Twelve firms are bidding for a contract to provide preliminary design consultancy services in the developing of a national rail network in Oman. The successful contender is to be responsible for the provisional design of the complete infrastructure and all systems involved in constructing the Sultanate’s new proposed 1,061km railway. Consultancies based in Spain and [...]
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NEW AMTRAK ELECTRIC LOCO DIAGNOSES AND FIXES
Amtrak’s 70 new “Cities Sprinter” electric locomotives, under construction at Siemens Rails Systems in Sacramento, California, are being equipped with computers able to diagnose problems in real time and take corrective action. The braking system generates 100% of the energy it uses back into the catenary, producing energy savings of up to $US300 million over [...]
RETIRED EMPLOYEE SUES RAILWAY
A woman who retired from the Union Pacific Railroad after 40 years’ service in 2012 has sued the company for $350,000, citing alleged discrimination. She claims that during the four years before her retirement, two men with similar job descriptions were paid $13,000 more a year, as was the man engaged to replace her when [...]
N Y LINE REOPENS 6 MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE SANDY
New York’s “A-Train” Rockaway line, closed since being devastated by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, is to reopen on 30 May. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) rebuilt 455 metres of washed-out tracks, replaced many kilometres of signal, power and communications wires, and rehabilitated two stations that were flooded during the unprecedented storm. New York governor [...]
BELARUS-STADLER MANUFACTURING JV
In what is said to be the first western investment in the Belarus rolling stock manufacturing sector, Stadler of Switzerland is partnering the Minsk Region Executive Committee (MREC) in a joint venture funded by a €14.5 million loan of “up to 10 years” from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). MREC, described as [...]
INDIAN RAILWAY MINISTER RESIGNS
Federal investigators in India have arrested five people, including railways ministry official Mahesh Kumar, who allegedly paid $US166,000 to Vijay Singla for securing a “plum appointment” to the railway board. Simgla is the nephew of railways minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who has resigned in the wake of the bribery scandal. He has been replaced by [...]
IRAQI RAILWAY RECONSTRUCTION
Only two working passenger trains mean reconstruction of Iraq’s railways – after years of war – have a long way to go. Shortage of rolling stock results in minimal revenue, which is needed to pay staff wages, and there is nothing to contribute towards revamping the system. Plans to revive the railway envisage Iraq serving [...]
REPLACING 40-YEAR-OLD GERMAN TRAINS
Every time someone complains about commuter rail services in South Africa, the official response highlights the average age of rolling stock, variously said to be more than thirty or even forty years. Exactly what this implies is not made clear. Is the figure greatly in excess of world norms? If so, at what point does [...]
PUFFING BILLY GREAT TRAIN RACE
Early in May, 3,200 competitors participated in the annual Puffing Billy Great Train Race through the foothills of the Dandenongs in Victoria, Australia, not far from Melbourne. The fun run was so popular that entries were sold out in 17 days. This year for the first time competitors raced against two trains according to their [...]
PARIS-BARCELONA TGV LAUNCH DELAYED
A new fast TGV service to Barcelona in Spain from the Gare de Lyon in Paris, due to have been launched in April, has been delayed “indefinitely”. This is blamed on “a combination of technical, political and immigration issues.” Until through services start eventually, travellers must continue to change at Figueres from the twice-daily French [...]
- NEW BUSINESS EXPRESS
- RED SEA TO THE ATLANTIC
- GAUTRAIN TO OFFER BURSARIES
- SHOSHOLOZA MEYL WINTER FARES
- BUSINESS EXPRESS – 2ND JHB-PTA
- METRORAIL FARE INCREASE
- TRANSNET WAGE DEAL
- SPECIAL 150-YEAR TRAIN TO PAARL & WELLINGTON
- BLOEMFONTEIN-KIMBERLEY PASSENGER SERVICE
- UMGENI STEAM RAILWAY
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L Penning.: I agree with the unions that the assistants get va...
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Jo: I agree 100% with the Editor\'s remarks. I may als...
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Richard Clatworthy: Looking up some of the places on Google earth: Isa...
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