ORAIL, Korea’s national train operator, presented a certificate last month to Hyundai Rotem to mark 100 fault-free days for operating five modified KTX-Sancheon high-speed trains. The trains entered service in August following modifications to correct problems discovered in the initial operation of the first 19 trains which Korail introduced in March 2010. The 300km/h 10-car KTX- Sancheon train, which can operate in multiple, was designed and manufactured by Hyundai Rotem in Korea. The certificate was awarded because the KTX-Sancheon trains demonstrated that they could operate reliably following the improvements. These included fitting a totally-enclosed electronic contactor to prevent dust entering the train during
EMD inaugurates Brazilian locomotive plant
MD officially opened its new locomotive assembly plant at Sete Lagoas in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais on November 29. Progress Rail and EMD announced the selection of the site in July 2011 and construction began last February. The facility will focus mainly on the assembly of 2.8MW SD70ACe locomotives for the South American market, although other types will also be built at Sete Lagoas. Production is underway at the plant, which is already assembling a batch of 14 SD70ACes for Vale’s logistics subsidiary VLI and 21 units for Eldorado Paper and Pulp, all of which will be delivered by next month.
E
Modified KTX-Sancheon trains achieve 100 fault-free days K
In brief Romania
Class 480 electric locomotives operated by MAV-Trackio have been granted approval for operation on the Romanian railway network, paving the way for the start of
international services between Bucharest and Budapest.
Russia
operation, and improvements to the automatic coupling system to allow easy coupling and uncoupling of two trains at an intermediate station. “We overcame several disadvantages such as difficult service conditions due to Korea’s distinctive seasonal changes which influence trains, tracks, signalling and catenary, multiple train
operation to double passenger capacity, and operation on both high-speed and conventional lines,” says Korail. “By doing so, we earned the public confidence in the technology and thereby paved the way for us to compete for high-speed train projects in Brazil, the United States and other countries overseas.”
of reforms and rehabilitation with the aim of reversing the decline of one of southern Africa’s largest railways. The government has appointed Professor Clive Chirwa, one of the country’s foremost engineers, as the new CEO of ZRL with a five-year contract. Kwacha 640bn ($US 122m) has been allocated by the government to return the 1271km network to a state of good repair, while a team of experts is developing a recapitalisation programme which will set the agenda for future investment. Local and international companies will be invited to bid to upgrade the network. The Zambian government revoked the operating concession for the railway from New Limpopo Bridge Projects Investment in September and seized all of Railway Systems of Zambia’s (RSZ) assets, claiming the company made no discernible upgrade of the network during its nine-year tenure.
Zambian rail revival begins Z
USSIAN Railways (RZD) has signed a letter of intent with Ural Locomotives (UL), the joint venture of Sinara Group and Siemens, concerning contracts to supply 675 twin-section 2ES10 electric freight locomotives between 2016 and 2020. UL has orders for 221 of the 8.8MW 3kV dc electric locomotives, 30 of which have been delivered to RZD. Annual volumes of the forthcoming order will be defined by the end of 2014. This year UL will
reach its full production capacity of 120 locomotives, but is working to increase capacity to 150-170 units/year. UL was due to present a concept for a new dual-voltage freight electric locomotive with asynchronous traction to RZD by the end 2012. Earlier in 2012, UL signed an
agreement with Ukrainian Railways (UZ) for the delivery of 50 2ES10 and 2ES6 locomotives, which will be used on steeply-graded lines in the Carpathian Mountains.
IRJ January 2013
AMBIA Railways Limited (ZRL) has appointed a new CEO and launched a three-year programme
Transmashholding (TMH) and Alstom have handed over the first EP20 electric passenger locomotive to Russian Railways (RZD) at TMH’s Novocherkassk plant. The locomotives will operate on the Moscow - Sochi line during
the 2014 Winter Olympics. Siemens has begun production of eight additional 10-car high-speed Sapsan trains for RZD. RZD placed a ƒ600m order for the trains, which will double the operator’s high-speed rolling stock fleet, as well as a 30-year maintenance contract in December 2011. Delivery will commence in January 2014.
South Africa
Transnet Freight Rail has announced the reopening of the Orkney - Vierfontein branch line which links the Free State and North West provinces.
Spain
RZD to acquire 675 electric locomotives from UL Taiwan R
Renfe will launch commercial services on the 130km Barcelona - Figueres high-speed line on January 7 by extending eight Madrid - Barcelona services while introducing two new Barcelona - Figueres services. Direct trains from Barcelona to Paris will be introduced in the spring.
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation has selected Lloyds Register Rail as the independent safety assessor for the 3.3km underground extension of the Kaohsiung - Taipei high-speed line to Taipei Nangang station.
United States
Norfolk Southern has completed an $US 18m upgrade of its Lamberts Point export coal transfer facility in Norfolk, Virginia. IRJ
9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52