November 2005 in rail transport
Encyclopedia
November 1 - November 5
November 1-
- Government officials in ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
announce plans to privatise the nation's rail network into separate corporations that could be listed on international stock markets. The strategy is to raise money for improvements and expansions to the network, which would increase the amount of track by about 27000 km (16,777.1 mi). The plan could lead to partial or complete foreign ownership of some railway lines, but some investors have already raised concerns over the network's regulatory system, especially in regard to the newly independent railways' abilities to raise prices to cover costs. (BBC News) -
- About 1,000 protesters in MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
block the tracks of the railway line connecting TurinTurinTurin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy, to LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, France. The demonstration, which was timed to coincide with geological surveys along the route by Lyon Turin FerroviaireLyon Turin FerroviaireLyon Turin Ferroviaire , subsidiary of Réseau Ferré de France and Rete Ferroviaria Italiana , is the promoter of the joint French-Italian part of the future rail link between Lyon and Turin....
(LTF), was intended to protest against planned high-speed railHigh-speed railHigh-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
service along the line; protesters' concerns centered around the environmental impact of the new service, while LTF is the proposed operator of the service. Fifteen trains were cancelled and six others delayed due to the protest. After some clashes between protesters and police, the road to Mount Rocciamelone, where the surveys are taking place, is completely closed to all but the survey crew. (Planet Ark) (AGI)
November 2
-
- Viet Nam Railways announces that it has awarded a VND1 trillion (US$63 million) contract to ZTEZTEZTE Corporation formerly Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment Corporation is a Chinese multinational telecommunications equipment and systems company headquartered in Shenzhen, China...
of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
to modernize the railway's telecommunications and signalRailway signalA signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
systems. The project, which has been in planning since 2001, includes upgrading the systems on three lines out of HanoiHanoiHanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
as well as several junctionJunction (rail)A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
s in and around Hanoi. (VietNam News)
November 4
-
- BHP BillitonBHP BillitonBHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
releases a statement saying that exports of ironIronIron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
ore could be delayed if the company is forced to allow access to its Mount NewmanMount NewmanMount Newman is a mountain rising to about 1,150 m in northeast Havre Mountains, north Alexander Island. Surveyed by British Antarctic Survey , 1975-76...
rail line in Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
to competitor Fortescue Metals GroupFortescue Metals GroupFortescue Metals Group is an Australian iron ore mining company. The company has holdings of more than 87,000 km² in the Pilbara region of Western Australia making it the largest tenement holder in the state. It is listed as FMG on the Australian Securities Exchange .In 2008, the group loaded...
(FMG). FMG applied to Australia's competition council to gain access to the railway line that runs adjacent to FMG's mine at Mindy Mindy. BHP cites the increased complexity of the system and the high cost of providing such access as barriers to FMG's access, while FMG claims the access would promote industrial expansion in the region. BHP has filed suit in federal court to block the access, and the Australian Competition and Consumer CommissionAustralian Competition and Consumer CommissionThe Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is an independent authority of the Australia government. It was established in 1995 with the amalgamation of the Australian Trade Practices Commission and the Prices Surveillance Authority to administer the Trade Practices Act 1974...
has yet to rule on the case. (Sydney Morning Herald) -
- The United States Federal Railroad AdministrationFederal Railroad AdministrationThe Federal Railroad Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation. The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966...
(FRA) announces a requirement for increased and more detailed inspections of around 90000 miles (144,840.6 km) of trackRail tracksThe track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
that use continuous welded rail. The inspections are to detect and repair potential problems that involve loose or missing bolts, detectable problems in the rail and other potential hazards. In making the announcement, the FRA and NTSBNational Transportation Safety BoardThe National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
cite inadequate track inspections as the cause of three major derailmentDerailmentA derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....
s since 2002, including a Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CP) derailment in January 2002 near Minot, North DakotaMinot, North DakotaMinot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state...
, that released a cloud of anhydrous ammonia, and an AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
derailment in 2004 near Flora, MississippiFlora, MississippiFlora is a town in Madison County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,546 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Flora is located at ....
