BRITISH infrastructure manager Network Rail has awarded Balfour Beatty three trackwork contracts worth at least £133 million.
A four-year extension of Balfour Beatty's existing track renewal framework agreement to 2014 is worth around £56 million. A further £115 million extension could be awarded if targets are met within the first year of the contract, which covers plain line and switch renewals, together with associated signalling, electrification and drainage work, in NR's South East territory.

RUSSIA's Sapsan high-speed service between Moscow and St Petersburg transported more than 411,000 passengers in its first four months of operation, recording an 85% occupancy rate between December and March. Despite Russian Railways (RZD) doubling frequency from three trains a day to five in April, the service retained an occupancy rate of 84.7% with 123,600 passengers travelling during the month.

TOUGH economic conditions and a reduction in road tolls have had a negative impact on the revenues of Japan's three largest railways, which all saw their income decline in the 2009-10 financial year.

PAKISTAN'S Ministry of Railways is set to resurrect the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) eleven years after it closed. The Japanese government has agreed to provide a Rs 128.6 billion ($US 1.53 billion) loan to fund the revitalisation of the three-line, 121km railway which opened in two phases in 1964 and 1970.

Go! Cooperative, the latest prospective member of Britain’s growing portfolio of open-access operators, is taking a slightly different approach from those that have set up and maintained successful operations in the past. Kevin Smith reports on the plans of Britain’s first cooperative train company as it aims to begin operations in December 2011.

 

CANADA'S two largest railways have announced a substantial increase in first quarter net income as North American freight traffic volumes recover.

SIEMENS is putting the finishing touches to the first of its fourth-generation Velaro high-speed trains ahead of a handover to launch customer German Rail (DB) later this year. The eight-car Velaro-D, which is classified class 407 by DB has capacity for 460 passengers, 30 more than the previous generation of class 406 ICE3 trains. The 320km/h class 407 will be capable of operating in multiple with ICE3s.

THE Mayor of London Mr Boris Johnson inaugurated the latest section of the city's orbital railway today with the launch of a preview service on the Dalston Junction - New Cross Gate section of the East London Line (ELL).

 

EAST Japan Railway (JR East) has commissioned Knorr-Bremse to supply traction bogie braking components for 23 of its new-generation E5 series Shinkansen high-speed trains.