SLOVAKIA's Transport Minister Mr Ján Počiatek announced on October 8 that a €420m project to build a north-south rail link under the centre of Bratislava will be delayed until after 2014.
CONSTRUCTION of the first phase of the ambitious Grand Paris express metro network has moved a step closer after the planned 5.8km extension of Line 14 from St Lazare to Mairie de St Ouen was granted public utility status.
ITALY's Appulo Lucane Railway (FAL) has taken delivery of the first of 17 950mm-gauge dmus from Stadler, which will be used on regional services in the Bari area.
www.progressiverailroading.com US Railroad News
FTA issues FY2013 guidance, funding information under MAP-21
WMATA unveils mock-up of its new rail cars
CTA announces new agreement with ironworkers
Union Pacific improving Nebraska rail line
UTU, EJ&E ratify new agreement for yardmasters and hostlers
First Central Corridor light-rail vehicle arrives in downtown Minneapolis
Virginia transportation board seeks input on six-year improvement programs
FTR: Capacity for carriers, shippers continues to tighten
www.railway-technology.com Updates....
H-J-H Final Design Partners wins Sound Transit' East Link extension contract H-J-H Final Design Partners (H-J-H), a joint venture (JV) of HNTB, Jacobs Engineering Group and Hatch Mott MacDonald, has secured an $88m contract from Sound Transit in the US to provide the final design for its East Link light rail extension in greater Seattle, Washington, US.
BT to provide data centre services to ProRail
UK-based telecommunications services firm BT Group has signed a data centre services contract with Dutch railway infrastructure provider ProRail.
Indian Railways to purchase EMU train sets
Indian Railways is planning to acquire electrical multiple unit (EMU) train sets that can operate at speeds of 130km/h - 150km/h for intercity journeys.
China completes test run of high-speed rail line
China has completed a test run on the 921km high-speed rail line linking the country's three north-eastern provinces.
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USHSR News..............
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Dear subscriber
A very rushed newsletter – this has been the busiest few weeks of my life, with a trip to America, vast lots of articles to write, preparing my trip on the Transsiberian…and then the West Coast thing blew up in the government’s face. It was like a train crash without victims, except, of course, us poor taxpayers.
It allowed me to write a piece in The Times (here) asking the Wolmar question, ‘What is franchising for?’, a question that the government should have to answer but probably will not. Chatting to a senior source in the Coalition the other day, made me realise just how stuck they are all on the notion that it is the franchising system that has delivered the increased passenger numbers of the past few years. Of course, it hasn’t as illustrated, for example, by similar growth rates on non franchises parts of the rail network such as the London Underground.
And when one suggests concessions – taking the revenue risk out of the equation – they say, ‘there will be no incentive to grow the business.’ But concessions, or contracting out, is used widely across government in industries – prison vans for example –where growth is not an issue. Surely providing a good service is the key and winning the next contract should be enough incentive to ensure that happens, as well, of course, as the old fashioned notion of simply doing a job properly without need for bonuses or other rewards.
Just to add to the fun, there was the party conference season, too. Labour was in very ebullient mood, far more cheerful than in previous years since the election when it was all very downbeat. The Conservatives have swung fiercely to the right and that veteran of dozens of conferences, Polly Toynbee, told me that she had never seen such domination by the right as this year. I discussed that, too, with a Libdems source who reckons that it is an effort by the Tories to differentiate themselves from their coalition partners – but I suspect it is fear of UKIP and the Eurosceptics.
Of course we now have a new ministerial team, too as explained here. I think there was an element of clearing the decks in the despised Department for Transport given that only the Libdems minister, Norman Baker survived and that’s because his job is the gift of Nick Clegg, not Cameron. The reshuffle was very much handled by Osborne and that possibly explains the promotion of Simon Burns, a man who does not fill the industry with confidence. His boss, though, Patrick McLoughlin may turn out to be a good appointment.
In Rail, I had fun scoring this year’s industry performance, which of course is already well out of date given the ministerial changes and the West Coast debacle – here. I then wrote about what is actually something of a scandal in The Times here
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World Heritage & Railway News featuring kwvr.co.uk - DISCOVER STEAM, OIL & SMOKE ... AUTUMN STEAM GALA. Step back in time for the very last Gala appearance of Ivatt 2MT No. 41241 & L&Y No. 957, sadly coming to an end of their operational boiler certificates...
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Railway Engineering News including news on testing on China's newest high speed line....
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