May 2006 in rail transport

2005, 2006, 2007

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

[edit] Events

- China expected to begin unmanned testing of the newly constructed Qinghai-Tibet Railway.^[1]

- Vietnam Railways announces that it will receive €40.3 million from the French government to upgrade the signalling system and electrify the Hanoi-Vinh City line. The upgrade project, which will include work through 36 stations as well as parallel data and telephone lines, is part of a plan to increase train speeds along this line to 120 km/h (75 mph) for passenger service and 80 km/h (50 mph) for freight services.^[2]

- The last train from Beijing south railway station departed at 23:09, and the station then stops services for preparing the rebuild. The new Beijing south will be the starting station of high-speed trains include Beijing-Tianjin high-speed rail and Beijing-Shanghai Express Railway. The rebuild work is scheduled to be completed in 2008.

- Transport and Communications Minister of Greece, Mihalis Liapis, announces a €2 billion pledge by the government to rehabilitate the country's rail network. One of the projects included in the pledge is an expansion of passenger rail service between Athens and Thessaloniki. OSE, the national railway of Greece, is expected to submit orders for new equipment valued at over €750 million in the following week.^[3]

- In the midst of a review of the company's debts by credit reporting agencies, Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) announces changes in its top financial officers' positions. Ronald Russ, the company's CFO, will be replaced by Patrick J. Ottensmeyer; the railway announced that James Brook, vice president and treasurer, is also departing the company. In a recent conference call with analysts, president Mike Haverty mentioned that KCS was hiring a new marketing executive but did not state that there would be any other changes in the management team.^[4]

- Southeastern and some Eurostar traffic is temporarily suspended due to a trash fire near Bromley South railway station, about 11 miles (17.7 km) from London's Victoria Station. Firefighters feared that some gas canisters in the burning rubbish might explode. Fire crews were on the scene throughout the day and warned that the line may remain closed through the following morning rush hour.^[5]

- In ceremonies held in Washington, D.C., the 2005 E. H. Harriman Awards for employee safety on American railroads are presented. Recipients in class A (line-haul railroad companies with more than 15 million employee hours per year) are: Gold - Norfolk Southern Railroad (for the 17th consecutive year); Silver - BNSF Railway; and Bronze - CSX Transportation. In class B (between 4 and 15 million employee hours per year), the recipients are: Gold - Canadian Pacific's U.S. subsidiary (formerly Soo Line Railroad); Silver - Kansas City Southern Railway; and Bronze - Metra. In class C (less than 4 million employee hours per year), the recipients are: Gold - Florida East Coast Railway; Silver - Pan Am Railways; Bronze - Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad. The final group, switching and terminal railroads, recipients are: Gold - Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis; Silver - Conrail; Bronze - Belt Railway of Chicago.^[6]

- French president Jacques Chirac inaugurates the new tram network in Mulhouse. This first opening concerns the two first lines; an interurban line connecting Mulhouse to Thann is supposed to open in 2008.

- Berlin Hauptbahnhof is ceremonially opened by Chancellor Angela Merkel, who arrived together with transport minister Wolfgang Tiefensee in a specially chartered InterCityExpress from Leipzig. A "Symphony of Light" was performed immediately following the dedication. Reamonn and BAP performed at Hauptbahnhof, and there were also events at the other new stations: Gesundbrunnen, Potsdamer Platz and Südkreuz.

Wikinews has related news:

Toronto transit workers strike illegally

- About 800 Toronto Transit Commission mechanical and janitorial workers go on strike to protest proposed changes in work schedules, including permanent re-assignment of 100 workers to night shifts. The strike began between 4 am and 5 am EDT, and quickly resulted in a large scale disruption of service when transit drivers honoured the picket line, effectively shutting down most commuter transit systems in Toronto. By 7 am the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) issued a cease-and-desist order to picketers. A further back-to-work directive was forwarded by the OLRB, and eventually Amalgamated Transit Union officials requested the workers to comply, the call coming just before 3 pm EDT.^[7]^[8] See also: 2006 TTC wildcat strike

- The North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) in California announces that it has selected a new operator for the former Northwestern Pacific Railroad. The winning bidder is NWP, Inc., led by CEO John H. Williams who had been instrumental in setting up Caltrain service on the San Francisco peninsula. Repairs to the line are expected to begin over the summer of 2006 with service reinaugurated in phases as soon as practical. The details of the lease to NWP, Inc., are expected to be finalized by July 2006.^[9]