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DALLAS Area Rapid Transit (Dart) witnessed another milestone in the development of its light rail network on September 12 with the opening of the 4.3km section of the Green Line from Pearl in Dallas city centre to MLK. The Pearl - Victory section also now has a regular service, having been used only for special events since it was completed in 2004.

SWISS Federal Railways (SBB) says it has been successful in mitigating the worst effects of the downturn after revealing net profits jumped by 26% to SFr 132.8 million ($US 127.6 million) in the first half of this year, compared with the same period in 2008.

 

 

THE Ruler of Dubai and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has officially opened the city's first metro line. The Sheikh and selected dignitaries travelled over the Emirates to Rashidiya section of the Red Line, which will open to the public on Thursday.

TRANSPORT for London (TfL) has agreed a £1 billion loan with the European Investment Bank to finance part of its contribution to the city's £15.9 billion Crossrail project. TfL and the Greater London Authority are responsible for £7.76 billion of the project's funding, and £2.4 billion of this will be linked to Crossrail's anticipated fares revenue. The EIB loan facility will be drawn down over the next six years.

THE government of the Australian state of Tasmania will reassume control of the island's 726km railway network at the end of this year after finalising an agreement to buy all the assets of Pacific National Tasmania (PNT) from parent company Asciano for $A 32 million ($US 27.4 million).

ALSTOM has delivered the first of 37 Citadis LRVs ordered by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality for the city's urban transport operator Istanbul Ulasim. The vehicles are being assembled at Alstom's Valenciennes site in northern France, and the remainder of the fleet will be shipped to Turkey by the middle of next year.

AFTER months of speculation over a possible takeover, Eurotunnel and French National Railways (SNCF) have confirmed they have each acquired part of the assets of railfreight operator Veolia Cargo.

IRELAND'S Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) has awarded Alstom and Dalkia, France, a Euros 30 million contract to maintain Dublin's Luas light rail network for a further five years. The two companies have maintained the network since it opened in 2004, and the latest contract, which takes effect on October 1, was won in a competitive tender. Alstom's share of the deal is worth Euros 24 million.

FOLLOWING approval by its supervisory board, Berlin Transport Authority (BVG) has signed a Euros 300 million contract with Bombardier for 99 low-floor Flexity Berlin LRVs. The order, which is the first to be placed under a framework agreement signed in 2006 for up to 210 LRVs, comprises 40 long (40m) and 24 short (30.8m) unidirectional vehicles, as well as 35 short bidirectional vehicles.

The Korean government's new green agenda, and its recognition that rail is a sustainable mode of transport, has resulted in a huge increase in rail investment, says Huh Joon-Young, president of Korail.