Rio de Janeiro metro Line 3 by the end of...
Dubai’s Al Sufouh tram project moves forward
The Dubai Government has approved the station and train designs for the Al Sufouh tram project in Dubai,...
Amtrak expands WiFi service to East Coast routes
The US state-owned rail operator Amtrak has expanded its free AmtrakConnectSM WiFi service to 12 East Coast...
Maryland to buy 54 railcars
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) in the US will invest $153m to buy 54 new multi-level passenger railcars for the MARC commuter rail...
Network Rail awards London Bridge contracts
Network Rail in the UK has awarded a £400m contract to Costain to remodel London Bridge station and a £50m contract to Balfour Beatty Rail for track remodelling work under the Thameslink...
California high-speed rail project to cost $98.5bn
California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has unveiled a new business plan for its proposed high-speed rail project, which will cost $98.5bn - more than double the initial estimate of $43bn...
Algeria opens metro rail project
Algeria has inaugurated the first section of a metro rail project in Algiers after starting construction on the project 28 years...
ScotRail unveils plans to de-ice trains in winter
ScotRail has unveiled plans to invest £2m for power shower systems, which will remove snow from coaches and...
Invensys Rail wins signalling contract from Network Rail
Invensys Rail has won a £28m contract from Network Rail for signalling work on the Reading Western mainline in the...
IVRCL wins tunnel contract
India-based IVRCL's transportation division has won a Rs9.7bn ($196m) contract from Indian Rail to build a tunnel on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla...
India starts railway project in Mumbai
The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra, India, has started work on a Rs14.1bn ($285m) railway connecting Nerul and Belapur to Uran via Seawood in...
Universal Cargo Logistics buys Freight One stake
Russia-based Universal Cargo Logistics has acquired a 75% stake in Russian Rail subsidiary Freight One for...
ScotRail upgrades rail infrastructure
ScotRail has invested £40m to improve train stations and services across...
Vossloh to deliver low floor trams to Karlsruhe in Germany
Germany-based Vossloh has won a €75m contract from Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe (VBK) and Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (AVG) to supply 25 low floor tram trains, with an option for 50...
Grupo de Empresas wins Los Teques metro contract in Venezuela
Grupo de Empresas consortium led by Alstom has won a €530m contract to build the Consorcio Linea 2 of Los Teques metro in Miranda state of...
World Bank to fund freight corridor project in India
The World Bank has extended a loan of $975m to the Indian Government to build the eastern dedicated freight corridor-I which will facilitate faster transport of goods between the Northern...
Etihad Rail awards first phase of UAE rail contract
UAE's Etihad Rail has awarded an AED3.3bn ($900m) contract to an Italian-UAE joint venture (JV) comprising of Italy's Saipem, Tecnimont and UAE-based Dodsal Engineering and Construction to...
October 2011
Top
DB Regio wins UK rail operator of the year award
DB Regio Tyne and Wear (DBTW) has won the operator of the year award at the 2011 Light Rail Awards for its better management of the UK's Tyne and Wear...
Saudi Railways awards $9.4bn Haramain rail contract to AlShoula Consortium
The Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) has awarded a $9.4bn contract to the AlShoula Consortium to deliver the second phase of the Haramain High Speed Rail project that will link the holy cities...
Ferrovial and Adif to undertake research into new rail slab track materials
Ferrovial subsidiary Agroman has signed an agreement with Spanish rail network Adif to carry out research into the development of a new rail slab track material that creates less noise and...
ABB to provide electricity substation to Warsaw Metro in Poland
ABB, the power and automation technology major, has won a $15m contract from AGP Metro Polska in Poland to build seven new medium-voltage substations that will supply power to a new metro line...
Aecon-Dufferin JV wins Toronto Air Rail Link contract
Airlinx Transit Partners, a joint venture between Aecon Construction and Dufferin Construction, has won a C$300m (US$299m) contract from Toronto's public transport agency Metrolinx in Canada...
US approves funds for Fitchburg commuter rail line
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has agreed to provide $75m to renovate the 50-mile Fitchburg line - one of the oldest and slowest train lines in...
RailComm delivers yard automation system to Amtrak Chicago station
RailComm has delivered its Yard Automation System to Amtrak’s Chicago Union Station, which will increase yard safety and improve yard dwell times and...
SNC-Graham JV wins Edmonton North light rapid transit project
Canada-based SNC-Lavalin (SNC), in a joint venture (JV) with Graham Infrastructure, has won a $300m contract from the city of Edmonton, Canada, to construct the Edmonton North light rapid...
CA Technologies to deliver CA Clarity PPM to Victorian rail
CA Technologies has won a contract from the Victoria Government in Australia to deliver its project and portfolio management (PPM) software solution, CA Clarity...
CSR to build rail manufacturing and repair centre in China
The China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock (CSR) has unveiled a plan to invest 5bn yuan ($787m) to build a locomotive manufacturing and repair centre in south-west...
Philippines allocates funds for rail rehabilitation project
The Filipino Government has approved additional grants worth PHP6.3bn ($145m) for the rehabilitation of the Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 and Metro Rail Transit 3 this...
Russian Railways to develop first hybrid locomotive
Russian Railways has agreed the technical terms of reference regarding the development stage of the TEM9H SinaraHybrid, which is Russia's first hybrid...
Russian Rail plans Moscow-St Peterburg high-speed line
Russian Railways is planning to float a €600m bid later this year to build a high-speed rail link between Moscow and St Petersburg, which is expected to be operational ahead of the 2018...
AECOM secures Dallas rapid transit project
AECOM Technology has won a $17m extension contract from Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) in the US to complete the second phase of its light rail expansion...
Western Australia approves Oakajee rail link project
The Western Australian Government has approved a 570km rail project that will provide a link between mid-west iron ore projects and a proposed deepwater port at Oakajee in the state's mid-west...
Maire Tecnimont-led consortium wins Etihad Rail contract
Italy-based Maire Tecnimont, in a consortium with Saipem and Dodsal Engineering, has won a contract from Etihad Rail to carry out the first phase of rail project in...
Colas Rail wins Venezuelan metro rail contract
Colas Rail, a unit of French construction and telecommunications group Bouygues, has won a €96m contract to build a railway line in...
Bangalore rolls out first Metro line
India has rolled out the first line of the Bangalore Metro from MG Road station, in the city centre, to Baiyappanahalli station in the eastern suburb covering 6.7 km of elevated tracks and...
Bombardier to supply rail cars for Maryland
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) in the US has signed a $153m contract with Bombardier Transit to supply 54 multilevel rail cars for the MARC commuter train...
EIB to fund Helsinki urban transport project
The European investment bank (EIB) has agreed to provide €250m in grants to Finland's Helsinki metro (HKL) to raise capacity, modernise equipment and improve passenger comfort and...
Indian Railways launches RTIS
Indian Railways has launched a real-time train information system (RTIS) through which passengers can access the accurate train running...
Leighton Asia-Gammon JV wins Hong Kong rail terminus contract
Hong Kong-based MTR has awarded a A$1.2bn (US$1.23bn) contract to build the West Kowloon Terminus Station North, which is a part of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL), to...
Wabtec to deliver train control equipment for Denver rail project
Wabtec will provide Denver Transit Partners with positive train control (PTC) equipment and services for three new commuter rail lines to be built in Denver, Colorado,...
STM-Service wins Russian freight locomotive maintenance contract
Russian Railways has awarded a contract to STM-Service for the maintenance of the SINARA 2ES6 electric freight locomotive series, which are produced by Ural Locomotives, a joint venture between...
Parsons Brinckerhoff wins UK Northern Hub rail engineering contract
Parsons Brinckerhoff has been selected as lead engineering services provider for the Network Rail’s Northern Hub project that aims to better link northern UK towns and cities including...
Qatar to build metro rail network
Qatar has proposed a metro rail network that will have four lines spread across 212km, which will run both underground and on elevated...
Bombardier plans to build train plant in Qatar
Bombardier has unveiled plans to build a train plant in Qatar if it wins the $1.8bn Lusail light rail project, which is a rail system linking parts of the country’s yet-to-be-built Lusail...
EIB funds Greater Manchester Metrolink
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has allocated a grant worth £500m for the expansion of Greater Manchester Metrolink network in the...
Russian and Slovak Railways sign cooperation agreement
Russian Railways and Railways of the Slovak Republic have signed a memorandum of cooperation to increase passenger and freight traffic using the Russian and Slovakian rail...
Skanska wins Norway rail contract
Skanska has been awarded a NKr1.36bn ($241m) contract by Norwegian National Rail Administration (Jernbaneverket) to build a double track railway on the Vestfold...
FSW wins award for blow moulded rail ballast board design
FSW Design's unique blow moulded ballast board for the rail industry has won the Best Industrial Product Design award at this year’s Plastics Industry Awards in...
SAIL, Indian Rail to form JV to set up a coach plant in India
Steel Authority of India (SAIL), in a joint venture (JV) with the Indian Railways, is planning to set up a coach manufacturing unit in Kanchrapara, West Bengal, in...
Eurotunnel to install new radio communication system in the Channel Tunnel
Eurotunnel has signed an €11m contract with Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) to install a new radio communication system in the Channel Tunnel to provide interoperability with the European...
India opens world's longest rail tunnel
Indian Rail has opened an 11km-long railway tunnel, built at a cost of Rs10bn ($201.8m), that passes through the Pir Panjal mountain range in Jammu and Kashmir in...
UK High Speed 2 rail link seeks technical consultants
The UK High Speed 2 (HS2) London-Birmingham rail link promoter has floated a contract to employ 19 contractors under a six-year services framework if the £17bn project moves...
Network Rail to pioneer new technology on Wigan track renewal project
Network Rail is planning to use tilting track trains and laser-guided technology to renew the track layout at Wigan’s Wallgate station in the...
PESA to build inspection railcars for Russian Railways
Russian Railways has signed a contract with Polish company Pojazdy Szynowe PESA Bydgoszcz (PESA) to manufacture 611M railcars to carry out inspections of the infrastructure of Russia’s...
UK’s Jubilee line upgrade costs more than double original estimates
The UK's Transport for London has estimated that the underground Tube rail upgrade will cost £721m, which is more than 2.5 times the original estimate of £285.3m proposed in...
ADB to fund metro line project in Hanoi
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to extend a $293m loan to Vietnam for construction of a metro line to ease traffic congestion in its capital...
Hong Kong to build Kowloon East monorail project
The Hong Kong Government has unveiled plans to build a HK$12bn (£1bn) monorail project in Kowloon East, as part of a plan to develop the area into a core business...
South Africa upgrades Pretoria-Mamelodi rail line
The passenger rail agency of South Africa (PRASA) has invested R373m ($47.3m) to improve services between Mamelodi and...
ABB to supply traction converters for Polish EMU trains
ABB has opened a new plant and test facility in Poland for BORDLINE CC750_DC_3kV, a powerful compact converter for Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains in DC...
Bombardier to deliver rail traffic control system to Polish rail
Bombardier Transportation has signed an $11m contract to supply Polish rail network PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe with rail traffic control equipment and spare...
Feve develops hydrogen-powered trams
Spanish narrow-gauge operator Feve has developed a hydrogen-powered tram prototype based on an old 1960s train, which is expected to enter into commercial service by...
Philippines to upgrade rail transit system
Philippines is planning to invest PHP6.5bn ($148m) of the PHP72bn ($1.6bn) Stimulus Package announced by the government this week to upgrade rail systems in the...
Transoil keen to buy Freight One stake
Transoil has offered a RUB5bn ($155m) entry fee to buy a stake in state-owned Russian Railways’ Freight One cargo...
Qatar Railways delays first rail tender until 2012
Qatar Railways has delayed the first tender to build a Qatar-wide rail network until the third quarter of next...
CSX Transportation moves ahead with National Gateway project in US
CSX Transportation has completed work on a third of the double-stack freight rail corridor between mid-Atlantic seaports and the mid-west in the US with a target to complete the project by...
Philippines revives North Rail project
The Filipino Government has unveiled plans to restart the cancelled China-funded rail project as part of a $11.5bn infrastructure development programme over the next five...
Saft to supply onboard battery systems to CSR Zhuzhou
France-based Saft has won a $1.7m contract from CSR Zhuzhou to supply onboard battery systems, based on its Matrics MRX cells, for 38 six-car EMU trainsets that it is building for the Malaysia...
Saudi Arabia approves $7bn Landbridge rail project
Saudi Arabia approved a $7bn plan to build a freight and passenger railway connecting its western port of Jeddah with the eastern ports of Dammam and...
US breaks ground on Englewood rail flyover project
US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has broken ground on the $133m Englewood flyover project, which will reduce train congestion in Chicago's Englewood...
Dutch national railways to introduce emergency toilet bags
Dutch national rail operator NS has introduced emergency plastic bags called 'pee-bags', which passengers can use in an emergency, due to the lack of toilet facilities on some commuter...
DB Schenker to upgrade locomotives for High Speed 1 service
UK-based DB Schenker Rail has unveiled plans to upgrade five Class 92 locomotives for European rail freight services on High Speed...
Maryland light rail project moves forward
US Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has approved the $1.9bn Maryland purple east-west light rail project to enter the Preliminary Engineering (PE)...
Indian Rail to install European train protection and warning system
Indian Rail has unveiled plans to install a European train protection and warning system (TPWS) on a 800km-long stretch of...
Infineon to supply semiconductor components to Bombardier
Infineon technologies and Bombardier Transportation have signed a partnership to supply drive electronics for advanced rail...
Derry Coleraine rail line in Ireland to begin next year
Northern Ireland has approved £27m of funding to construct the rail line between Coleraine and Londonderry, which is part of a £75m upgrade...
Russian Railways to increase rail investment
Russian Railways has unveiled plans to increase its investment to RUB413bn ($12.7bn) against the original plan of RUB349bn ($10.8bn) pledged earlier this...
CAF wins Auckland railcar contract
Auckland, New Zealand, has signed a contract with Spanish-based CAF to supply and maintain 57 three-car electric multiple units (EMU) that will be operated on the Auckland suburban...
Romanian rail operator uses DiesoLiFT fuel technology
Romanian rail operator Regiotrans SRL has started using International Fuel Technology’s (IFT) DiesoLiFT 10 system to increase the efficiency of its operating fleet and reduce...
Metso to deliver railcar dumper technology to Westshore
US-based Metso has signed an agreement with Westshore Terminals to supply the latter with railcar dumper...
SNC-Lavalin acquires Interfleet Technology
Montreal-based SNC-Lavalin has acquired Interfleet Technology, a UK-based rail technology consultant, to expand its rail infrastructure...
US allocates grants to Michigan for rail infrastructure upgrade
US Department of Transport has allocated grants worth $196.5m to the Michigan Department of Transportation for track and signal improvements between Detroit and...
Solar panels to power central London rail station
The installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of Blackfriars railway station over the Thames river in central London has...
GCC to commence rail network construction in 2013
Gulf oil producers have unveiled plans to construct a $30bn rail network in 2013 to link six nations in the Arab...
ARG-Dragados JV to work on Qatar rail infrastructure
UAE-based Advance Rail (ARG) has signed a joint venture (JV) agreement with Dragados in Spain to carry out a number of railway projects as part of the Qatar Railways rail...
Trafikverket-Railcare JV develops snow clearing machine
Swedish firm Trafikverket, in a joint venture with Railcare, has unveiled a snow clearing machine that will melt snow on rail yards and...
Guardian recognises Eurotunnel Le Shuttle as best train company
Eurotunnel Le Shuttle has won the 2011 Guardian, Observer and guardian.co.uk travel award as the best train company in a...
Royal Oak tunnel portal handed over to Crossrail
A Costain-Skanska joint venture (JV) has completed construction work on Royal Oak portal in west London and handed it over to Crossrail, UK’s major rail infrastructure...
Ubisense launches rail yard management system
UK-based Ubisense (UBI) has launched Transit Yard Manager for rails, a real-time location system (RTLS) that automates yard operations and improves efficiencies and...
Bangalore Metro project in India receives funding
The Housing and Urban Development (Hudco) in India has approved a loan worth Rs7bn ($139m) for the Namma Metro project of...
UK researchers to develop tools to improve railway signalling
Researchers at the University of Southampton in the UK are developing new tools to improve the design of embedded software systems in automated railway signalling as part of a multi-million...
Siemens to deliver Railjet trains to Czech Railways
Siemens Mobility has received an order from the Czech railway company Ceske Drahy for the delivery of 16 seven-car Railjet trains worth...
Mitsubishi to launch next-gen traction inverters for railcars
Mitsubishi will launch a next-generation traction inverter system incorporating large-capacity silicon carbide (SiC) power modules to develop compact, energy-efficient and quiet railcar...
Network Rail to invest £10.5bn on rail upgrades
Network Rail has unveiled plans to invest £10.5bn to deliver faster, more frequent services for passengers and freight users under the next five-year control period that runs from 2014 to...
Funds approved to upgrade rail service between Chicago and Detroit
The US state of Michigan has allocated a $39m grant to enhance passenger rail service between Chicago and Detroit, as part of a $161m federal grant for the...
Tata Steel to produce high-speed rails for France
India-based Tata Steel is set to produce longer rails for the high-speed networks in France and other European...
Kazakhstan railway completes communication network upgrade
Alcatel-Lucent in partnership with Transtelecom JSC has completed the communication network modernisation programme for Kazakhstan’s railway...
Alstom-Transmashholding JV supplies 2ES5 locomotives in Russia
Alstom and Transmashholding have signed an agreement to develop and produce new 2ES5 electric locomotives for Russia Railways...
Atkins wins signalling contract in Norway
Atkins, in partnership with Norwegian engineering consultancy Aas Jakobsen, has won a contract to design new signalling systems on the new Follo line in Oslo,...
Morocco begins construction on TGV high-speed rail link
Morocco has begun construction on a TGV high-speed rail link, which will connect Casablanca with Rabat and Tangiers, the first such project in Africa and the Arab...
EIB and FDA may part fund Jordan railway project
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the French Development Agency (FDA) are keen to part fund the 2.4bn-dinar ($3.3bn) Jodan National Railway...
ADB funds Uzbekistan rail electrification project
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has extended a $100m loan to Uzbekistan to finance the electrification of a 140km stretch of rail line between Marakand in Samarkand province and Karshi...
September 2011
Top
US allocates funds for south-east high-speed rail corridor
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has allocated $48.3m to North Carolina and Virginia for the development of the south-east high-speed rail corridor, which will link Raleigh and...
Eurostar to offer onboard Wifi service on high-speed trains
European high-speed rail operator Eurostar has awarded a contract to NOMAD Digital and France Telecom to supply on board Wifi connectivity and infotainment for its existing fleet of high-speed...
EMD to deliver high-power diesel locomotives to Indian Rail
EMD Locomotive subsidiary Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) has completed the design for a high-horsepower WDG5 locomotive to operate on Indian...
Raileasy and Thales unveil live ticketing application
Internet rail retailer Raileasy and UK-based Thales have unveiled a new version of Thales’s Rail Planner Live system, which offers a personalised real-time travel planning tool for rail...
Carillion wins UK rail infrastructure development work
Carillion has been selected by UK-based rail operator Network Rail as one of the contractors to deliver infrastructure work under a £750m multi-asset framework...
Chinese province unveils rail expansion plan
Sichuan province in China is planning to invest 845.3bn yuan ($131bn) to build 11 railway lines in the province under its 12th Five-Year Plan...
Korenix to install real-time subway surveillance and remote control system in Europe
A European subway operator has selected Taiwan-based Korenix to install its real-time subway surveillance and remote control...
New York to restore storm-damaged Port Jervis line
The New York Metropolitan Transport Authority is planning to restore the Port Jervis line, located in the US counties of Rockland and Orange, at a cost of $50m after it was badly damaged...
US allocates funds for Amtrack rail upgrade
New York State will receive $150m in US federal transportation funding to upgrade passenger service on Amtrak's Empire...
Los Angeles approves new light rail project
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in the US has approved the final environment impact statement for a new $1.76bn light rail line, moving the project to...
Albis unveils RFID solution to monitor rail wagons
Albis Technologies has unveiled a new RFID solution that can detect, locate and track the frequency of use of locomotives in real time for each individual...
Network Rail deploys camera van to tackle risky level crossers
Network Rail and the British Transport Police have deployed a purpose-built police van fitted with nine cameras, which will be used to deter motorists in Scotland from using level...
Crossrail seeks bidders for London rail tunnel project
The UK’s Crossrail has released tenders worth £400m for a track and tunnel equipment design contract as part of the London rail...
Qatar to award first phase of $36bn rail project next year
Qatar Railways, the operator of Qatar's planned QR130bn ($36bn) rail network, will award the first construction contract in July next...
Bombardier to supply signalling system in Brazil
Bombardier has won a new $96m contract to deliver its CITYFLO 650 mass transit solution in Sao Paulo,...
India to build Bangladesh rail link
The Indian Government has approved a plan to build a rail link to Bangladesh at a cost of Rs2.6bn ($53m) to aid communication with the north-eastern states of the...
Alcatel-Lucent and Transtelecom upgrade Kazakh rail communication
Alcatel-Lucent and Transtelecom, one of Kazakhstan’s communications service providers, have completed a $100m project to modernise the communications network supporting the country’s...
Ricardo to improve UK rail traction efficiency through study
Ricardo, an independent provider of technology, product innovations and engineering solutions, has announced a new study that will identify and evaluate measures to improve fuel efficiency...
CrossCountry unveils train ticket app
UK-based rail operator Cross Country has unveiled a new mobile ‘Train Tickets’ application that allows passengers to buy and receive m-tickets directly to their mobile...
USDOT allocates funds for New England rail projects
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has approved $82.7m to improve high-speed and intercity passenger rail projects in New...
Thales wins rail signalling contracts in Poland
Thales has signed eight contracts worth €87m from Polish railway infrastructure operator Polskie Linie Kolejowe for the design, delivery, installation and commissioning of...
Alstom and Kamkor JV to produce point machines for Kazakhstan rail
Alstom and Kamkor, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan's national rail company, have signed an agreement to form a joint venture (JV) to produce point machines for the Kazakh rail...
Therm-Omega unveils freeze protection valve for passenger cars
Therm-Omega, designer and manufacturer of self-actuated temperature control valves, has launched a new freeze protection valve for passenger cars called...
Saudi Arabia approves GCC rail link
Saudi Arabia has approved the $25bn Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) railway project, which will link the six GCC countries through a 2,117km railway network.The project, in which trains will run...
Austria to modernise rail network
The Austrian Government is investing €2bn a year to modernise the railway network and stations. Under the modernisation plan the country will renovate 100 stations by 2014, according...
Indian Rail to install GPS train tracking system
The Indian Government has earmarked Rs1.6bn ($32.8m) to implement a GPS-based system throughout Mumbai and Howrah Rajdhani trains, which will help passengers to find out the exact location,...
CAF to deliver 16 metro trains to Metrorex in Romania
Spanish construction company Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) has won a €107.2m contract to deliver 16 new trains to Metrorex, which operates metro trains in...
Brazil to float bullet train tenders in November
Brazil's national ground transport agency ANTT is planning to hold public review for its R$33.1bn (US$19.3bn) Rio-São Paulo-Campinas bullet train project in October. The definitive tender...
TDK-Lambda Americas unveils new railway DC-DC converters
US-based TDK-Lambda Americas has unveiled a new 24V input, 100W, CN100A24 series DC-DC converter for the railway industry. The quarter-brick modules operate from DC power inputs,...
Kerala plans high-speed rail network
The Kerala Government in India has formed a new public company called Kerala High-Speed Rail (KHSRCL) to carry out a 630km Rs77bn ($15.8bn) rail network across the state. The new network...
Alstom to supply commuter trains to Ottawa
Alstom has won a contract to supply six new Coradia Lint low-floor diesel multi-unit (DMU) trainsets, valued at CAD$34m (€25m), to urban transit service provider for the city of...
GE Transportation to enlarge US production capacity
GE Transportation unveils plans to invest $200m in setting up a new locomotive plant in Fort Worth, Texas, and to upgrade its existing 100-year old plant at Erie, Pennsylvania, to meet...
Tata Steel wins French rail track order
Tata Steel's European unit has secured an €80m contract to supply 84,000t of railway lines for a new high-speed track connecting the two French cities of Bordeaux and Tours. ...
Skanska and RailWorks to begin work on New York subway project
Skanska US, in cooperation with RailWorks, will begin the construction of a $513.7m project later this month that extends the 7 subway line to the far west side of Manhattan in New York,...
Ansaldo secures rail contracts in Denmark, Italy and India
Ansaldo has secured contracts worth €183m to supply locomotives, signalling systems and train control systems in Denmark, India and Italy. The first €122m contract has been awarded...
URS to design Chicago-St Louis high-speed rail line
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) in the US has awarded a contract to URS to provide design and survey services for the Chicago-St Louis high-speed rail corridor. The design...
UK researchers develop technology to prevent train delays
Researchers at the University of Salford in the UK are on track in developing a new train technology that will help solve train delays as a result of debris and bad weather. The researchers...
Skanska wins two New York subway contracts
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York, US, has awarded two separate contracts to Skanska worth $596m to develop sections of the New York subway system. The first contract is...
UK transport study favours rail expansion
The expansion of the UK rail network holds the key to meeting the rise in demand for travel and population growth over the next 25 years, according to a report published by the Chartered...
US allocates funds for Boston South Station expansion
The US Department of Transportation has awarded $32.5m to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to expand and enhance the South Station in Boston. The grant will allow...
Etihad Rail to award first UAE contracts in two months
Etihad Rail, which is building a AED40bn ($11bn) train line in the UAE, is planning to award the first contracts within two months, company officials said. Ethihad Rail CEO Rchard Bowker...
California breaks ground on second phase of Expo light rail
California has started construction on the $1.5bn second phase of the Westside Expo line project, which will extend the light rail line 6.6 miles from Culver City to Santa Monica. The...
Oman national rail project back on track
Oman's plans to realise a national rail network are back on track after the government floated a tender for the key design and engineering package of the multibillion project. Ten companies...
UGL wins freight locomotive contract in Australia
UGL has secured two new orders worth $88m to supply and maintain rail freight locomotives for the Australian market. The orders include the supply of seven C44ACi locomotives and a...
Etihad Rail awards contract for sulphur wagons to CSR
UAE's national rail developer Etihad Rail has awarded a contract to China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock (CSR) to supply 240 covered wagons for the transport of granulated sulphur in the...
TagMaster and Swarco to supply track-side readers to Trafikverket
RFID solutions producer TagMaster, along with Swarco Sverige, has been awarded a contract to deliver its new UHF track-side readers to the Swedish Transport Administration Trafikverket. ...
Derby rail station painted in Dulux paint
UK-based Dulux's Dulux Trade Metalshield Gloss Finish has been chosen by Derby rail station to paint its metal footbridge for a durable and long-lasting finish of the high-traffic area. ...
Sweden to expand Malmbanan rail line
The Swedish Government is planning to invest $570m in its railway network, which includes increasing the capacity of the Malmbanan, the main railway line that transports iron ore products...
Bombardier launches Flexity tram in the UK
Bombardier Transportation has launched the first of its Flexity 2 trams in Blackpool, UK, ordered by the council in 2009 as part of a £100m 'rebirth' of the town's 125-year old tramway. ...
Absa Bank to fund rail project in South Africa
South Africa-based commercial bank Absa Business Bank will provide ZAR1bn ($139m) to fund the Gautrain rail link project, in a public-private partnership with the Gauteng Provincial...
Bombardier unveils electric-diesel locomotives
Bombardier Transportation has unveiled the first of 32 electric-diesel locomotives manufactured for US-based Progress Rail Services, a unit of heavy equipment maker Caterpillar. The...
Siemens to equip Swiss railways network with ETCS system
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has awarded a €125m contract to Siemens for the instalment of the ETCS Level 1 type Trainguard 100 along 3,000km of the country's rail network. The...
Nokia Siemens to provide broadband on Taiwan high-speed trains
Network equipment vendor Nokia Siemens Networks has been selected by VeeTIME in Taiwan to provide broadband services on high-speed trains. Under the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks will...
Trafikverket orders Identec ventilation control system for Swedish rail tunnel
Sweden-based Trafikverket has ordered ventilation control systems from Identec Solutions for the construction of the rail tunnel in Stockholm, Sweden. The ventilation control system will be...
MotivePower to deliver locomotives for Florida and Seattle lines
The US-based Wabtec subsidiary MotivePower has signed contracts to build locomotives for commuter rail projects in Central Florida and Seattle in the US. Under the $30m contract, MotivePower...
Hollysys to supply signaling system for China’s Wuhan-Xianning line
China-based Hollysys Automation Technologies has won a contract to supply ground-based rail signalling systems to Wuhan-Xianning high-speed rail line in China, which is designed to run at a...
Norilsk Nickel to build mining rail link in Siberia
Russia-based MMC Norilsk Nickel will invest RUB7.4bn ($250m) for the construction of the railway line that will connect the Naryn-1, Borzya, with the Gazimursky mines in Siberia. The designing...
Mumbai Metro rail project to be ready by next year
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in India has completed 80% of the first phase of the Mumbai Metro Rail project and the line is expected to be operational by the end...
Chiltern Railways opens mainline UK train service between London and Birmingham
Chiltern Railways in the UK has unveiled its £250m new mainline service train that will carry passengers between London and Birmingham in just 90 minutes. The Mainline service by...
THSRC application allows smartphones to be used as tickets
Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSRC) has unveiled an application wherein passengers can use their smartphones to act as tickets on the high-speed rail. The new solution sends an identification...
Russian Railways orders Desiro railcars from Siemens JV
Russian Railways (RZD) has signed a €2bn contract with Train Technologies, a joint venture between Siemens and Russian rail technology manufacturer Sinara, to supply a further 1,200 Desiro...
FCC receives two tunnel boring-machines for Panama metro
A consortium led by FCC will receive two tunnel-boring machines (TBM) built by German company Herrenknecht to build line 1 of the Panama Metro. The metro line will relieve transport chaos in...
Majority of Londoners plan to avoid roads during the Olympics
Almost 70% of Londoners are planning to avoid roads during the Olympics, according to research released by triOpsis. About a quarter complained about more roadworks in London and 42%...
Bombardier to deliver additional MOVIA railcars to Delhi Metro
Bombardier has received an order from Delhi Metro Rail in India to deliver 76 additional Bombardier MOVIA metro cars. The $120m order follows 114 vehicles ordered in mid-2010 and with the...
Dubai Metro Green Line set to open
Dubai Metro Green Line, Dubai's second metro rail project, which connects Dubai's busiest tourist and residential areas with the airport's Terminal 2, is set to open this week. The 23km-long...
US approves Detroit light rail plan
The US Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has approved the environmental impact assessment for the Detroit light rail plan that will run from downtown Detroit to Eight Mile Road. The...
US approves Minnesota light rail project
The US Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has approved the construction of a third light rail transit project in Minnesota's Twin Cities. The $1.25bn South-west Corridor will have a length...
QR National to build Wiggins Island rail project in Australia
Australian rail freight operator QR National has signed a A$900m (US$960m) deal with a consortium to improve rail links between central Queensland and a new port terminal at Gladstone on...
Network Rail seeks proposals for station improvement programme
Network Rail in the UK has unveiled funding for 15 station development projects to be funded via a £100m improvement fund. Train operators, local authorities and other third parties are...
