World Railway News.... 27th June 2012

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News in Brief...
The German Land of Thüringen has directly awarded incumbent Erfurter Bahn a contract to operate Erfurt – Illmenau services from January 2014 to December 2016, ending at the same time as other agreements to enable a change in routes covered by operating contracts. Moldovan national railway Calea Feratã din Moldova and UK high speed line promoter HS2 Ltd joined CER on May 3, taking membership to 78 organisations. Electric operation of SNCFT commuter services from Tunis to the suburbs of Borj Sedria and Riadh began on April 6, using Hyundai Rotem metre gauge 25 kV 50 Hz EMUs. Israel National Roads Company has invited expressions of interest in a contract to review preliminary designs for a high speed line to Eilat. Work is expected to be completed by August 2012. The UK Department for Transport has extended the Northern passenger operating franchise held by a joint venture of Serco and Abellio until April 1 2014. The franchise was originally due to end on September 15 2013, after it had already secured a two-year performance-based extension in 2010.

UK must start developing tram-train now

‎26 ‎June ‎2012, ‏‎15:48:00

UK: Detailed planning for tram-train projects should begin immediately rather than wait for the outcome of the recently-confirmed Sheffield - Rotherham pilot project, Geoff Inskip, Chief Executive of West Midlands transport authority Centro, told the All-Party Parliamentary Light Rail Group on June 13. The pilot scheme is scheduled to run for two years from 2015, and evaluation will add more time. If transport authorities wait until the conclusions are available before developing their own proposals, it would be many years before services could begin, Inskip pointed out. Inskip stressed that tram-train is 'fundamentally a proven concept' in continental Europe, saying 'we should put caution away, and start thinking about what we actually need.' Centro sees tram-train as a way to improve local passenger services, using rail lines to avoid the cost of constructing new tram alignments while exploiting the ability to run onto city-centre streets to avoid the need for expensive works to provide extra capacity on the 'last two miles' into congested stations such as Birmingham New Street. Inskip confirmed that Centro has a 'whole list' of possible tram-train routes, including Wolverhampton - Walsall and a disused freight line from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill. Northern Rail is strongly supporting the Rotherham pilot project, according to Simon Coulthard of Network Rail's tram-train team, and with backing from its Dutch parent Abellio has also drawn up a list of potential routes for future deployment.

International Railway Journal

ITALIAN infrastructure manager Italian Rail Network (RFI) opened the new 180km/h high-speed tunnel beneath Bologna on June 21. The 17.8km line, which is equipped ERTMS, runs north-south across the city

IN an unexpected move, the Dutch Environmental and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) has banned Vossloh G1206 and G2000 diesel locomotives from operating light engine on the Dutch railway network.

According to ILT, the restrictions have been introduced because of problems with activating track circuits. Recently two G2000s were lost to the signalling system while running singly, one between Europoort and Maasvlakte and the other between The Hague HS and The Hague Moerwijk. On June 3 a G1206 was also lost by traffic control between Europoort and Maasvlakte.

BANGALORE Metro Rail Corporation today began dynamic testing of the first trains for the Namma Metro Green Line at Peenya depot

www.progressiverailroading.com US Railroad News

Surface transportation trade value tumbled in April, BTS says

Amtrak completes Union Station improvements in Chicago

Oregon Transportation Commission considers funding for 38 multi-modal projects

SEPTA modernizes Spring Garden, Girard subway stations

Kansas City Southern de Mexico turns 15; Schneider National marks 20 years in Mexico

Rep. Huizenga tours Marquette Rail yard, demonstrates support for short-line tax credit

Rail supplier updates from R.J. Corman, Bombardier, Atkins and Parsons Brinckerhoff; Also, in memoriam: PB's William Kennedy (June 27)

www.railway-technology.com Latest Headlines..

LTSE selects Mott MacDonald for Mumbai monorail project
LTSE, a consortium of Larsen & Toubro and Scomi Engineering Malaysia, has selected Mott MacDonald as an independent assessor for the testing and commissioning of the first phase of the Jacob Circle to Chembur corridor of the Mumbai monorail project.       
                   
Mitsubishi Electric opens railroad HVAC equipment plant in the US
Mitsubishi Electric Power Products has opened a new railway equipment plant near its headquarters and main manufacturing operation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US.       
                   
Ethiopia signs $1.5bn rail deal with China's CCCCEthiopian Railways (ERC) and China Communication Construction (CCCC) have signed a $1.5bn agreement to build a 268.2km railway line in the northern part of Ethiopia.       
                   
Downer to build 19 locomotives for Fortescue
Engineering firm Downer EDI (Downer) has won a A$73m ($73.4m) rolling stock supply and support contract from iron ore miner Fortescue Metals group (Fortescue) in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.