News
15-day transit for China - Germany freight train T
HE first freight train from Zhengzhou in eastern
China to the Billwerder intermodal terminal in Hamburg arrived at its destination on August 2, just 15 days after setting off on its 10,214km journey. The inaugural trip was arranged by Zhengzhou International Land Port Development and Construction Company with the cooperation of DB Schenker. The 51 containers were transferred to 1520mm- gauge wagons at Alashankou on the China-Kazakhstan border, continuing through Russia before being transhipped back to standard- gauge wagons at the Belarusian-Polish frontier. Areturn service departed
from Billwerder on August 14, and DB Schenker hopes to begin operating a regular
In brief
signed a cooperation agreement despite continuing political tensions between the two countries. They want to reintroduce passenger services between Thessaloniki and Skopje and improve freight links.
Malaysia
weekly block train on the route by the end of the year. DB Schenker says that it has
been involved in the operation of more than 300 trains between Germany and China over the last three years. Regular weekly block services
already run from Chongqing to Duisburg and from Leipzig to Shenyang, which serve customers in the electronics and automotive industries. These trains run on a more northerly route via the Trans- Siberian Railway.
US issues RFP for new passenger locos T
HE United States Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for 35 200km/h diesel-electric locomotives for use on inter- city and commuter services in Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, Washington, California, and Oregon. The Illinois Department of
Transportation is leading the procurement with the first deliveries expected in 2016. The FRA has allocated $US 808m to manufacture the 35 locomotives and 130 double- deck coaches, with the California Department of
EPRESENTATIVES of the Dedicated Freight
Transportation (Caltrans) awarding the American subsidiary of Sumitomo, Japan, the $US 352m coach contract in September 2012. The coaches are being built at Nippon Sharyo’s plant in Rochelle, Illinois and are scheduled to be delivered between autumn 2015 and early 2018. The RFP states that the locomotives should use ac traction motors and meet EPA Tier 4 emissions standards. The winning bidder for the locomotive contract will be announced in early 2014. This is the second
Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) have signed contracts worth a total of Rs 67bn ($US 1.15bn) with a consortium of Sojitz, Japan, and Larsen & Toubro, India, for Packages 1 and 2 of the Rewari - Iqbalgarh stretch of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC). The contracts cover all civil
14
works and trackwork on the 626km section of the route, including 1388km of track, 112 major bridges and 1118 minor bridges. All works must be completed within 48 months. The signing took place at a
The Malaysian Industry- Government Group for High Technology (Might) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Thales to improve railway skills. Might and Thales will provide railway signalling and telecommunications content for a new Rail Centre of Excellence, which will initially provide training and later conduct research and host manufacturing facilities.
South Africa
locomotive contract to be procured under the standardised regulations outlined in Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) 205 specifications for the Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee. Southern California Regional Rail Authority selected EMD on May 31 to supply up to 20 F125 Spirit diesel-electric locomotives, which will also be designed to meet EPATier 4 standards, for operation on Southern California’s regional rail operator, Metrolink (IRJ July p9).
Contracts signed for India’s Western Freight Corridor R
ceremony in Delhi on August 19 in the presence of Mr Takeshi Yagi, Japan’s ambassador to India, Mr R K Gupta, managing director of DFCCIL, Mr Toshihiko Kita,
managing executive officer of Sojitz, and Mr S N Subrahmanyan, senior executive vice president of Larsen & Toubro. The 1483km Western DFC
will link Dadri near Delhi with Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai, running through the states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The line is expected to open in 2017.
Passenger Rail Agency (Prasa) is discussing with Cape Town city council a feasibility study it has completed for a rail link to the airport. Prasa would provide the infrastructure, while the private sector would be responsible for acquiring trains and operating the service.
Sweden
SJ is to modernise 36 of its 200km/h X2000 tilting trains between 2016 and 2019 at a cost of ƒ345m. The objective is to extend the life of the trains to 2035 and reduce energy consumption by 15%.
Switzerland
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has announced that the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel in December 2016 followed by the Ceneri Base Tunnel three years later will cut about one hour off Zurich - Lugano journey times and allow the introduction of a 30-minute interval service.
United States
The Commonwealth of Virginia, Norfolk Southern, Amtrak and the city of Roanoke have started work on a project to extend passenger services from Lynchburg to Roanoke within the next three to four years. Roanoke lost its passenger rail services in 1979. IRJ
IRJ September 2013
Photo: DB/Renfe
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