TransitAmerica wins California commuter rail operation contract
California commuter rail operator Caltrain has selected TansitAmerica Services to operate the 147-year-old Peninsula commuter rail system. The contract with five one-year options includes...
VolkerRail wins on-track machines contract from Network Rail
VolkerRail has won a seven-year contract worth £67m from Network Rail in the UK to supply 11 on-track machines. Under the contract, VolkerRail will deliver nine tamping machines, two...
Invensys delivers ERTMS solution to Turkish high-speed rail
Invensys Rail has delivered the FUTUR 1300 and FUTUR 3000 European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Level 1 signalling system for the Turkish State Railways. The ERTMS solution...
Russian Railways to redevelop rail line
Russian Railways has unveiled plans to install 56 switching points and develop more than 64km of station and main routes in 2011. The work includes the reconstruction of the 54km section...
Brunswick Rail to acquire Proftrans
Russia's railcar operating lessor Brunswick Rail, co-owned by Japan's Sumimoto and a World Bank subsidiary, has signed an agreement to acquire the freight rail operator Proftrans. Brunswick...
EBRD to fund Warsaw metro rail upgrade
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has extended a loan of €80.6m to Warsaw metro line in Poland to buy 35 energy-efficient metro trains consisting of 210...
Auckland to upgrade electric metro rail network
Auckland city and New Zealand have signed a funding and ownership agreement deal that will facilitate a $1.6bn upgrade of the Auckland metro rail network. The deal will allow for the purchase...
Crossrail delays rail contract in London
Crossrail in Europe has delayed the award of a $26bn contract to supply trains in order to save money. Crossrail, a project to build a new rail line linking Berkshire and Essex to central...
Uzbekistan rolls out Central Asia's first high-speed train
Uzbekistan has unveiled the region's first high-speed train, which will connect the Uzbek capital of Tashkent with the country's second largest city Samarkand. The train, which was...
US allocates funds for Pacific Surfliner upgrade
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has received three grants worth $55m from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to improve the Pacific Surfliner intercity rail...
US DOT extends $1bn for Denver's Eagle P3 commuter rail line
The US Department of Transport (DOT) has extended $1bn in federal funding for the improvement of the P3 Commuter Rail Line to ease congestion in greater Denver. The federal funding agreement...
Singapore awards Downtown Line station contract
Singapore's Land Transport Authority has awarded a S$563.35m (US$467m) contract for the construction of Upper Changi and Bendemeer stations, two of 16 stations on DTL3. The first contract,...
Network Rail begins Reading line upgrade
Network Rail has started on a £850m project to upgrade Reading's railway line in Berkshire, which is one of the busiest parts of the UK's rail network. The work includes two new entrances and...
Larsen & Toubro to build railway station in Mumbai
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is planning to start work on a rail station improvement project at Seawoods in Navi Mumbai over the next two months. The project will cost around Rs12bn ($260m) to...
India to open two sections of dedicated freight corridor by 2012
India is planning to open two sections of the dedicated freight corridor project (DFC) by the end of 2012 - two years ahead of schedule. The sections include a 120km freight corridor...
Bulgaria to go ahead with privatisation of rail freight unit
The Bulgarian Government is planning to complete the privatisation of the Freight Services unit of state railway operator BDZ Holding within six months. The privatisation plan is to reform...
Indian Rail to install cameras to monitor unmanned rail crossings
Indian Railways is planning to install 60 high definition (HD) cameras with sophisticated technology at Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram stations in Kerala state to monitor 110 unmanned crossings....
Irish Rail to improve travel times
Ireland's rail operator Iarnród Éireann is planning to invest €175m to improve travel time between Dublin and the regional cities of Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway. ...
Illinois to rebuild rail bridges on Union Pacific North Line
Illinois Regional Transportation Authority's commuter rail division Metra has unveiled a plan to invest $240m to reconstruct 22 rail bridges along its Union Pacific North Line. Replacement...
August 2011
Top
Australia shortlists bidders for Regional Rail Link
Australia has shortlisted two consortiums to carry out the Southern Cross Station to Footscray stretch of the A$7.3bn (US$7.6bn) Regional Rail Link project. The scope of the work...
Thailand unveils four high-speed rail projects
Thailand has unveiled plans for four high-speed railway projects linking Bangkok with four other major cities. The four train lines spanning a distance of 1,280km, include the...
Network Rail installs cameras to detect overhead power cable defects
Network Rail in the UK has rolled out 30 new cameras across the country to help maintenance crews spot defects in rail wires up to 25ft overhead. The installation of cameras will save time...
Indian Railways trials Wi-Fi technology in New Delhi trains
Indian Railways is planning to roll out the country's first Wi-Fi-enabled train by December, which will run on the New Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani Express line. The Wi-Fi facility will be...
Europorte to install GPS beacons on locomotives
Europorte in France has signed a contract with Belgian company Railnova to fit GPS beacons in all its locomotives, starting from next month, in order to improve traffic efficiency, enhance...
US proposes amendment to positive train control systems
The US has proposed changes to the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) rule regarding the installation of positive train control (PTC) systems that will give railroads greater flexibility...
Russia to build $100bn Bering Strait high-speed rail tunnel
The Russian Government has approved an ambitious plan to build a 65 mile-long undersea rail tunnel under the Bering Strait to connect Russia and the US at a cost of $100bn. The Bering...
Eurostar launches mobile ticket booking application
Eurostar, the high-speed passenger service linking the UK and Europe, has launched a free mobile application to allow passengers to book journeys on the go and receive tickets directly to...
US DoT allocates funds for north-east rail corridor upgrades
The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has allocated around $745m to upgrade the rail tracks along the Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) which is the most heavily travelled passenger...
Harsco secures rail equipment orders in Japan and North America
US-based Harsco has received new orders for $13m of railway track maintenance equipment from customers in Japan and North America. The Japan order includes a 20-stone rail grinder configuration,...
Western Australia to commence work on Fremantle rail line
Construction work will commence on the Fremantle rail line in Western Australia as part of the state's Perth City Link project. The Perth City Link Project will reconnect the city centre...
Network Rail completes North Cotswolds track doubling work
Network Rail in the UK has completed the doubling of tracks on the North Cotswolds railway line, which will allow trains to run in both directions between Worcester and Oxford,...
Canadian province closes bids for Toronto airport rail link
Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario in Canada have closed bids for the one-mile air rail link at Toronto Pearson International Airport's Terminal 1. The design, build and finance project is...
Sri Lanka to complete Colombo-Matara line next year
Sri Lanka is planning to complete its $167.4m south coastal railway line from the city of Colombo to Matara by 2012. The project has been funded by the Indian Government and being implemented...
Iraq plans $10bn high-speed train project
The Iraqi Government is planning to invest $10bn to build a high-speed railway line connecting Baghdad to the southern provinces of the country. Iraq signed an initial agreement with Alstom in...
US DoT allocates funds for new Dearborn train station
The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has allocated $28m to the Michigan Department of Transportation for the construction of a new train station in Dearborn, Michigan. The funding will...
Ansaldo wins signalling contract from Deutsche Bahn
Ansaldo has won a €13.79m contract from Deutsche Bahn to design, supply, install and commission ERTMS / ETCS level 2 signalling systems on the railway line linking Rostock and Berlin. ...
Mongolia plans $5.5bn rail project
Mongolia is planning to invest $5.5bn to build a railway gauge line linking Dalanzadgad, Tavan Tolgoi, Sainshand, Baruun-Urt and Choibalsan. The deputy prime minister of Mongolia N...
GBS to provide Rail Canada with real-time train status information system
GBS has won a contract from VIA Rail Canada to provide a real-time Train Status Information (TSI) system. The TSI system will optimise GPS, train schedules and related data to provide...
Scotland to resume Edinburgh tram project in September
Construction work on the Edinburgh tram project in Scotland will resume in September following the resolution of a two-year dispute between tram company Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (tie)...
Turkey completes Ankara-Konya high-speed rail project
Turkish State Railways (TCDD) has completed a new TRY1bn ($567.9m) high-speed rail line connecting the Turkish capital Ankara to central Konya province. The 309km line will be put into...
Portugal to take decision on high-speed rail line next month
The Portugese Government will take the final decision on the construction of a high-speed rail line linking Madrid to Lisbon in September. The current Portuguese Government suspended the...
Parsons Brinckerhoff to design light rail contract in Los Angeles
The Exposition Construction Authority in Los Angeles, US, has awarded a $542m contract to a joint venture between Skanska and Rados for the design and construction of phase II of the Expo...
IRCON to provide signalling system to Sri Lankan Railways
India's state-owned IRCON has won a $86.5m contract from Sri Lanka Railways for the installation of signalling and telecommunication systems on the rail network in the northern province of...
Malaysia awards Malaysian Resources light rail contract
Malaysian Resources (MRCB) has won a MYR1.33bn ($445.9m) subway contract from Malaysian Government infrastructure developer Syarikat Prasarana Negara. The contract covers construction...
FAAC to deliver light rail simulator to Toronto transit
FAAC Incorporated, part of Arotech (ARTX), has won a contract to supply a light rail vehicle simulator to Toronto Transit Commission. Under the $2.1m contract, FAAC will design, develop...
Gatwick Express introduces e-ticket and m-ticket systems
Gatwick Express, the non-stop rail-air link between central London and Gatwick Airport, has introduced new e-ticket and m-ticket options online. The e-ticket option allows passengers to...
Keller wins rail contracts in London
UK-based Keller group has won two contracts from Crossrail for two tunnel projects on the new east-west railway link to be built under central London. The scope of works includes...
Macmahon wins FMG Solomon rail spur construction contract
Fortescue Metals has awarded a A$300m (US$309m) contract to Macmahon Holdings for the construction of the first stage of the Solomon rail spur in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. ...
Jerusalem light rail to begin operations today
The long-delayed Jerusalem Light Railway in Israel will begin operations today. The light rail line connects West Jerusalem to East Jerusalem, and will cut the journey time between Pisgat Zeev...
Vinci secures Nottingham train station upgrade contract
Vinci Construction has been chosen by Network Rail in the UK to redevelop Nottingham train station at a cost of £60m. Network Rail will provide £41m towards the project, while the UK city...
Chattanooga-Atlanta rail project moves forward
The Georgia Department of Transportation in the US has secured the matching funds that will help move forward the proposed 110-mile Chattanooga-to-Atlanta high-speed rail project. The $3.3m...
Half of UK Travellers Say Fair Hikes Deter Them From Travelling
According to a survey commissioned by a rail infrastructure support services specialist, massive train fare increases and delays will put efforts to decarbonise the UK economy and boost rail...
Abigroup Wins Williams Landing Railway Station Project in Australia
UK-based Abigroup has won a $65m contract from Department of Transport of Victoria, Australia, to design and construct Williams Landing railway station and associated infrastructure works. ...
Crossrail Invites Bids for Tunnel Access Shaft in London
Crossrail has invited bids for C360 Eleanor Street and Mile End Park shafts that will provide ventilation, maintenance intervention and emergency access to the operating railway tunnel. The...
Dublin’s Luas Rail Line to Cost Less Than Expected
The Railway Procurement Agency Dublin, Ireland, has revised the cost of the Luas BXD rail line, which will connect the city's Green and Red lines, to less than €300m. Initially, the...
China CNR Recalls High-Speed Trains Over Safety Concerns
Chinese bullet train maker CNR Corp has recalled 54 high-speed trains, which are being used on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, over safety concerns. State-owned CNR said the...
Victoria to Move Ahead with Avalon Rail Project
The Australian state of Victoria has revealed that a rail link to Avalon airport will be built ahead of the planned Melbourne Airport connection. Minister Rich-Phillips confirmed that...
Bombardier Delivers Class 379 Trains to UK
Bombardier has delivered the last of the 30 Electrostar trains to UK train operator National Express East Anglia ahead of schedule. The new trains will help the train operator offer...
New Zealand's Christchurch Unveils Light-Rail Plan
The Christchurch City Council in New Zealand has unveiled plans to build a light-rail network that will initially connect the University of Canterbury and the city centre. The NZ$406m...
India Approves Third Phase Expansion of Delhi Metro
India has approved the Phase III expansion of the Delhi Metro project, which will be carried out at a cost of Rs352.4bn ($7.7bn). The 103.05km project includes a 55.69km Mukundpur -Yamuna...
Network Rail Awards Infrastructure Improvement Contract to Morgan Sindall JV
A Colas Rail Morgan Sindall joint venture (JV) has been selected to carry out a £750m rail infrastructure improvement by the UK's Network Rail. The JV has been appointed to carry out works...
Saudi Arabia Unveils Makkah Metro Expansion Plan
Saudi Arabia's Makkah municipality development organisation AlBalad AlAmeen (BAC) has unveiled plans for the development of four metro lines in the city. The first phase of the Makkah Mass...
US Rail Operator Launches iPhone Ticketing Application
US-based rail operator Amtrak has launched an iPhone ticketing application through which passengers can plan trips, purchase tickets, modify existing reservations and, check train schedules...
Alaska Awards Tanana River Bridge Contract
The Alaska Railroad in the US has signed a $156.4m contract with Kiewit to build a new bridge across the Tanana River. Under the deal Kiewit will build the 3,300ft bridge, which will be...
California to Install Collision Prevention Technology on Surfliner Line
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has received a $25m grant from the US Federal Railroad Administration to install sophisticated collision prevention technology in San...
Northampton Railway Station Plan Gains Approval
The initial plan for the £25m redevelopment of Northampton railway station in the UK has been approved. The station plan has been designed by architect BDP, and the redevelopment consists of...
CSR to Deliver Locomotives to Turkmenistan
China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock (CSR) has signed a 2.54bn yuan ($395m) contract to provide 75 locomotives to Turkmenistan. Under the agreement CSR will deliver ten diesel...
UK to Start Manchester Metro Expansion Work this Month
Construction work on the first phase of the light rail extension of the UK's Manchester Metrolink to Manchester Airport will begin this month, providing a direct link to the airport. The...
Turkey to Revive Hijaz Rail Line
The Turkish Government has started work on a plan to revive the Hijaz railway line linking Istanbul in Turkey to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which was originally built during the Ottoman era in the...
Australia Completes Rappville Section of Curve Easing Project
Australia has completed the Rappville section of the North Coast Curve Easing Project as part of the Interstate Rail Network improvement programme between Newcastle and the Queensland...
US Allocates Funds for Californian Rail Projects
The US Department of Transportation has allocated $179m to the state of California to continue building a passenger rail network that includes both high-speed and intercity services. The...
Azerbaijan to Open Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway by 2012
The construction of the $775m Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway (BTK) project connecting the Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish railway systems is expected to be completed by 2012. Construction on...
Advance Rail Group Forms Strategic Partnership with Al Rashid Trading
UAE-based Advance Rail Group (ARG) has signed an agreement with Al Rashid Trading & Contracting of Saudi Arabia to bid for SAR3bn ($800m) of Saudi railway projects. Saudi Railway Company...
Sudan and Chad to Build a $2bn Rail Line
Sudan, Chad and Export Import Bank of China are planning to sign a tripartite agreement to secure funds for a $2bn rail corridor linking Sudan and Chad. The rail line will connect...
VeriFone to Provide Mobile Ticketing Solution to Austrian Rail
VeriFone Systems' PAYware mobile enterprise and managed services platform has been selected by Austrian rail provider WESTbahn Management to be used as a mobile ticketing validation and...
Siemens to Modernise Signalling System in Denmark
The Danish railway infrastructure developer and operator, Banedanmark, has awarded a €252m contract to Siemens to modernise the signalling system of Copenhagen's (S-Bane) commuter...
Parsons JV Wins Maryland Rail Contract
A joint venture comprising of Parsons Brinckerhoff, RK&K and AECOM has been appointed by US Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) as an on-call general engineering consultant for state...
AfDB Funds Railway Infrastructure in East Africa
The African Development Bank (AfDB) will extend $40m to support a five-year capital investment programme for Rift Valley Railways, a consortium established to manage the parastatal railways...
China Rail Raises Funds for Railway Projects
China's Ministry of Railways (MOR) is planning to raise CNY20bn ($3.1bn) by issuing super short-term commercial papers (SCP) with a maturity of 90 days. The funds will be used to build...
Kapsch to Install GSM R Technology on Czech Rail Network
SŽDC, the Czech infrastructure operator, has signed a deal with Kapsch to install its GSM-R technology along a 230km railway track between Ostrava-SR and Prerov-C. Trebov. Under the...
Bangladesh Railway to Acquire Commuter Trains from Tangshan Railway
Bangladesh Railway has signed a $58.3m contract with Tangshan Railway Vehicle in China to procure 20 sets of commuter trains. Under the contract, Bangladesh Railway will buy 20 Meter...
Greenbrier Wins Railcar Platform Orders
Greenbrier has received orders for 3,700 railcar platforms worth $285m for the North American and European markets. The orders are primarily for double-stack intermodal platforms,...
US Allocates Funds for Next-Generation Trains
The US Department of Transportation has allocated $336.2m to California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Missouri states to purchase next-generation, American-made trains. The new funding...
Canadian Railway to Upgrade Locomotive Yard
Canadian National Railway (CN) has unveiled plans to invest $165m to expand its yard in Gary, Indiana, US, and to relocate its Chicago-area locomotive repair yard to the upgraded...
Gindalbie Metals Signs Katara Rail Deal in Australia
Australian iron ore producer Gindalbie Metals has signed a long-term rail access agreement with WestNet Rail to secure full infrastructure access for its $2.57bn iron Karara iron ore project,...
Chun Wo Development Wins Three Rail Contracts in China
Chun Wo Development Holdings has won three rail construction contracts worth HK$2,351m ($301m) from MTR Corporation in China. The first contract is worth HK$1,170m ($150m) for construction...
VINCI Wins Doha Light Rail Transit Project
France-based VINCI Construction and QDVC, a subsidiary of Qatari Diar, have been awarded a €374m contract to carry out further works on the Light Rail Transit System (LRT) system in...
Australia Unveils High-Speed Rail Project
Australia has unveiled a plan to build a high-speed rail network spanning Australia's east coast from Brisbane to Melbourne at a cost of A$108bn (US$116bn). The high-speed rail line will...
Utah's New TRAX Light Rail to Begin Operation
The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) in the US has announced that construction is nearly complete on the Mid-Jordan and West Valley TRAX lines to Salt Lake County. Both lines, which are set to...
Ukrainian Railways to Roll Out WiMAX Services on Passenger Trains
The Ukraine State Administration of Railway Transport is planning to introduce WiMAX wireless communication services on its domestic passenger trains. The wireless connection will be tested...
GWR to Acquire Arizona Eastern Railway
Genesee & Wyoming (GWR) has signed an agreement to acquire the Arizona Eastern Railways (AZER) from Iowa Pacific Holdings of Chicago for $90m. GWR, which operates regional freight railroads...
EMD Wins Heavy Haul Freight Locomotive Contract From Etihad Rail
Etihad Rail in the UAE has awarded a contract to US-based Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) to design and manufacture seven heavy haul freight locomotives. EMD will deliver the locomotives by 2012 to...
South Africa Expands Gautrain High-Speed Line to Pretoria
South Africa has expanded its rapid-rail line, connecting Johannesburg's main business district with the capital Pretoria in a bid to ease traffic congestion in the province. The Gautrain...
Leighton Wins Sydney Fright Rail Contract
Australian Rail Track has awarded a $150m contract to Leighton Contractors for the final stage of the Southern Sydney Freight Line (SSFL). Under the contract, Leighton will complete...
Qatar Seeks Bidders for Doha Metro
Qatar Railways Company (QRail) has invited bidders for the design and construction of the Doha Metro project. The total cost of the railway project is estimated to be $35.7bn and the...
Zambia to Expand Rail Network
The Zambia Government has signed an agreement with foreign investors to carry out three rail projects in the country. The first contract involves the extension of Chipata-Mchinji railway...
Brunswick Rail Buys New Coal Gondolas from CJSC Promtraktor-Vagon
Brunswick Rail, one of Russia's railcar operating lessors, has signed a deal with CJSC Promtraktor-Vagon to buy 70 new-generation gondolas. The four-axle 12-1304 gondolas feature a...
Midas Wins Chinese Railcar Contracts
Midas Holding has won two contracts worth 3.13bn yuan ($485.8m) to supply train cars in China. The first contract is worth 2.15bn yuan ($328.3m) and involves the supply of 276 train cars...
Deutsche Bahn Moves Ahead with Stuttgart Station Project
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has moved ahead with plans to redesign Stuttgart railway station despite opposition to the project. The rail operator has allocated $1bn in...
Nigeria to Complete Abuja-Kaduna Rail Project
China and Nigeria have spent $629m on the construction of a rail line linking the Nigerian capital Abuja to the northern city of Kaduna. The 186km Idu-Kaduna rail project will have...
Indian Railways Orders Rescue Equipment for Accident Relief Operation
Indian Rail is planning to order high-tech equipment to speed up rescue and relief operations in the aftermath of accidents. The state-owned rail operator is planning to invest Rs5bn ($111m)...
Crossrail to Build Tunnel Portal at Victoria Dock
Crossrail has sought bids to build a 21km tunnel portal at Victoria Dock in East London, UK. The £50m project involves the construction and excavation of the tunnel portal, which...
DB Schenker Trials UK's First European-Sized Freight Train
DB Schenker Rail has trialled its first train of standard European-profile wagons on the High Speed 1 (HS1) rail route in the UK. The wagons offers larger haulage capacity, with an...
Singapore Awards Station Contracts for Downtown Line Stage 3
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore has awarded three civil contracts worth S$582.07m ($483m) for the Downtown Line Stage 3 (DTL3) project. The contracts for C925 and C937 have...
CIT Order for 5,000 Railcars
CIT Rail, a unit of CIT group in the US, has ordered 5,000 hopper and tank cars for $475m, and the production of the rail cars will be done by multiple manufacturers. CIT said the rail...
Carillion to Build Vaughan Corporate Centre Station in Canada
Carillion has won a £123m contract to construct Vaughan Corporate Centre Station for the Toronto Transit Commission in Canada. The contract is part of the Toronto to York Spadina...
Kiewit Parsons JV Wins Gold Line Extension Contract in US
Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority Board in Los Angeles, US, has awarded a $485.9m contract to a Kiewit Parsons joint venture to design and construct the Metro Gold...
July 2011
Top
AECOM-Led Consortium to Build Sydney's North West Rail Link
An AECOM-led consortium has won a contract from the New South Wales Government in Australia to plan and design the North West Rail Link. The project will add six new stations and regular...
Costain-Skanska JV Secures London's Paddington Station Contract
A joint venture between Costain and Skanska has secured a £150m contract from Crossrail to construct Paddington station in London, UK. The new Crossrail station in Paddington has been...
Virginia County Approves Dulles Metrorail Project Funding Plan
The Fairfax County Board in Virginia, US, has given preliminary approval to a new funding agreement for the second phase of the Metrorail extension to Dulles Airport. The county has approved...
Bangladesh Metro Rail Project Moves Ahead
The $1.7bn metro rail project in Dhaka, Bangladesh has moved ahead as its main lender, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is set to start loan negotiations with the government...
Siemens Wins ETCS Contract in Hungary
Hungary-based Nemezeti Infrastruktúra Fejleszto Zrt. has awarded a contract to Siemens for the supply of two electronic Simis interlockings, an Iltis remote control system and 15 level crossings...
Taiwan Invests $1.8bn to Prevent High-Speed Rail from Sinking
Taiwan is planning to invest $1.8bn to seal 1,000 wells over the next ten years to save its high-speed rail from subsiding into the ground. The project will reduce the rate of subsidence...
Alstom Consortium to Deliver 66 MF01 Trainsets to Paris Métro
Paris-based public transport operator RATP has ordered a new tranche of 66 MF01 metro trainsets from a consortium of Alstom Bombardier and Areva for €300m. The new trainsets will be...
New Zealand to Invest $36bn in Transport Projects
The New Zealand Government has unveiled a plan to invest $36bn in transport projects through the National Land Transport Fund over the next ten years. The plan has earmarked $1.6bn...
Railway-technology.com Launches Major Transport Survey
Railway-technology.com is launching a major global transport industry survey, and we'd like to hear your opinions on the most important sustainability issues for 2011-12. Upon completion,...
Georgia Commuter Rail to Cost $1.2bn
The proposed commuter railway line from Cumberland Mall to Midtown Atlanta in Georgia, US, is estimated to cost about $1.2bn for construction and will require $9.6m a year to operate, according...
Bombardier Wins BiLevel Railcar Contract in Florida
Bombardier Transportation has won a $41m contract from the Florida Department of Transportation in the US to deliver 14 BiLevel rail cars to be used in the SunRail commuter rail project. ...
UK to Invite Bidders for HS2 by September
The UK Government is moving ahead with plans to invite bidders for the £32bn High Speed Two (HS2) project by early September. The proposed high-speed railway project will run between London...
Chicago Transit Authority Orders 300 Rapid Transit Railcars
Chicago Transit Authority has ordered 300 additional rapid transit railcars from Bombardier for $331m. The next-generation rapid transit cars, known as the 5000-Series, will be have...
Delhi Metro Rail to Install New Signalling System
The Delhi Metro Rail is planning to install a new signalling system during phase III of the metro rail network in order to improve rail frequency on the route. The new radio-based system...
ADB to Fund Turkmenistan Rail Project
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has extended $125m to Turkmenistan to fund construction of its section of Central Asia's proposed North-South railway link from Central Asia to Iran. The loan...
36 Killed in a Train Accident in China
At least 36 people were killed and more than 200 people were injured in a train accident in east China's Zhejiang province on Saturday night. The accident took place when a high-speed...
Morocco Completes Rabat-Salé Tramway
Morocco has inaugurated the Rabat-Salé tramway in the capital, which was constructed at a cost of €303m. The new tramway has two lines, spans a total length of 20km and has 31...
South Korea to Invest $3.7bn in High-speed Rail
South Korea has unveiled plans to invest $3.7bn in the expansion of the country's high-speed rail network in preparation for the country hosting the 2018 Olympic Games. The rail project...
BART and BMW Unit Partner to Make New Generation Train Cars
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in San Francisco has signed an agreement with DesignworksUSA, a subsidiary of BMW Group, to create a new generation of train cars known as the Fleet of the...
EIB Lends €224m to Polish Rail Operator for Intercity Trains
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €224m agreement with Poland rail operator PKP Intercity to finance the purchase of 20 intercity trains and a maintenance depot. The EIB...
China Railway Floats Bond for Infrastructure Upgrade
China's Ministry of Railways (MOR) has reported $294.87bn debt at the end of the first quarter this year, and has issued short-term financing bonds of 20bn yuan ($3bn) in order to support...
Connecticut Orders Additional Rail Cars for New Haven Line
US state of Connecticut has placed an additional $93m order with the Kawasaki Rail Car Corporation to purchase 25 more M-8 rail cars, adding to the 380 already on order, for use on the New...
India Selects UK Firm to Study High-Speed Rail Line
Indian Railways Construction Company International has selected UK-based engineering and development consultancy firm Mott MacDonald to conduct a pre-feasibility study for the country's...
Downer-Bombardier JV to Deliver Rail Cars to Western Australia
Western Australia's Public Transport Authority (PTA) has awarded a contract to a joint venture (JV) between Downer and Bombardier Transportation Australia for 15 passenger rail cars. The...
Spanish Consortium Wins Saudi High-Speed Rail Contract
The Transport Ministry of Saudi Arabia has awarded a €7bn ($10bn) contract to a Spanish consortium to build a high-speed rail network between Medina, Jeddah and Mecca. The 450km Al...
Eurotunnel Adds Class 92 Locomotives
France-based Groupe Eurotunnel has acquired five SNCF Class 92 locomotives to support its cross-channel rail freight operations. The company holds a concession for managing and operating...
Philippines to Trial Mass Railway Transit
The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) and the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, have signed a deal to build an environmentally friendly mass railway transit...
Chinese Firms Express Interest in Brazilian Rail Project
The China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation and Asian Trade & Investments have showed interest in the $10bn Cuiabá-Santarém railroad project in Brazil. The project involves...
Indonesia to Invest $819m in Rail Cargo Fleet Expansion
The Indonesian railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia will invest Rs7tn ($819m) for the purchase of freight trains between 2009 and 2013. The investments will be put towards the purchase of...
Florida Breaks Ground on SunRail Project
The Florida Department of Transportation in the US has broken ground on the SunRail project in downtown Orlando. The project involves building a rail line from DeLand to Poinciana, which...
New South Wales Network Introduces ATP System
Novo Rail Alliance has introduced the first section of an automatic train protection (ATP) system across the entire RailCorp train network in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). ...
India to Build Sri Lanka's Northern Railway Line
India's state-run Indian Railway Construction International (IRCON) will construct the Northern Railway Line track segment between Pallai to Kankasanthurai in Sri Lanka. The Sri...
Kenya Plans 'Lunatic Line' Rail Upgrade
Kenya has unveiled plans for a rail project that involves upgrading the existing line between Mombasa on the Indian Ocean to the shores of Lake Victoria. The route, once known as the...
US Gives Eco-Clearance to Nevada DesertXpress Rail Project
The US Department of Transportation has approved the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of the $6bn DesertXpress Project. The approval, known as Record of Decision (ROD), is the final step...
Poland's High-Speed Rail Network Estimated to Cost $6.2bn
Poland has revealed that the cost of the country's proposed high-speed rail network to link its 12 major cities will be zl18bn ($6.25bn). The country aims to commence construction work on...
Network Rail to Invest in Great Western Rail Route
Network Rail in the UK will invest £5bn in the Great Western rail route to provide more seat availability and shorter journey times. The rail operator is planning to bring new rail...
UK to Consider Camden's Opposition to High Speed Rail Two
Camden Council in the UK has submitted a report opposing the High Speed Two (HS2) proposals, stating that the project would have a substantial negative impact on the borough. The report is...
Dominican Republic Secures Funds for Santo Domingo Metro Rail
The Dominican Republic has approved a €166m financial package to carry out the 11.5km first phase of Santo Domingo's east-west metro Line 2, which will be open by 2012. Civil works...
NAV Wins Light Rail Service Contract in Colorado
North American Video (NAV) has won a contract from Colorado's Regional Transportation District (RTD) Light Rail system in the US to service all its camera, access control, alarm and e-phone...
NIIT Technologies Wins IT Management Deal from Eurostar
India-based NIIT Technologies has won a five-year contract worth $40m from UK-based high speed rail operator Eurostar for IT management services. As part of the deal, NIIT Technologies...
Invensys Rail Orders Westrace MkII Interlocking System in New Zealand
Invensys Rail has commissioned a next-generation Westrace MkII interlocking system on a railway line running to and from Eden Park Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. The Westrace...
SBB Plans an Alternative Rail Route between Zurich and Berne in Switzerland
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) is planning to expand its rail network to reduce travel time to 45 minutes between Zurich and Berne in Switzerland. SBB is studying an alternate route that...
Brazil to Float Two Separate Bids for High-Speed Rail
Brazil will float two separate bids for a $18bn high-speed rail line connecting Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in Brazil. The new high-speed train will cover 500km in one and a half...
Crossrail to Award London Paddington Contract to Costain Skanska JV
Crossrail is set to award a £250m contract for the C405 Paddington Station in London to the Costain Skanska joint venture (JV). The new station in Paddington has been designed by Scott Wilson...
