New world record for TGV

A specially-assembled TGV trainset set up a new speed record of 574.8 km/h for a passenger-carrying train using steel wheel technology, announced Railway Gazette International. The test, broadcast live and organised by Reseau Ferre de France (French Rail Network), French National Railways (SNCF), and Alstom Transport, took place on 3 April 2007 on the TGV high speed line in eastern France.

"Economically efficient and respectful of the environment, the TGV is a major asset in efforts to ensure sustainable development in transport," said President Jacques Chirac.

(Sources: Railway Gazette International ; BBC News )

Indian rail freight corridors

The Indian minister for railways, Shri Lalu Prasad, announced the start of the construction of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors in the budget year 2007-2008.  The project, estimated at a cost of about Rs. 30,000 crores (US$6.86 billion), was approved by the government and will be completed during the eleventh national plan.

NM Rothschild, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, SBI Capital, Canadian Railway and heavy haul operators from Australia and the USA are among the 15 companies that had expressed their interest to provide financial and technical consultancy for Indian Railways in developing and implementing the freight corridors, according to official sources quoted by The Hindu Business Line.

The winning bidder will draw the future concession agreement between the Ministry of Railways and the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL), and will advise on engineering procurement and public private partnership contracts.

(Source: The Hindu Business Line )

European Commission takes 10 Member States to court over rail legislation

The European Commission decided to pursue infringement proceedings against 10 Member States that had failed to transpose two key directives of the so-called "second railway package" into national legislation before 30 April 2006. These directives (2004/49/EC and 2004/50/EC) aim to ensure high levels of safety and technical interoperability for rail business across Europe.

The matter of the 10 countries in breach of proceedings - Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia and the Slovak Republic - will be referred to the European Court of Justice.
 
(Source: EUROPA )

Plans to privatise Romanian railways

The newly appointed transportation minister, Ludovic Orban, revealed that increase of economic efficiency and quality of the railway companies, attracting funds for the railway infrastructure, accelerating of the privatisation process of CFR Marfă (freight transportation) and reforming the passenger operations are his priorities towards rail transport, writes Club Feroviar.

The Romanian national passenger operator, that transported 8.13 million passengers in the first four months of 2007, will be split into a separate long-distance company and eight regional companies organised on the structure of CFR regional divisions. The long-distance company is to be privatised in partnership with another European rail organisation, whereas the other eight companies are to co-operate with local authorities in financing local services.

This approach had been tried some years ago when the former transport minister Traian Basescu promised a quick revitalisation of the rail system. An increase in number of members of railway companies’ boards and managers was, however, the only visible effect and the passenger transportation reverted to the former structure.

(Source: Club Feroviar )

Only one bidder for Argentine high speed project

The Alstom-led consortium remained the sole bidder for the technical part of the three-stage tender process for Argentina's first high-speed rail project, according to International Railway Journal. The full project, at an estimated cost of US$1.35 billion, consists of the complete reconstruction of the 315km Buenos Aires–Rosario double-track line, and upgrading or reconstruction of the 394km Rosario–Córdoba single-track line.

(Source: International Railway Journal )

SNCF to expand its freight business

France’s competition regulator, the DGCCRF, is to examine the request of SNCF (French National Railways) to increase its shareholding in Novatrans from 37% to 49%, International Freighting Weekly announced. Several road hauliers view the SNCF’s recent action as "nationalisation in disguise". Novatrans is a combined road-rail operator, offering yard-to-yard services for the transfer of swap bodies or semi-trailers.

Freight subsidiaries of SNCF Participations (SNCF holding company) - TVA (vehicle transport), Novatrans, and Naviland Cargo (combined transport), Rouch (road haulage), Scalogis (forwarding), Ermewa and France Wagons (rail wagon operations) – that generated last year €43 million net profit for a turnover of €1.2 billion (US$1.6 billion), will be grouped into a new holding company, Transport et Logistique Partenaires (TLP).

(Source: International Freighting Weekly )

RZD to bid for Armenian Railways concession

V. Yakunin, president of OAO RZD (Russian Railways) was quoted by Railway Market Magazine as saying that President Putin approved the Company’s plans to take part in a tender for a concession of Armenian Railways.