, in which a passenger died. CP disputes inadequate inspections as the cause of the 2002 accident. (AP/Newsday) (FRA) -
- Four labour unionTrade unionA trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s representing railway workers in France announce that they will go on strikeStrike actionStrike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
on November 21 against SNCFSNCFThe SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
to protest actions that could lead to the privatisation of the rail network. Four other unions have yet to decide if they will join the strike, while the French federal government is trying to assure the unions that privatisation is not being considered for the railway. (AFX/Forbes)
November 6 - November 12
November 7-
- Russian officials announce that projects begun under Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's rule to connect the SiberiaSiberiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
n Arctic by rail to Moscow may be revived and completed. Construction on the "Railway of Bones", as it has come to be known, was begun with prison laborPenal labourPenal labour is a form of unfree labour in which prisoners perform work, typically manual labour. The work may be light or hard, depending on the context. Forms of sentence which involve penal labour include penal servitude and imprisonment with hard labour...
teams in April 1947, but was abandoned in 1953 after Stalin's death. At least ten people died each day working on the railway's construction. The railway was designed as a means of supplying military posts near the Bering StraitBering StraitThe Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
, now the government hopes the line will carry natural resources, such as nickelNickelNickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
from NorilskNorilskNorilsk is an industrial city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located between the Yenisei River and the Taymyr Peninsula. Population: It was granted city status in 1953. It is the northernmost city in Siberia and the world's second largest city north of the Arctic Circle...
(which currently accounts for 2% of Russia's gross domestic productGross domestic productGross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
). (Mail & Guardian) -
- The extension of Minsk MetroMinsk MetroThe Minsk Metro is a rapid-transit system that serves Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Opened in 1984, it presently consists of 2 lines and 25 stations totaling 30.3 kilometres...
's Avtozavodskaya LineAvtozavodskaya LineAvtozavodskaya Line is a line of the Minsk Metro. The line opened in 1990 and crosses the city on a Northwest-Southeast axis. Currently it comprises 14 stations and 18.1 kilometres of track.-Timeline:-Transfers:-Rolling stock:...
connecting Pushkinskaya to Kamennaya Gorka opens.
November 8
-
- Deutsche BahnDeutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
(DB), the state railway of Germany, is in talks that could lead to the railway acquiring BAX GlobalBAX GlobalBAX Global is an international shipping company that is headquartered in Irvine, California, and has other major offices in Australia, Singapore, London, the Netherlands and Toledo, Ohio. The company which was founded in 1971 also operates an airline...
(founded in 1972 as Burlington Northern Air Freight), which saw revenues in 2004 of US$2.44 billion. The Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
reports that the purchase price could be as high as $118.2 million. Neither DB nor BAX would comment to reporters on the proposed sale. (Richmond Times Dispatch)
November 9
- - AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's board of directors asks David L. GunnDavid L. GunnDavid L. Gunn is a transportation system administrator who has headed several significant railroads and transit systems in North America....
to step down as president. David HughesDavid Hughes (Amtrak)David J. Hughes is a United States railroad executive.Hughes has worked in the railroad industry for more than 30 years and was a member of Amtrak's senior management since 2002, serving as the company's Chief Engineer under President David L...
is named as acting president and CEO until a permanent replacement can be appointed. David LaneyDavid LaneyDavid M. Laney is the Amtrak board chairman since July 2003. An alumnus of St. Mark's School of Texas, Laney graduated from Stanford University and the law school at Southern Methodist University...
, Amtrak's chairman, stated "Amtrak's future now requires a different type of leader who will aggressively tackle the company's financial, management and operational challenges. The need to bring fundamental change to Amtrak is greater and more urgent than ever before." The board envisions fundamental changes for the railroad including increasing competition and shared financial responsibilities with statesU.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. (Amtrak)
November 11
- - CSX TransportationCSX TransportationCSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
operates its last train on the Baldwin Subdivision in MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. CSX sold the former Pere Marquette Railroad line between Grand RapidsGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, LudingtonLudington, MichiganLudington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
and ManisteeManistee, MichiganManistee is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,586. It is the county seat of Manistee County. The name "Manistee" is from an Ojibwe word first applied to the principal river of the county. The derivation is not certain, but it may be from...
to the new short-line railroad Marquette Rail.
November 13 - November 19
November 19- - Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific RailroadThe Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
opens the new trench through Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, eliminating several grade crossingsLevel crossingA level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
through the city's downtown area. Trains are dispatched through the trench at a maximum speed of 60 mph (97 km/h).
November 20 - November 26
November 22- - ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
officials announce that Eugene Colonese, currently deputy director of operations planning for Metro-North RailroadMetro-North RailroadThe Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
, will become the state's new rail administrator at the Connecticut Department of TransportationConnecticut Department of TransportationThe Connecticut Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The current Commissioner of ConnDOT is Jeffrey Parker...
