July 2006 in rail transport

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2005, 2006, 2007

2005 in rail transport 2006 in rail transport 2007 in rail transport

This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in July 2006.

Contents 1 Events 1.1 July 1 1.2 July 2 - July 8 1.3 July 9 - July 15 1.4 July 16 - July 22 1.5 July 23 - July 29 1.6 July 30 - July 31 2 References

[edit] Events

<< July >> Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2006

[edit] July 1

• - China's President Hu Jintao presides over a ribbon cutting ceremony in Golmud to officially open the Qingzang railway for service. The first train over the newly constructed line carried about 900 passengers to Lhasa. With the highest point on the new line at 5,072 m (16,640 ft) above sea level, the Qingzang railway is now the highest operating railway in the world.^[1][2]

[edit] July 2 - July 8

July 2

• - SNCF's president Louis Gallois leaves the French railway company for EADS. He's been replaced by Anne-Marie Idrac, former president of the RATP. Louis Gallois had been SNCF's president for 10 years, and SNCF's employees applauded him as he was leaving.

July 3

• - An accident on Valencia Metro kills at least 41 and injures 40. The driver seems to have driven too fast, causing the breaking of a wheel and the derailment of the train. This accident occurred in the very center of Valencia, Spain, as the city was ready for pope Benedict XVI's arrival July 8.

July 5

• - Russian railway company Ruscon takes delivery of the first rolling stock, 54 flatcars, to be wholly owned by the railway itself. The cars were built by Dneprowagonmash JSC in the Ukraine and join 54 other cars owned by the state and leased to Ruscon. Ruscon intends to dispatch the cars for service between Moscow and Novorossiysk. The delivery makes Ruscon the first fully independent railway operator in Russia.^[3]

[edit] July 9 - July 15

July 9

• - Officials with National Rail announce that the forthcoming timetable effective May 20, 2007 through December 8, 2007 will be the last comprehensive nationwide timetable that will be available in printed format. Subsequent timetable information will be available at National Rail's website and via telephone inquiry to one of the company's call centers.^[4][5]

July 10

• - Ireland's Minister for Transport Martin Cullen officially launches Iarnród Éireann's new intercity fleet on the railroad's Dublin-Cork route. The new equipment, built by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles in Spain, is part of a plan to implement hourly departures in both directions between the two cities in December 2006.^[6]

July 11

• - A series of bombs explode aboard commuter trains on the Mumbai Suburban Railway in India. An additional bomb was also found, but defused, at the Borivali station. The blasts claimed at least 200 lives, and caused hundreds of injuries. The bombs were exploded during the evening rush hour on trains plying on the western line of the suburban train network, which form the backbone of Mumbai's transportation network.
• - A derailment and subsequent fire on the Blue Line of the Chicago 'L' system closes the line just after 5:00 PM Central time. The last car of an eight-car train bound for O'Hare International Airport derailed soon after leaving the Clark/Lake station; the train's motorman stopped the train upon receiving a warning signal in the cab, then he shut down the train's power and evacuated the train's passengers. It is suspected that sparks from a short circuit caused by the derailed train across the third rail ignited something beneath the train to start the fire. More than 150 people were treated at local hospitals for minor injuries and smoke inhalation, and two people were admitted in critical condition. Initial investigations do not suspect any sabotage but so far attribute the incident as an accident.^[7][8]
• - Daqin Railway becomes the first Chinese railway company to be listed on a domestic Chinese stock exchange when the railway's application was approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission. The railway will be listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and hopes to raise 14.27 billion RMB, which would make the railway the second largest IPO on that exchange. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen Railway is the only other Chinese railway company listed on an exchange; that railway is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.^[9]

July 13

• - Boise Cascade announces its intention to sell its subsidiary Minnesota, Dakota and Western Railway to Watco Companies. The sale, which is expected to be finalized in August for an undisclosed amount, includes the United States portion of the International Bridge connecting International Falls, Minnesota, and Fort Frances, Ontario. The Canadian portion of the bridge will remain owned by Abitibi-Consolidated in Fort Frances.^[10]
• - The Hungarian competition regulatory agency Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (GVH) imposes a 1 billion HUF (€3.6 million) fine against MÁV for monopolistic practices and abuse of its controlling position in the rail transportation industry in Hungary. GVH found in investigation that MÁV charged unreasonable rates for freight haulage, hindered access to private industrial tracks and took part in long term exclusive haulage contracts that created a barrier to entry by smaller shippers.^[11]

July 14

• - The New Mexico Rail Runner Express begins service in the Albuquerque metro area. The Rail Runner becomes the fastest start-up time for a commuter train system in the U.S. in decades, going from concept to implementation in barely three years.

