Railfanning.org News Wire

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World

Indian Railways to Use Wireless Communications to Improve Safety

September 20, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

BOMBAY, India – Indian Railways will use wireless railway communications technology to help improve the safety and efficiency on one of the most important and busiest rail arteries in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, officials announced. The Nortel GSM-R network will provide highly sophisticated wireless communications along the 751-km, 90-station line connecting the major Uttar Pradesh industrial and business centers of Ghaziabad and Mugalsarai, according to Nortel. The wireless system will be used to connect train conductors, on-board crew, train dispatchers, station personnel and other operations groups, such as those responsible for attaching and separating rail cars at station

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Short Line/Regional

Rochester Coalition: Largest Federal Loan in U.S. History Relying on Faulty Environmental Impact Statement

September 19, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

ROCHESTER, Minn. – The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) erred in adopting the environmental impact statement (EIS) prepared by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) concerning the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad’s (DM&E) coal train expansion proposal, the Rochester Coalition said in comments filed today. “The FRA is relying on a dated, insufficient EIS that the Department of Transportation’s General Counsel’s Office has indicated is problematic,” said Steve Ryan, of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP and legal counsel for the Rochester Coalition. “When considering granting a $2.3 billion taxpayer-funded loan – the largest federal loan to a private company in U.S. history

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Amtrak

Veteran Rail and Industrial Executive Alexander Kummant Appointed Amtrak President and CEO

September 8, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – The Amtrak Board of Directors on Aug. 29 appointed Alexander Kummant as President and CEO. The veteran railroad and industrial executive will assume duties Sept. 12. Kummant previously served as a Regional Vice President of the Union Pacific Railroad, overseeing 6,000 transportation, engineering, construction, mechanical, and other employees supporting an 8,000-mile rail network. He also served as the Union Pacific’s Vice President and General Manager of Industrial Products, a $2 billion revenue business. In leading both units, Kummant was responsible for substantially improved customer service, on-time delivery of client products, and significant gains in financial and operational performance.

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FRA

FRA to Revise Rail Safety Rules to Support Deployment of Improved Train Braking Technology

August 17, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Calling it the most significant development in railroad brake technology since the 1870s, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman announced his intention to propose revised federal rail safety regulations to facilitate the installation of Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brake systems capable of preventing derailments and shortening train-stopping distances. “ECP brakes are to trains what anti-lock brakes are to automobiles—they provide better control,” Boardman said. “It offers a quantum improvement in rail safety,” he added. ECP brakes are applied uniformly and virtually instantaneously on every rail car throughout the train, rather than sequentially from one rail car to the

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Commuter Rail

CTA Forecasts $8 Billion in Capital Needs

August 16, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO – An $8 billion capital investment is needed in the next five years in order to allow the CTA to continue to provide safe and reliable service and meet growing transit need, CTA’s vice-president of capital programs said. The announcement came after an Aug. 9 Chicago Transit Board meeting. Including all planned rail line extensions would increase the figure to more than $10 billion. Of the projected $8 billion need, CTA staff has identified about $2.2 billion that could be available through federal funding or CTA-issued bonds, leaving a potential unfunded need at $5.8 billion. A decision on an

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World

Southern Section of Dutch High-Speed Rail Line Receives Certificate of Availability

August 16, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

LONDON – The Dutch government presented the Certificate of Availability for the southern section of a high-speed rail connection between Rotterdam and the Belgian border. The certificate is an important step in achieving The Netherlands’ first high-speed rail link as the southern section is now open for operation. The certificate was presented July 28 to David Gedney, chief executive of Infraspeed and senior vice president operations of Fluor’s Infrastructure business line. The Fluor-led Infraspeed consortium was selected by the Dutch government to design, build, finance and maintain the HSL-Zuid high-speed rail connection for a period of 5 years for construction

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World

Wabtec to Refurbish Passenger Cars for U.K. High-Speed Trains

August 16, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WILMERDING, Pa. – Wabtec Corp.’s Wabtec Rail subsidiary has signed a $27 million contract to refurbish 103 passenger cars for high-speed trains operated by Great North Eastern Railway Limited (GNER) of London. The project will begin immediately, with deliveries scheduled for 2007-08. “This contract represents an important milestone in the growth of our vehicle refurbishment capabilities at Wabtec Rail,” said Albert J. Neupaver, Wabtec’s president and chief executive officer. Under the contract, Wabtec Rail will refurbish the interior of the cars, including new seating, luggage racks and lighting, and will paint the exterior. The work will be performed at Wabtec