Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
America’s General Electric (GE) has signed an agreement with the government of Pakistan to help modernise infrastructure in “critical” areas, including rail. A long-term (18-year) maintenance agreement for the proposed 150 locos, GE suggests, will ensure that Pakistan Railways (PR) has “a highly reliable fleet with improved availability that translates into better asset utilisation”. According [...] [...more]
Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
On 24 February, India’s minister for railways Mamta Banerjee announced a target for gauge conversion projects totalling 800km during the next financial year. Unlike the situation in several African countries, where 1,435mm “standard” gauge is the objective of ambitious politicians, India does not use 1,435mm anywhere. The projects in this year’s pipeline all involve changing [...] [...more]
Posted on 08 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Bradken, a rail industry supplier, is to close its manufacturing facility in Australia’s Newcastle on 9 April. The country’s strong currency coupled with competition from China are given as the reasons for the plant running out of work. The decision came as a shock to the firm’s employees and the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union. “There [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Ansaldo STS has won a contract worth $US16.5 million to supply the communication-based train control (CBTC) system for the 53.6km Hangzhou Metro Line 1 in Hangzhou, a rapidly growing city in China’s Yangtze River Delta. The first metro line to be built in Hangzhou. it is expected to commence operation in June 2012. There are [...] [...more]
Posted on 01 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Alstom has offered China the 360km/hr Automotrice Grande Vitesse (AGV), currently under development as what is claimed will be the world’s fastest train. Currently China is spending about $US732 billion on new railways and Alstom is keen to win train supply contracts. In these endeavours, the company is competing with Bombardier as well as domestic [...] [...more]
Posted on 19 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
A consortium comprising Canada’s Bombardier Transportation and the China Railway Signal & Communication Corporation has been awarded the first “modern signalling” contract in Pakistan. In the first phase of a planned upgrade for the Karachi-Lahore main-line, Bombardier’s Interflo 200 system is to be installed on the 328km, double-track Bin Qasim-Mirpur Mathelo route. The contract is [...] [...more]
Posted on 19 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
The second funding package for $US37.9 million comprising the construction of 10 railway bridges totalling 15km and 6.5km of roads over 30 months has been signed between the Vietnam Railways Corporation and a Vietnam-Japan joint venture. The complete project, worth some $222.5 million financed through a Japanese official development assistance loan, comprises the construction of 44 [...] [...more]
Posted on 19 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Hong Kong Tramways’ HK$2 tram fare is set to rise to pay for service improvements. Trams are to remain the cheapest form of transport in the city, managing director Bruno Charrade promises, “but we will maintain a balance between the cost and the level of services we can provide to the public. Our ridership has [...] [...more]
Posted on 05 February 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
M/s. Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) and M/s. Balaji Infra Projects Ltd. (BIPL) have signed an MOU between Shri. Bhanu Tayal, Managing Director and Shri. Vijay G. Kalantri, Chairman & Managing Director, and Mr. Vishal Kalantri, Director, Dighi Rail Infrastructure Limited (DRIL) for developing 45 kms rail link connecting Dighi Port to the main [...] [...more]
Posted on 22 January 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (Jica), together with Malawi’s ministry of transport and public infrastructure, are to appoint consultants to undertake a feasibility study on reinstating the long-inoperable connection from Mozambique’s Sena line to the railways of Malawi. There have been no trains on this line since 1983, when the Mozambique civil war began. The [...] [...more]