Atkins-Cowi JV Wins Danish Track-Doubling Deal
Atkins, in partnership with Cowi, has won a £160m contract to double track Denmark's Northwest Railway. Double-tracking of the rail line will help increase the line speed from 120km/h...
Syria Unveils Rail Expansion Plan
The Syrian State railway, CFS, has unveiled a plan to develop and expand its existing rail lines by 2025 to allow faster and higher volumes of freight to move on the lines. The plan includes...
Braemar Iron Alliance Proposes Investment in Australian Rail Infrastructure
Braemar Iron Alliance, the promoter of a new iron ore project in Broken Hill, Australia, has estimated that an investment of A$7.6bn (US$8.2bn) in infrastructure is required including...
Leading European Rail Companies Launch Joint Technology Initiative
A group of Europe's leading rail industry suppliers have signed an agreement to establish a joint technology initiative (JTI) to step up rail research and innovation in the European rail...
London's Blackfriars Station to a Have Silent Track
Blackfriars Station in London will have 'silent track' noise dampers installed during an upgrade of the Thameslink route. The rail dampers consist of three resonant steel blocks and...
Metro Washington Unveils Next Generation Railcar Designs
Metro Washington has unveiled the design of its next generation 7000-series railcars featuring hard rubber floors, video screens, security cameras, brighter lighting and more handrails. The...
UK Extends Manchester Rail Line
Transport for Greater Manchester in the UK has opened the Chorlton line extension to Metrolink following the completion of testing and commissioning work. The tram extension is part of a...
Hanoi Metro Rail Project to Complete in 2016
The delayed metro rail project in Vietnamese capital Hanoi will be completed in 2016, one year later than planned. The 12.5km first phase metro line will run from Hanoi's main train station...
Invensys Rail Commissions Double Tracking Project in Malaysia
Invensys Rail has commissioned the first phase of the Seremban to Gemas Double Tracking Project, which will allow a suburban passenger service to run to Sungai Gadut. Phase I of the...
Estel RA to Supply Signalling and Communication Systems to Algeria
Algerian railway development agency ANESRIF has awarded a contract to Estel RA to supply ETCS Level 1 signalling and telecoms system for 290km of the High Plateau line to be built between...
Malaysia Breaks Ground on $16bn Mass Transit Project
Malaysia has broken ground on a MYR48bn ($16bn) mass rail network, which is expected to reduce traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur and boost the economy. The 156km railway line will carry...
Ottawa Plans $2bn Light Rail Tunnel
The city of Ottawa in Canada has scrapped an existing plan to build a 3.2km tunnel for its light rail project, and approved a new plan that will keep the project under its C$2bn...
Peru to Award Fetab Transcontinental Railway Project in November
Peruvian private investment agency ProInversión is expected to award a consultancy tender for its proposed Fetab transcontinental railway project by the first week of November 2011. The...
Ireland Extends Luas Red Rail Line
Ireland has completed the 4.2km extension of Dublin's Luas light rail network by expanding the Red Line from Belgard to Saggart in west Tallaght. The €150m rail line will have five...
Network Rail Awards London Bridge Signalling Contract to Invensys
Network Rail Infrastructure has awarded a contract to Invensys Rail to design and deliver re-signalling work at London Bridge station, UK. Invensys will provide signalling and telecoms...
Pöyry Wins Rail Supervision Contract for Algerian Rail Project
Pöyry's Urban and Mobility consortium has won a site supervision project contract from Algerian's national railway agency ANESRIF in the biggest railway project in Algeria. The project...
69 Killed in Two Indian Train Derailments
At least 69 people were killed and more than 350 people injured in two separate train derailments in India on Sunday. The first accident occurred in India's Uttar Pradesh state when the...
Tadiran to Deliver Communications Solution to Indian Rail
Indian Railways Project Management Unit (IRPMU), a unit of Indian Rail, has selected Tadiran Telecom to provide an advanced and modified version of its Coral IPx integrative communication...
French Commune Receives EIB Loan for Tram Project
European Investment Bank (EIB) has extended €250m loan to Montpellier Agglomération in France to develop the Line 3 tramway network. The loan will be used to renovate four...
Bombardier to Cut 1,400 UK Jobs
Bombardier says it plans to cut more than 1,400 jobs at its rail car plant in Derby, England, after it failed to win a contract to build rail carriages for the new UK Thameslink service. ...
CCD Design to Optimise Network Rail Signalling System
The UK's Network Rail has selected CCD Design and Ergonomics to optimise the specification and design the signalling workstations that control the Thames Valley Signalling Centre including...
PCM Strescon Wins Sleeper Contract From Etihad Rail
India-based PCM Strescon Overseas Ventures has won a contract from UAE's national railway network Etihad Rail to provide railway sleepers for its $11bn rail project. PCM Strescon will...
Network Rail to Improve Wokingham Station
Network Rail has unveiled a plan to improve Wokingham railway station as part of the UK's £150m station improvement programme. Work is expected to start in spring 2012 and will...
Wellington Metro Rail Set for Improvement
KiwiRail, New Zealand and Greater Wellington Regional Council have signed an agreement paving the way for a $168m upgrade to Wellington commuter rail services. Under the agreement...
Macmahon Holdings Wins Rio Tinto Rail Expansion Project
Macmahon Holdings has won three contracts worth A$129m ($135m) from Rio Tinto to build a stretch of rail line and rail bridges as part of Rio Tinto's mine expansion plan in Australia. ...
Kazakhstan Lays Foundation for Astana Light Rail Project
Astana LRT in Kazakhstan has awarded a contract to a consortium led by Alstom to build a 41.8km light rail network in the Kazakh capital. The light rail project will include more than 10km...
Wabtec Buys GE Rail Car Parts Business
Rail parts manufacturer Wabtec has acquired a railcar parts replacement business from GE Transportation, a unit of General Electric. The acquisition includes product lines of AC and DC...
EIB Funds Development of Rail in Turkey
European Investment Bank (EIB) has extended its €145m loan to Turkish State Railways to improve the country's rail network. The loan will help rehabilitate and implement a signalling...
Ottawa City Seeks Bids for $2.1bn Light Rail Project
The Canadian capital Ottawa is seeking bids for a $2.1bn light rail project that will run between Tunney's Pasture and Blair Road. The project includes 12.5km light rail line and a...
Portugal Halts Construction of High-Speed Rail to Spain
Portugal has halted the construction of its high-speed rail link to Spain, which would have been completed by 2013, as part of its efforts to narrow its budgetary deficit. The...
Amtrak Secures Loan to Purchase Locomotives
Amtrak has received a $563m Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loan from the US Federal Railroad Administration to buy electric trains from Germany-based Siemens. Amtrak will...
China to Invest $154bn in Urban Rail Projects
China is planning to invest 1tn yuan ($154.5bn) by 2015 to carry out 96 urban rail projects in the country. The proposed urban rail lines will cover 2,500km, according to the Beijing...
TagMaster to Supply Heavy Duty Tags for China Rail
Sweden-based producer of radio frequency identification (RFID) solution TagMaster has won an order from RICHOR, Shanghai, to supply 10,000 heavy duty ID tags. The 2.45GHz heavy duty ID tags...
Scomi Geodesic Signs MoU to Finance Indian Monorail Project
India's Bangalore Monorail project proponent, the Scomi Geodesic Consortium, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IERS (ITNL Enso Rail System), a subsidiary company of...
Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail Begins Service
A high-speed train service connecting the Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai has started operations to ease pressure on the country's overloaded transport system. The $33bn high-speed...
Baltimore Red Line Light Rail Project Moves Forward
The US Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has given approval for the Baltimore Red Line light rail project to move into the engineering phase. The phase will include preparation of...
Swiss Firms Award Two Telecoms Contracts to Nexans
Switzerland’s CFF (Chemins de Fer Fédéraux) and BLS (Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon) has awarded two railway safety and telecommunications equipment contracts worth €17m to Nexans. Nexans...
TriMet Breaks Ground on Willamette Bridge Project
Public transportation company TriMet, which serves the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area in the US, has broken ground on the $134m Willamette bridge, part of the $1.49bn light rail...
South African Rail Plans Fleet Expansion
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has completed the feasibility study for a ZAR95bn ($13.8bn) rolling stock acquisition programme to expand its Metrorail commuter train...
US Earmarks $1.58bn for 27 Transit Projects
The US has announced that $1.58bn in funding will be made available for 27 transit projects across the country to help improve public transportation access. The transit projects will...
Sumitomo and Sumitomo Metal Buy Standard Steel
Sumitomo Metal Industries and Sumitomo Corp are planning to buy US-based railway wheels and axles manufacturer Standard Steel for about $340m. Under the deal Sumitomo Metal will own 90% of...
June 2011
Top
ADB to Fund Turkmenistan Rail Project
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will extend $125m to Turkmenistan to build a 311km railway line through the Turkmen section of the existing rail line to Iran. The rail line will pass through...
UK Seeks Private Investment for £33bn High-Speed Rail
The UK is seeking private investors to fund its £33bn high-speed rail project (HS2) which will connect London to Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester. According to the UK transport secretary...
France Funds Rail Research Initiative
France has extended €550m funding to the European Institute for Technological Research in Rail Infrastructure to support research and development, innovation and engineering training in...
Saudi Arabia Plans 120km Rail Line
Saudi Arabia Railway is planning to build a 120km railway line linking the industrial city of Jubail and Dammam port connecting the mining centres. The railway link will connect the two...
Alstom to Build High-Speed Railway in Iraq
Iraq has signed a preliminary deal with Alstom to construct a high-speed railway between Basra and Baghdad. Alstom will now hold talks with Iraqi officials over the next twelve months to...
Construction Begins on Iran-Turkmenistan Railway
Construction on the Iran-Turkmenistan railway project has started in the city of Ganbad Kavoos in northern Iran. The 960km-long railroad, including 150km in Iran, will transport 3-5Mt of...
Singapore and Malaysia to Build Rapid Rail by 2018
Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to open a rapid transit rail service by 2018 to connect the city state with the southern Malaysian city of Johor Bahru. Both agreed last year to develop...
Indian State Plans Light Rail Project in Gurgaon
Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon (RMG) in India has completed a feasibility study on the expansion of light rail transport in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. The project, which has been submitted to the...
PRASA Awards Signalling System Contract to Siemens
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has awarded a R900m ($131.8m) contract to Siemens to build a new signal centre in Gauteng province, South Africa, and to upgrade...
Macau Revises Budget for Light Rail Project
The Government of Macau has increased the budget for the first phase of its light rapid transit project by 46% to MOP11bn ($1.4bn) from the initial budget of MOP4.2bn ($514.6m) proposed in...
Council Report Supports Edinburgh Tram Project
Scrapping the Edinburgh tram project in Scotland entirely would cost about £750m, while running the line from Edinburgh Airport through to St Andrew Square as planned will cost £770m, compared...
California to Design Modern Signalling System on Caltrain Tracks
The Federal Railroad Administration in the US has extended a $16m grant to the California High-Speed Rail Authority for the design of a modern signalling system on the Caltrain corridor between...
Illinois Secures Funds for Englewood Rail Flyover Project
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Norfolk Southern (NS) and Amtrak have signed an agreement securing $133m funding for the Englewood Flyover. The rail-to-rail flyover...
Mermec to Supply Diagnostic Vehicles in New South Wales
Mermec Group has won a contract from RailCorp, the rail operator in New South Wales, Australia to supply a fleet of diagnostic vehicles. Under the €15m contract Mermec will supply...
Bangladesh Allocates Funds for Rail Projects
The Bangladesh government has revealed a plan to carry out 22 transport projects worth $6.45bn, including eight projects for railways, to upgrade the country's land transport infrastructure...
Singapore Awards Rail Station Contract
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore has awarded contracts worth S$216.8m ($175.3m) to China State Construction Engineering to build two MRT stations, which are part of the Downtown...
Indian State Plans Metro Rail Project
The state of Punjab in India has approved the Rs87bn ($1.9bn) Ludhiana Metro Rail project, which will be carried out either by Public Private Partnership or in a Build Operate Transfer...
Russian Rail and Patentes Talgos Sign Scientific Cooperation Deal
Russian Railways and Spanish company Pantentes Talgos have signed an agreement for scientific and technical cooperation on rolling stock development. The cooperation includes...
Qatar to Float Tenders for Rail Project by 2012
Qatar is planning to issue 19 construction contracts worth $1bn for the Qatar railway project, including the metro and GCC network, between now and the end of next year. The tender for the...
Victoria Buys X'Trapolis Trains from Alstom
The Victoria state government in Australia has bought seven new X'Trapolis trains from Alstom for A$210.4m (US$223m) for use on the Epping and Hurstbridge lines in east Melbourne in 2013. The...
Deutsche Bahn Orders 56 Regional Trains from Alstom
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has ordered 56 Coradia Lint regional trains from Alstom for €325m ($466m). The two- and three-car diesel trains will have 180 seats (Lint 54) or 300...
UK MPs Seek Review of £32bn London–Birmingham High-Speed Rail
A study commissioned by the UK's all-party Transport Select Committee has sought a review of the £32bn 250mph high-speed rail line from London to Birmingham, questioning its economic...
Indian Rail to Raise Funds for Expansion
Indian Rail is planning to raise Rs100bn ($2.2bn) in tax-free bonds by September to expand the country's rail network. State-owned Indian Rail plans to use Rs53bn ($1.1bn) to lay additional...
Russian Railways Orders Gauge-Changing Passenger Trains
Russian Railways subsidiary Federal Passenger Company has ordered design and supply gauge-changing passenger trains from Spanish company Patentes Talgo. Under the deal, Patentes Talgo will...
Toronto Starts Toronto-York-Spadina Subway Extension
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in Canada has started work on the $2.6bn Toronto-York Spadina subway extension, which aims to cut travel times and ease traffic congestion on the route. ...
Invensys to Provide Signalling System to Bucharest Metro
Metrorex, the operator of Bucharest Metro in Romania, has signed a deal with Invensys Rail to provide a signalling system on its Line 4 extension. Under the deal, Invensys Rail will...
Tognum and Transmashholding Form Engine JV in Russia
German engine-maker Tognum has set up a joint venture (JV) with Russian railway equipment manufacturer Transmashholding to produce high-performance diesel engines at a new plant in Kolomna,...
China Information Technology to Implement GIS for Chinese Network
China Information Technology is carrying out a project with Shuohuang Railway Development in China to implement a geographic information system (GIS) technology for the railway network. The...
Sinking Ground Threatens Taiwan’s High-Speed Rail
Taiwan's $15bn high-speed rail network on the north-south transport route system could be inoperable within ten years due to sinking earth in central Taiwan, a senior Taiwanese official has said. ...
Saudi Arabia’s Haramain Railway Project to Cost $11bn
Saudi Arabia's Haramain Railway, which is currently under construction and will link Makkah and Madinah with Jeddah, will cost SAR42bn ($11.1bn). The high-speed railway line will initially...
Ch Karnchang Wins Bangkok Rail Project
Thailand-based Ch Karnchang has won a THB14.14bn ($462m) contract to build an elevated train system for Bangkok's green line mass transit project. The 12.6km elevated line will provide a link...
Vinci Wins French High-Speed Rail Contract
Vinci has won a 50-year concession contract from French rail infrastructure company Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) to design, construct, maintain and operate a high-speed rail link between Tours...
Serbia Rail Requires $5.7bn for Corridor 10 Rail Line
Serbia's state-owned railway company Zeleznice Srbije requires $5.7bn to complete its main rail corridor, Corridor 10, including the costs for documentation and expropriation. Zeleznice...
ARTC Trials Advanced Train Management System
Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has completed the first stage of the advanced train management system (ATMS) proof of concept phase between Port Pirie and Port Augusta, north of...
UK Unveils £1bn Scottish Rail Improvement Plan
The UK has launched the consultation period for Network Rail's five-year £1bn Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme, which promises to revolutionise central Scotland's rail network. The...
India to Carry Out Western Freight Corridor with Japanese JV
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corp India (DFCCIL) is planning to carry out its 1,490km Western Freight Corridor project in a joint venture between Indian and Japanese companies. The $6.7bn...
ABB Delivers Rapid Installation Power System to Swiss Rail
ABB has developed a medium voltage outdoor compact substation module for Swiss Federal Railways that can be installed overnight when rail traffic is at its lowest. The new coupling station...
Australia Rail Curve Easing Project Moves Forward
Australian Rail Track (ARTC) has started a A$170m (US$179.5m) curve easing project on the interstate rail network in Australia to fix sharp bends on the tracks. ARTC has fixed the section...
Bombardier Wins London Underground Signalling Contract
Bombardier Transportation has secured a £354m contract to upgrade the sub surface railway automatic train control (ATC) signalling system on the London Underground metro system in the UK. ...
CAF Funds Panama Metro Line 1
The Andean Development Corporation (CAF) has extended a $400m loan to Panama to part-fund Panama City's Metro Line 1. The loan will be used to build a 13.6km line that will run from Los...
Invensys to Unveil Modular Signalling System
Invensys will unveil its modular signalling system, which promises to offer higher levels of safety, performance and cost saving. Modular Signalling Solutions allow rail operators to improve...
Bombardier to Set up Product Design and Development Centre in Canada
Bombardier Transportation has revealed a plan to invest $17m to set up a product design and development centre in Saint-Bruno, Quebec, Canada. The new centre will be used for designing...
G4S Technology to Enhance Rail Communication Network in California
G4S Technology has been selected by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority to carry out a technology upgrade that will allow more trains to run on Metrolink tracks in California,...
China Set to Roll Out Showpiece High-Speed Rail Line
China is set to launch its high-speed railway line linking Beijing to Shanghai later this month, which will run at a speed of 300km/h, cutting travel time between the two cities to less than...
Saudi Arabia Allocates Funds for Makkah Rail Project
Saudi Arabia has allocated SAR2bn ($533m) for the first phase of the Makkah rail project. The first phase of the project, which is expected to cost SAR8bn ($2.13bn) in total, will link...
ABB Wins Saudi Rail Power Contract
ABB has won an $85m order from AlFanar Construction to supply 380kV of indoor gas-insulated switchgears (GIS) for six substations that will power the 444km high-speed Haramain rail line...
Skanska Wins Prague Subway Contract
Skanska has won a CZK3.7bn ($219.6m) contract from the city of Prague, Czech Republic, for technical work on the city's subway extension. Prague's subway line A is currently undergoing a...
Sweden Studies High-Speed Rail Project in Skåne Region
Sweco has been selected to examine suitable station sites for a proposed high-speed rail line in Skåne, Sweden. The assignment comes following a study conducted at the request of the...
Kenya Allocates Funds for Rail Projects
The Kenyan Government has earmarked KES3.25bn ($36.6m) to start construction of a standard gauge railway connecting Mombasa and Malaba in western Kenya with a branch to Kisumu. The project...
Buenos Aires Seeks Funds for Metro Line
The Argentinean capital of Buenos Aires is seeking ($290m) from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to build a new line on the capital's metro system. The line will stretch 11km will have...
South Australia to Install Automatic Train Protection System
The state of South Australia has earmarked $50m to install Automatic Train Protection (ATP) on Adelaide electrified rail lines to reduce the risk of collisions or derailments. The...
Alstom to Supply 26 Citadis Trams in France
Alstom has won an €80m contract from the metropolitan authority of Greater Bordeaux, France to supply high-capacity Citadis tramsets that can accommodate up to 400 passengers. The...
Costain-Hochtief JV to Rebuild Reading Station
Network Rail in the UK has selected Costain-Hochtief JV as the preferred bidder to rebuild Reading station. The contract is worth £80m and it is part of Network Rail's £850m project...
Japan Finalises Stations for Maglev Line
Central Japan Railway (JR Tokai) has decided to locate stations for a magnetic-levitation (Maglev) line in Tokyo's Shinagawa area and near Nagoya's bullet train station. TR Tokai has...
Queensland Awards Gold Coast Transit System Contract to GoldLinQ
The Queensland state of Australia has awarded a $1.1bn contract to GoldLinQ to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Gold Coast Rapid Transit System. The GoldLinQ...
Northland, Kiruna Wagon to Design High-Grade Iron Ore Railcars
Northland Resources has signed a cooperation agreement with Kiruna Wagon to develop a railcar specially designed to handle high-grade iron ore concentrate from Northland's Kaunisvaara mine...
Hassell Unveils Concept Design of Australian High Speed Train
Hassell has unveiled a concept design for the Australian High-Speed Vehicle as ministers debate the ecological, economical and social issues of implementing high speed trains. The...
Spain Opens Murcia Tramline
Spain has opened the Murcia tram line on its 17.5 km light rail network. The route runs from Estadio Nueva Condomina in the northeast to the University of Murcia campus in the northwest,...
Ansaldo Wins Cab-Signaling Contract from Alstom
Ansaldo STS has won a $16.7m contract from Alstom Power and Transport Canada to supply cab-signalling systems for its recently awarded STM MPM-10 project in Montreal, Canada. Under the...
Alstom and Transmashholding to Design Electric Trains for Russian Rail
Alstom Transport and its Russian partner Transmashholding will design electric trains to be used in Russia's regional and suburban fleets. The new electric trains will include four to...
Infrabel Opens Solar-Powered Rail Tunnel on Paris-Amsterdam Line
Belgian rail network operator Infrabel has opened the Paris to Amsterdam high-speed rail link tunnel, which features 16,000 solar panels on its 3.4km rooftop. The solar panels will...
São Paulo Awards Monorail Contract
Metro São Paulo in Brazil has awarded a R$2.6bn (US$862.8m) contract to Monotrilho Integracao consortium, which comprises Scomi, Andrade Gutierrez, CR Almeida and Montagens e...
Qatar to Invite Bids for $35bn Rail Projects
Qatar is planning to invite bids for $35bn worth of railway and metro systems within next two months as part of its preparation for hosting the 2022 Football World Cup. Qatar is planning...
Downer a Step Closer to Completing Waratah Rail Project
Downer has revealed that most of the work on their delayed first Waratah trainset is complete and it is now set to deliver to New South Wales in Australia as part of a $3.6bn project. Under...
Philippines Unveils Metro Rail Rehabilitation Plan
The Transport Department of the Philippines has unveiled a plan to rehabilitate the country's Metro Rail Transit 3 and Light Rail Transit 1 lines at a cost of $1.5bn. The project includes...
QR National Signs Rail Haulage Deal with Gindalbie
QR National Freight and Australian iron ore producer Gindalbie Metals have signed a 10-year rail haulage agreement for the Karara Iron Ore Project in Western Australia. Under the...
Russia Completes Olympic Rail Tunnel
Russian Railways has started construction of a rail tunnel between the central and Khostinsky districts of Sochi, which is being constructed as part of a RUR17.8bn ($639m) project. The...
Siemens and Sinara form JV to Supply Regional Trains to Russian Railways
Siemens has joined forces with Russia-based Sinara Group to form the Train Technologies venture, which aims to build 240 Desiro RUS electric trains for Russian Railways in a deal valued...
Transmash Holding to Supply 200 Freight Electric Locomotives in Russia
Transmash Holding has won a €1bn contract from Russian Railways to supply 200 electric-powered trains as part of a deal to upgrade ageing rail infrastructure in the country. Under...
Illinois to Study Feasibility of High-Speed Passenger Rail Plans
Illinois Department of Transportation and University of Illinois in the US have announced a partnership to study the feasibility of a 220mph passenger rail service. The study will explore...
Saudi Arabia to Award $21bn Rail Projects This Year
Saudi Arabia will decide the future of two rail projects worth more than $21bn this year after previous contract delays. The contracts include the supply trains and electrical systems for...
World Bank Funds Indian Freight Corridor
The World Bank has provided a $975m loan to Indian Railways to build the eastern-dedicated freight corridor, a freight-only rail line that will help faster movement of raw materials and...
Alstom to Supply 20 Pendolino Trains for Polish PKP Intercity
Alstom has won a €665 contract from Poland-based long-distance rail operator PKP Intercity to supply 20 high-speed trains, conduct maintenance for 17 years and construct a new...
Russian Railways to Invest $1.5bn in Mongolia's Rail Network
Russian Railways has offered to invest $1.5bn in Mongolia's train network to help the country tap its coal reserves and other natural resources. Mongolia is planning to name a partner that...
Eliop Seinalia to Supply Signalling Systems to Turkey
Eliop Seinalia, a unit of CAF Group, and its Turkish subsidiary company Eliop Otomatik Sistemleri have been chosen to deliver railway signalling and telecommunications systems in Turkey. ...
Baghdad Metro Line Project Moves Forward
Iraq has signed an agreement with French company Alstom to build an above-ground urban metro line in Baghdad at a cost of $1.5bn, which will be provided by the French Government and banks. ...
SNCF Receives Third-Generation Duplex TGV Trains
Alstom has delivered the first set of third-generation Duplex TGV trains to the French National Railway Corporation (SNCF). These are interoperable, very high speed trains capable of...
Intra-African Rail Line Cost Revealed
The proposed rail line linking the African countries of Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania is expected to cost $5bn, according to a preliminary study. The project includes the rehabilitation of...
Milan Awards Driverless Metro Contract
Milan City Council, Italy, has provisionally selected a joint venture comprising Impregilo, Astaldi, Ansaldo STS, AnsaldoBreda, Sirti and ATM to build Line 4 of the Milan metro system. ...
India Rail Installs Digital Axle Control Technology
Indian Railways has installed Digital Axle Control technology system on Western and Central Railway tracks to reduce monsoon-related signal failure. The system monitors the presence and...
MENA Region to Invest $250bn in Rail Projects
Investment in rail projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions are expected to reach $250bn as the region doubles its rail network to 33,000km, according to a new...
IDB to Mobilise Funds for $5bn Jordan Rail Project
The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is negotiating with regional and international finance institutions, including the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, to mobilise funds for...
China to Build a Rail Line to Myanmar
China and Myanmar have signed a MoU to build a rail line between the Chinese city of Ruili and Myanmar's port city Kyaukphyu. Under the agreement, China Railway Group (China Railway) will...
Jordan and Iraq sign MoU for Baghdad-Aqaba Port Rail Link
Jordan and Iraq have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the construction of a rail line that will link Aqaba Port in Jordan to Iraq's capital Baghdad. The MoU was signed...
India to Complete Longest Rail Tunnel by 2012
Indian Railway expects to complete the Rs195bn ($4.3bn) rail link between Kashmir valley and the rest of the country by December 2012, including the country's longest rail tunnel, which...
Philippines to Introduce Unified Rail Ticketing System
The Philippines Transportation and Communications (DoTC) department is planning to introduce a unified train ticketing system that will be used across all rail lines throughout Manila. ...
Iran Proposes Joint Rail Line to Armenia
Iran has offered to build a 500km railroad linking Iran and Armenia that will form a part of the North-South Corridor. The proposed rail line will run through Jolfa to Nourdouz border in Iran...
May 2011
Top
Australia Trials Advanced Train Management System
The Australian Rail Track Corporation is trialling an Advanced Train Management System between Crystal Brook and Port Augusta as part of a A$500m (US$532.4m) plan to enable longer trains to...
Invensys Rail Wins UK Signalling Contract
Invensys Rail has won a contract from Network Rail for the signalling re-control programme at the 900-mile Salisbury and Exmouth Junction. The project will replace outdated signalling...
Saudi Arabia Completes $16bn Mining Line
The Saudi Railway Company (SAR) of Saudi Arabia has completed a SAR63bn ($16.79bn) 1,392km-long railway line linking mines in the country's northern areas to Ras Al-Zour Seaport on the...
Hitachi to Manufacture Eco-Friendly Trains in UK
Japanese company Hitachi is considering a plan to build eco-friendly trains in County Durham, UK. Hitachi has chosen Newton Aycliffe from more than 40 UK locations for its proposed £70m...
World Bank Funds North-East China Railway Project
The World Bank will extend a $200m loan to China to carry out the JiTuHun Railway Project in north-east China. The project will construct a double-track, electrified,...
India and Bangladesh to Build a Rail Link
North Eastern Frontier (NFR) in India will commence work on a rail link connecting Tripura state capital Agartala with Gangasagar in Bangladesh. The 10km rail track connecting the two...
Crossrail Secures Approval for First Over-Site Development
Crossrail, in association with development partner Great Portland Estates, has secured approval for the first over-site development above a Crossrail station in London, UK. The master plan...
Australia Starts Work on Queensland Northern Missing Link
Australian rail operator QR National has started laying tracks on the Northern Missing Link in central Queensland. The A$385m (US$409.9m) project will lay a 69km track between the existing...
Chile to Start Santiago Metro Rail Project in 2012
The Chilean government is planning to start construction on lines 3 and 6 of the capital Santiago's metro system in 2012. The two projects will involve laying down 37km of metro line...
UK Operator Trials High-Speed Maidstone to London Line
South Eastern Railway in the UK has begun trials on high-speed train service between Maidstone to St Pancras International via Strood as an alternative route to London. The trial service...
US Unveils $7.6bn Investment for Rail and Transit Projects
The US Federal Government has unveiled $7.6bn of annual funding for US states, communities and transit agencies to help maintain rail and transit operations in the country. The availability...
Alstom and Vossloh Kiepe to Supply 50 Tramways in Germany
German rail operator, Üstra Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe has awarded a €126m contract to Vossloh Kiepe and Alstom to supply 50 tramways to be used in Hannover, Germany. The...
Nairobi's $275m Rail Project Kicks Off
Kenya Railways has started building the Syokimau Railway Station as part of the KES24bn ($275.4m) Nairobi Commuter Rail Project, which will debut electric-powered commuter trains on the route...
Western Australia Allocates Funds for Rail Car Purchase
The Western Australia Government has earmarked A$164m (US$174m) to buy new rail cars and improve rail infrastructure in the state. The money will be used to buy 45 rail cars to boost...
TrafficCast Unveils Advanced Traffic Monitoring Technology
TrafficCast International has unveiled Mini-BlueTOAD, an advanced traffic monitoring technology in miniature form. The system discretely measures travel times, road speeds and route...
Brazil to Develop New Concession Model for Railways
Brazil's national ground transport agency, ANTT has sought proposals by 8 June to develop a new concession model for the country's railways. The new model will address issues such as...
China’s High-Speed Rail to Adopt ID-Based Ticket System
China's high-speed railway is planning to introduce an identification-based real name ticket system in trains from Wenzhou to Fuzhou and Fuzhou to Xiamen, which will run at a speed of more...
Burlington Northern Santa Fe to Improve Rail Infrastructure
BNSF Railway in the US is planning to invest $90m on a rail track project to improve blocked crossings between Phillips, east and west of Webb Road, and Grand Island. The project includes...
Kier-Laing O'Rourke-Kaden JV Wins Hong Kong Rail Station Contract
MTR Corporation has awarded a HK$2.4bn ($308.7m) contract to a joint venture (JV) between Laing O'Rourke, Kier and Kaden to build the Admiralty Integrated Station in Hong Kong. The JV...
Amtrak Seeks Private Funds to Upgrade North-East Rail Line
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation of the US, also known as Amtrak, is seeking investment from private investors to finance the construction of infrastructure in the North-East...
Cost of Maryland Light Rail Line Rises Again
The 16-mile light rail line of the Maryland Transit Administration, US, will cost $135m more and take two additional years to complete. The rail line proposed through Montgomery and...