July 15

• - Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba presides over a ceremony at the newly completed train station in Ondangwa, officially opening the new Northern Railway extension. A minor panic and stampede began during the ceremony as rumors spread among the public attending the event that a locomotive was bearing down on the attendees standing on the tracks, but order was quickly restored with only minor injuries to a few attendees as the rumors were proven false. The ceremony celebrated the completion of 246.5 kilometers (153 mi) of new track between Ondangwa and Tsumeb. The next phase of the extension includes 55 kilometers (34 mi) of new track from Ondangwa to Oshikango and the border with Angola.^[12][13]

[edit] July 16 - July 22

July 22

• - Delhi Metro officials announce that they are working on initiating express service between the New Delhi Railway Station and Indira Gandhi International Airport on schedules that would enable travel times of 20 minutes between the two locations. Trains on the proposed route would travel at a minimum of 70 km/h (43 mph). Delhi Metro hopes to initiate the service in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in that city. Metro officials are confident that the service can be opened on time due to finishing the first phase of the system's construction about 2½ years ahead of schedule; the railway is already in talks to acquire the necessary rolling stock.^[14]

[edit] July 23 - July 29

July 23

• - Guangzhou Enterprises Mergers & Acquisitions Services announces an upcoming auction of the Luoding Railway in China's Guangdong Province. The auction could make the railway the first in China to be wholly owned by private interests. While railway connections between Guangdong and neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have been planned, the connections have yet to be built. Luoding Railway ended 2005 with debts of 793.66 million RMB (99.2 million USD), a debt that is attributed to the railway's lack of connections to other Chinese railway lines. The successful buyer is expected to not only acquire the entire debt but to also complete a rail connection between Chunluo and Cenxi.^[15][16][17]

July 25

• - Toll NZ announces that it will discontinue operation of the Overlander passenger train between Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand, as of September 30, 2006. Passenger trains have operated over this route beginning in February 1909. Toll Rail worked with New Zealand government officials to try to find a way to keep the service operating, but in the end, the ridership numbers could not support continued operation.^[18][19]

[edit] July 30 - July 31

July 31

• - Trinity Industries announces that it has entered a definitive agreement to sell its European Rail business to International Railway Systems, a Romanian company, in a deal that is expected to close by August 14. The financial details were not announced, but is expected to be disclosed with Trinity's third quarter statements due on September 30. The sale enables Trinity to more closely concentrate on its current North American railroad car manufacturing business.^[20]

[edit] References

1. ^ AFX News Limited (reprinted by Forbes) (2006-07-02). China opens railway to Tibet, the world's highest. Retrieved on 2006-07-02.
2. ^ BBC News (2006-07-01). Hu opens world's highest railway. Retrieved on 2006-07-02.
3. ^ Railway Market (2006-07-18). Railway in Russia: Ruscon Received First Flatcars To Railway Fleet. Retrieved on 2006-07-19.
4. ^ Carrell, Severin. "Exit, the book that always ran on time", The Independent, 2006-06-09. Retrieved on 2007-05-16. 
5. ^ National Rail (2007-05-20). National Rail Timetable (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-05-16. 
6. ^ RailStaff (2006-07-12). Iarnród Éireann Launches New InterCity Train Fleet. Retrieved on 2006-07-17.
7. ^ Tribune staff writers (2006-07-12). Smoke, fire fill subway. Retrieved on 2006-07-12.
8. ^ CNN (2006-07-12). Chicago subway train derails. Retrieved on 2006-07-12.
9. ^ China Knowledge (2006-07-13). Daqin Railway first rail company listed on Mainland. Retrieved on 2006-07-13.
10. ^ Fort Frances Times staff writers (2006-07-13). Boise signs agreement to sell railway. Retrieved on 2006-07-14.
11. ^ Railway Market (2006-07-13). Railway in Hungary: MAV Fined HUF 1bn. Retrieved on 2006-07-14.
12. ^ Shivute, Oswald (2006-07-17). Railway milestone hailed. Retrieved on 2006-07-17.
13. ^ Weidlich, Brigitte (2006-07-17). Stampede at railway inauguration. Retrieved on 2006-07-17.
14. ^ "New Delhi railway station to airport in 20 minutes!", Daily News & Analysis, 2006-07-22. Retrieved on 2006-07-26. 
15. ^ "China plans to auction one unprofitable state-owned railway", People's Daily Online, 2006-07-24. Retrieved on 2006-07-26. 
16. ^ "China plans to auction one unprofitable state-owned railway", Sina English (Xinhua), 2006-07-23. Retrieved on 2006-07-26. 
17. ^ "Railway may go private", Shanghai Daily, 2006-07-24. Retrieved on 2006-07-26. 
18. ^ "It's the end of the line for The Overlander", Stuff.co.nz, 2006-07-26. Retrieved on 2006-07-26. 
19. ^ "End of the line for Overlander service", TVNZ.co.nz, 2006-07-26. Retrieved on 2006-07-26. 
20. ^ Perry, James E., Vice President and Treasurer, Trinity Industries (2006-07-31). Trinity Industries, Inc. Signs Definitive Agreement to Sell European Rail Business (PDF). Retrieved on 2006-08-04.