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Mohammed bin Rashid approves Dubai Metro Blue Line project

24 November 2023 (UAE) The  Dubai  Metro  Blue  Line  project,  a  new  30-kilometer  metro  route  that  will  strategically  connect  important  areas  in  the  emirate  through  14  stations,  has  been  approved  by  His  Highness  Sheikh  Mohammed  bin  Rashid  Al  Maktoum,  Vice  President  and  Prime  Minister  of  the  United  Arab  Emirates  and  Ruler  of  Dubai.  This  move  aligns  with  the  plan  for  the  estimated  one  million  additional  residents  that  the  Dubai  2040  Urban  Master  Plan  calls  for. HH  Sheikh  Mohammed  emphasised  that  funding  for  infrastructure  projects  is  consistent  with  Dubai's  approach  to  comprehensive  city  development,  which  prioritises  satisfying  immediate  requirements  while  laying  the  groundwork  for  future  growth. He  underlined  that  the  nation's  talent  has  demonstrated  its  capacity  to  drive  development,  providing  innovative  concepts  that  align  with  Dubai's  aspirational  goals  across  a  range  of  industries,  promoting  advancement  and  quality. Source https://www.rta.ae/wps/portal/rta/ae/home/news-and-media/all-news/NewsDetails/mohammed-bin-rashid-approves-dubai-metro-blue-line-project

17 hrs ago

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Amtrak Fiscal Year 2023: Passenger Rail Demand Soars, Ridership Exceeds Expectations

November 30, 2023 (US) Amtrak  resumed  service  on  all  routes  in  Fiscal  Year  2023  (FY23),  continuing  the  company's  robust  expansion.  Major  infrastructure  projects  that  will  enable  ambitions  to  double  ridership  by  2040  were  also  progressed. Over  28  million  passengers  used  Amtrak  in  FY23,  largely  due  to  the  Northeast  Corridor  (NEC),  where  ridership  is  soaring  and  has  been  steadily  surpassing  pre-pandemic  levels  since  early  summer. By  pursuing  historic  infrastructure  investments  that  will  introduce  new  and  expanded  services,  boost  safety  and  dependability,  improve  accessibility,  spur  economic  development,  and  improve  the  customer  experience,  Amtrak  is  taking  advantage  of  this  good  momentum. Source https://media.amtrak.com/2023/11/amtrak-fiscal-year-2023-ridership-exceeds-expectations-as-demand-for-passenger-rail-soars/

17 hrs ago

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Services between Woking and Basingstoke will be drastically reduced next week due to emergency landslip repair work

1 December 2023 (UK) Due  to  an  urgent  need  for  repairs,  Network  Rail  and  South  Western  Railway  (SWR)  are  advising  customers  who  intend  to  travel  on  the  line  between  Woking  and  Basingstoke  to  do  so  only  if  absolutely  necessary. Movement  was  observed  in  a  100-meter-long  slope  adjacent  to  the  St.  John's  Hill  Road  overbridge,  which  connects  Brookwood  and  Woking  in  Surrey.  These  tiny  sensors  are  part  of  a  system  known  as  remote  condition  monitoring. The  geotechnical  and  structural  experts  at  Network  Rail  have  found  fissures  that  are  up  to  45  metres  long,  50  centimetres  broad  and  one  metre  deep  in  certain  areas. Source https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/emergency-work-to-repair-landslip-will-significantly-reduce-services-between-woking-and-basingstoke-next-week

18 hrs ago

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In the Philippines, CAF will provide express trains

01 December 2023 (Philippines) Mitsubishi  Corporation  has  decided  to  assign  the  design  and  procurement  of  seven  Electric  Multiple  Units  (EMUs)  to  CAF  as  part  of  the  agreement  granted  to  them  by  the  Philippine  government's  Department  of  Transportation  (DOTr). The  project  entails  building  the  seven  fast  trains  that  were  previously  indicated;  each  train  has  eight  cars  total,  plus  fleet  spares. The  contract  is  a  component  of  the  North-South  Commuter  Railway  Project,  a  larger  project  that  would  link  Clark  International  Airport. The  Japan  International  Cooperation  Agency  (JICA)  is  providing  financing  for  the  project,  which  has  a  €150  million  budget. Source https://www.caf.net/en/sala-prensa/nota-prensa-detalle.php?e=445