Telvent To Install Power Control System for Spanish Rail
Telvent has been chosen to install a power control system for Spanish infrastructure administrator Adif for Vigo-Santiago de Compostela-Coruña high-speed rail line in Galicia, Spain. The system...
Leighton Wins Hong Kong Rail Projects
Australia-based Leighton Holdings has won two contracts worth A$547m (US$581.2m) from MTR Corporation to build a South Island rail line project in Hong Kong. One of the two contracts...
Bechtel and Enka Emerge as Top Bidders for Istanbul Marmaray Project
Bechtel and Enka have emerged as the top bidders for the Istanbul Marmaray surburban rail upgrade project. The joint venture entity of the two companies made the highest bid, valued...
Illinois Commences Work on High-Speed Rail Corridor
The Illinois Department of Transport in the US has commenced work on a $1.1bn 96-mile high-speed rail corridor that will allow rail operator Union Pacific Rail to operate Amtrak service at...
Wabtec to Provide Braking Equipment to New Jersey Transit
Wabtec Corporation has signed a contract to provide braking equipment for New Jersey Transit Commuter Rail cars to Bombardier Transportation Canada. Bombardier Transportation Canada is...
AECOM Wins UK Rail Station Contract
AECOM has won a contract from Network Rail to design and improve 13 stations west of Paddington that will become part of the UK's Crossrail route. Under the contract AECOM will enhance...
Hong Kong Invests $2.2bn in Rail Projects
MTR has signed a contract with the Hong Kong Government for the design, construction, operation and financing of the South Island Line (East) and Kwun Tong Line Extension (KTE) projects. ...
Brazil Unveils Five-Year Rail Investment Plan
Brazil's transport infrastructure department (DNIT) has unveiled a plan to invest R$98.7m (US$60.5mn) in railroad projects over the five states. The investment will be used for building...
First Phase of Rail Baltica Project to Complete by 2013
Despite resident protests against the planned route for the Rail Baltica project in Lithunia, the first phase of the project is expected to complete by its 2013 deadline. The project will...
Lander Simulation Unveils New Training Simulator for Tram Drivers
Lander Simulation & Training Solutions, a subsidiary of CAF, has unveiled a new training simulator for tram drivers at the UITP Mobility and City Transport Exhibition in Dubai. The...
Kenyan Railways to Raise Funds for Nairobi Commuter Rail Project
The Kenyan Railways Cooperation (KRC) is planning to raise KSh17bn ($198.6m) through bond issue to fund the improvement of Nairobi's commuter rail system. The KRC plans to use the proceeds...
Bombardier Secures Saudi Arabian Automated Monorail Project
Bombardier Transportation has won a $96m contract with Saudi Arabian construction firm Saudi Binladin Group to build and operate an automated monorail system in the King Abdulaziz...
Sound Transit Begins $2bn Washington Rail Tunnel Project
Sound Transit has begun the drilling of a $2bn tunnel project in Washington, US, that will connect Washington University with Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood and the downtown Westlake Center. ...
ConnectLAX Wins Los Angeles Green Line Project
ConnectLAX has won a contract from Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to deliver environmental and preliminary design services for the extension of the Metro Green Line...
Vossloh España to Supply Euro 4000 Locomotives to Europorte
Vossloh España has signed a contract with Eurosco, a subsidiary of Europorte, to supply 12 Euro 4000 locomotives to be used for freight services in France, Germany and Belgium. Europorte...
GE Transportation to Build Locomotive Plant in Texas
GE Transportation is planning to invest $96m in the construction of a locomotive manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, US, which is expected to create 500 new jobs. The company is...
NICE to Provide Rail Safety System for Russian Rail Operator
NICE Systems has been chosen to provide its security system to Russia-based AeroExpress, a provider of rail transportation services between Moscow's rail terminals and its three airports. ...
Harsco Wins UK Rail Track Maintenance Contract
Harsco has won a four-year $50m contract extension from Network Rail in the UK for maintenance work. The contract is to provide switch grinding across the UK rail system. Rail...
Quintiq and Ab Ovo to Deliver Planning Solution to SNCB Logistics
Quintiq and Ab Ovo have been chosen by SNCB Logistics to deliver a planning solution that supports its full resource-planning cycle, from long-term planning to real-time execution management...
Congo Starts Rail Rehabilitation Project
The Democratic Republic of Congo has started a five-year renovation of its south-east railway line at a cost of $600m in a move to boost trade and develop the mining industry in the...
Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe Plan $7b Rail and Port Project
Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana have signed a memorandum of understanding to carry out a $7bn rail and port project. The rail system will link the three southern-African countries. ...
AECOM and Parson JV Wins UAE Rail Management Contract
AECOM Technology, in a joint venture (JV)with Parsons, has won a contract from Etihad Rail to manage a project for the United Arab Emirates national railway. Under the contract the JV will act...
New Jersey Unveils Dual-Powered Locomotives
New Jersey Transit in the US has unveiled its first dual-powered locomotive that can operate on both electric and non-electrified tracks. The locomotives are being introduced as part of...
Bombardier Unveils Last Mile Diesel Locomotives
Bombardier Transport has unveiled its Bombardier TRAXX AC locomotives at the Transport Logistic Trade Fair in Germany. The locomotives have supplementary diesel motors that remove the need...
RailComm Awarded Supply Contract for South African Mine
RailComm and ERB Technologies have been chosen to install a yard automation system at Kumba Iron Ore's Sishen South Mine in South Africa. The automation system will comprise of RailComm's...
Algeria Starts Construction of First Light Rail Line
Algeria has started a commercial tramway service in Algiers, which has become the first Algerian city to possess a modern tram network. The 7.2km line, which will be operated by Algiers...
Deutsche Bahn Pulls Out of Israel Rail Project
German railway operator Deutsche Bahn has pulled out of an Israeli rail project to link Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, bowing to pressure from activists because the 6km stretch of the line will...
Axion Trials Recycled Railroad Ties in Mexico
Axion International, a producer of railroad ties made from 100% recycled plastic, has commenced its first test order of Axion's Recycled Structural Composite (RSC) with Ferromex, the...
Bombardier Wins $3bn Contract to Develop Train Components for Siemens
Bombardier has signed a $3bn contract to work with Siemens on a train component manufacturing project for Germany's rail operator Deutsche Bahn. Deutsche Bahn has placed an order with Siemens...
TransCore Unveils RFID Rail Reader AEI Technology
TransCore has unveiled a next-generation multiprotocol radio frequency identification (RFID) rail reader and a field processor unit, the Train Recording Unit. Both the systems are designed...
Turkey Plans Bridge Project to Connect Ankara - Istanbul High-Speed Train
Turkey is planning to connect a high-speed train service between the capital city Ankara and Istanbul via a bridge across the Bosphorus and Marmaray rail system, as part of the rail...
US Allocates Funds For High-Speed Intercity Trains
The Federal US Government has allocated $2bn in grants to build and improve intercity passenger rail services, covering rail projects in the north-east, mid-west and California. The...
Deutsche Bahn Orders 300 Energy-Efficient ICx Trains from Siemens
Siemens has signed a contract with German state-owned railway operator Deutsche Bahn to supply 300 ICx high-speed trains. The order to supply the trains, which are described as the most...
Azerbaijan to Extend Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Rail Line
Azerbaijan is planning to extend the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line by 7km, linking them with the town of Sadarak in Nakhchivan at a cost of $750m. The extension will open up...
Downer EDI Wins Western Australia Rail Maintenance Contract
The Western Australia Government has chosen Downer EDI, a 50:50 joint venture between Downer and Bombardier Transportation as preferred bidder for a railcar maintenance and cleaning contract. ...
China to Trial Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail
China will start a month-long trial of the Shanghai-Beijing high-speed railway line ahead of the showpiece projects' June launch. The 215bn yuan ($32.5bn) Beijing-Shanghai rail line is...
Wabtec to Provide ECP Braking System to Rio Tinto
Wabtec has signed a $21m contract with mining major Rio Tinto to provide electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) braking equipment for a number of the company's freight cars and locomotives...
Queensland Chooses GoldLinQ for Gold Coast Rapid Transit Project
Queensland has chosen GoldLinQ consortium as preferred bidder to build and operate the A$1bn($1.06bn) Gold Coast Rapid Transit project. The consortium includes the following companies:...
American Railcar Wins India Contract
American Railcar Industries has won a $9.6m contract from Indian Railways Research Designs and Standards Organisation to design and develop railcars. Under the contract American Railcar...
Turkey Plans High-Speed Rail to Bulgaria
Turkey is planning to launch a high-speed rail line linking the country's western city of Edirne and Bulgaria's capital Sofia over the next five years. The rail line will offer a...
China Cuts Spending on Railway Projects
China is planning to invest 745.5bn yuan($114.8bn) in its railways in 2011 compared with the 823.5bn yuan ($126.6bn) it spent in 2010. China's spending on railways has been scaled back this...
EU Pushes For Standardised Rail Ticket System
The European Commission has adopted a new regulation standardising rail ticket and reservation details in order to allow information exchanges between rail companies and ticket vendors...
Bulgaria to Privatise Rail Freight Division
Bulgaria is planning to privatise the freight division of state railways BDZ, as part of its plan to restructure the troubled state railways. The privatisation plan is being pushed to...
OSI Systems to Supply Rail Inspection System in Eastern Europe
OSI Systems' security division Rapiscan Systems has won a contract to provide a Eagle R60 rail scanner and associated installation and operator training services to an unnamed Eastern...
GE Plans to Sell Railcar Leasing Business
General Electric is considering the sale of its railcar leasing business, which is worth more than $3bn, for the second time after its first attempt to offload the unit in 2008 failed. ...
Hyderabad Metro Project to Start In May
Hyderabad Metro Rail Authority in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, is planning to start a metro rail project this month. The authority awarded the concession for the Rs140bn ($2.8bn)...
KBR to Design Sydney Rail Project
KBR has won a contract from John Hollad to provide the Glenfield to Leppington rail line in Sydney, Australia, with engineering design and construction phase support services. The project is...
Illinois High Speed Rail Project Moves Forward
The US Department of Transportation has awarded another $186m in funding to finance the track and make other improvements to the high-speed Chicago to St Louis corridor between Dwight and Joliet. ...
Telvent to Provide Electronic Fare Collection for Calgary Transit
Telvent has been selected by the city of Calgary, Canada, to implement a contactless smart card-based electronic fare collection (EFC) system for Calgary Transit's light rail and bus network. ...
BEML to Supply Metro Cars To Delhi
Bharat Earth Movers (BEML) has won a Rs9.2bn ($205m) contract from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRCL) to supply 136 intermediate metro cars. Intermediate cars will be designed and developed...
Russia Plans High-Speed Train Line to Rival Air Transport
Russia is planning to build a high-speed train line connecting Moscow and St Petersburg, which is expected to rival travel times for air connections between the two major cities. The new...
Lao-China Railway Project Delayed
Laos's plan to build a $7bn high-speed railway track linking its China-bordering territories with Vientiane has been stalled over social-environmental concerns. The country had completed...
California to Run High-Speed Trains on Caltran Track
California High-Speed Rail Authority in the US is planning to invest $1.5bn in repairing and electrifying tracks owned by operator Caltrain in order to run high-speed trains, rather than...
Spain's Adif Opens Rail Freight Research Centre
Spanish rail infrastructure manager Adif has opened a research centre at the Railway Technology Centre of Málaga, Spain, to carry out research on freight transport. The research...
Spain Launches Tender for High-Speed Rail Projects
The Spanish Ministry of Development has launched a tender for two PPP contracts to complete 450km of high-speed rail line between Madrid and Badajoz in Extremadura. The project will...
Alstom to Deliver 19 Trains for Peru Metro
Alstom has secured a €130m contract from the YM Ferrovias consortium to supply 19 Metropolis train sets of five coaches each for a metro line in Lima, Peru. The YM Ferrovias...
ABB to Deliver World's Largest Train Tunnel Ventilation System
A consortium including ABB and TLT Turb has won a $45m contract to provide the tunnel ventilation system for the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which will carry trains beneath the Alps in...
FTA to Fund Minneapolis to St Paul Light Rail Project
The US Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will provide the State Metropolitan Council with $474m worth of funding for a central light rail corridor between Minneapolis and St Paul in...
Etihad Rail to Begin Work on Western Region Rail Link
Etihad Rail will begin construction work on a railway link in the western region of the United Arab Emirates shortly, following a field visit to inspect ongoing preparations ahead of the...
China and Myanmar to Build Cross-Border Rail Project
China and Myanmar are planning to build a rail line linking south-west China with the Indian Ocean. The 1,215km railroad will link China's Yunnan province to the Kyaukphyu deep sea port...
Bombardier to Supply Electric Locomotives to Trenitalia
Bombardier Transportation has won a €128m order from Italian railway operator Trenitalia to supply an additional 50 E464 electric locomotives. The new order is the result of...
April 2011
Top
Siemens to Supply Electric Trains to Russia Winter Olympics
The German unit of Siemens in Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia has started production on 38 of the 54 Lastochka electric trains for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. The...
Mobile Train Ticketing to Increase Fivefold by 2015, Juniper Predicts
Half a billion people will be using mobile ticketing for public transport, including train and metro services, by 2015, according to predictions by Juniper Research. This figure is five...
RailComm to Deliver Remote Control Yard System to US Mining Facility
RailComm will supply a remote control system to the Jim Walters Resources mining facility in Brookwood, Alabama, US. The firm's domain operations controller (DOC) system will be used to...
Central Asia and Persian Gulf Countries Agree to Build Rail Corridor
Iran, Turkmenistan, Oman, Qatar and Uzbekistan have signed an agreement to establish a Central Asia-Persian Gulf transit and transport corridor linking energy-rich Central Asia to the Gulf. ...
Brazil to Invest in São Paulo Rail Projects
The transport infrastructure department (DNIT) of Brazil is planning to invest R$206m ($132m) this year in rail projects in the state of São Paulo. The projects include a R$140m ($61m)...
Deutsche Bahn Orders 300 High-Speed Trains from Siemens
German government-owned national railway Deutsche Bahn has approved an order for high-speed trains from Siemens worth over €7bn ($10.2bn). Under the contract, Siemens will supply...
Spanish and Korean Firms to Compete for Auckland Train Contract
A Spanish train maker and a South Korean Hyundai subsidiary will go head to head to win a $500m contract to supply Auckland's new electric trains. State-owned rail operator KiwiRail...
Network Rail to Upgrade London Bridge Station
UK-based rail operator Network Rail plans to transform London Bridge station to create a bigger and better station for passengers that will allow more frequent and reliable train services...
Vossloh Receives Order for Spanish Train-Trams
Vossloh Kiepe and Vossloh Rail Vehicles have received an order for four diesel-electrical train-tram vehicles for the Spanish province of León. Feve, the state operator of several metre...
Guinea Halts Vale's Rail Upgrade
The government of Guinea has halted railroad upgrade work in the south of the country, citing that the contract with Brazilian mining company Vale has been cancelled. Vale, which holds an...
US Central Corridor Light Rail Project Receives Federal Grant
The Federal Transit Administration in the US has approved a $460m federal grant for the $957m Central Corridor light rail project connecting downtown St Paul and downtown Minneapolis. The...
EU Favours High-Speed Rail in Place of Short-Haul Flights
The European Union (EU) has suggested that high speed rail replace short-haul flights across Europe as part of its proposals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from transport by 60% over the...
TrainFX Wins Welsh Rail Passenger Information System Contract
TrainFX has won a contract from UK-based London and North Western Railway (LNWR) to provide a real-time passenger information system for the Class 158 Diesel Multiple Unit fleet operated by...
Construction Begins on Brenner Rail Tunnel
Construction work has commenced on the €8bn ($11.4bn) Brenner railway tunnel project connecting Austria and Italy. The 55km tunnel between Innsbruck in Austria and Fortezza in Italy will...
Scotland Awards Forth Replacement Crossing Contract
The Scottish government has awarded a contract to a consortium of Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors for the design, construction and completion of the Forth Replacement Crossing. The...
Crossrail Shortlists Bids for London Station Project
Crossrail has shortlisted bidders for the construction of four remaining central London stations including Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel stations. ...
Perella Weinberg to Acquire AIG Rail Services
US insurer American International Group (AIG) has signed a deal with Perella Weinberg Partners to sell its rail car leasing business, AIG Rail Services, for around $600m as part of its strategy...
HollySys to Supply Signalling Equipment in China
HollySys Automation Technologies has secured a $24.30m contract to supply its 200-250km/h high-speed rail on-board signalling equipment Automatic Train Protection (ATP) to different local...
Brazil to Invest in Railroad Sector
Brazil's transport infrastructure department will allocate about R$596m ($314m) for the railroad sector by the end of this year. The highest amount of R$206m ($130.8m) has been earmarked for...
Bombardier to Supply German Multi-Engine Locomotives
Bombardier Transportation has signed a nine-year contract worth €600m ($867m) with German train operator DB Regio to supply 200 Traxx diesel multi-engine locomotives. First delivery of...
Victoria Shortlists Regional Rail Project Bids
The Victorian Department of Transport in Australia has shortlisted bidders for two important packages of the regional rail link project, which is among the country's largest...
Indonesia Opens Bids For Jakarta Commuter Rail Project
The Mass Rapid Transport Jakarta in Indonesia has opened tenders for the IDR15.5tn ($1.8bn) project to construct the first section of the country's commuter rail line. Out of the total...
Russia to Divest Stake in OAO Russian Railways
The Russian Government is planning to sell 12% of its monopoly stake in OAO Russian Railways to an outside operator in an attempt to boost budget revenue and improve infrastructure. OAO...
Brazil Approves Bullet Train Project
Brazil's senate has approved a bill to allow the country's national development bank BNDES to provide R$20bn ($12.5bn) for a new high-speed train project. The Brazilian bank will part-fund...
UK's Crossrail Seeks Bids for London Signalling System Project
The UK's Crossrail project has issued a notice seeking bids for the £75m central signalling system. The signalling contract is for the operation of automatic high-frequency metro trains...
China Completes Underwater Railway Tunnel
China has completed the construction of its first underwater railway tunnel project named the Shiziyang Tunnel. The 10.8km tunnel, which is also the country's longest, is a major part of a...
Train Punctuality Drops in UK
Train punctuality in the UK fell during March 2011 with 92.9% of trains arriving on time, compared with 93.5% in the same period last year, according to a report by Network Rail. East...
AECOM Secures Extension of Canada LRT Contract
AECOM Technology has secured a contract extension for engineering and management work on the Edmonton Light Rail Transit (LRT) extension project in Canada. The design phase for the LRT...
Ansaldo to Maintain Paris Metro and Tram Signalling Systems
Ansaldo STS has won a contract from the Paris-based train operator firm RATP for maintenance of signalling systems and services across its various metro and tramway lines in France. Work will...
Hunter Technology Unveils New Train Audio Communication System
The US-based electronic services manufacturer Hunter Technology has unveiled plans to use processor developer XMOS products to provide digital audio communication systems in train cars. The...
Alstom and RATP Join Forces to Develop Automatic Metro
RATP Group and Alstom Transport have formed a joint venture to create a research laboratory called Metrolab to develop automated metro technology for the next generation. The joint venture...
Bombardier to Bid for Etihad Rail Project
Bombardier Transportation is planning to bid for the AED40.37bn ($10.9bn) Etihad Railway project in UAE, which will connect the entire UAE with the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. ...
Taiwan Awards Green Line Metro Train Contract
The Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems has awarded a contract to supply CBTC signalling systems for the Taichung's Green Line driverless metro in Taiwana to a consortium of Alstom,...
Detroit to Start Work on Woodward Light Rail
The Detroit City Council in the US has approved a sale of $125m in bonds to fund the first phase of a $530m M-1 light rail project between New Center area and downtown Woodward Avenue. The...
UAE's Etihad Rail Signs MoU with Etisalat
United Arab Emirates' Etihad Rail has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the region's telecommunications services provider Etisalat to offer information, communication and...
Network Rail to Enhance Rail Capacity in South Wales
The UK's Network Rail has announced a £200m investment plan to ease railway congestion in Cardiff and the surrounding South Wales valleys by 2015. Work involves upgrades to the existing...
London Underground Prefers Bombardier for Signalling System Upgrade
London Underground has selected Bombardier Transportation as preferred bidder to renovate the signalling on some of the oldest sections within the UK city's Tube subway system. Work...
Ukraine to Begin Construction on Railway Project
Ukraine is planning to construct a railway line connecting the Boryspil International Airport in the Kyiv area, and the city of Kyiv in May this year. The 37.4km line will be constructed at...
US Rail Traffic Reaches a Record High
US rail traffic has reported 5.7% increase in rail traffic during the week ending 2 April 2011 compared with the same week last year, recording 305,905 carloads, according to a report by...
Bombardier Launches E-Mobility Solutions in Dubai
Bombardier Transportation has launched two key innovations in the urban mobility sector in Dubai, UAE, which includes the BOMBARDIER PrimoveCity e-mobility solution and the BOMBARDIER...
Wabtec Subsidiary Secures Locomotive Contract
A subsidiary of Wabtec, MotivePower, has won a $80m contract to build 22 new locomotives for Australian grain transporter and handler CBH Group, outbidding five other rival companies. ...
Dulles Airport to Open Underground Metrorail Station
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has approved plans for the construction of an underground Metro rail station at Washington Dulles International Airport. The station will...
Union Pacific Railroad to Build Rail Facility in New Mexico
The state of New Mexico in US has approved a bill allowing Union Pacific to start construction of a new rail facility near Santa Teresa in June 2011. The facility will comprise...
Crossrail Awards UK Tunnel Contracts
Crossrail has awarded tunnel contracts worth £225m ($369m) for work on the landmark trans-London rail link. The projects include the construction of Thames Tunnel and refurbishment of...
Ansaldo Wins Australia Rail Signalling Project from Rio Tinto
The Australian subsidiary of Ansaldo STS has won a A$96m ($101m) contract by the mining major Rio Tinto Iron Ore for railway signalling and communications works in the Pilbara mining region...
Connecticut Seeks Federal Funds for High-Speed Rail
The state of Connecticut in the US has formally applied for $227m in federal funding to complete the third phase of a high-speed rail project linking New Haven, Hartford and...
Qatar Awards Light Rail Project to US Firms
Qatar Railways and Qatari Diar have signed an agreement with the US-based engineering companies Parsons and Aecom to manage the construction of a Lusail light rail transit system in Qatar's...
Siemens to Supply Light Rail Vehicles to Houston Metro
Siemens has secured a $83m contract to build and deliver 19 S70 light rail vehicles including spare parts, training and manuals to Houston Metro in Texas, US. The new rail cars can operate at...
Brazil Extends Bid Deadline for Bullet Train Project
The Brazil's transport ministry has extended its deadline for the bidding process of the BRL33.1bn ($20.7bn) Rio-São Paulo-Campinas bullet train project from 7 April to 11 April...
Taherinvest to Build Rail Network in Jordan
Jordanian private-owned firm Taherinvest is in advanced talks with the government to construct a $500m railway network between the capital Amman and the nearby industrial centre of Zarqa in...
Mitsui to Supply Locomotives to Transnet
South-African state logistics company Transnet has ordered 32 new 15E locomotives worth R1.55bn ($230m) from Venus Railway Solutions, a partnership between Mitsui and local BEE investors. ...
Massachusetts Awards Green Line Light Rail Extension Contract
The HDR/Gilbane Team has secured a $950m contract from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) for the Green Line light rail extension project in Boston, US. The Green Line is...
Bombardier to Supply Trams to Germany
Bombardier Transportation has received an order from Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr (RNV) to supply 11 new low-floor trams to serve the joint network of the transport operators of the Rhine-Neckar region...
Bombardier Opens Wheel Set Centre in Germany
Bombardier Transportation has opened a new wheel set centre in the city of Siegen, Germany, to enhance its competence centre for bogies. About 1,700 wheel sets should be produced in the...
Skanska Secures LA Light Rail Contract
Skanska has won a $383m share in a joint venture contract to extend the light rail in Los Angeles, California, US. The design-build contract, awarded by the LA County Metropolitan...
Singapore Awards Rail Station and Tunnel Contracts
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) of Singapore has awarded two contracts with a total value of S$361.56m ($201.8m) for the construction of Ubi and Mattar stations for the Downtown Line Stage...
New York Seeks Federal Funds for High-Speed Rail
New York's governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced plans to seek $517m in federal funds for eight high-speed railway projects. The projects include the $294.7m Harold Interlocking plan for...
Dubai to Accelerate Al Sufouh Tram Project
The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai is planning to speed up the Al Sufouh Tram project in Dubai, UAE, which is now 30% complete. The RTA has agreed with the construction...
Sumitomo and Nippon to Supply Rail Cars to Canada
Sumitomo of America, in partnership with car builder Nippon Sharyo, has secured a $53m contract from Metrolinx to supply 12 diesel multiple units (DMUs) in Toronto, Canada. The contract can...
Tanzania and Uganda to Develop Port-Lake Rail Line
Tanzania and Uganda have announced plans to form a joint venture to develop the $1.9bn railway line in East Africa, as part of a bigger project to increase trade in the hinterland. The...
ADB Approves Loan for Bangalore Metro Project
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $250m funding for a $2.7bn metro rail transit project in the city of Bangalore, India. The 18-year loan will partly finance the 42.3km of...
US Freight Traffic on a Rise
Carload freight traffic in the US increased by 1.9% during the week ending on March 26 2011, compared with the same period last year, a report by the Association of American Railroads (AAR)...
Korea to Invest in Indonesian Rail Projects
The Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) has announced plans to invest $20bn to help develop two railway projects in Indonesia. One of the projects is the 35km, $735m rail link...
Bombardier to Supply Electric Trains to South Australia
Bombardier Transportation has secured a A$269m ($278m) contract from the South Australian Government for the supply and maintenance of 22 Bombardier 25kV 3 car electric trains for the city...
EBRD Funds Railway Project in Turkey
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has extended a €50m ($70.8m) loan to Bursa city in Turkey to enhance the automated light overground rail system of the city. ...
Toronto to Invest in Rail Transit Projects
The Toronto Transit Commission in Canada has announced plans to allocate $8.4bn to construct a major underground rapid transit line along Eglinton Avenue, as part of $12.4bn transit plan. ...
Metrolinx Acquires Key Part of Canadian Railway
Metrolinx has acquired a major segment of the Canadian National Railway Company's Kingston Subdivision commuter rail line in eastern Toronto, at a cost of C$299m ($306.8m). The two...
California Seeks Federal Fund for Rail Projects
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has voted unanimously to apply for the entire $2.43bn high-speed rail funding, previously returned to the federal government by the state of...
Saudi Railway and Bechtel to Sign MoU for Jubail Rail Network
US-based firm Bechtel is set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Railway Organization to improve the rail network in the eastern city of Jubail, Saudi Arabia. With...
Wisconsin to Seek Federal Funding for Railway Line Upgrade
The US state of Winconsin is to apply for $150m of federal funding to upgrade the Amtrak Hiawatha rail line connecting Milwaukee and Chicago. The funding, which is being sought through...
FTA Approves US Light Rail Project
Oregon's public transportation authority TriMet has received approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the final design process of a light rail line between Milwaukie and...
Philippines Opens Bidding for Railway Projects
The Philippines' Transportation department has opened the bidding process for four-to-five year maintenance contracts, to be carried out in the country's first public-private partnership...
Transtech to Supply Double-Deckers to Finland
Railcar supplier Transtech has secured a €90m ($126.9m) contract from the Finnish state-owned operator VR to supply 12 double-deck driving cars and 15 restaurant cars for intercity services....
March 2011
Top
ADB to Fund Vietnam Metro Rail Project
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $293m loan for a $1bn metro rail project in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi. The 12.5km metro line will link the city's main railway station in Hoan...
Asian Pacific Urban Rail Market Revenues to Rise
The Asia Pacific urban rail market revenue is expected to reach $90bn in 2020, up from $50bn in 2010, according to a new analysis by Frost and Sullivan. The market is expected to grow 5%-6%...
Tramlink Preferred Bidder for Nottingham Tram Network
Tramlink Nottingham has been selected as the preferred bidder by the UK city, to build NET phase two of the tram network expansion. The announcement follows an extensive competitive...
London Announces Transport Investment Plan
Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled a massive investment plan for the next four years to help secure London's global competitiveness and economic growth. The investment will see three...
Saudi Arabia to Launch Final Phase of Haramain Train Project
Saudia Arabian officials will announce the winners of the final phase of the 444km Haramain high-speed train project in two weeks' time. The final phase of the project, which will connect...
Romania to Shut Down Redundant Railway Infrastructure
The Romanian Transport Ministry has asked the government to close 1,474km of unessential railway infrastructure to cut public spending. A draft prepared by the transport ministry of...
Ansaldo to Start Work on Stockholm Underground Signalling System
A $112.5m contract between Italian-based Ansaldo STS and Storstockholms Lokaltrafik, Greater Stockholm Public Transport, to upgrade the signalling system on the city's Red Line has come into...
China CNR Secures Asian Rail Contracts
Train manufacturer China CNR Corporation has secured contracts worth 2.12bn yen ($323m) to supply rail cars to several Asian countries. The company's subsidiary in Changchun has won a...
Siemens Establishes Rail Innovation Centre in the UK
Siemens' Mobility Division has established a Rail Innovation Centre of Competence in the UK, aiming to develop new concepts and technologies for the international rail vehicle service business. ...
UK Shortlists Preferred Bidders for Two Rail Franchises
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has announced seven firms as preferred bidders for the Greater Anglia and Intercity West Coast rail franchises. Shortlisted bidders for West Coast...
UAE's First Rail Line to Open in 2013
UAE's railway operator Etihad Rail has revealed that the the first route between Habshan and Ruwais in Abu Dhabi as part of its $10.9bn rail network will be completed in early 2013. The...
UK Tram Extension Moves Forward
The UK Department of Transport (DtT) has approved the proposed phase two extension of Nottingham's tram network, which is estimated to save 20% on the overall project cost. The project...
Illinois Launches Next Phase of Rail Project Between Chicago and St. Louis
The US state of Illinois has announced the start of construction on the next phase of the $685m high-speed rail project, connecting Chicago and St. Louis, after the federal government and...
US to Build Tunnels for East Side Access Project
The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) has announced that work on four tunnels under Sunnyside Yard in Queens, New York, for the East Side Access Project are set to start next month. ...
Wabtec to Provide Train Control System to US Metrolink
Wabtec Corporation has secured a contract from Parsons to provide the equipment and services for implementing a positive train control (PTC) system at Metrolink, a commuter rail agency...
India Allocates Fund for Delhi Metro Rail Project
The Indian government has allocated INR10.7bn ($239m)) in its 2011-2012 budget for construction work on the INR280bn ($6.25bn) Delhi Metro project. Approximately INR3.6bn ($81m) of the...
Indiana Rail Road Unveils Record Capex Plan
The Indiana Rail Road in the US has revealed a $65m capital expenditure plan for the next five years to strengthen the state's infrastructure and increase its efficiency. The money will...
Yinchuan-Beijing Bullet Train Starts Operations in April
China is to operate a bullet train between Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and the Chinese capital Beijing from the beginning of April 2011. The T275 / 276 train...
EIB to Fund Scotland Borders Railway Project
The European Investment Bank is to provide a £100m loan for the Borders Railway project in Scotland, UK. The project, which is worth £235m-£295m ($384.5m-$482.7m) will reintroduce...
