admin

CHINA'S Ministry of Railways has reported a ridership increase of 9.3% year-on-year to 417.8 million passengers in the first quarter of 2010. Usage peaked during the 40-day spring festival season when an estimated 204 million passengers took the train. Freight traffic was also up at 899.9 million tonnes during the first three months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 18%.

DYNAMIC testing of the first Alstom Citadis LRV delivered to Rabat-Salé's new light rail system, Morocco's first modern network, began on March 30.

THE Chairman of Central Japan Railway Mr Yoshiyuki Kasai has launched a stinging attack on China's rail industry, accusing suppliers of "stealing" foreign technology and neglecting safety.

BANK of China is to acquire a stake in the company building the Beijing - Shanghai high-speed line in a deal worth Yuan 6 billion ($US 879 million), which was signed on Tuesday. Subject to regulatory approval, the bank will acquire 4.54% of Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway Company from its biggest shareholder, China Railway Construction Investment Company, which is owned by the Ministry of Railways.

SPANISH rolling stock manufacturer CAF is celebrating another successful year after posting a profit of Euros 124.3 million, up 17.5% on 2008 levels. By the end of December CAF's order backlog stood at Euros 4.34 billion, 55% of which related to orders from outside Spain.

KAZTEMIRTRANS, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan Railways has secured a $US 50 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to renew its ageing rolling stock.

BLS, Switzerland, has placed its largest-ever rolling stock order after signing SFr 493.7 million ($US 462.6 million) deal with Stadler for 28 double-deck emus for the Bern S-Bahn.

THE people of Reims got a preview of the city's new LRV fleet last week when the first Alstom Citadis tram to be delivered was displayed on the square outside the city's cathedral.

GERMAN RAIL (DB) is to support the planning, construction and operation of a new railway in the United Arab Emirates under a joint Memorandum of Understanding signed today in Abu Dhabi. DB will enter a strategic partnership with the UAE's Al Masaood group under the agreement, which was signed by German minister of transport Dr Peter Ramsauer, DB CEO Dr Rüdiger Grube, Al Masaood chairman His Excellency Abdullah Al Masaood, and Mr Martin Bay, chairman of DB International.

NEVER before - at least not in my 30-odd years as a railway journalist - has a train control system aroused such passion and heated debate as ERTMS. So every time a conference is staged on the subject, you can be certain the attendance will be high and the debate lively. Global Transport Forum’s launch conference on ERTMS held in Rome last month was no exception.