3 days ago

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Scotland’s Railway is striving to overcome the major frost

3 December 2023 (UK) As  the  county  continues  to  experience  frigid  temperatures,  engineers  will  be  working  nonstop  to  maintain  the  operation  of  Scotland's  Railway. With  a  yellow  Met  Office  warning  for  Monday,  December  4,  and  temperatures  on  the  Far  North  line  reaching  -11  last  night,  Scotland's  Railway  has  prepared  to  keep  trains  running. Engineers  will  be  out  de-icing  switches  and  crossings  (movable  rails  that  allow  trains  to  transfer  tracks)  and  checking  mechanical  signalling  before  service  begins  tomorrow  to  assist  maintain  systems  clear  of  snow  and  ice. Engineers  will  be  inspecting  tunnels  for  icicles,  which  can  harm  passing  trains  or  interfere  with  overhead  power  lines.  Special  heaters  will  be  deployed  to  assist  prevent  the  tracks  from  freezing  at  important  intersections. Source https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/scotlands-railway-working-hard-to-beat-big-freeze

3 days ago

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Nearly 100 employees of GWR became White Ribbon advocates as the firm commemorates the year since train naming to stop violence against women

24 November 2023 (UK) Great  Western  Railway  (GWR)  is  reviewing  its  engagement  with  the  charity  to  end  male  violence  against  women  a  year  after  receiving  White  Ribbon  accreditation. On  Saturday,  November  25,  White  Ribbon  Day  commemorates  the  first  anniversary  of  GWR's  unveiling  of  Intercity  Express  Train  800016  as  their  White  Ribbon  train,  which  marked  the  beginning  of  a  three-year  collaboration  with  White  Ribbon  UK. Almost  100  GWR  coworkers  have  volunteered  to  become  White  Ribbon  Ambassadors  or  Champions  during  the  first  12  months  of  the  partnership.  These  individuals  commit  to  spreading  the  word  about  White  Ribbon  in  the  workplace  and  on  social  media  and  inspiring  everyone  to  vow  never  to  condone  or  ignore  violence  against  women. Source https://news.gwr.com/news/almost-100-gwr-staff-become-white-ribbon-ambassadors-as-the-company-marks-the-anniversary-of-train-naming-to-end-violence-against-women

3 days ago

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Vossloh and Deutsche Bahn increase their collaboration

30 November 2023 (Germany) By  entering  into  a  four-year  framework  agreement  with  Deutsche  Bahn  in  the  Customised  Modules  segment,  Vossloh  is  strengthening  its  position  in  the  German  market. Vossloh  will  provide  Deutsche  Bahn  with  at  least  600  switches  in  total  over  the  course  of  the  following  four  years. Vossloh  will  continue  to  provide  a  significant  amount  of  switch  components  at  the  same  time. Deutsche  Bahn  wants  to  increase  the  high-performance  network  and  cut  down  on  disruptions  caused  by  infrastructure  by  eighty  percent. Source https://www.vossloh.com/en/press/press-releases/detail/pressdetail_68352.html

6 days ago

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A framework agreement is signed by Siemens Mobility and ELL to buy 200 Vectrons

30 November 2023 (Austria, Bavaria) Siemens  Mobility  and  the  Vienna  and  Munich-based  European  Locomotive  Leasing  Group  (ELL)  have  inked  a  framework  agreement  for  the  delivery  of  up  to  200  more  Vectron  locomotives. The  locomotives  will  be  available  for  use  in  both  passenger  and  freight  services  with  different  power  system  variations. Initially,  sixty  locomotives  were  ordered,  and  starting  in  2025,  they  will  be  delivered  one  after  the  other. With  at  least  301  Siemens  Vectron  locomotives  in  operation  by  2027,  ELL  will  run  the  largest  Vectron  fleet  in  Europe. Source https://press.siemens.com/global/en/pressrelease/siemens-mobility-and-ell-sign-framework-agreement-purchase-200-vectrons

6 days ago

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There will be no cost to try out the MRT Pink Line! The entire year