UK Budget to Boost Regional Trains
The UK Government has earmarked £30bn in its 2011 Budget for transport projects over the next four years, including a £200m fund for regional rail projects. The investment includes an...
Indian Rapid Metro Operational by 2013
India's first privately funded Metro project, the Gurgaon's Rapid Metro, will be open to the public from January 2013. The metro will link the existing Sikanderpur station with DLF-3 and...
North Carolina Secures Stimulus Funds for High-Speed Passenger Trains
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has provided $461m in federal grants to North Carolina to begin work on high-speed-rail projects. North Carolina has recently signed an agreement...
Railway Investment in Gulf Countries on a Rise
The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have invested $106.2bn in recent railway projects, according to new research by Ventures Middle East. Saudi Arabia tops the list among the...
Hawaii Awards New Rail Transit Contracts
The US city of Honolulu in Hawaii has awarded two contracts worth $946m to Ansaldo Honolulu and Kiewit Infrastructure West as part of its $5.5bn rail transit project. Ansaldo Honolulu, a...
Thailand’s High-Speed Rail Project Moves Ahead
Thailand has approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the joint-development of a THB150bn ($4.95bn) high-speed rail project with the Chinese Government. The 620km high-speed...
Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi Set Out Plans for New Rail Line
Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi plan to raise $3.5bn to build a regional railway line to boost investment in the African region. The project includes the upgrade of the Dar es Salaam-Isaka...
Greenbrier Secures Rail Orders for European Market
Greenbrier Companies has won several contracts valued at $325m to deliver 4,200 railcar platforms to the European market. The majority of the orders is for double-stack intermodal platforms,...
Israel Starts Construction of Acre-Carmiel Rail Line
Israel has started works on the NIS2.8bn ($790.9m) rail line to be laid parallel to Highway 85, linking Acre and Carmiel in the northern part of the country. The 23km track project includes...
Massachusetts to Increase Trains on Green Line
The US's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has announced plans to increase the number of three-car trains on its Green Line from 21 March 2011. The additional trains will...
ARTC to Improve Australian Rail Infrastructure
Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) will invest A$3.4bn (US$3.3bn) in Australia's interstate rail network to rebuild 3,771km of existing track and extend its reach by 235km by 2014. ...
Brazil Suspends Tenders for Bullet Train Project
Brazil's federal district justice ministry has recommended that the national ground transport agency ANTT suspends its R33.1bn ($20bn) tender for the Rio-São Paulo-Campinas bullet train. ...
Bombardier Launches New e-Mobility Application
Bombardier has launched its new e-mobility solution, the next-generation zero emission, multimodal, electric mobility PrimoveCity, designed to address the recharging constraints of...
Japanese Consortium to Bid for California Rail Project
A joint venture between East Japan Railway and Kawasaki Heavy Industries plans to bid for a Californian rapid transit railway project using JR East's shinkansen bullet trains. The...
Siemens Secures Indian Metrorail Electrification Contract
Siemens has won the contract for the electrification of Kolkata's new east-west metro line from Indian rail operator Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC). The east-west metro line...
AfDB to Fund Morocco Rail Project
The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group will extend a €300m grant to Morocco's national railway company, Office National des Chemins de Fer (ONCF), to finance a major upgrade of...
US Reports Drop in Class I Freight Railroad Casualties
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) revealed that the number of Class I railroad casualties significantly dropped in 2010, with train accident and employee casualty rates at a record low. ...
GATX to Buy 12,500 Railcars from Trinity Industries
US-based railcar operator GATX has signed an agreement to buy 12,500 new tank and freight cars from a subsidiary of Trinity Industries. GATX president and chief executive officer Brian A...
Brazil to Launch Tender for Fortaleza Light Rail Transit
The Ceará State Government in Brazil plans to launch a R266m ($160m) tender in May for the construction of a light rail transit (LRT) system in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará. ...
Chicago to Replace Old Bridges Along Union Pacific Line
Regional rail operator Metra plans to resume work on the project to replace 22 old bridges along the Union Pacific north line on the north side of Chicago, US, along with the...
Kirloskar to Supply India with RoadRailer Trains
Kirloskar Pneumatic has signed an agreement with Northern Railway of India for the haulage of RoadRailer trains, including a pilot project between Delhi and Chennai. The agreement is...
China Completes Underwater Railway Tunnel
China has completed the construction of the first underwater railway tunnel in southern China, designed for trains running at a speed of 350km/hr. The 10.8km Shiziyang Tunnel, crossing the...
CAF Starts Delivery of Class 4000 Trains to Northern Ireland
Spanish-based train manufacturer CAF has started the delivery of Class 4000 trains to the Translink N I Railways in Northern Ireland, UK. The trains will replace the existing trains in...
Bombardier to Deliver Commuter Rail Cars to Canada
Bombardier Transportation has received a $125m order from the transportation authority Metrolinx for the supply of 50 BiLevel commuter rail cars to GO Transit, a division of Metrolinx in...
WAEPA Approves Railway Project in Australia
The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (WAEPA) has approved proposals for the A$4bn ($4.03bn) Oakajee deepwater port and rail development in Oakajee, Western Australia. ...
US Reports a Rise in Train and Pedestrian Collisions
Statistics by the Federal Railroad Administration have revealed that vehicle trains and pedestrian collisions and fatalities in the US increased by 4.2% in 2010. The figures report...
US Allocates Money for eBART Extension Project
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission has allocated $19m of bridge toll funds to the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to help carry out construction of the $463m East Contra Costa...
FCC Wins Metro Project in Romania
A consortium of Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC), Italian company Astaldi and Romanian companies AB Construct and ACM Delta, has won a €267m ($371.9m) contract for the...
New Zealand Approves Funds for Wellington Rail Upgrade
The Government of New Zealand has approved $88m to fund the reconstruction of the Wellington region's rail network on the country's North Island. The project includes the renewal of...
Bombardier to Supply High-Speed Trains to Sweden
Bombardier Transportation has won a $101m contract to supply six new three-car Regina high-speed trains to the Swedish public transport agency Västtrafik. The trains will...
Amadeus and Rail Plus Cooperate for Innovative Rail Content Development
Amadeus and Rail Plus of Australia have signed a contract to integrate Rail Plus's rail content into the Amadeus front office solution, using smart tab technology. The Rail Plus smart...
US Freight Carload Volume on the Rise
The Association for American Railroads (AAR) has revealed that US freight carload volume increased by 5.5% during the week ending 5 March 2011, compared with the same week in 2010, while...
US Freight Railroads Unveil Record Spending Plans
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has announced that US freight railroads plan to invest $12bn on capital expenditures in 2011, up from $10.7bn in 2010. Class I railroads unveiled...
Scotland Approves Funds for Glasgow Subway Upgrade
The Scottish Government has given the final nod to provide substantial funding for the Glasgow subway upgrade in Scotland as per the proposals of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT). ...
Amtrak Reports Record High in February
Amtrak has announced record growth for February 2011, with a ridership of 2,099,010 passengers. February saw a 7.6% increase in riders, compared with 147,000 passengers in February last year. ...
Costain-Skanska JV Wins UK Crossrail Contract
A joint venture of Costain and Skanska has won a £35m ($56.5m) contract for advance civil engineering works at Bond Street in London, UK, under the Crossrail programme. The project will...
Israel Launches Tenders for Jezreel Valley Railway
Israel National Roads Company has invited first tenders for the construction of the 60km Jezreel Valley Railway line, which will revive the route of the former Hedjaz Railway. The initial...
Škoda Vagonka Wins Czech Railway Project
Czech company Škoda Vagonka has been awarded a contract to supply new single-floor EMUs to the Czech Railways (CD). The contract involves the supply of 15 three-carriage units worth...
Network Rail Opens East-West Rail Link in Scotland
Rail operator Network Rail has opened the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link in Scotland, UK, which is the first direct rail link between Edinburgh and Glasgow after 50 years. The £300m ($484.2m)...
FCC Consortium Awarded Rail Project in Algeria
Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC), in cooperation with Algerian group ETRHB HADDAD, has been awarded a €1.23bn ($1.7bn) rail contract by the Algerian Government. The...
Angang Construction Wins Russian Rail Contract
The Angang Construction Consortium has won a CNY710m ($108m) contract from Russian-based Chelyabinsk Iron and Steel Works to upgrade a rail line in Russia. The contract involves the upgrade of...
Tsunami Disrupts Japanese Rail Networks
Rail lines in north-eastern Japan have ground to a halt after an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale took place 125 miles off the country's coastline, triggering huge tsunami...
US Reports Increase in Rail Freight Traffic
Intermodal rail freight traffic in the US has picked up following lower volumes in January, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). The data revealed that the traffic...
GTT Launches Automated Metro Service in Italy
Gruppo Torinese Trasporti (GTT) has launched the service on the 3.6km extension of its fully automated metro line in Turin, Italy. The company has purchased another six Val 208 type...
Union Pacific to Upgrade Rail Tracks in US
Union Pacific Railroad has revealed plans to improve a 75ml stretch of the Central Oregon track, stretching from Oakridge to Harrisburg, US. The $33.5m project includes the installment of...
Stadler Wins Multiple-Unit Trains Contract in Germany
Stadler Pankow and Veolia Verkehr Regio have secured a €200m ($278.5m) contract for the supply of 35 FLIRT electric multiple-unit trains in E-Netz Rosenheim rail network in Bavaria, Germany. ...
Jebel Ali Station to Open in Dubai
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is set to open Jebel Ali Station on 11 March 2011 as part of the Red Line of the Dubai metro in UAE. The station, with a length of 132m and a width...
UAE to Start Western Region Railway Project
Union Railway expects to start the construction of the UAE Western Region railway project this year, after issuing tenders to more than 20 pre-qualified consortia. The first phase of the...
Japan to Fund Indian Rail Project
The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) has partnered with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to implement the western corridor project linking the Indian...
Philippines Privatises Rail Projects
Two Metro Manila light railways are up for privatisation as part of a public-private partnership (PPP) being undertaken by the Philippine Government. The operation and maintenance contracts...
Alstom-TMH Wins Kazakh Locomotive Supply Contract
A consortium of Alstom and Transmashholding (TMH) has secured a €1.3bn ($1.8bn) contract from the Kazakh railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), for the supply of 295 freight...
AECOM JV Wins California Rail Link Contract
AECOM, as part of a joint venture, has secured a $21.5m contract from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) to provide planning and engineering for the...
GCC to Expand Middle East Rail Network
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plans to invest SAR405bn ($108bn) in railway projects over the next 15 years, as part of a SAR637.55bn ($169.5bn) spending in transport projects in the...
Japan Introduces New Bullet Train
Japan has rolled out its new bullet train Hayabusa, which will operate between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori. The high-speed train will run at a speed of 300km/hr and cut down travel times between...
UK Launches Manchester Community Rail Partnership
UK Northern Rail has joined hands with local stakeholders to launch the South East Manchester Community Rail Partnership in a bid to engage local communities with the railway and improve...
GE Transportation and TÜLOMSAS Introduce PowerHaul Locomotive in Turkey
GE Transportation and Turkish-based TÜLOMSAS have unveiled its first PowerHaul locomotive, which is assembled in Turkey from components manufactured at GE's plant in the US. The...
UK Revives Plans for Rail Fleet Replacement
The UK Department for Transport will invest £4.5bn to replace its ageing fleet of Intercity Express trains. The plan has been proposed by the Agility Trains consortium comprising Hitachi...
Florida Orders Locomotives for Tri-Rail Service
The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) has awarded a contract to Brookville Equipment Corporation to manufacture ten locomotives for the use across its Tri-Rail commuter...
John Holland and GHD Secure Rail Link Contract in Australia
A consortium of John Holland and GHD has secured a contract to partly sink the railway at Perth in Western Australia as part of the Perth City Link project. The A$360m (US$365m) rail...
Smart Pedestrian Crossing System Activated at US Stations
A new pedestrian grade crossing system has been activated at eight stations along the Union Pacific West Line in Illinois, US. Under a $132m project, the Metra operated line will be...
telent to Upgrade UK Merseyrail Public Address System
telent has won a contract to upgrade Merseyrail's long line public address (LLPA) system across the operator's 66-station network including the Wirral and Northern lines in the UK. Under...
DB Completes Sale of Arriva Germany
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has completed the sale of the Arriva Germany Group to a consortium of Italian rail operator Ferrovie dello Stato and Cube Infrastructure, following approval from the...
Jordan Issues Tenders for National Railway Network
The Jordanian Government will issue a tender seeking funding for the proposed 2.4bn-dinar ($3.8bn) national rail network within the coming months. The Transport Ministry is expecting...
Construction Begins on China's Low-Speed Maglev Line
Construction work has begun on China's first low-speed magnetic levitation (maglev) line running in Beijing. The 10km line, which is a portion of Line S1 on the capital's subway network, has...
Public Consultation Launched on High-Speed Rail Proposal in UK
UK Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has launched a public consultation for the planned Y-shaped rail network proposal linking several sections in the country. The £32bn ($51.98bn)...
Wabtec Purchases Brush Traction Group in the UK
US company Wabtec Corporation has acquired Brush Traction Group at a cost of $31m to expand its locomotive servicing capability in the UK. The acquisition will compliment Wabtec's...
US State of Washington to Improve Passenger Rail Corridor
The US state of Washington has secured $590m in federal funding to improve the Amtrak Cascades rail corridor from Portland in Oregon to Seattle in Washington. An agreement, signed between...
London Overground Rail Link Opens Ahead of Schedule
A new 2.1km rail link, part of the London Overground rail network in the UK, has opened three months early. The £50m ($81.4m) rail line, located between Highbury & Islington station and...
India Seeks Bids for Kanchrapara Rail Project
India's railway ministry plans to invite financial bids for selecting a joint venture partner for the INR15bn ($331.7m) Kanchrapara rail project in the state of West Bengal by April 2011. ...
Bombardier Transportation Acquires Polish JV
Bombardier Transportation has acquired the remaining 60% stake in the joint venture Bombardier Transportation (ZWUS) Polska from Polish Railways, and became the sole owner of the...
Los Angeles Transportation Authority to Purchase LA Union Station
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) plans to acquire the Los Angeles Union Station for $75m from Catellus Operating Limited Partnership. The purchase includes...
US Metro to Purchase Siemens Rail Cars
The Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) has finalised an inter-agency agreement with the Utah Transit Authority for the procurement of 19 light-railcars from Siemens. The...
Beijing Metro to Be Equipped with Advanced Traction and Signalling Systems
Alstom and its two Chinese joint ventures, Shanghai Alstom Transport Electrical Equipment (SATEE) and CASCO, have won two $193m contracts to provide advanced traction and signalling systems...
US Rail Freight Traffic Continues to Rise
US railroad freight traffic has risen by 8.2% with 296,980 carloads for the week ending 19 February 2011, compared with the same week last year, according to the Association of American...
February 2011
Top
Northwest Ohio Terminal Begins Operations
The new Northwest Ohio Terminal, part of National Gateway rail network in Ohio, US, has commenced operations to haul freight load on the intermodal track line. The terminal will serve the...
Operations Commence on Airport Rail Link in India
The new 22.7km airport rail link between Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Delhi Railway Station in India has commenced operations. The INR57bn ($1.26bn) Airport Express...
Chinese Firm Eyes London Underground Mobile Network Deal
Huawei is in the final stages of talks with Transport for London (TfL) in the UK to secure a deal to offer mobile communications equipment to the London Underground. Huawei has offered to...
KCS to Use RMI Terminal Operating System
US-based transportation company Kansas City Southern has selected RMI's Oasis terminal operating system to provide operations control and management tools across its intermodal terminal network...
China Begins High-Speed Railway Trial
The $33bn high-speed railway project Beijing-Shanghai has begun a joint trial in the Shanghai section. The project involves the testing of new-generation bullet trains, which are expected...
QR National Secures Rail Haulage Contract
Australia-based rail freight haulage operator QR National has entered into a ten-year A$600m ($604m) rail haulage contract with mine operator Jellinbah Resources. QR National will haul up to...
UK’s South West Trains Installs Energy Meters on Trains
UK-based commuter rail franchise South West Trains has equipped five trains with a rail energy meter, as part of its initiative to cut energy consumption on its trains by up to 10% a year. ...
UK's Network Rail to Create Devolved Business Units
UK rail operator Network Rail is set to create new devolved business units, run by managing directors, in a bid to improve its service while reducing costs. Network Rail chief executive...
Norfolk Southern US Orders 1,500 Rail Cars from FreightCar
Norfolk Southern Railway Company has purchased 1,500 new rail cars from Chicago-based FreightCar America for the US state of Virginia. The total value of the order is about $100m. The...
Honolulu Rail Transit Breaks Ground
The city and county of Honolulu has started work on a $5.5bn Honolulu Rail Transit project along Kualakai Parkway in Kapolei, in the US state of Hawaii. The Transit Corridor Project is a...
GE Delivers Diesel-Electric Locomotives to South Africa
General Electric South Africa has delivered two C30ACi diesel locomotives to state-owned rail freight logistics firm Transnet Freight Rail (TFR). The supply is part of a deal signed between...
Construction Commences on Panama Metro
A consortium led by FCC has commenced construction work on the $1.45bn Metro Line 1 project in Panama city in the Republic of Panama. The metro will eventually cover 14km with 11 stations,...
Malaysia to Unveil Natural Gas-Powered Tram
Malaysian train maker Mrails International plans to unveil a MYR272m ($89m) natural gas-powered tram by May 2012. The tram will be a rail-borne vehicle, which is lighter than a train that...
Crossrail Shortlists Consortia for Station Work
The UK's Crossrail has shortlisted four consortia for the C435 Farringdon station contract, as part of the £14.5bn ($23.4bn) cross-London railway project. The organisations include...
Invensys Rail Wins UK Modular Signalling Deal
Invensys Rail has won a contract from Britain's rail operator Network Rail to complete the Modular Signalling programme on the Shrewsbury to Crewe Pilot Line in the West Midlands region of the UK....
Australian State Awards Springfield Rail Contract
TrackStar Alliance has won an AUD$475m ($479m) contract for the Richlands to Springfield section of the Springfield Rail project in the Queensland state of Australia. The project...
Rural Access to US Intercity Rail in Decline
Rural access to Intercity rail in the US declined from 42% to 40% between 2005 and 2010, according to a new report from the US Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation...
UK Rail Service Improves Punctuality
About 90.3% of Britain's trains arrived on time this year, compared with 89.5% for the same period last year, according to new figures from Network Rail. These latest train performance...
Metrolinx Signs Diesel Vehicle Deal with Sumitomo
Toronto's transportation authority Metrolinx has entered into a CAD$55m ($55.7m) contract with Sumitomo Corporation of America for the purchase of 12 diesel multiple units (DMUs) for the Air...
Mozambique to Invest in Sena Railway Line
Mozambique Ports and Railways (CFM) has unveiled plans to spend $285m to rehabilitate and expand the Sena railway in a bid to handle coal exports from the Western province of Tete to the coast. ...
US Rail Freight Traffic on the Rise
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has reported that US railroad freight traffic stood at 274,043 carloads for the week ending 12 February 2011, a 6.2% rise compared with the same...
Thailand and China to Sign $4.9bn High-Speed Rail Deal in April
Thailand will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Chinese government in April this year to co-develop a $4.89bn high-speed rail project. Under the drafted MOU, the...
Ansaldo Secures Rail Line Upgrade Deal in Italy
A temporary consortium, Raggruppamento Temporaneo di Imprese (RTI), led by Ansaldo, has won a €486m ($661m) contract for the technological upgrade of the Turin-Padua rail line in...
Tibet to Complete Railway Extension Works by 2015
Tibet will complete a $1.95bn rail-extension project running from the region's capital Lhasa to its second largest city Xigaze, by 2015. The 253km Lhasa-Xigaze railway project is the...
US Announces Details of Record Investments in Transit Infrastructure
The US Government has invested $569.3m in ten new capital transit construction projects, which include both rail and bus rapid transit projects in the states Arizona, California, Colorado,...
UK’s Network Rail Begins Kent Station Upgrade
Britain's rail operator Network Rail has begun work to create a new glass entrance and ticket office, as part of the proposed upgrade at the Gillingham station in Kent, UK. The upgrade is...
Thailand Opens Bidding for Rail Project
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand has approved a plan to seek bids for $561m worth of civil construction works for an extension to Bangkok's elevated rail system. The...
Chinese Contractors to Begin Work on Ghanaian Rail Line
Chinese companies CMEC and CMC will begin work in April this year on the $990m Accra-Tema railway extension project, which will run from the central business district (CBD) of Accra to Avenor...
AECOM JV Wins Programme Management Deal
An Aecom joint venture has been awarded an eight-year, $60m programme management contract by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) of the Maryland Department of Transportation, US. ...
Nexus Introduces New Smartcard in the UK
Metro operator Nexus will roll out a new pre-pay travel smartcard system, named Pop, across England's Tyne and Wear region in 2011. The Pop cards will now replace the regular Metro...
East Coast Trains Implements Interfleet’s Monitoring System
UK rail operator East Coast Trains will install the new Guru system developed by Interfleet Technology to improve and monitor the performance of its rail fleet. Guru encompasses...
China Negotiates New Railway with Colombia
Chinese and Columbian authorities are in talks to build a transcontinental railway, which would link Colombia's Atlantic and Pacific coasts and provide an alternative to the Panama Canal. ...
East Coast to Commence New Services
UK rail service provider East Coast has unveiled a new plan which will have 19 new services per weekday from 22 May 2011, creating three million additional train seats per year between the...
Amtrak to Purchase High-Speed Rail Fleet
Amtrak has unveiled plans to procure 40 additional coach cars for the Acela high-speed service in 2012 to increase seating capacity on all existing high-speed train sets. The plan is part...
US State to Commence Rail Project
Kiewit Pacific will begin work on the $5.5bn rail transit system in Honolulu in the US state of Hawaii from 22 February this year. The 20-mile elevated rail system will run along...
New Rail Ticketing Mobile Application Developed in UK
mBlox, along with Raileasy and Concept Data Technologies (CDT), has developed a new rail ticketing mobile application in the UK on over 90% of mobile phones including Android, iPhone,...
Australian State Awards Rail Electrification Contract
Laing O'Rourke has won a A$10.2m ($10.2m) project development contract for electrification of the rail network in Adelaide in the state of South Australia. The rail network in Adelaide...
France Funds Urban Rail Projects
The French Government has allotted €590m ($798.5m) for 78 urban transport projects in 54 conurbations outside the Paris region. The package covers funds for 29 light rail projects in...
US State Seeks Private Interest for High-Speed Rail
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has issued a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) seeking private sector interest in participating in the development of a high-speed rail system...
Spanish Firm Wins Ticketing Technology Deal for Indian Metro
Spain-based IT company Indra, in partnership with Keltron, has won a contract with the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) to implement its access control and ticketing systems...
Rail Level Crossing Near-Misses in UK Rise
The number of motorists involved in near-misses with trains at level crossings across Britain increased by 15% in 2010 with 161 near-misses with trains, up from 140 in 2009, according to...
JV Formed for Cross-Border Rail Project
Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran have signed an agreement on establishing a joint venture for creating a north-south railway corridor. The head office of the joint venture will be located in...
Tube Lines Extends Deal with Capgemini
Tube Lines has extended its £10.5m ($16.9m) IT outsourcing contract with Capgemini UK for a three-year period to December 2013. Capgemini will be the official IT partner and will provide...
Nigeria Commences Rail Project
China Civil and Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) has commenced the Abuja to Kaduna rail modernisation project in Nigeria. The $874.3m project involves rebuilding a section of...
UK Station Receives Approval for New Platform
Network Rail will begin work to build a new island platform at Cambridge station in the UK, following approval from Cambridge City Council. The £16.7m ($26.8m) scheme will also involve...
Works Begin on Scotland Rail Link
Contractor Soil Mechanics will begin site and structural investigations work this week for the construction of the Borders Railway in Scotland. Upon completion, the railway, worth...
Amtrak to Begin Preliminary Work on US Tunnel
Amtrak plans to spend $50m to begin preliminary engineering and design work to build two rail tunnels under the Hudson River from New Jersey to New York City in the US. The $13.5bn...
Nordco Merges Nordco Rail Services and Dapco
Nordco has merged its Nordco Rail Services and Dapco Industries subsidiaries into a single business unit called Nordco Rail Services & Inspection Technologies. The restructured company...
Alstom Secures Deal to Upgrade Metro Fleet in US
Alstom Transport has won a $194m contract to execute the complete overhaul of the Port Authority Transit Corporation’s (PATCO) metro fleet in the US, which consists of 120 passenger cars. ...
New Diesel Electric Locomotive Joins MBTA's Rail Fleet
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will add a diesel-electric locomotive to its commuter rail fleet, following its inaugural run from Worcester to Boston in Massachusetts, US. ...
UGL Rail Secures Australian Rolling Stock Orders
UGL Rail has secured passenger and freight supply and maintenance projects worth A$225m (US$228m) in Australia. The work includes the supply of ten C44ACi locomotives to Xstrata Rail,...
UK Station Platform Works to Begin
A major scheme to lengthen the platforms at nine railway stations in Essex, UK, will begin this week. The stations are Dagenham Dock, Rainham, Purfleet, Grays, Tilbury Town, East...
European Rail Firms Eye UK Rail Franchise
Four government-backed European rail operators have expressed an interest in taking over the UK West Coast franchise operated by Virgin Trains. The firms include Germany's Deutsche...
Universal Allocates Funds for Zambian Rail Line
Steel producing firm Universal Mining and Chemical Industries has allocated $100m to construct a railway line from Lusaka to Mumbwa district in Zambia. The funds will be mainly used...
NJ Transit Selects US Firm for Rail Control System
The New Jersey Transit has awarded a contract to Carlyle Group company ARINC to provide a central control system for its Newark Light Rail operations in the US. ARINC will design and install...
BNSF Reveals Capital Programme
Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary and rail operator BNSF Railway Company has unveiled plans to spend $3.5bn this year to improve the efficiency of its operations, with $2bn allocated for its...
US Rail Freight Traffic Continues to Rise
Weekly US railroad freight traffic stood at 291,147 carloads for the week ending 29 January, up 4.7% compared with the same week last year, according to the Association of American...
Saudi Arabia Awards Rail Contracts
The Saudi Railways Organisation has awarded projects worth $2.4bn to construction firms Saudi Binladin Group and Saudi Oger for the 450km Haramain high-speed rail project, under construction...
UK Approves Rail Works
The Department of Transport (DfT) in the UK has approved nine transport schemes, following a spending review that identified over £45.5m ($73m) or 14% of savings on the original proposed costs. ...
Italy Signs Consortium for Rail Line Extension Work
The Italian city of Milan has signed a €872m ($1.18bn) concession agreement with Metro 5 for a 7km extension of Line 5 on the Milan underground to San Siro Stadium. Under the...
Consortium Wins Polish Metro Trains Deal
A consortium of Siemens and Poland-based Newag has won a €272m ($370.9m) order for 35 six-car metro trains from Warsaw's metro operator, Metro Warszawskie in Poland. About 15 new...
JV Secures Indian State Metro Project Work
A joint venture between Afcons Infrastructure and Russia's Transtonnelstroy has received two construction orders worth $567m for the Chennai metro project in Tamil Nadu, India. The...
Bangladesh to Finalise Metro Rail Route
The Bangladeshi Government will finalise the route of the proposed 21.5km metro-rail network in Dhaka within two weeks, aimed at easing traffic congestion in the capital city. The...
Oman to Award Contracts for National Railway by June
The Omani Government will select a project manager and a consultant by June this year for a detailed route design for building the proposed 1,500km railway network in the region. SThe...
Queensland Suspends Rail Operations Due to Cyclone
Cyclone Yasi has hit the flood-ravaged Australian state of Queensland, leading to the closure of the state's rail network. Rail haulage group QR National has temporarily suspended services...
STP Receives Approval for Scottish Station Upgrade
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) has received approval from Glasgow City Council for its plans to upgrade Hillhead Station in Glasgow, Scotland. These improvements are part of...
Axion Wins $15m US Railroad Ties Deal
Axion International has secured a $15m three-year contract with a Class 1 railroad in the US. Under the deal, the unnamed railroad will buy a minimum of $5m of Axion's composite railroad ties...
US State Unveils New Light Rail Station
New Jersey Transit has opened the new 8th Street Station in Bayonne in the US state of New Jersey, which is part of the new one-mile extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service. ...
Alstom Secures Dutch Traction Systems Deal
Alstom has secured a contract from Dutch rail fleet maintenance firm NedTrain for the design and manufacture of 161 Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) traction systems for 81 regional...
UK Seeks Proposals for New Trams
Transport for London (TfL), through its subsidiary Tramtrack Croydon, is seeking proposals from companies to supply ten trams for the London Tramlink network that covers Croydon and...
The Philippines May Drop MRT Buyout
The Philippine Government may scrap the planned buy-out of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) after the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) received an offer from the...
Delhi Metro Third Phase Route to Cover More Areas
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is finalising the alignment of the 104km third phase of the Delhi Metro, covering several more residential, business and academic centres than...
Russian Railways Invites Foreign Investors for High-Speed Rail
Russian Railways has invited foreign investors to bid for a 30-year contract to design, build, finance and maintain new high-speed rail links in Russia. It has created a subsidiary...
UK Railways See Record Train Journeys
The number of passenger journeys made by train last year on the UK's railways reached 1.32 billion, a 6.9% rise compared with 2009, according to new figures published by the Association of...
UK Railways Need to Withstand Climate Change
The UK's railways need to be able to cope with the effects of a changing climate, according to reports published by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in the...
Alstom Secures French Tramway Deal
Alstom has won a contract to provide tramways to run on the T7 and T8 tramway lines in the Paris metropolitan area in France. The first tranche, totalling nearly €50m ($68m), includes...
Telestone Wins Contract for Chinese High-Speed Rail Project
Telestone Technologies Corporation has secured a wireless fibre-optic distribution system (WFDS) contract in connection with the upcoming Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway in China. ...
Syria Plans Rail Projects
Syria has revealed key joint rail projects with the private sector for the rehabilitation of the region's railway network. The project includes a railway connecting al-Hijaz Station in...
Alstom Wins US State Rail Safety Systems Deal
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has signed a $115.5m contract with Alstom to overhaul its ageing train control and rail safety systems in the Atlanta region in the US...
Modon Considers Study for Rail Network
Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon) has signed an agreement with a global logistics services provider to conduct a study for the possibility of linking industrial cities in Saudi Arabia...
January 2011
Top
Ansaldo Secures US Cab Signalling Deals
Ansaldo has secured two contracts for US-based cab signalling projects, worth about $18m. One contract involves offering cab signalling to the 100 multilevel vehicles to be supplied...
UK Train Operator Closes Operations
UK Train operator Wrexham & Shropshire will cease operations beginning 28 January 2011. The organisation noted the economic downturn as a contributing factor and said the company could not...
Most UK Passengers Satisfied with Rail Journeys
About 84% of rail passengers were satisfied with their journey, but a breakdown of satisfaction scores reveals wide variations between routes, according to a new study. The National...
Contractors Under-Reported 34% of Injuries to Rail Staff
Around 34% of 'over-three-day injuries' to Network Rail workers have been under-reported among staff and contractors since 2005, according to an official study. The report by the...
