With the handover of the Gotthard Base Tunnel to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) on June 1, this mammoth project has entered the final phase before the start of commercial services on December 11. Keith Barrow looks at how SBB is preparing for a smooth transition to the new infrastructure.
THE Pakistan government has approved a $US 8.2bn project to upgrade the 1872km Karachi - Peshawar main line by 2021, 85% of which will be funded by a concessionary loan from China the terms of which will now be negotiated.
CONSTRUCTION has started on the third and final section of the 27km Semmering Base Tunnel in Austria with work on the entire €3.3bn project now in full swing.
NORWEGIAN infrastructure manager Jernbanverket and its Swedish counterpart Trafikverket have agreed to work together to increase capacity on the Oslo - Gothenburg line following the completion of a joint study into options for future development of the route.
Björn Westerberg, CEO of the Association of Swedish Train Operating Companies tells Keith Barrow how a blend of short-term measures to improve operational performance and a long-term approach to investment will be needed to meet future demand on the country's rail network.
THE Gotthard Base Tunnel was inaugurated by the president of the Swiss Federation Mr Johann Schneider-Ammann and federal transport minister Mrs Doris Leuthard on June 1 with simultaneous ceremonies at the northern and southern portals of the world's longest main line railway tunnel.
THE European Court of Auditors says rail's market share of European Union (EU) freight has fallen since 2011 despite the EU contributing €28bn to rail projects between 2007 and 2013 and a concerted effort since 1992 to encourage a shift of freight from road to rail.
GERMAN freight wagon leasing and logistics company VTG has acquired a new major shareholder after the sale of Wilbur Ross's final 20% stake in the company to Kühne Holding, a shipping, logistics and hotel company based in Switzerland.
Semih Kalay, senior vice-president, Technology Transportation Technology Center Inc (TTCI), assesses how North American railways are utilising results from the latest research to improve the performance of their freight operations.
GERMAN Rail's (DB) rail freight subsidiary, DB Cargo has confirmed plans to withdraw freight services from 215 locations in Germany reducing the total number of locations it serves to around 1300.