. Colonese fills a vacancy at the agency that was created when Harry Harris and three other DOT employees were suspended during an investigation into state contract finances. One of Colonese's first duties is expected to involve the specification and purchase of 342 new passenger cars for the New Haven LineNew Haven Line (Metro-North)Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line runs from New Haven, Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn, New York. There it joins the Metro-North Harlem Line, where trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan....
; the cars are expected to be delivered in the beginning of 2009. (The Advocate) -
- PointShot Wireless of OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
announces that they have installed the first trainboard 802.11IEEE 802.11IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent...
wireless access for passengers in North America. The installation will allow commuters on Via RailVIA RailVia Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
trains between Quebec City and Windsor, OntarioWindsor, OntarioWindsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, to access the internetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
from their own hardware while the trains are in motion. (UPI)
November 23
- - Railroad workers across France return to work from a strike actionStrike actionStrike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
. The labour unions involved in the strike report that they are pleased with concessions agreed to during negotiations on Tuesday and French President Jacques ChiracJacques ChiracJacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
offered his personal guarantee that SNCFSNCFThe SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
would not be privatised. The strike, the sixth by French rail workers in 2005, suspended one third of all TGVTGVThe TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
trains across the country. (IHT)
November 26
-
Mexico - FerromexFerromexFerromex is a private rail consortium that operates the largest railroad in Mexico.-Description:...
purchases the 900 miles (1,448.4 km) Ferrosur, formerly known as Ferrocarril del Sureste, for US$307 million, making Ferromex the largest railroad in Mexico at 4900 miles (7,885.8 km). The two railroads had attempted to merge in 2002 but were denied for antitrust reasons. -
- The two trains of the Seattle Center MonorailSeattle Center MonorailThe Seattle Center Monorail is an elevated monorail line in Seattle, Washington, that runs a little over one mile along Fifth Avenue from Westlake Center in Downtown to Seattle Center in Lower Queen Anne...
collide at a "pinch point" (pictured) near the Westlake Center station.
November 27 - November 30
November 30- - In the Kindu rail accidentKindu rail accidentIn the Kindu rail accident on November 29, 2005, at least 60 people were killed when they were swept off the roof of a train into the river below as the train crossed a bridge in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. After speaking with local officials in his region, Koloso Sumaili, the...
at least 60 people were killed when they were swept off the roof of a train into the river below as the train crossed a bridge in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. - - United States President George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
signs a transportation appropriations bill into law that includes US$1.3 billion to fund AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, despite the administration's plans earlier in 2005 that would have eliminated all funding for the railroad. Amtrak's appropriation includes $495 million in operating subsidies and $780 million for maintenance of way and repair projects. The bill also included money for several other transportation programs in New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, including a new rail tunnel from New Jersey to ManhattanManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, an extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light RailHudson-Bergen Light RailThe Hudson–Bergen Light Rail is a light rail system in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Owned by New Jersey Transit and operated by the 21st Century Rail Corporation, it connects the communities of Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City , and North Bergen.The system began...
, and repairs and upgrades to Newark Penn StationPennsylvania Station (Newark)Pennsylvania Station is a major transportation hub in Newark, New Jersey. Located at Raymond Plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard, Newark Penn Station is served by the Newark Light Rail, New Jersey Transit commuter rail, Amtrak long distance trains, the PATH rapid transit system, and...
and Morristown StationMorristown (NJT station)Morristown is a New Jersey Transit rail station on the Morristown Line. It is located in Morristown and serves an average of 1,800 passengers on a typical weekday. Construction of the historic station began in 1912 and the facility opened November 3, 1913. A station agent and waiting room are...
. (Newark Star-Ledger) - - P. Scott Conti succeeds Orville HarroldOrville HarroldOrville Harrold was an American operatic tenor and musical theatre actor. He began his career in 1906 as a performer in operettas in New York City, and was also seen during his early career in cabaret, musical theatre, and vaudeville performances...
as president of Providence and Worcester RailroadProvidence and Worcester RailroadThe Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad in the United States. The railroad connects from Gardner in central Massachusetts, south through its namesake cities of Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island, and west from Rhode Island through Connecticut and into New York City...
to fill a vacancy left by Harrold's death earlier in the month.