Adani Signs Railway Line Deal in Indonesia
Adani Enterprises has signed a contract to build a rail project in Indonesia. The project will be undertaken by PT Adani Global, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises. The $1.65bn...
Savage to Develop Rail Terminal in US State
US-based service provider Savage Companies has unveiled plans to construct, own and operate a multi-user rail terminal at Trenton in North Dakota, US. The terminal, to be known as...
Railinc Introduces Defective Rail Car Tracking System
Railinc Corporation's Damaged and Defective Car Tracking (DDCT) system has been launched and is operational for rail carriers, freight car owners and freight car repair shops. The...
Alstom Wins Australian Signalling System Deal
Australian operator RailCorp has awarded French company Alstom several contracts worth $65m for the upgrade of its rail signalling system to improve safety across Sydney's CityRail network...
Stadler Receives Swiss Train Orders
Swiss public transport company Regional Transport Berne-Solothurn has signed a CHF64m ($66.9m) contract with Stadler Rail for the supply of eight low-floor NExT emus. The additional trains...
China CNR to Deliver Freight Cars to Australia
China CNR has secured a contract from Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) to deliver rail freight cars to Australia, according to the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. ...
L&T, Alstom JV Secures Metro Project in India
A joint venture (JV) between Larson & Toubro, Alstom Transport and Alstom Projects India has won a INR4.49bn ($98m) contract to design and construct tracks for the Chennai Metro Rail project in...
CRCC Sells Saudi Rail Project to Controller
China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has signed an agreement to transfer control of the Saudi Mecca light rail project to its controlling shareholder, China Railway Construction...
Australian State Develops Light Rail Route Proposals
The Department of Transport in Western Australia is developing a proposal for a route for a light-rail system in Perth. The possible route for the Perth light rail network could be...
Alstom to Build Baghdad Metro
Alstom has signed a contract with Iraq to build a 25km proposed metro rail line worth $600m through the capital Baghdad. The French Government will bear 50-60% of the project cost,...
Union Railway to Tender Rail Project in March
UAE rail operator Union Railway will call tenders for civil engineering contracts for its $11bn proposed railway network in March. Construction will commence in mid-2011 following...
Upgraded UK Rail Station Opens
The newly upgraded Hounslow station in the UK has opened following the completion of modernisation work. The old station building has been modernised by enhancing its original features...
UK Reveals Rail Franchise Reforms
The UK Government has unveiled plans to introduce commuter franchises with binding obligations on service quality and tackling overcrowding as part of an initiative to provide better services...
Majority of UK Trains on Time in December 2010
Continued severe winter weather in the UK resulted in only 81% of trains running on time in December 2010, compared with 80% for the same period last year, according to figures released by...
EIB Approves Rail Loan for French Authority
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a €600m ($809.7m) loan to the Ile de France Transport Authority (STIF) to fund the renewal and modernisation of rolling stock in service on...
Saudi Railways to Commence Landbridge Project Work
The Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) will start work on the Saudi Landbridge project after receiving approval from the authorities. The $7bn project includes the construction of a 950km...
SFMTA Approves Central Subway Funding Plan in the US
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) in California, US, has approved the financial plan for the Central Subway in San Francisco, which involves the extension of the Muni...
Masteel, KUB Form Joint Venture for Malay Rail Transit System
Malaysia Steel Works (Masteel) and KUB Malaysia have signed a joint-venture agreement to build and operate a proposed 100km inter-city rail transit system at Iskandar Malaysia in the state...
GE Transportation Signs Deals with China, Tessco
GE Transportation (GET) has signed two contracts with China's Ministry of Railways (MOR) valued at $1.4bn, including $350m for exports of locomotives, locomotive sub-assembly kits, service...
Environmental Report Approved for Light Rail Line Extension in US State
The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority Board has approved the supplemental environmental impact report (SEIR) for the Gold Line Foothill Extension project in the US state...
Welsh Rail Station Modernisation Plans Unveiled
Network Rail has unveiled plans to revamp Llandudno railway station in Wales into a secure transport interchange. If the plans are approved, the station will see a refurbished...
Eiffage Preferred Bidder for French High-Speed Rail Line Deal
French construction firm Eiffage has been selected by French railway manager Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) as the preferred bidder for a €3.4bn ($4.56bn) contract to design, build, maintain...
Faiveley Transport Wins Bombardier Equipment Supply Contract
Faiveley Transport has received a contract from Bombardier Transport North America to supply in-train equipment for 182 trams for the Metrolinx rail project in Toronto, Canada. ...
DB Schenker Rail to Invest in Locomotive Upgrade
UK rail freight operator DB Schenker Rail has unveiled plans to invest £3m ($4.8m) to upgrade seven class-60 locomotives to create a fleet of ‘Super 60’ locomotives. During the first half...
Bahrain to Conduct Feasibility Study for Rail Project
Bahrain plans to invite international companies to carry out detailed studies for a proposed local rail network project, estimated to cost about $7.96bn. The studies include...
GWI Selects RailComm Train Control System
US-based rail freight operator Genesee and Wyoming has selected RailComm's GCOR dispatch system for 16 Southern Region railroads. RailComm’s web-enabled domain operations controller (DOC)...
Consortium Wins Danish High-Speed Rail Line Design Work
An Atkins-led consortium has won a contract to design the first stretch of a 60km high-speed rail line in Denmark, which will link to the 180km route from Copenhagen to the German border. ...
Additional North-South Wales Express Rail Service Revealed
The Welsh Assembly Government has announced that the express rail link between north and south Wales, from Holyhead to Cardiff, is to increase to two return services a day. Rail operator...
Iraq to Complete Urban Rail Project by 2013
Iraq's national railway company has revealed that the proposed urban rail project in Baghdad will be completed by 2013. The project will be carried out along with French company Tharyom,...
Bids Invited for Four Crossrail Stations Work
Crossrail has invited bids for the construction of four stations, worth a total of £950m ($1.26bn), as part of the £14.5bn ($23.4bn) Crossrail project. The station contracts are divided...
Delhi Metro Opens Final Section of Violet Line
The 5km-long Sarita Vihar to Badarpur section of the Delhi Metro's Violet line in India has been opened following statutory safety clearance. The section comprises Mohan Estate, Tughlakabad...
Network Rail Line to Deploy Crime Prevention Strategies from UK Firm
Crime reduction strategies provider SmartWater Technology has signed a deal with Network Rail to protect the infrastructure of its London to North West (LNW) mainline, which runs through...
GE Provides Intelligent Control Systems for DART Rail Line
GE Transportation has provided an integrated system for 15 new stations on the 24 mile-long Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Green Line, which went into service in December 2010 in the...
Bullet Trains between Chinese Cities Commence Operations
High-speed bullet trains have commenced operations linking Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Chongqing in China in order to reduce the journey time between the cities to about 15 hours. A...
US Rail Freight Traffic Rises for 2011 First Week
The Association of American Railroads has revealed that US railroad freight traffic stood at 285,108 carloads for the week ending 8 January 2011, a 20.1% rise compared with the same week last...
Design Tender for Crossrail's North-East Section Invited
Network Rail has invited tenders for the design of works planned on the north-east section of the Crossrail route, between Stratford in east London and Shenfield in Essex. The works include...
UK Rail Station Upgrade Work to Begin in February
Major improvements will begin next month to rebuild the station steps of Waverley Station's Princes Street entrance in Edinburgh, UK. Network Rail has appointed Morgan Sindall as...
Chinese Firm to Deliver Interlocking System to Beijing HSR
China Automation Group subsidiary Beijing Jiaoda Microunion Technology has won a contract to supply its railway interlocking system to the 1,200km Beijing-Shijiazhuang-Wuhan high-speed rail line. ...
UAE Plans Desert Railway
United Arab Emirates is looking to build a rail system that will link all cities by a rail line over the desert. The UAE's Union Railway Company intends to complete the $11bn project and...
Canadian Pacific to Invest Capital Projects in 2011
Canadian Pacific Railway has revealed plans to invest between $950m and $1.05bn for capital projects in 2011. Major investment categories include $680m for basic track infrastructure, $200m...
Bombardier Wins DB Rolling Stock Deal
Bombardier Transportation has received a $485m order from Deutsche Bahn (DB) for the delivery of 137 of its Twindexx 2010 double-deck coaches and 27 Traxx P160 AC locomotives. The...
Axion Secures Railroad Ties Deal in Calgary
Axion International has secured a contract to install thermoplastic railroad ties in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The railroad ties will be used for under-road crossings and can withstand...
China Railway Materials Plans Public Offering
China Railway Materials Commercial Co (CRMSC) has unveiled plans to raise up to $1.8bn in a dual listing in Shanghai and Hong Kong in late 2011 or early next year. The company was...
US Agency to Consider New Freight Rail Regulations
US rail road regulator the Surface Transportation Board said it will consider a major overhaul of rules to force freight-rail companies to compete more aggressively for farmers, coal producers...
RailAmerica Freight Carloads Rise in December
US short line and regional freight railroads operator RailAmerica has revealed its total freight carloads for December 2010 increased by 4% to 71,209 from 68,445 in December 2009. The...
Metra Begins Quiet Rail Cars Tests
The Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (Metra) in Illinois, US, has begun a three-month test of ‘quiet’ railcars on the Rock Island rail line. The line stretches...
CFL Awards Signalling System Contract to Alstom
Luxembourg Railways (CFL) has awarded a contract worth more than €13m ($16.86m) to Alstom Transport for the installation of its Atlas ERTMS signalling system on the third and final portion...
Beijing Commences Work for Maglev Rail Line
Beijing has begun construction of a 10.24km section of a new maglev railway line. The rail line, called S1, is Beijing's first magnetic levitation line. S1 will use a low and...
Winter Storm Hampers US Rail Services
Heavy snowfall over the last week has affected rail services in the US states of Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and further north, stretching to Alabama, Tennessee and Texas. Snow...
Preliminary Work on Bangalore Metro Begins
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation has begun preliminary work on phase II of the Namma Metro project in the Indian state of Karnataka, following government approval. The Delhi Metro...
SBB Cargo and Hupac JV Commences Operation
SBB Cargo International, which was recently established by Swiss Federal Railways' rail freight unit SBB Cargo and European intermodal operator Hupac, has commenced operations. SBB holds a...
BBMV Wins Crossrail Tunnel Deal
Joint venture company BBMV has secured a £235m ($365.6m) contract for the Whitechapel and Liverpool Street Station Crossrail tunnels in the UK. The joint venture features Balfour Beatty,...
Ansaldo Wins Denmark City Metro Line Deal
Finmeccanica unit Ansaldo has secured a €700m ($903m) contract to build a metro line in Copenhagen, Denmark. The driverless line, Cityringen, will be underground, automated and will...
Chicago Transit Authority Unveils Train Tracker
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in the US has launched a pilot version of its Train Tracker system, which can provide passengers with estimated arrival times for the next train at all 144...
Korean Bank Grants Loan to Hyundai for Rail Cars Project
Korea Eximbank has agreed a loan of $296m to Hyundai Corporation for a project involving the export of high-speed electric rail cars to Ukraine. The project is the first step of Ukraine's...
US Railroad Freight Traffic Continues to Rise
The Association of American Railroads has revealed that US railroad freight traffic stood at 240,073 carloads for the week ending 1 January 2011, a 5.6% rise compared with the same week last year....
ABB to Supply Power Equipment to Swiss Rail Firm
Swiss train manufacturer Stadler Rail has awarded a $55m contract to ABB to supply traction and onboard power equipment. Under the deal, ABB will deliver traction converters with...
US High-Speed Rail Line Could Cost Extra $3bn
The Tampa-Orlando high-speed rail line in Florida, US, could cost $3bn more than expected, according to a new report. The research, by non-profit think tank Reason Foundation, shows that...
Sumitomo, Nippon Win Taiwan Rail Order
The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) has signed a $364m contract with two Japanese firms, Sumitomo Corporation and rail equipment maker Nippon Sharyo, to buy 136 passenger railcars. ...
Rail Shuttle Services Resume in Flood-Affected North Queensland
Rail services in the Australian state of Queensland remain disrupted, but daylight rail shuttle services have restarted in the north between Mackay and Cairns. The special Sunlander...
Wabtec Acquires Adantech
US rail technology company Wabtec Corporation has acquired Brazilian rail traffic friction products company Adantech Industria e Comercio de Metal. The terms of the deal were not...
Bombardier Receives Rail Orders
Bombardier Transportation has received two rail orders worth $497.3m. The first $485m deal is for rolling stock from an undisclosed customer, possibly a European firm. The second...
China High-Speed Railway to Begin Operations in June
A high-speed railway connecting Beijing and Shanghai, worth about CNY220.9bn ($33.5bn), will begin operation ahead of schedule in June. Construction of the railway commenced in April 2008...
Alstom Wins French Rail Orders
The French administrative regions of Poitou-Charentes and Auvergne have placed a €125m ($164m) order with Alstom to supply ten and 12 regional trains, respectively, from the Coradia...
Czech Republic and Poland to Consider Rail Cargo Operators Merger
The Czech Republic and Poland have agreed to form a task group to explore the feasibility of a possible merger of the state-owned rail cargo operators in both countries. Czech...
Esterel Code Generator Certified for Rail Applications
Esterel Technologies' advanced version SCADE Display 6.2 has been certified by TÜV SÜD Rail to safety integrity level (SIL) 3/4 and SIL 3. SCADE Display 6.2 is a model-based flexible...
First Phase of UK Rail Station Upgrade Complete
Network Rail in the UK has completed the first phase of a six-year upgrade project for Reading station and surrounding rail lines worth £850m ($1.3bn). Network Rail has revealed that it aims...
KBR Enters Alliance for Australian Rail Extension Project
KBR's Australia-based infrastructure and minerals business unit has joined an alliance to deliver the South Morang rail extension project in Victoria, Australia. The other members in...
L&T Wins Indian Rail Contracts
The railway unit of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has won orders worth INR11.02bn ($246.8m) from power plant developers in India for the construction of rail lines to link power plants to the main...
Saudi Rail Contract to be Awarded in 2011 Q1
Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) will award $1.4bn-worth of contracts for phase two of the 450km Haramain railway project in Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of 2011. The line is expected...
Bangladesh to Purchase Rail Fleet from India
Bangladesh Railway (BR) will purchase 30 broad gauge locomotives, 100m gauge tank wagons and ten diesel electric rail cars from India, financed through a $1bn loan. The BDT10bn ($139m)...
Taiwan High-Speed Rail Line Opened
The Shalun Branch Rail Line in Taiwan has opened ahead of its original schedule of February 2011. The line is located between Tainan City and Tainan Station and will provide outside...
Floods Disrupt Rail Services in Australian State
Rail services across the state of Queensland in Australia have been severely affected following flooding, which began on 24 December. Rail networks linking mines to the ports have been...
MHI Secures Macau Light Rail Deal
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has secured a MOP4.69bn ($585m) contract to supply rail systems and rolling stock for the first phase of a light rail system in Macau, China. The 21km first phase...
Beijing Launches Five New Subway Lines
Beijing has opened five subway lines worth CNY61bn ($9.2bn) in a bid to ease traffic congestion and improve mobility in the city. The five lines – Fangshan, Changping, the first phase of...
US State Receives Funds for Rail Car Upgrade
The US has approved $150m in funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to replace its 1000-Series rail cars. The states of Maryland, Virginia and the District...
December 2010
Top
EIB Approves Loan for Swedish Rail
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a loan of €600m ($786.42m) for the construction of an underground railway line in Stockholm, Sweden. The Citybanan project includes a...
Turkey to Receive IDB Loan for Fleet Expansion
The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $220m loan to TCDD, Turkey's state railway company, to finance its fleet expansion plans. TCDD also signed a contract with Hyundai Rotem...
Season's Greetings
railway-technology.com will be taking a short break over Christmas. Our full daily news service will return on 4 January. Thank you for your support in 2010, and we wish you a happy...
Hollysys to Deliver Signalling Equipment to China
Hollysys Automation Technologies has won a $33.6m contract to supply a ground-based rail signalling system to the Beijing-Shijiazhuang-Wuhan high-speed rail line in China. It will also...
Massive Snowfall Disrupts Rail Transport Across Europe
Several train services have been delayed or cancelled across Europe due to heavy snowfall and ice, leaving many travellers stranded. The UK, France and Germany were among the...
US State Commits Funds for High-Speed Rail Line
The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board in the US has committed $616m for the proposed 520-mile high-speed rail system in the state. The state has already received $624m in...
Siemens Delivers Electrification for Saudi City Metro
Siemens has completed electrification of phase one of the Mashaaer Mugaddassah Metro Project (MMMP) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The project consists of an 18km double track, which was...
Heijmans Wins Rail Contract in Netherlands
ProRail has awarded development company Heijmans a €26m ($34m) contract for the construction of the substructure for the Sporen in Den Bosch project in the Netherlands. The...
Virginia, Norfolk Southern Partner to Restart Rail Service
The US state of Virginia has partnered with Norfolk Southern Railway Company to restart daily intercity passenger rail service back to Norfolk for the first time since 1977. The...
UK Reveals Revised High-Speed Rail Route
The UK Government has revealed its revised proposal for the £33bn ($51bn) high-speed rail (HSR) network, which will link London to the West Midlands, Manchester and Leeds, and will include a...
Indian Railways to Install New Fog Safety Devices
Indian Railways will install a new device on about 1,100 trains passing through fog-prone regions of the country, following successful trails. The device, based on global positioning...
Tehran Receives Funds for Subway Expansion
Iran has allocated €430m ($566m) to purchase wagons for Tehran’s subway system. The wagons will double the capacity of the subway by March 2012. About 15km of tunnels have been...
Spain Overtakes France as High-Speed Leader
Spain has opened its fourth high-speed rail line, Madrid-Valencia, overtaking France as the European leader in high-speed rail in terms of track length. The project brings Spain's high-speed...
North American Freight Rail Traffic Continues to Rise
The Association of American Railroads has revealed that US railroad freight traffic stood at 286,391 carloads for the week ending 11 December 2010, a 10.2% rise compared with the same week...
US Freight Rail Project Secures Federal Grant
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Ohio Rail Development Commission have signed an agreement which finalised the release of $98m for improvements to the National Gateway Freight...
Report Demands New London Rail Lines to Meet Demand
A long-term strategy for London's railway has been unveiled in the UK, building on existing plans to increase capacity on the region's railway to cater for a projected threefold rise in...
MMC-Gamuda JV to Tender Tunnelling Works on Malay Rail
An MMC-Gamuda joint venture has been appointed the project delivery partner for tunnelling works for a mass rail transit project in Malaysia. Syarikat Prasarana Negara will be the...
WSP Group, Jacobs Engineering Win UK Station Contract
WSP Group and Jacobs Engineering have secured design contracts to redevelop London Bridge station in London, UK. The company will completely rebuild the station under the 16-month...
China Shenhua Energy to Invest in Railway to Mongolia
China Shenhua Energy, a unit of Chinese coal producer Shenhua Group, has unveiled plans to spend $2.03bn to build a railway line linking Dazhun and Shuohuang in Mongolia. China Shenhua...
East Coast Sees Reduction in Passenger Accidents
UK rail operator East Coast said that the number of accidents involving passengers and staff fell by 10% between November 2009 and November 2010. Accidents involving passengers on trains...
China CNR Preferred Tenderer for NZ Rail Contract
China CNR Corporation (CNR) has been named as the preferred supplier by KiwiRail to supply 300 container flat deck wagons in New Zealand. CNR will replace more than 3,000 wagons under the...
Rail Terminal Extension Opened in Spain
The new extension to the Atocha railway terminal in Madrid, Spain, has been completed and opened for public use. The €171m ($265.8m) rail terminal will meet the increasing number of new...
Jacobs Wins Support Service Contract for UK Rail Extension
Jacobs Engineering Group has secured a contract to provide detailed design and construction support services to MPact for the construction of extensions to the Metrolink system in Manchester, UK. ...
Bombardier to Deliver Additional Coaches to Israel
Bombardier Transportation has received an additional order worth €115m ($154m) from Israel Railways for the delivery of 72 double-deck coaches. The contract is part of an earlier...
Astaldi Preferred Bidder for Saudi Arabia Rail Station
A joint venture including Italian construction firm Astaldi Group has been selected as the preferred bidder for the construction of two high-speed railway stations in Saudi Arabia. The...
EIB Approves Rail Loan for Tunisia
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a loan of €119m ($159.8m) to Tunisia for its suburban network in the capital city of Tunis. The project includes the construction of the...
Watco Wins Grain Rail Freight Contract in Australia
CBH Group has awarded a ten-year contract to Watco Companies and plans to invest A$175m (US$173.5m) in rolling stock for the planned grain rail freight network in Western Australia. Watco...
Bombardier Unit to Acquire RZD Subsidiary Stake
Bombardier Transportation's subsidiary BT Signaling has signed an agreement to purchase a 25% stake in Russian Railways (RZD) subsidiary United Electrical Engineering Plants (Elteza). ...
Greenbrier Sees Railcar Demand Rise
US rail freight wagon manufacturer Greenbrier Companies has received contracts to deliver 2,000 railcars, at a combined value of $135m. The orders are for covered hopper cars of various...
Funding Agreements Signed for Moroccan High-Speed Rail
Morocco has signed five funding agreements for the proposed MAD20bn ($2.3bn) Tangier to Casablanca high-speed train project. The nation signed two agreements for a €625m ($836.6m) loan...
Australian State Receives EIS Approval for Rail Project
The proposed A$1bn (US$995m) Surat Basin Rail project in Queensland, Australia, has received approval, following three years of detailed environmental assessment. The project, also called...
High-Speed Rail Made Seven Million Journeys in First Year
UK rail operator Southeastern has announced that its high-speed service made over 7.2 million journeys in its first year. On the first anniversary of the start of the service between London...
US Allocates High-Speed Rail Funds to Other States
The US Department of Transportation has announced that $1.195bn in high-speed rail funds originally designated for Wisconsin and Ohio will be redirected to high-speed rail projects in other...
UK County Opens Eco Railway Station
An eco railway station in Accrington in the UK county of Lancashire officially opened last week. The sustainable station features solar panels, cycle parking facilities, improvements to the...
Crossrail Awards Tunnelling Contracts
The UK’s Crossrail project has awarded four contracts worth £1.25bn ($1.97bn) for tunnelling works, which will deliver the construction of 18km of twin-bore tunnels under central London. ...
Balfour Beatty Rail Secures London Underground Rail Contract
UK-based infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has secured a £110m ($174m) five-year contract from the London Underground in the UK to carry out track renewal work on London's Tube...
Virgin Rail to Bid for West Coast Rail Franchise
Virgin Rail Group will bid for the West Coast rail franchise after the UK Government announced support for longer train franchises. The current franchise will expire on March 2012. The...
PCL Construction Receives Contract for US Maintenance Facility
PCL Construction Services has received a $43m contract for the construction of an operation and maintenance facility for the $957m Central Corridor light-rail transit (CCLRT) project in...
Preliminary Work on Rail Line Extension Begins in Australia
Civil engineering contractor R J Vincent and Co has received a A$6m contract to begin preliminary work on 4km of rail corridor to extend the A$240.7m Joondalup passenger railway line in...
Construction on Largest US Transit Bridge to Begin in 2011
Construction on the Willamette River Bridge in Portland, US, will begin in 2011, following the approval of $127m in contracts by the board of Portland mass transit operator TriMet. The bridge...
Alstom Delivers First Pendolino High-Speed Train to UK
The first of the four 11-car Pendolino high-speed tilting trains to be delivered by Alstom arrived this week in Liverpool, UK, for a six-month programme of testing and commissioning. Under...
China Signs High-Speed Railway Deal with Thailand, Laos
China has entered into agreements with Laos and Thailand to build a high-speed railway connecting China with the two South East Asian countries. Laos will set up a joint venture company to...
UK Rail Reforms Aim to Save $1bn
The UK rail industry could save up to £1bn ($1.58bn) per annum through greater efficiency and alignment of incentives between train operators and Network Rail, according to an interim report by...
Deutsche Bahn Signs Rail Cooperation Deal with China
Deutsche Bahn (DB) and China's Ministry of Railways (MOR) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate more closely on rail freight transport and in expanding the Chinese...
Deutsche Bahn to Sell Arriva Unit to Italian Rail Operator
German national rail carrier Deutsche Bahn is set to sell its subsidiary Arriva Deutschland to Italian train operator Trenitalia for €170m ($225.4m). European Union competition...
GE, CSR to Establish JV for High-Speed Rail
General Electric (GE) has signed an agreement with China's CSR Corporation to establish a US-based joint venture to advance high-speed and other rail technology in the US. The parties will...
Madrid Selects NXP Smart Fare Collection System
NXP Semiconductors has announced that its contactless microcontroller IC technology has been selected to power the automatic fare collection scheme on Madrid's public transportation system...
Bombardier, China Sign Rail Projects Agreement
Bombardier and China's Ministry of Railways have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the development of rail rolling stock and signalling applications for mainline and...
EIB Approves Loan for Vietnamese Metro Line
The European Investment Bank has approved a €150m ($199m) loan to Vietnam to finance the construction of a metro line project in Ho Chi Minh City. Metro line 2 will stretch over 11.3km...
Malaysia Awards Monorail Expansion Contract
Scomi Engineering unit Scomi Rail has received a letter of intent from Syarikat Prasarana Negara (SPNB) for a MYR494m ($157m) monorail fleet expansion project in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ...
National Express Unlikely to Join UK Intercity Rail Bidding
National Express is unlikely to join in any bids to operate intercity rail franchises in the UK. The UK Government will soon announce a number of intercity rail franchises to be re-let in...
Chinese Technology Firm to Issue Shares
China-based rail system applications provider Beijing Century Real Technology has revealed plans to issue up to 35 million shares on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on 13 December. The enlarged...
Leighton Subsidiary Secures Australian Rail Contract
Leighton Holdings subsidiary John Holland has been selected as the preferred proponent for the management of the country regional network (CRN) by the Australian state of New South Wales. ...
Kilfrost Wins Network Rail Order
UK-based Kilfrost has received an order for its Rail Plus product from Network Rail, which will be trialled across the Wessex line from the west of England to London Waterloo. Kilfrost Rail...
CAF Receives Rail Contract in Brazil
Consortium Guararapes has received a R$217m ($128mn) order to supply electric trains for Recife's metro system in Brazil, in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The consortium, comprised...
Russian Firm to Invest in Rolling Stock Plant
Russia-based investment and industrial company ICT Group has unveiled plans to invest $1bn for a new railcar-factory in Tikhvin, northwest Russia. The railcar factory will have an annual...
Crossrail Commences Train Procurement Process
UK’s Crossrail has begun the procurement process to purchase rolling stock and depot facilities for the Crossrail route, with a capital cost of £1bn ($1.558bn). To deliver Crossrail services...
Patriot Rail to Operate US State Railroad
Short line railroad holding company Patriot Rail Corporation has entered into an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to commence rail service on the Piedmont...
Russian Rail Firm Completes Financing Plan
Russian railcar provider Brunswick Rail has revealed that it has completed its $500m financing plan to support the company's expansion. The funds will be invested primarily in building up...
ERRD Loan to Help Restructure Kazakh Railway
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide a €145m ($200m) loan to freight transport subsidiary of Kazakh Railways, Kaztemirtrans (KTT). The loan will...
DART Deploys Automated Surveillance Technology
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) in the US has deployed automated surveillance technology to provide perimeter security and prevent vandalism at the transit system's north-west rail...
Peab Wins Rail Project in Sweden
The Swedish Transport Administration has selected Nordic construction firm Peab to carry out two projects worth SEK177m ($25m) at a double track railway built between central Södertälje and...
GWI Completes FreightLink Acquisition in Australia
Genesee & Wyoming (GWI) has completed the acquisition of FreightLink, Asia Pacific Transport (APT) and the other APT joint venture sellers for A$332m (US$319m). FreightLink is the owner...
Longest Rail Line Between Russia and China Opens
A 866km passenger rail line from Changchun in north-east China's Jilin Province to the Russian port city of Vladivostok opened last week. The railway stretches about 574km in China and...
India Plans New Rail Line to Nepal
Indian Railways has unveiled plans for a 70km rail line to Nepal. The government has approved the project, which will be implemented by Indian Railways, and granted a first instalment of...
DART to Implement Smart Maintenance Solution
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) in the US has selected Enigma to provide a smart solution to support its fleet maintenance plans. Enigma's InService electronic parts catalogue (EPC)...
German Firm Wins Taiwan Railway Systems Deal
Taiwanese steel maker China Steel Corporation (CSC) has selected German simulation services provider VI-grade to provide its suite of railway simulation systems. VI-Rail is a railway...
UK Union Says Fragmenting Rail Infrastructure Undermines Safety
Handing responsibility for track and signalling to train-operating franchises in the UK could result in further fragmentation, undermining safety, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union has said. ...
US State Light Rail Line Project to Receive Approval
TriMet could approve the first resolutions to start construction of the $1.5bn Portland-Milwaukie MAX light-rail line in the US state of Oregon. The public agency's board will vote on 8...
Russian Railways, Finmeccanica to Modernise Rail Network in Russia
Russian Railways and Italian manufacturer Finmeccanica have signed an agreement to collaborate on joint projects to modernise the Russian rail network. Under the deal, the companies intend...
Ghana Signs $6bn Railway Deal with Chinese Firm
The Government of Ghana and the China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC) have signed a $6bn contract for the construction of a railway in the country. The proposed railway...
UAE Awards Rail Contracts
The UAE's Union Railway has appointed a Parsons-Systra joint venture (JV) as the project management consultant and Parsons Brinckerhoff as the preliminary engineering services consultant for...
November 2010
Top
UK Rail Punctuality Dips in October
London Overground was the most punctual rail operator in the UK during October with 94% of trains on time, according to a report by Network Rail. The monthly train performance report...
Alstom to Deliver Signalling System for Shanghai Metro Line
Alstom and its Chinese joint venture CASCO have signed a €22.5m ($29.86m) contract with Shanghai metro operator Shentong to supply signalling systems for the first phase of Line 13 of...
Malaysia Awards Light Rail Extension Contracts
Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad has appointed contractors for two light rail transit line extension projects in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Trans Resources Corporation received a MYR950m...
Siemens to Supply Equipment for Malaysian Rail Network
Siemens Mobility has secured a €65m ($86m) order to supply traction equipment and vehicle control systems for a total of 38 six-car multiple units for the Malaysian mass transit...
Russian, Finnish Railways Sign Cooperation Agreement
Russian Railways has signed a memorandum of intent with Finnish railway company VR Group to cooperate on international container freight services. The companies will set technical,...
Ansaldo Wins Australian Rail System Deal
Ansaldo STS Australia has signed a contract with Rio Tinto to provide rail systems for the company's iron ore operations in Pilbara, Australia. Under the A$467m (US$452m) contract,...
Israel Seeks Applications for High-Speed Rail Line
Israel is seeking expressions of interest from private sector parties for a 170km high-speed rail connection between the cities of Tel Aviv and Eilat. The exact route of the proposed...
UK Unveils $12bn Rail Investment Plans
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has unveiled plans to invest £8bn ($12.6bn) to upgrade the nation's rail infrastructure by May 2019. The investment will be used to continue...
Ukraine to Continue Railway Overhaul in 2011
Ukraine's state-owned railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, has revealed plans to overhaul a further 793km of railway line in 2011 and plans to modernise 358km of track. The repair and...