27 November 2023 (Bangkok, Thailand) A  free  trial  of  "MRT  Pink  Line"  will  be  available! It  is  a  gift  to  the  people  all  year  long. Beginning to  gather  tickets  on  January  3,  2024,  forward. Negotiations  between  the  concessionaire,  Northern  Bangkok  Monorail  Company  Limited  (NBM),  and  the  Mass  Rapid  Transit  Authority  of  Thailand  (MRTA)  are  being  handled  by  Mr  Suraphong  Piyachote,  Deputy  Minister  of  Transport,  who  has  been  allocated  by  the  Ministry  of  Transport. The  concessionaire,  NBM,  and  the  MRT  Pink  Line  Project,  Khae  Rai  -  Min  Buri  portion,  have  achieved  an  agreement  that  will  allow  customers  to  continue  using  the  MRT  Pink  Line  service  along  the  entire  line,  which  has  30  stations  and  parking  spaces. Source https://www.mrta.co.th/th/news-release/15021

6 days ago

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The United Kingdom's top reliability award goes to three Hitachi Rail fleets

29 November 2023 (UK) At  the  2023  Golden  Spanner  Awards,  Hitachi  Rail  fleets  take  home  three  different  prizes. Because  of  the  cooperation  of  its  customers,  the  industrious  efforts  of  its  maintenance  staff,  and  the  investment  in  innovative  digital  solutions,  the  fleets  were  recognised  for  their  exceptional  performance  and  dependability  throughout  the  previous  12  months. For  the  second  year  in  a  straight,  the  Hull  Trains  Paragon  fleet  (Class  802)  won  Gold,  the  highest  prize  in  the  2nd  Generation  new  inter-city  category;  the  Lumo  fleet  (Class  803)  received  Silver  in  the  same  category. This  illustrates  how  the  maintenance  and  fleets  of  Hitachi  Rail  have  contributed  to  the  transformation  of  East  Coast  Mainline  reliability. Source https://www.hitachirail.com/press/#/pressreleases/three-hitachi-rail-fleets-win-u-dot-k-s-leading-award-for-reliability-3289673

7 days ago

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Every ticket gate on the GTR network is expedited for customers using e-ticket readers

29 November 2023 (UK) Using  pre-purchased  smartphone  eTickets,  rail  travellers  can  now  avoid  waiting  in  line  at  stations  to  board  a  train  throughout  the  extensive  11-county  Govia  Thameslink  Railway  network. Every  ticket  gate  at  its  managed  stations  now  has  barcode  readers,  which  let  passengers  scan  e-tickets  from  emails  or  smartphones.  There  are  1,420  readers  spread  across  710  ticket  gates  at  98  stations  that  are  served  by  Thameslink,  Great  Northern,  Gatwick  Express,  and  Great  Northern. Because  they  may  be  purchased  instantaneously  and  without  a  booking  fee  via  the  train  companies'  websites  or  OnTrack  app,  electronic  tickets  are  both  practical  and  well-liked. Source https://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/govia-thameslink-railway/pressreleases/eticket-readers-speed-rail-passengers-through-every-single-ticket-gate-on-gtr-network-3289634

7 days ago

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A contract was given to Thales SEC Transport to deliver the signalling system for the line 1 and line 2 extensions of Nanchang Metro

27 November 2023 (Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China) The  signalling  system  for  Nanchang  Line  1's  northern  and  eastern  expansion  lines  as  well  as  Nanchang  Line  2's  eastern  extension  line  will  be  delivered  by  Thales  SEC  Transport. An  integral  component  of  Nanchang  Metro  Phase-II  construction  are  the  extension  lines  of  Lines  1  and  2. Nanchang  Line  1's  eastern  expansion  line  is  4.36  km  long  overall,  while  the  northern  extension  line  is  roughly  16.969  km  long. The  line  will  improve  mobility  between  the  airport  and  the  city  once  it  starts  to  generate  income. The  10.42  km  long  eastern  extension  line  of  Nanchang  Line  2  links  the  three  transportation  centres  of  High-Speed  Railway  Nanchang  East  Station,  Nanchang  West  Railway  Station,  and  Nanchang  Railway  Station. Source https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/transport/press_release/thales-sec-transport-awarded-contract-deliver-signaling-system

7 days ago

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