RZD will benefit in 2007 from US$8.2 billion investments for new trains, infrastructure and management projects, and plans to attract up to US$4 billion on stock market through its subsidiaries.

(Source: Railway Market Magazine )

Malaysian high speed project

Malaysia’s YTL Corporation is looking at building a high-speed line between Malaysia and Singapore. The government is considering the YTL project of a 374-km high speed track, estimated to cost US$500 million, that would increase traffic between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Siemens expressed the interest to share its expertise in high-speed rail technology if the project gets the approval. The proposed private finance initiative bullet train project is expected to be ready by end of 2009.

YTL is the owner of the high speed rail link between the capital city and Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

(Source: Business Times )

SBB Cargo not for sale

The Swiss transport minister Moritz Leuenberger has recently dismissed the rumours of selling the freight subsidiary SBB Cargo to other carriers. He considers SBB Cargo indispensable in view of the official policy of shifting more freight from the road to rail.
Leuenberger was quoted by the International Railway Journal as saying that “any sale of all or part of SBB is out of the qauestion.”

However, the Swiss Confederation is having discussions to sell its share in BLS Cargo, part of another Swiss railway, BLS Lötschbergbahn AG (BLS), as the state does not want to own two competing rail freight companies in the liberalised market.

(Source: International Transport Journal )

Heavy haul railway lines in Africa

Four heavy haul mineral railways in Africa totalling more than 3000 km are back on the agenda, Railway Gazette International reports.

Steel giant Arcelor-Mittal announced that it had signed agreements with the Senegalese government to develop iron ore deposits near the border with Mali. The required 750 km railway would cost US$2.2 billion.

China National Machinery & Equipment Import & Export Co has reportedly signed a contract for a US$3 billion mine and railway package, which could include construction of the 780 km lines in northeast Gabon.

The government in Guinea received the feasibility study for the US$3 billion Trans-Guinea Railway. The 1 000 km standard gauge line would be used to move 40 million tonnes a year of iron ore.

China financed US$1.2 billion as part of the partnership between China Railway Engineering Corp and Transtech Engineering Corp to reconstruct the line linking Port Sudan on the Red Sea with Khartoum (Sudan).

(Source: Railway Gazette International )

SZ vertically integrated

Slovenian Railways (SZ) will be in charge of managing infrastructure whilst retaining its status as operator within a vertically integrated railway company, following the Parliament’s approval of amendments to the Railway act, International Railway Journal writes. The European Union will contribute with €32 to the €164 million allocation for railway projects in 2007.

(Source: International Railway Journal )

Rail concession slow down

The much acclaimed privatisation of Kenya’s railways has shown little evidence so far: the South African consortium that operates Rift Valley Railways (RVR) Ltd has failed to submit its investment plan to the governments of Uganda and Kenya as required under the terms of the concession agreement it signed with them in 2006.

According to AllAfrica Global Media, Kenya Railways Corporation conducted an assessment of the operations of RVR and revealed that the concessionaire was yet to start purchasing new locomotives and imposed more speed restrictions because of the state of rail infrastructure. However, a RVR spokeswoman was quoted as saying that “the company would carry out necessary upgrading work in sections of the line."

A Kenyan MP called for an investigation into the concessionaire’s efficiency and said that several cases against the company were filed in Uganda. RVR won a 25-year contract to manage the national railways of Kenya and Uganda.

(Source: AllAfrica Global Media )

71 injured in Paris train shunt

Seventy-one people have been lightly injured after a commuter train hit the buffers as it pulled into one of Paris's main railway stations, according to BBC News. The accident took place at the Gare de l'Est on 5 April 2007 during the morning rush hour. The nine-car train was said to be carrying around 600 people. Police started an inquiry and the national rail company SNCF was looking into the technical causes of the accident.

(Source: BBC News )

Rail crossing crash in India

Local police in Tamil Nadu state (India) confirmed that 11 people died and another 12 were injured after the minibus they were travelling was hit by a passenger train at an unmanned rail crossing in southern India. The crash happened on 16 April 2007, when the train dragged the minibus for nearly a kilometre before coming to a halt.

(Source: Fox News )



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