UK Tube Union Offers Arbitration Ahead of Strike
The UK Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has offered binding arbitration on the use of Tube station ticket offices in advance of ACAS talks. At the talks, the RMT said that it will...
UK Rail Freight Route Upgrade Receives Approval
The UK Department for Transport has approved plans to upgrade Anglia's rail freight route from Felixstowe to Nuneaton, including the double-track Ipswich Chord, following a comprehensive...
Ansaldo Preferred Bidder for Denmark Metro
Italy-based Ansaldo has been marked as the preferred bidder for the contract to build Cityringen, Copenhagen's new metro system in Denmark. The company has proposed to offer technical...
China High-Speed Construction to Begin Soon
Construction of a high-speed rail link between Yunnan province in China and Yangon City in Myanmar will begin in two months. After completion, the 1,920km line will have trains running at...
Siemens, SWM Sign Train Supply Contract
Siemens Mobility has received an €185m ($247m) contract from Munich City Utilities to supply 21 C2-type underground trains. The trains, totalling 126 cars, will be delivered between 2013...
NRW in Negotiations for Australian Rail Project
Civil contractor NRW Holdings is negotiating with Fortescue Metals Group for the duplication of Fortescue's 120km existing main line in Australia. It also includes the construction of a...
Philippine Metro Rail Upgrade to Cost $700m
Expansion and improvements to services on Metro Manila's rapid transit line in the Philippines, Metro Rail Transit (MRT), will require up to $700m. According to Metro Pacific...
Bombardier Wins German Train Order
Bombardier Transportation has won a €200m ($271m) order for the supply of 51 TALENT 2 trains to Germany’s Deutsche Bahn (DB). The 36 three-car and 15 four-car TALENT 2 suburban trains...
Australia’s Rail Freight Unit IPO Raises A$4bn
The Queensland State Government in Australia has raised about A$4bn through an initial public offering of its rail freight operator, QR National. Shares commenced trading on the...
US States Receive Federal Grant for Railroad Safety
Seven rail projects in the US will receive a shared federal grant of $50m to deploy collision avoidance systems and other advanced technologies on the country's rail network. The Positive...
Aecon Consortium Wins Canadian Subway Extension Contract
An Aecon Group-led consortium has secured a $279m contract from the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to complete the first phase of the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension in Ontario,...
London Rail Lacks Accessibility Measures, Report Shows
More than one in ten Londoners cannot access large sections of the Tube network due to limited availability of trains and stations to people with reduced mobility, according to a report. ...
US Rail Freight Traffic Continues to Rise
US freight railroads continue to post weekly rail traffic gains over 2009 levels, with 297,269 carloads for the week ending 13 November 2010, up 5.8% compared with the same week last...
New Crossrail Station Designs Unveiled
Designs have been unveiled of eight Crossrail stations to be built across central London and Docklands in the UK along the £16bn ($25.6bn) Crossrail route. The stations include Bond...
Atlas in Discussion with BHP for Rail Access
Iron Ore producer Atlas Iron has entered into an agreement with mining firm BHP Billiton Iron Ore concerning access to its rail network and Port Hedland in the Pilbara region of Western Australia....
UK Rail Station Improving Passenger Facilities
A footbridge at Ipswich railway station in Suffolk, UK, has been put into place as part of a national scheme to make rail stations more accessible. Network Rail said the footbridge will...
US City Breaks Ground on Station Project
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the US has broken ground on the $13.5m Yawkey Commuter rail station reconstruction project in Boston, Massachusetts. The station...
Consortia Submit Bids for Romanian Metro Project
Bucharest underground train network operator Metrorex has received bids from several groups of companies to build the fifth underground section of the Raul Doamnei-Hasdeu line. A...
US State Light Rail Extension Plans Approved
The Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) in the US has approved a plan for a proposed light rail extension of the LYNX Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina. The proposed 11-mile Blue...
Australian State Receives Funding for Freight Network Upgrade
The Government of Western Australia has committed A$179m to improve the efficiency of the state's ageing rail network for grain transport. It will be matched by the federal...
Japan to Back Hitachi for UK HSR
The Japanese Government may provide funding for Hitachi's bid for a UK high-speed rail project. The government would give a loan through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation to a...
Arriva Trains Wales Members Cancel Strike Action
Industrial action planned on 19 November by 478 train driver members from Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) belonging to Britain's ASLEF union has been suspended. This follows continuous...
Consortium Given Go-Ahead for Canadian Metro Cars Deal
A consortium involving Bombardier Transportation and Alstom Transport has received the go-ahead to supply 468 metro cars for 52 nine-car trainsets in Canada. The consortium signed a...
National Express in Talks to Operate US HSR
British transport group National Express is in discussions to become the operator of a $2.6bn high-speed rail route across Florida in the US. National Express is in negotiations to join...
Siemens Wins French Metro Line Order
Transport authority Rennes Métropole has awarded a €200m ($269.4m) contract to Siemens to build an automated metro line in Rennes, France. Siemens will undertake the initial planning of...
Network Rail Reveals Station Upgrade Plans
Network Rail has unveiled plans to develop and build a 220m balcony along the first-floor concourse of Waterloo station in London, UK, in a bid to ease congestion. The balcony, to be...
Metro Pacific to Consider Stake in Metro Rail Transit
Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) is considering a possible buy-out of Fil-Estate Corporation's stake in Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) in Manila, Philippines. Fil-Estate has...
Canada Unveils Cobourg Station Design
VIA Rail Canada has unveiled designs for upgrading and expanding its rail station in Cobourg in the Canadian province of Ontario. The C$9m (US$8.9m) upgrade will add an island boarding...
Arriva Trains Wales Members Announce Strikes
About 480 train drivers from Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) belonging to Britain's ASLEF union have voted in favour of strike action in a row over pay. The union said the strike action is planned...
Alstom Wins Morocco Rail Contracts
Alstom has received two contracts with a combined value of €€11m ($17m) from Casa Transports en Site Aménagé in Morocco to provide railway signalling and electrical power supply...
Kazakh Railways to Use IBM Technology
IBM has been selected by rail operator National Company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy to provide hardware and software services for Kazakh Railways. IBM technology will aid in optimising freight...
ADB Offers Loan for Vietnam’s Metro Rail Line
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $540m loan for a $1.4bn project to build an 11.3km urban railway line in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The metro rail line project involves...
Harsco Seals Rail Equipment Order from China
US-based industrial services company Harsco Corporation has received two railway equipment orders from China, worth about $11m. The orders are from major rapid transit system operators in...
Hollysys Wins Chinese HSR Signalling Deal
Hollysys Automation Technologies has signed a CNY201.71m ($30.45m) contract to supply 300km/h-350km/h high-speed rail automatic train protection (ATP) systems in China. The ATPs will be...
Network Rail Unveils Upgrade Proposals
Network Rail has unveiled proposals to upgrade about three miles of track at the Norton Bridge Junction in Stafford, England, with a flyover to increase capacity. The plans for the £200m...
Budget Delay Stalls Railway Plans in Nepal
Delays in announcing a full budget allocation has held back two major rail projects in Nepal. The Mechi-Mahakali and Pokhara-Kathmandu electrical railway and the Kathmandu Sustainable...
Russian Railways to Submit High-Speed Rail Draft
Russian Railways subsidiary Skorostnye Magistrali is preparing a draft study of the socio-economic significance of the proposed 660km Moscow–St Petersburg high-speed rail project in Russia. ...
UK Station Work to be Complete by 2011
Construction of West Hampstead Thameslink's new station on the Midland Main Line in the UK has begun and is set to be complete by 2011. The station in north-west London will increase...
Australian State to Invest in Rail Fleet Expansion
The state of Victoria in Australia is set to invest A$723.4m to improve transport in the region, including an expansion of its rail network. The government has allotted A$82.5m for the...
US Metrorail Extension to be Complete by 2012
The $526m Metrorail extension in Miami, Florida, US, will be complete by April 2012, ahead of its original schedule. Operator Miami-Dade Transit said most of the work for the supporting...
Russian Rail Unit Sells Stake in Cargo Subsidiary
Russian Railways has sold a stake in its cargo subsidiary OJSC TransContainer through an initial public offering. FESCO Transportation Group acquired a 12.5% stake in TransContainer for $138.9m....
China to Invest $525bn in Railway Construction
China is planning to spend CNY3.5tn ($525.9bn) on the nation's railway network over next five years. The Ministry of Railways said the government will invest an average of CNY700bn...
Amtrak Considers Options for US Rail Tunnel
Amtrak is in discussion with New Jersey's public transit agency to explore options for two rail tunnels under the Hudson River between Manhattan and New Jersey in the US. The firm is expected...
Vietnam to Negotiate with ADB on Metro Line
The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) will negotiate with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to seek funding for the $1.2bn second Metro project in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The SBV will negotiate...
UK Rail Overcrowding Set to Rise by 2014
Overcrowding on UK trains is set to increase by 2014 and beyond because the government has not increased passenger seating capacity, according to a new report. The report from the Public...
China to Review High-Speed Rail Plan
China's Ministry of Railways is reviewing plans to expand its high-speed network, following a report on the project. The Chinese Academy of Sciences submitted a report to the nation's...
Indonesia to Finalise Coal Rail Contract Next Year
Indonesia is expected to award a contract for the $2bn Puruk Cahu coal railway project in Central Kalimantan by February 2011. The formal contract with the successful bidder will be signed...
Canadian Transit Agency Seeks Funds to Revive Subway
Canadian transit operator Societe de Transport de Montreal (STM) is planning to borrow over C$1.2bn (US$1.19bn) a year over the next few years to revive its ageing subway network. The move...
Crossrail Seeks Bids for UK Station
Crossrail has invited bids for the construction of Farringdon station in London in the UK as part of the £14.5bn ($23.4bn) Crossrail project. The £350m ($566m) contract, called C435, involves...
Telent Wins UK Rail Network Enhancement Contract
Telent has received a contract from the Docklands Light Railway's (DLR) franchise operator Serco Docklands in London, UK, to enhance and extend the DLR's existing IP Ethernet network. The...
KBR Unit Secures Rail Upgrade Project in Australia
Australia-based Infrastructure and Minerals, a unit of US construction company KBR, has received a contract to provide engineering design services for the Liverpool Turnback project in...
Azerbaijan Station Work Moves Ahead
The Baku Metro plans to build a station in Baku, Azerbaijan, next year after the completion of Azadliq Prospekti station. Construction of the Avtovokzal and Memar Ajami-2 stations is...
US State Receives Grant for InterCity Rail Upgrade
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in the US has received $171m from the Federal Railroad Administration to improve services on its intercity passenger rail service. ...
Consortium Buys HSBC Rail Unit in UK
The consortium Eversholt Investment Group has signed an agreement to acquire Eversholt Rail Group from HSBC Holdings subsidiary HSBC Asset Finance (UK). The companies in the consortium include...
Canadian Consortium Wins HSR Contract in UK
A consortium comprising Borealis Infrastructure and the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan has won a contract to operate Britain's 68-mile high-speed railway (High Speed 1) between London and...
US State Commits $810m for High-Speed Rail
The US state of Wisconsin has signed an agreement confirming the use of an $810m federal grant for the development of a high-speed intercity passenger rail line between Milwaukee and Madison. ...
Iran Seeks Funds for Rail Projects
Iran is seeking funds of up to $25bn from foreign investors for various rail projects in the country. Iran plans to construct 16,000km of railroads in the next 15 years in line with the...
Consortium Wins Panama Metro Contract
A consortium led by Spanish infrastructure group Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) has won a $1.45bn contract to build Line 1 of the metro subway line in Panama. FCC, together...
Indian Railway to Introduce Collision Avoidance Technology
Indian rail operator Southern Railway plans to implement collision avoidance technology across its rail network this month, following the successful completion of trials. The move has been...
Nexus Awards Contracts for UK Metro Upgrade
Nexus has awarded framework agreements to five major construction companies to deliver its £385m ($618.6m) asset-renewal programme for the Tyne and Wear Metro system in the UK. The light...
Crossrail Unveils New London Station Design
Crossrail has unveiled designs for the proposed new Tottenham Court Road Station in London, UK. The five-storey station will feature step-free access, a public piazza and new entrances...
Deutsche Bahn Extends Bidding Deadline for Qatar Metro
Deutsche Bahn has extended the bidding deadline to submit pre-qualification documents for consultancy services for the preliminary design of the Doha metro project in Qatar. The...
Texmaco, Bombardier JV to Bid for Indian Rail Project
Texmaco Rail & Engineering will partner with Bombardier Transportation India to form a consortium to submit a joint bid to the Indian Railways for the manufacture of electric locomotives. ...
UGL Secures $249m Rail Orders
Engineering and maintenance firm UGL has secured rail freight supply and maintenance orders worth $249m. UGL has signed a five-year locomotive service and support agreement with Rio Tinto...
Nine Out of Ten British Trains on Schedule Last Month
Almost 93% of services on Britain's railway ran on time between 19 September to 16 October 2010, according to new figures. The figures were released by Network Rail in its regular...
UK Tube Strike Causes Disruption
Maintenance workers of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association held a third strike on 2 November on the London Underground. The 24-hour strike...
Siemens to Supply Signalling System for Beijing Subway
Siemens Mobility has announced it will supply the Trainguard MT automatic train control system for the Beijing Subway extension project in China. The €65m ($90m) signalling equipment...
Strabag Wins Rail Tunnel Contract in Austria
Strabag has secured a €570m ($914m) contract for the construction of the 32.5km Koralm Tunnel in Austria. The project is being delivered for ÖBB Infrastruktur, and will be the...
BT to Trial Wi-Fi on London Underground
London Underground and BT Openzone launched a six-month Wi-Fi service trial at Charing Cross station in the UK this week. The Wi-Fi service has been funded by UK-based...
Siemens Closes In On SA Signalling Contract
A ZAR961m ($138m) signalling modernisation project is being delivered for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) as part of its plan to adopt new railway technologies over the next...
Australian State Begins Work on Station Project
Geotechnical survey and site investigation works have begun for the A$142m ($140m) Liverpool Turnback Project in New South Wales, Australia. The project involves building an additional 1.8km...
US County Projects Receive Planning Approval
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board in the US has approved the draft environmental impact report and route for the two mile $1.24bn regional connector...
HSBC to Close Sale of UK Rail Unit
Banking organisation HSBC Holdings is expected to confirm the £2bn ($3.2bn) sale of its train rolling stock unit to a consortium led by Morgan Stanley this week. The business, formerly known...
Bombardier to Deliver Additional Trams for Belgium
The Brussels transport company Société des Transports Intercommunaux de Bruxelles (STIB) in Belgium will purchase 65 bi-directional Bombardier Flexity Outlook trams. The...
Siemens Signs Locomotive Order in US
Siemens has won a $466m contract to build 70 electric locomotives for US rail operator Amtrak for its Northeast and Keystone corridor lines in Pennsylvania. The new locomotives will meet...
California Rail Authority Awards Contract for Collision Avoidance Technology
The Southern California Regional Rail Authority in the US has awarded Parsons a $120m contract to design, procure and install positive train control (PTC) technology on the 512-mile...
Kenya Extends Bidding Deadline for Cross-Country Rail Project
Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has extended the bidding deadline for a new cross-country line to run between the port city of Mombasa and Kampala, Uganda, to 2 December 2010. The...
US High-Speed Rail Projects to Receive $2.4bn
The US Department of Transportation has announced a $2.4bn fund for 54 high-speed rail projects in 23 states. The Department's Federal Railroad Administration said it had received...
Alstom Joint Venture to Supply Locomotives to Kazakhstan
EKZ, a joint venture of Alstom, Transmashholding and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, is to supply 295 electric locomotives to the Kazakh railway company. The €1.3bn ($1.8bn) order is for a...
October 2010
Top
US States Receive Funds for Rail Projects
The US state of Massachusetts will receive more than $160m in federal funding for the expansion of the New England High Speed and Intercity Rail Network. The grant also includes $32.5m...
Crossrail Tunnel Portal Work Commences in UK
The Costain-Skanska joint venture has commenced work to create a tunnel portal at Royal Oak outside Paddington station in west London, UK, as part of the £16bn ($24bn) Crossrail route. ...
Downer Wins Fleet Expansion Contract in Australia
Passenger and freight rolling stock provider Downer EDI has won an A$190m ($184.7m) contract to expand and upgrade Queensland Rail's fleet of high-speed passenger tilt trains in...
CSX Unveils Low-Emission Locomotive
US-based CSX Corporation has introduced the first low-emission GenSet locomotive at Camden station in Baltimore, Maryland, in the US. GenSet locomotives reduce nitrous oxide and...
China Unveils High-Speed Rail
China rolled out two CRH380 bullet trains on 26 October, travelling at a design speed of 350km/h (220mph) between the eastern Chinese cities of Shanghai and Hangzhou. The trains will reduce...
German Rail Strike Called Off Ahead of Talks
The nationwide warning strikes in Germany by railway workers over pay discrepancies on the German railways has been called off, ahead of another round of negotiations scheduled on 29...
UAE Seeks Bids for First Phase of Freight Rail
The UAE's Union Railway Company has invited companies to register to tender for the first phase of its proposed nationwide freight rail network. The first phase of the project includes a...
Bombardier Transportation to Supply Coaches for Delhi Metro
Bombardier Transportation will supply 288 metro coaches to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in India by 2011. DMRC plans to introduce a few six-coach trains by early next year to expand...
Cambodia Opens First Segment of Asia Rail Link
Freight rail service has commenced along a 120km section of a new international railroad, which has opened in Cambodia, stretching from Phnom Penh to Touk Meas near the Vietnam border. The...
Philippines Opens New Station of Light Rail Transit Line
The Philippine Light Rail Transit Authority has opened a new station in Roosevelt, Quezon City. The station is the second part of the PHP9bn ($209m) Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1...
Bombardier Wins Israel Rail Contract
Bombardier Transportation has received a $185m contract from Israel Railways (ISR) for the delivery of 78 double-deck coaches with possible options for more. The vehicles will be...
Climate Change Could Damage UK Rail Network
The UK rail network faces an increased risk of damage in the future due to changes in the climate, according to two new studies. The studies, presented in the Quarterly Journal of...
New EU Legislation for Competitive Rail Freight
New legislation passed by the European Commission has made it mandatory to create a European rail network for competitive freight based on international freight corridors. The EU...
UK Commits to Rail Investments
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has released the government's comprehensive spending review for the rail sector, aimed at reducing the country's economic deficit while sustaining...
Saudi Rail Contract to be Awarded Soon
The contract for the final phase of the 450km Haramain Railway project in Saudi Arabia will be awarded by the end of this year. Phase II includes the construction of railroads,...
Bombardier-Alstom Consortium Wins Canadian Metro Cars Deal
A consortium of Bombardier Transportation and Alstom Transport has signed a $1.2bn rail contract with Canadian transit operator Société de Transport de Montreal. The contract...
Hoeft & Wessel Wins Swiss Rail Mobile Communications System Contract
The Swiss Federal Railways Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) has awarded Hoeft & Wessel a contract to develop and supply a new mobile solution for voice and data communications in the field...
UK to Install New Railway Signalling System
A new railway signalling system will be switched on at the end of October along the route from Stratford via Avon to Birmingham in the UK. The total value of the multimillion-pound project...
UK Train Station Remodelling Approved
Reading Borough Council in the UK has granted approval for proposed plans to redevelop Reading train station at a cost of £400m ($503m), before reopening it in 2013. Work on the station...
BART Breaks Ground on US Airport Connector Project
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) board in the US broke ground last week on the $484m Oakland Airport connector project. The automated people mover project will provide a 3.2-mile...
Construction Work Begins on New York's Moynihan Station
Construction work has begun on phase I of Moynihan Station in New York, US. The work includes the expansion and enhancement of the 33rd street connector between Penn Station and the West...
Alstom to Supply Trains for Brazilian Suburban Network
Alstom has signed an €80m ($126.75m) contract with Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM) to supply nine train sets for Line 11 Expresso Leste services in Sao Paulo, Brazil. ...
Australian JV Wins Rail Extension Contract
A Theiss and McConnell Dowell joint venture has won a contract to build a 5.7km rail line extension to Seaford in south Adelaide, Australia. The Australia-based construction companies will...
Scotland Opens New Station for Rail Link
A railway station in Bathgate, Scotland, has been opened for business as preparations continue for the launch of the £300m ($475m) Airdrie-Bathgate rail link in December. It is the...
San Francisco Unveils First Upgraded MUNI Vehicle
The San Francisco Municipal Railway in the US state of California has unveiled the first upgraded Muni light rail vehicle (LRV). The $56m project was awarded by the San Francisco...
Ghana Invests in Railway Upgrade
The Ghanaian Government has invested $39.5m in a bid to rehabilitate the Accra-Tema railway line in the country. The government will launch two Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trains costing...
Dubai Metro Gets Five More Stations
Five stations have opened along the Dubai Metro Red line, increasing the number of operational stations along the route to 29. The stations, which opened on 15 October, include Business...
Three Firms Eye New French Rail Line
French rail network operator Reseau Ferre de France has received three bids for the $4.8bn high-speed rail line from Le Mans to Rennes. The firms include telecom conglomerate...
Costain Wins London Tunnel Contract
UK-based engineering and construction company Costain has been awarded a £200m ($317.8m) contract from National Grid for its 33km-long London cable replacement tunnel. The contract...
Downer Wins Rail Contracts in Australia
Passenger and freight rolling stock provider Downer EDI has won rail contracts and extensions in Australia worth A$300m (US$297.9m). The company said rail freight operator Pacific National...
Switzerland Completes World’s Longest Tunnel
The drilling of the world's longest tunnel beneath the Swiss Alps in Switzerland has been completed, paving the way for high-speed trains between Germany and Italy. The two ends of the...
Deutsche Bahn Completes Safety Tests
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has completey safety tests in the Channel Tunnel, paving the way for a high-speed train link between Germany and London. Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel said...
UK Reveals Electrostar Trains
UK transport group National Express has unveiled the first of its 30 379 Electrostar trains at Bombardier Transportation UK's Derby factory. The trains will undergo tests in the Czech...
ACS Wins New York Subway Contract
Spain's Actividades de Construcción y Servicios has won a $447m contract to build the 72nd street station for the proposed 2nd Avenue Subway line in Manhattan, New York, US. The station's...
Crossrail Redesign to Delay Launch
The £16bn ($25.5bn) cross-London rail line in the UK will be delayed by a year, following the redesign of the route as part of the Department for Transport's (DfT) cost-cutting measures. The...
Toronto Unveils Red Rocket Subway Cars
The Toronto Transit Commission has unveiled its Red Rocket subway trains in Ontario, Canada. In 2006 the Toronto City Council entered into a $710m contract with Bombardier to replace its...
India Firm to Operate Saudi Rail Line
India's state-owned Rites will be involved in the operation of a 1,486km north-south railway in Saudi Arabia. The line will link the northern Jalamid region with Ras Azzour, near the...
DB, IMEX Offer New Carbon-Free Rail Tickets Option
A new ticket initiative from Deutsche Bahn will allow the IMEX trade show, to be held in Frankfurt on 24-26 May 2011, to provide carbon-free train travel to all of its European hosted buyers...
Stadler Receives Train Order in Germany
Swiss rail manufacturer Stadler Pankow has received a contract worth €60m ($83.7m) for the delivery of eight double-decker multiple-unit trains from Société Nationale des Chemins de...
Bangkok Operator Expands Rail Fleet
Bangkok SkyTrain operator BTS Group has signed a THB2bn ($67m) contract with Siemens to supply 35 additional cars in order to expand its fleet of 35 three-car trains in Bangkok, Thailand. ...
LU Tube Workers Favour Industrial Action
London Underground (LU) fleet maintenance staff in the UK have voted in favour of industrial action short of a strike over safety-critical cuts. The Rail Maritime and Transport union...
Gatwick Airport Station Upgrade Plans Move Ahead
UK-based rail operator Network Rail has unveiled plans to invest £53m ($84m) to upgrade Gatwick Airport train station, England. Improvements under the scheme include a platform to...
Swiss Institute Computer Models Calculate Railway Noise Levels
The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Empa) has developed a computer model that can calculate noise levels along the Swiss rail network. The computer model,...
Metro Finalises Subway Extension Plan
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) in Los Angeles, US, has selected a locally preferred alternative (LPA) route for the proposed Purple Line subway extension to the Westside. ...
UK Passenger Numbers in North Set to Rise, Says Report
The number of passengers using rail in the north of Britain is set to soar over the next 20 years, according to a report. The Northern Route Utilisation Strategy published by Network Raillooks...
RMT, Network Rail Settle 7% Pay Rise
A dispute between the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union (RMT) and Network Rail has been settled after both parties agreed a pay deal. The dispute centred on the rail operator's plan...
Work Begins on Melbourne Station Project
Work has begun on the construction of a new station at Cardinia road in Melbourne, Australia, which is part of a A$220m (US$215m) package for new stations in the region. The Department...
Australia To Raise Investment Through Rail Freight Unit IPO
The Queensland State Government in Australia has unveiled plans to raise about A$5.05bn (US$4.9bn) through an initial public offering of its rail freight operator, QR National. The state said...
Edinburgh Tram Route to be Shorter
Edinburgh council officials said the route for the £545m ($866m) tram project in the city will be shorter than planned due to cost uncertainties. In a report, the council recommends that a...
Dublin’s Light-Rail System to Cost Less
The 18km-long proposed light-rail system in Dublin, Ireland, will cost €2.5bn ($3.47bn), rather than the original estimate of €3.7bn ($5.13bn). The Metro North project will...
Dubai Metro Green Line Project on Schedule
Work on the Green Line project of the Dubai Metro is on schedule, with final completion slated for August 2011. The Dubai Roads & Transport Authority said the completion rates for...
NSW Rail Line Upgrade Begins
The A$33m (US$32.4m) upgrade work on the Dubbo to Coonamble rail line in New South Wales, Australia, began last week. The work includes the installation of 42,000 steel sleepers between...
Quebec Approves Metro Contract to Consortium
Bombardier-Alstom has received a $1.22bn contract for the building of new metro cars following the approval of a bill from the Quebec state government in Canada. The contract includes building...
Queensland Awards Contracts for First Light Rail System
The Australian state of Queensland has awarded two contracts worth A$68m (US$66.9m) for early works on the state's A$949m light rail system. Early works include surveying, road...
China-Laos Railway Work to Begin This Month
Construction work on a 530km railway line between Yunnan Province in south-west China and Laos in South East Asia will begin on 28 October 2010. The rail line, to be complete by 2015,...
Eurostar Eyes Fleet Expansion Investment
Eurostar International has unveiled plans to invest £700m ($1.1bn) in capital to purchase a new fleet as it intends to extend services to Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Geneva, Switzerland. ...
UK Train Test Run Moves Ahead
A 12-carriage train has been tested on the Thameslink route through London to trial the service before expanding it in the UK. First Capital Connect and Network Rail organised the empty...
Schindler Group Wins Contract for New York Rail Project
US-based Schindler Group has won a contract to supply equipment for a new rail connection to Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal (GCT) in New York, US. The connection is an extension of...
Crossrail Invites Bids for UK Station Contract
UK-based Crossrail has invited firms to place tenders for a £250m ($396.6m) construction contract for a new station at Paddington in central London. The contract will see the station take...
Ethiopia to Begin Railway Construction
The Ethiopian Government has confirmed that preparations have been finalised to begin the construction of a 5,000km railway system in the country. Ethiopian Railway Corporation said the...
Indian State Metro Rail Link Gains Momentum
The planning work for the Ahmedabad Metro rail project in Gujarat, India, is nearing completion as surveys and detailed project reports (DPR) of the project are in their final stages. The...
Argentina Receives Loan for Freight Rail Network
Argentina has secured a $326m loan from Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) to revamp its rail freight network. The loan will be used for the Belgrano Cargas freight rail network and...
Jeddah to Build Tram System
A SAR21bn ($5.59bn) tram system linking the various residential districts of Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been planned. The trams will pass through 12 main streets in the...
BART Awards Contract for US Airport Connector Project
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) board in the US has awarded a design, build, operate and maintenance contract for the proposed Oakland airport connector to a joint venture of Flatiron...
Bulgaria State Railways to Restructure Freight Unit
Bulgarian state railways company BDZ will restructure its freight unit, BDZ Tovarni Prevozi, ahead of selling a stake in the company. The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport said the unit...
UK Approves Railway Station Upgrade
Work on the redevelopment of Nottingham's railway station has been approved by the UK Government. The first stage of the upgrade involves the construction of a 950-space multi-storey car park...
RailAmerica Continues to Operate Canada’s Rail Line
RaiLink Canada, a subsidiary of RailAmerica, has entered into a long-term deal with the Canadian Pacific Railway to operate a portion of the Ottawa valley railway line in Canada. RailAmerica...
European Investment Bank Loan for Vietnam’s Metro Line
The European Investment Bank has granted a €73m ($100.5m) loan to Vietnam to finance the construction of a 12.5km-long metro rail line project in Hanoi. The $1bn line will run from Nhon...
UK Confirms High-Speed Rail Network Plan
The UK Government has confirmed it will pursue the ‘Y’ option for building a high-speed rail network linking London to Birmingham in England. The proposed option will have two separate...
Metrolink to Award Contract for Collision Avoidance Technology
US-based commuter rail operator Metrolink plans to award a $120m contract to Parsons Transportation Group for the implementation of collision avoidance technology across its rail network. ...
Eurostar Could Select Siemens for High-Speed Trains
Siemens is expected to secure a contract worth €600m ($820.6m) to supply Eurostar with a batch of high-speed trains. Eurostar is poised to order ten Siemens Velaro-D trains, which will...
Electric Suburban Train Mock-Up Unveiled in Russia
A full-scale mock-up of Russian Railways' new electric suburban train was unveiled for public consultation at Moscow's Kazansky station on 1 October. Russian Railways plans to replace the...
India Allocates Funding for Rail Network
The Indian Government has allocated INR170,000m ($3.84bn) to develop a rail network connecting eight cities in the north-east of the country by 2016. Only Assam and some parts of Nagaland...
Bombardier, AnsaldoBreda Win Train Contract
Bombardier Transportation has received a contract to deliver 50 Zefiro high-speed trains for Italian railway operator Trenitalia. The company has partnered with Finmeccanicai's AnsaldoBreda...
Signal Errors Blamed for Fatal Indonesian Crash
A train crash in the Central Java province of Indonesia that killed at least 36 passengers and injured dozens more has been blamed on signalling errors, according to local reports. The...
UK Rail Service Punctuality Improves
About 94% of services on Britain's railways ran on time throughout September, compared with 93.6% during the same period last year, according to latest figures. According to Network...
Network Rail to Use LED Technology
Network Rail has unveiled plans to install energy efficient LED technology on railway infrastructure applications in the UK. Marl International's 407 series of LED indicators will be installed...
Chinese Company to Conduct Feasibility Study for Afghan Rail Line
The Afghan Government has commissioned China Metallurgical Group to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed rail link between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. The study for the...
Indra Implements Ticketless Technology for US Rail Network
Spain-based IT solutions provider Indra has secured a contract to implement contactless smart card ticketing technology on the Metro St Louis light rail network in the US. The company will...
Network Rail, ByBox Partner for Logistics Service
UK-based logistics service provider ByBox, in partnership with Network Rail, has launched a logistics service at major mainline stations across London, UK. The myByBox service collects...
Greenbrier Wins New Railcar Orders
Greenbrier has received a $200m contract for 3,000 cars, including 2,250 double-stack intermodal platforms and 500 covered hopper cars. The order will be delivered until 2011. The...
Vietnam Begins Work on Metro Rail Line
Vietnam has begun the construction of a 12.5km-long metro rail line in Hanoi. The $1bn line will run from Nhon in Tu Liem district to Hanoi's railway station in Hoan Kiem district. ...
Dubai Tram System Delayed Until 2014
The Dubai Road Transport Authority has said the proposed tramway system in Dubai, UAE, will be extended to 2014, due to the global economic downturn. The authority said the downturn in...
Bombardier Wins Brazilian Monorail Contract
Bombardier Transportation has won a contract to install a 24km monorail system in São Paulo, Brazil. The BRL2.46bn ($1.44bn) contract will be delivered for Brazil's state metro...
September 2010
Top
UK Tube Staff to Hold Second Strike
About 200 maintenance workers on London Underground's network will hold a second 24-hour strike next week over pay, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) workers union said. Alstom-Metro...
Delhi Metro Trials New Metro Section Ahead of Games
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in India has begun trial runs on the new 21km section of its metro system, which has been completed ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in...
Hong Kong Rail Project Costs Increase
The cost of building a new 7km medium-capacity rail line in Hong Kong, China, could increase by about 55% to HK$10bn ($1.28bn) from the original 2006 estimate of HK$7bn ($902m). MTR...
Work Begins on Tibet Rail Line Extension
Work has begun on the new 253km extension of the Qinghai-Tibet railway line, which will link Tibet's capital Lhasa to Xigaze in China. The planned railway line will run through five counties...
EIB Approves Rail Loan for France
The European Investment Bank has approved a loan for refurbishing and upgrading rail networks in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France. The €300m ($404m) loan will be used to upgrade...
Cisco Unveils Rail Communication Technology
Cisco has launched a secure station service platform at the International Trade Fair for Transport Technology 2010 trade show in Berlin, Germany. The device provides station operators with...
Network Rail Unveils Cut-Price Plan for UK Rail Tunnels
Network Rail and structural engineer specialist Donaldson Associates have unveiled detailed design ideas of how tunnels in the UK should be renewed and repaired over the next decade. Speaking...
Reliance Rail to Deliver Rail Contract this Year
The Reliance Rail consortium denied it faced funding constraints and said it will deliver the first Waratah train into passenger service in December 2010. The consortium will deliver new...
Global Players to Bid for Rail Project in India
Various multinational companies, including Alstom and General Electric, have submitted bids to Indian Railways to buy stakes in three locomotive factories in India. The state-owned...
GE, MRS Sign Locomotive Purchase Agreement
GE Transportation and Brazilian rail operator MRS Logística (MRS) have signed a locomotive purchase agreement at InnoTrans 2010 in Berlin, Germany. MRS has placed an order for 115...
Ghana to Receive Loan from China Exim Bank
China Exim Bank has approved a loan to Ghana for the development of the nation's rail network. Ghana will receive a total of $10.4bn towards the infrastructure development, of which $4bn will...
Kapsch CarrierCom Wins Rail Communication System Order in UK
Austria-based Kapsch CarrierCom has received a contract from UK rail operator Network Rail for the implementation of a railway communication system. The contract includes expanding the...
Bombardier Receives Tram Contract in Australia
Bombardier has received a contract to provide 50 low-floor trams for the Melbourne tram network in Australia. Each of the 33m-long trams will be able to carry 210 passengers and will be...
DB Schenker Subsidiary Signs Contract to Test Hybrid Locomotive
DB Schenker Rail's subsidiary has entered into an agreement with Alstom to test locomotives equipped with a hybrid drive system. DB's subsidiary, Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahngesellschaft (MEG), is...
WB Approves Additional Rail Loan for Brazil
The World Bank has approved an additional loan for a rail and signalling project in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The funds, worth $112.91m, will be used to buy nine trains and...
Saudi Company Wins High-Speed Rail Contract
Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has won a contract to supply electricity to the Haramain Express project under construction in Saudi Arabia. The SAR1.83bn ($488m) contract includes the supply...
First Mumbai Metro to Open Next Year
Mumbai's first metro line will be open by August 2011. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority said construction work on the 11km Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar line will be completed...
German Railway to Test High-Speed Train in UK
Deutsche Bahn (DB) will test a high-speed train this year, following its first cross-channel voyage, for a direct rail service between London and the German city of Frankfurt. The...
Alstom, Transmashholding Sign Russian Locomotive Contract
Alstom and Transmashholding have signed a memorandum of understanding at the InnoTrans 2010 exhibition in Berlin, Germany, to develop an AC freight locomotive for Russian Railways. ...
GE Transportation to Launch New Locomotive at InnoTrans 2010
GE Transportation will launch its PowerHaul series locomotive at the International Trade Fair for Transport Technology 2010 trade show in Berlin, Germany. The company said the...
Transcity Consortium Wins Tunnel Project in Australia
The Transcity consortium led by Spanish construction company Acciona has won a contract to construct the Northern Link tunnel in Brisbane, Australia. The A$1.5bn tunnel is part of a...
Bombardier to Unveil New High-Speed Trains at InnoTrans
Bombardier Transportation will unveil its Zefiro family of high-speed trains at InnoTrans 2010, to be held from 21-24 September in Berlin, Germany. The company will also unveil three...
London Overground Upgrade Nears Completion
The upgrade of the London Overground network has reached its final phases following the commissioning of re-signalling work, according to Transport for London (TfL). The work is part of...
Siemens-Led Consortium to Supply Signalling Systems to Algeria
A Siemens-led consortium has received an order to supply signaling systems for freight traffic routes in Algeria as part of the nation's rail network modernisation plan. The...
Australian Operator to Start New Late Night Rail Service
Australia's CityRail will implement a new late-night Guardian service from 15 October in the Australian state of New South Wales. The services will involve extra security measures...
Siemens to Unveil New Locomotive at InnoTrans 2010
Siemens will unveil its new locomotive at the International Trade Fair for Transport Technology 2010 trade show in Berlin, Germany. The locomotive will named Werner von Siemens on 22 September. ...
Train Crash Kills Over 20 in India
A train accident which occurred on 20 September in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has killed over 23 passengers, and left over 50 more injured. The accident took place at 4.45am, when a...
BART Approves Contract for US Airport Connector Project
The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) board in the US has approved the award of a contract to design, operate and maintain the proposed Oakland airport connector. The $484m project will provide...
Liverpool Station Wins Rail Award
Liverpool Lime Street Station in the UK has been named Station of the Year and Large Station of the Year at the National Rail Awards 2010. The public transport body Merseytravel worked...
US State MetroRail Project Could Cost More
The second phase of Metrorail's extension to Dulles International Airport in Loudoun County, US, will cost $3.83bn, according to a current estimate from the Metropolitan Washington...
Australia to Start Survey Work on Rail Line in October
Survey work on the Redcliffe railway in the Australian state of Queensland will start in October. The federal government has allotted A$742m (US$695.7m) for the Petrie to Kippa Ring line,...
EBRD Aid to Improve Serbian Rail Infrastructure
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will lend €100m ($131.49m) to Serbian state-owned railway company Zeleznice Srbije to modernise its rail operations. The loan...
Russian Railways Plans Station Upgrade
Russian Railways has revealed plans to reconstruct and upgrade railway stations in the city of Moscow, Russia. The rail operator is investing about RUB10bn ($330m) in the project. The...
National Express Wins Franchise Extension
National Express Group has received approval from the UK Department of Transport (DfT) for a six-month extension to run its East Anglia franchise. National Express will run its services...
China Inks Deal with US Council for HSR
China has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Bay Area Council for the proposed high-speed rail system in the US state of California. Under the MOU, the council will...
Cadex, Mongolian Railway Sign Consulting Agreement
Mongolian Railway has signed a comprehensive consulting alliance agreement with Japan-based consulting firm Cadex KK to support the country's railway infrastructure. Cadexand subsidiary...
US State Invites Bids for High-Speed Rail
The US state of Wisconsin is inviting bids for the construction work of a high-speed rail line. The contract includes earthwork, bridge and road construction, and track improvements in the...
Japan Offers Loan for US High-Speed Rail
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation will offer a loan to the US state of California for its $40bn high-speed rail project. Japan is offering the loan to the state, which is facing...
UK Steam Railway to Extend Service
Peak Rail has received permission from the UK's Network Rail to extend its train service from Rowlsey to Matlock station in Derbyshire, England. The service will be extended by about a...
Brazilian Railway Project to be Ready by 2012
Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (SID) said that its Nova Transnordestina project in Brazil will be completed by the end of 2012. The $2.6bn project includes the construction of an...
US City Council Agrees Study for Aerial High-Speed Rail Track
California's San Jose City Council has agreed to study an aerial track for high-speed rail trains. However, any commitment of an aerial track requires an agreement from the California...
US Signs Rail Contract with Kazakhstan Rail Operator
The US Government has signed an agreement with Kazakhstan rail operator Kazakhstan Temir Zholy for the planned reconstruction of railway sections in the nation. Under the agreement, the US...
Alstom Signs Rail Contract with Chinese Companies
Alstom has signed a rail contract with China's CNR Corporation and Shanghai Electric Group to form a strategic partnership to develop new markets for mass transit products. Under the...
Wales Opens Upgraded Station
An upgraded station in the Welsh city of Newport has opened in preparation of the 2010 Ryder Cup. The £22m ($34m) station features a bubble-wrap roof, two concourses equipped with CCTV,...
US State Halts Work on NJ Tunnel Project
US transportation agency New Jersey Transit has temporarily halted work on the planned $8.7bn Trans-Hudson Express tunnel project to New York over concerns it may run $1bn over budget. The...
SunRail, Amtrak to Resolve Insurance Liability Dispute
An insurance dispute between Amtrak and the Florida Department of Transportation in the US is expected to be resolved soon, following talks over the planned Central Florida commuter train. ...
Network Rail Less Efficient than European Peers, Report Says
Network Rail (NR) in the UK is lagging behind the rest of European companies in efficiency, with a 40% efficiency gap in maintaining and renewing its infrastructure, according to the Office of...
Alstom Wins Rolling Stock Contract in India
Alstom Transport has signed a contract with Chennai Metro Rail to supply 168 cars for the Chennai metro project in India. Under the €243m ($313m) contract, Alstom will supply 42 train...
Spain Signs Rail Contract in Vietnam
Spain has signed a cooperative agreement with Urban Railway Management in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to implement the first phase of metro line No 5. The $1.85bn metro project will...
UK High-Speed Trains Being Modified
High-speed, Japanese-built Javelin trains running between Kent and London in the UK are been modified after they experienced some sideways movement. Rail operator Southeastern said the...
Australia Begins Light Rail Study
The Australian Government has begun a detailed transport study to identify the preferred route for a light rail project through Sydney's central business district from Central to Circular...
Alcan to Supply Power Rail System for Indian Metro Project
Alcan Extrusions and Automotive Structures has received a contract to supply 100km of aluminium power rail for a metro project in the Indian city of Bangalore. The proposed project will...
China to Finalise Rail Contract in Iran
China will sign a contract with Iran to build a railway line in Tehran. The $2bn (£1.3bn) project includes the first step of a project to connect the Middle East and Central Asia to Beijing...
Bombardier Wins ERTMS Contract in Algeria
Bombardier Transportation, in consortium with Site, has won a contract to deliver its European Rail Traffic Management System for the Saida-Moulay Slissen line in Algeria. The company...
Paris Signs Contract for Additional Citadis Trams
France's Paris Transit Authority (RATP) has signed a contract with Alstom for the supply of 25 Citadis tramsets by 2012. The tramsets are expected to operate on the city's T3 tramline. ...
Network Rail Submits Plan for UK Station Upgrade
Network Rail has submitted a planning application for an island platform with a footbridge and lifts at Cambridge station in England. The application is part of train operator National...
Australian Company Enters Bulk Rail Haulage Market
SCT Logistics has created a company in Australia as part of its move into the bulk rail haulage sector by securing a contract with IMX Resources. Specialised Bulk Rail (SBR) will enter the...
US Counties to Fund New Rail Safety System
The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) in the US plans to secure funds from local governments for the installation of a new train safety system that can avoid...
UK Rail Record High Punctuality
Britain's railways saw record punctuality in August with 94.2% of trains running on time, according to a report by Network Rail. The monthly train performance report revealed that ten of...
Scottish Tram Operator Admits Delay in Tram Project
Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (tie) has privately admitted that the tram project for the Scottish city of Edinburgh is currently running about two years behind schedule. The company said...
UAE Rail Operator Seeks Bids for Rail Project
UAE's Union Railway Company has invited bids for the supply of diesel locomotives and freight wagons to run on the proposed nationwide freight network. The state-owned company seeks bids by...
US Proposes $50bn Rail Infrastructure Plan
US President Barack Obama has announced a six-year, $50bn infrastructure plan to expand and renew the nation's rail network. The plan includes constructing and maintaining 4,000 miles of...
England to Introduce National Transport Card
The UK Government is planning to create a transport smartcard, which will include trains, trams and buses in England. The Department for Transport (DfT) has allotted funds to Transport for...
Indonesian Railway Contract Still Up for Bidding
The tender process for a $2.2bn project to build a coal-transporting railway line in Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia, is still underway and no winner has been selected. The government...
Indian State Signs Agreement for Metro Rail
The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has signed a 35-year concession agreement with L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail for the development of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project. The project, a...
US State Unveils Plans to Expand Rail Service
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) in the US has unveiled plans to expand passenger rail service in the region. The department has selected two alternative proposals...
Rail Operator Seeks Security Systems Upgrade
The security surveillance system at Southern Cross Station in Melbourne, Australia, need to be upgraded in line with the latest technology, according to the station's operator. UK-based...
Bombardier Wins Rail Contract in US
Bombardier Transportation has received an order for 100 MultiLevel commuter rail cars from the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) in the US. The $267m (€210m) contract also...
DB Schenker to Invest in Rail Equipment
DB Schenker Rail will invest €410m ($525.9m) to purchase 1,472 freight cars and 71 locomotives. As part of the modernisation programme, the company will purchase 700 freight cars for...
Berkeley Researchers Launch Transit Study in US
Transportation researchers at the University of California, US, have launched a transit study to ease traffic congestion and reduce traveller stress. The field test is being conducted along...
Turkish Rail Project to Get EBRD Loan
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is planning to provide a loan to the city of Bursa in Turkey to finance the Bursa Light Rail (LRT) project. The €50m ($63.46m)...
UK Tube Workers Strike Over Job Cuts
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association have begun a series of strikes on the London Underground following the failure of talks over job...
US Signs Locomotives Contract with Wabtec Unit
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the US has signed a contract with MotivePower, a unit of Wabtec Corporation, for the supply of 20 next-generation HSP46 passenger...
German Railway to Test High-Speed Rail
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) will test a high-speed train in the Channel Tunnel between France and Britain on 19 October. The ICE train will be allowed to run through the tunnel,...
US Norfolk Southern Corridor Project Wins Hay Award
The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association has named Norfolk Southern's Heartland Corridor Clearance Improvement Project the winner of this year's Dr William W Hay...
Funding Constraints Delay US Rail Line
A proposed 18-mile commuter rail line between Glassboro and Camden in the US state of New Jersey has been delayed due to funding constraints from NJ Transit. The transportation...
Turkish Suburban Railway Gets Makeover
The suburban railway system in Istanbul, Turkey, which operates in Haydarpasa, Gebze, Sirkeci and Halkali, is being upgraded. The $140m project involves the introduction of suburban...
US Firm to Deliver Train Security Systems
Rapiscan Systems has been awarded a contract by a railway operator in Eastern Europe to provide rail inspection scanners. The company will supply the Eagle Rail inspection scanner...
Six US States Seek Funding for Rail Corridor
Six US states have submitted an application to seek federal funds in support of Norfolk Southern Railway's $2.5bn Crescent Corridor programme. Pennsylvania, Alabama, Virginia,...
China Railway Wins $5.74bn in Contracts
China Railway Construction has won bids for 11 rail construction contracts to build various sections of the Shanghai-Kunming passenger railway. The contract, worth CNY39.1bn ($5.74bn),...
Faulty Car Parts Riding Canada's Rails, Reports TSB
Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has warned that faulty railway cars may be in operation, hauling dangerous goods across the nation's railroads. The TSB released a report regarding...
Bulgaria State Railways Seeks World Bank, EBRD Loan
Bulgarian State Railways (BSR) is seeking an international loan from various financial institutions to help finance debt payments through 2014. The rail operator is in contact with the...
Gold Line Opens Bidding on Light Rail Extension Contract
The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority in the US has opened bidding on the Foothill Extension Phase 2A light rail alignment project. Three shortlisted firms will...
Georgia Railway Awards Rail Modernisation Contract
Georgia's national rail company, Georgian Railway, has awarded a construction contract for the modernisation of the country's rail network. The GEL150m ($81m) contract includes...
SEPTA Rail Cars to Enter Service in October
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) in the US plans to put the first batch of its Silverliner V cars into service by October. The transportation authority will...
Spain Starts Major Work on Rapid Transit Network
Preparatory work for construction on the 3.6km metro line 2 in Málaga, Spain, will soon begin with the installation of underground tracks. Other works on the line include the installation...
Florida Seeks Additional Funding for High-Speed Rail
Florida's Department of Transportation in the US is seeking more than $1bn in funds for a high-speed rail line between Tampa, Orlando and Miami. The state is seeking $1.1bn for the...
Asciano to Bid for Rail Contract in Australia
Asciano Group is bidding with CBH Resources in Western Australia for a contract to transport grain. The port and rail operator is competing for all three parcels of the A$700m...
Australian State Unveils Draft Transport Plan
The Australian state of Queensland has released a 20-year draft transport plan for improving the rail network in its south-east region. The draft, Connecting SEQ 2031: An Integrated...
August 2010
Top
Saudi Arabia Receives Freight Locomotives
Saudi Arabia's Saudi Railway has received the first consignment of 25 SD70ACS freight locomotives. The six locomotives will be used for transporting minerals on the north-south railway...
Tasmania Upgrades Level Crossing Warning Systems
The Australian state of Tasmania has unveiled new technology aimed at enhancing existing advance warning systems at level crossings. The Advance Warning System, designed and manufactured...
Deutsche Bahn Completes Arriva Takeover
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has completed the acquisition of UK-based Arriva in a deal valued at £1.6bn ($2.5bn). Arriva will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of DB UK Holdings. The railway...
Network Rail Completes Track Work on New Passenger Line
Network Rail has completed track laying between Airdrie and Bathgate in Scotland. The 24km line will carry four trains an hour between West Lothian and North Lanarkshire, and open up...
Greenbrier Receives US Rail Contract
The Greenbrier Companies has received a contract to supply about 1,000 double-stack intermodal platforms, along with 700 covered hopper cars. The contract, worth $130m, also requires...
Adani Group to Invest in Indonesian Coal Railway Project
India's Adani group plans to invest in a coal railway project in South Sumatra, Indonesia. The 270km railway is expected to cost $1.6bn, including the construction of a coal...
Vietnam Starts Work on Metro Line
Vietnam has started the construction of Ho Chi Minh City's Metro line 2. The 20km line will run from Tay Ninh bus station to Thu Thiem, linking Ben Thanh market in the city centre with Tham...
South Africa, China Sign Rail Agreement
South Africa has signed an agreement with China Railway Group for railways and other transport-related projects in the country. China Railway has been in discussions with the South...
Thailand Awards Rail Contracts
Thailand's Ch Karnchang has signed a contract to build a rail system in Bangkok. The contract is part of Bangkok's THB52bn ($1.65bn) Blue Line mass transit project. Other bidders competing...
Ireland Could Reintroduce Withdrawn Rail Fleet
Ireland's Iarnród Éireann may reintroduce a fleet of withdrawn inter-city carriages to improve an hourly service on the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise service. The railway operator withdrew...
DART Approves Light-Rail Service
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) in the US has approved plans to extend light-rail service to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport by 2014, according to the agency's 20-year financial plan released...
Vossloh Wins Chinese Fastening Contract
Vossloh Fastening Systems has signed a contract with the Chinese Ministry of Railways for the supply of high-speed rail fastener systems. The value of the contract is about €40m ($176.9m)....
METRO Trains Fined for Missing Punctuality Targets
METRO Trains in Australia has been fined A$3m ($2.6) for missing punctuality targets in the April-to-June quarter. The company's quarterly report said the April-to-June quarter was the...
Floods Hamper Pakistan Railways Service
Pakistan Railways is facing millions in lost revenue because flooding has suspended several passenger services. There is a shortage of 50-60 locomotives for freight operations, while the...
Bombardier Receives Rolling Stock Orders
Bombardier Transportation has received rolling stock orders worth €284m ($365m). The company, which recorded revenues of $19.4bn last year, has not disclosed who placed the order. ...
Mekong Region Rail Network Plan to Go Ahead
A railway network connecting Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam via regional rail lines is expected to be endorsed in Vietnam by representatives from the countries, the...
MacMahon Wins Australian Contract
MacMahon Holdings has been awarded a contract to install a rail line for Gindalbie Metals's Karara iron ore project. Under the $86m contract, the Australia-based contract mining company...
US Receives Grant Applications for High-Speed Rail Funding
The US Federal Railroad Administration has received 77 applications from 25 states for the agency's next allocation of High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) grant funds, according...
Japan's Itochu Wins Railway Contract in Indonesia
Japan's Itochu will invest in a coal-transporting railway line in Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia. The $2.2bn project includes a 1,829km railway connecting ports and mines. Itochu...
UK Firm Wins HK Tunnelling Contract
Kier Construction has signed a tunnelling contract with MTR Corp in Hong Kong under a three-way joint venture, in which Kier holds a 50% stake. The £125m ($194.5m) contract is part of the...
ABB to Deliver Technology Solution for UK's High-Speed Rail
ABB has received a contract to provide capacitive compensation solutions to prevent voltage drops along the 25kV catenary supply for the High Speed 1 (HS1) route in the UK. The solutions will...
China CNR Wins Urban Rail Transit Contract
China CNR and its subsidiary, CNR International Economic and Trading (CRCCIETC), has been awarded a contract to build urban rail transits in Morelia and Zacatecas, Mexico. The Chinese firm...
German Railways to Upgrade Rapid Transit System
Deutsche Bahn Netz in Germany will replace mechanical train stops on the Berlin S-Bahn network as part of an automatic train protection system. The first part of the network to be upgraded...
UK City to Replace Rail Bridge
The city of Oxford, England, will replace an existing railway bridge on the A34 to increase line capacity to transport more freight from the south. The work is part of a £71m ($111m)...
Chinese Firm to Vie for UK HSR Contract
China’s Cheung Kong Infrastructure is considering bidding for Britain's high-speed rail line, High Speed 1 (HS1). HS1, to be sold by the UK Government for £1.5bn-£2bn, has a 30-year concession...
TranSys Completes Transition of Smartcard System Contract
Transaction Systems (TranSys) has transitioned its service and contractual obligations for the Oyster smartcard system in London, UK, to Cubic Transportation Systems, according to...
US State Approves Funding for Commuter Rail Upgrade
The US State Bond Commission has approved $260m in funding to upgrade high-speed rail services running through Connecticut and western Massachusetts. The project involves upgrades, new...
East Africa Needs Mass Investment for Rail Upgrade
East Africa needs about $25bn, or nearly two-thirds of Kenya's annual output, in a decade to boost its railways to increase trade, according to the East African Community's (EAC) deputy...
India and Sri Lanka to Sign Rail Contract
Sri Lanka and India will sign an agreement to reconstruct the Northern Railway Line in Sri Lanka. Under the agreement, India will reconstruct the railway line between Medawachchiya...
Leighton Asia JV Awarded Rail Contract
A Leighton Asia joint venture has won a A$409m ($369m) contract to build tunnel sections on the Guangzhou – Shenzhen – Hong Kong Express rail link (XRL) in China. The project includes...
Kenya Railways May Raise Bonds for Rail Upgrade
Kenya Railways (KRC) could issue bonds to raise funds for a railway system in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. The government has allocated KES1.9bn ($23.6m) in this year's budget to finance...
Italian-Thai Could Win Rail Deal
Thailand's contractor, Italian-Thai Development, could win a contract to build part of Bangkok's blue line mass transit project in the country after outbidding Ch Karnchang. The contract to...
US State Approves LR Extension
The Federal Transit Administration in the US state of Arizona has approved Metro Rail's request to begin the project development for the Central Mesa light rail extension. The approval marks...
Indonesia to Extend Rail Line
The Transportation Ministry in Indonesia has approved the extension of the first line of the proposed mass rapid transit system in Jakarta. The extension will add $336m to the project, where...
NJ Transit Seeks Federal HSR Funding
The US state of New Jersey's public transportation corporation, NJ Transit, has sought $885m in federal funding for key infrastructure improvements on the Northeast Corridor rail line. The...
Australia Invites Tenders for Light Rail Study
The New South Wales Government in Australia has invited tenders for a detailed study to identify the preferred route for the $500m CBD light rail link in Sydney. The study will recommend...
Fluor Team to Proceed on Denver Rail Project
Denver Transit Partners (DTP), part of construction service organisation Fluor, has reached financial closure in New York, US, and will proceed with the Eagle P3 commuter rail project...
Network Rail Awards Rail Contracts in Scotland
The UK's Network Rail has awarded contracts worth £10m ($15.5m) for rail improvements between Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland. The Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvements Programme is part of a...
Transfield Wins Rail Contracts in Australia
Transfield Services has been awarded contracts worth A$200m ($179m) to upgrade rail networks by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC). The company said it has been awarded A$160m...
Vossloh Wins Contracts in Sweden
German-based Vossloh has signed a ten-year framework agreement with Trafikverket, the Swedish transport administration, for the supply of in-sleeper actuation systems for switches and crossings...
US City Receives Additional Funds for Station Upgrade
The US city of Philadelphia has received $9m in funding for the redevelopment of the Ardmore rail station under the state's capital programme. The $180m multi-phase project will be...
DART to Review Financial Plan for Airport Link
The draft budget for the final section of the rail link to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas, US, is being reviewed by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority (DART). The...
Pendolino to Run on Scottish Line
The new high-speed Pendolino tilting train is expected to run on the London to Scotland East Coast Main Line. The 125mp/h train has been commissioned by UK-based train operator, East Coast....
London Underground Plans Next Phase of Jubilee Upgrade
The UK's London Underground has unveiled plans for the next phase of the Jubilee line upgrade following the acquisition of Tube Lines in June this year. The upgrade will involve the...
Telvent Wins Algerian Light Rail Contract
IT service provider Telvent has won a contract from Isolux-Corsan to supply a light rail priority system to Enterprise Metro d'Alger in Oran, Algeria. The company's SmartMobility Light Rail...
US Agencies Seek Funds for Light Rail Expansion
The Colorado Regional Transportation District (RTD) and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in the US are seeking a $123m federal grant to extend a light rail project in the...
Deutsche Bahn to Win EU Approval for Arriva Acquisition
Deutsche Bahn is set to win European antitrust approval for the proposed £1.6bn ($2.5bn) acquisition of UK-based Arriva after offering to sell its assets in Germany. The offer is expected...
France Opens Airport Rail Link
France has opened the 22km Rhonexpress link service from Lyons-Saint Exupery Airport to Lyon. The €120m ($157m) line will be managed for 30 years by a Vinci-led consortium, which secured...
Oman Unveils Plans for Extension of Rail Network
Oman has unveiled plans to extend a 1,000km rail network to the port city of Salalah. The proposed route will receive government approval following the completion of feasibility...
US States Seek Funding for Passenger Rail Programme
The US states of Iowa and Illinois have submitted a joint application for funds under the Federal Railroad Administration's high-speed intercity passenger rail (HSIPR) programme. The...
Interstate Passenger Service Halts in Australia
Passenger train services between Melbourne and Sydney in Australia have been halted due to track damage caused by a $1bn rail upgrade project. CountryLink, the country's passenger train...
Rail Strike Postponed in Australia After New Pay Offer
Australia's Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) has postponed a four-hour strike on 12 August after negotiations with RailCorp and the New South Wales State Government. The rail workers have...
Nakeel Appoints Serco to Run UAE Monorail
Dubai-based developer Nakheel has appointed UK-based Serco to operate the Palm Jumeirah's 5.5km monorail. Nakheel picked Serco after cancelling a contract with Singaporean rail company...
Weekly US Rail Traffic Hits Peak, Says Report
The Association of American Railroads has revealed that US railroads reported the highest traffic levels for carload and intermodal traffic for the last week of July this year. Carload volume...
UK Awards Station Upgrade Contract
Transport for London in the UK has awarded a contract to a Laing O'Rourke and Costain joint venture to redevelop London's Bond Street Tube station. The station is a main gateway to...
India to Finance Rail Projects in Bangladesh
Bangladesh will receive a $1bn loan from India to finance several rail infrastructure projects in the country. The projects include the building of two railway bridges worth $120m,...
Four Consortia Submit Bids for Irish Rail Project
Irish railway operator Iarnród Éireann has revealed that four consortia have submitted bids for the prequalification phase of the underground DART connector project in Dublin, Ireland. ...
Bombardier, AnsaldoBreda Win Italian Train Contract
Bombardier Transportation has won a contract to build 50 Zefiro high-speed trains for the Italian railway operator, Trenitalia. The company has partnered with rail transport engineering...
Australia to Add New Services to Caboolture Line
The Australian state of Queensland is planning to add additional services to the Caboolture train line across the TransLink network to encourage more people to use the service. The Caboolture...
Vossloh Wins Rail Network Contracts in Libya
German-based Vossloh has won two contracts to construct rail networks in Libya. The contracts are being delivered on behalf of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. ...
London Underground Launches First S-Stock Train
The UK's London Underground has launched its first air-conditioned S-Stock train. The eight-car train, which runs between Wembley Park and Watford, is the first of a fleet of 191 trains that...
Progress Rail Completes Acquisition of EMD
Progress Rail Services has completed the acquisition of Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) from Berkshire Partners and Greenbriar Equity Group. Progress Rail acquired the company for $820m with...
Chengdu Railway Signs Locomotive Purchase Contract
China's Chengdu Railway Administration has signed a contract with Beijing-based CSR Zhuji to purchase electric locomotives. Under the CNY8.6bn ($1.27bn) contract, CSR Zhuji will provide...
Connecticut to Buy M8 Rail Cars
The US state of Connecticut is planning to buy an additional 80 M8 rail cars as part of a deal with Kawasaki to replace older models. Connecticut Governor M Jodi Rell will ask the state...
Jacobs Wins Contract From Network Rail
Jacobs Engineering Group has received a contract from Network Rail to develop a rail infrastructure project in west London, England. The company will design the Stockley Flyover, which...
Borealis and Ontario Pension Fund to Bid for High Speed 1
Borealis and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan are considering a joint offer for Britain's first high-speed railway, High Speed 1 (HS1). HS1 has a 30-year concession to run the 68-mile...
Mongolia Confirms Railway Link with Russia
Mongolia has approved the construction of a 1,100km rail line between the country and Russia. The line links the Tavan Tolgoi coal deposits with Saynshand and the existing line from Russia...