Category: Railway line

The Konongo Divisional Police Command dismantled a railway line theft union operating in Juaso and some communities in the southern Asante-Akim district of the Ashanti region.

The union, on suspicion of successfully stealing large amounts of railroad tracks and steel ties in recent times, has been followed thanks to intelligence reports and public vigilance.

Those arrested are Yussif Hudu, who was sentenced to four years in prison, and Ibrahim Yakubu, also sentenced to three years in prison by the Juaso circuit for theft.

Chief Superintendent Shaibu Osei, commander of the Konongo Divisional Police, said four other union members currently on trial in court included Tweneboah Malik, Kwadwo Gyamfi, Daniel Appiah and Samuel Baffour.

A considerable number of stolen railway lines and steel ties had been recovered from the union following their arrest at separate locations in the southern district of Asante-Akim, police confirmed.

Chief Superintendent Osei, informing Deputy Minister of Railway Development, Mr. Kwaku Asante-Boateng, who was on a working visit to the region, said the culprits were arrested in Duampompo, Breku, Nnadieso and Asante-Praso, all near Juaso.

“Police had information that union members normally operate in the bush, especially in communities crossed by rail lines,” he said.

They reportedly cleared the bush in the afternoon and in the evening cut the tracks into pieces, transporting them to market for sale, the divisional police commander added.

He called on the population, in particular the inhabitants of towns crossed by railways, not to hesitate to inform the police of the activities of these unscrupulous elements.

Mr Asante-Boateng, who is also an MP for Asante-Akim South, expressed concern over how some selfish Ghanaians have made the theft of railway lines and steel ties their business.

“The nation has lost so much to such thefts,” he lamented, saying those involved in such illegal activities would be treated ruthlessly when arrested.

The deputy minister, as part of his tour of the region, visited police stations in Ejisu, Konongo and Juaso, where he inspected stolen railway lines and salvaged steel ties.

He also visited the Adum locomotive workshop in Kumasi, which had preserved large pieces of railway tracks recovered after their interception in Obuasi, Akrokerri and parts of the region.

It costs the government about five million dollars to build a kilometer of railway line, according to the Ministry of Railway Development.

British Transport Police have announced that they are investigating an incident on the railway line in West Yorkshire.

On Tuesday 29 June, just before 7 p.m., blocks were placed on the train tracks in Leeds near Redcote Lane.

British Transport Police said information had also come out of a group of people standing on the railway line at the same location on Saturday July 3.

These rocks could have caused damage to trains and other railway equipment, as well as endangering the lives of passengers and railway employees.

If you believe you have any information that may assist UK Transport Police officers in their investigation of this West Yorkshire incident, you should contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 citing reference 499 of 06/29/21.

You can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Plymouth is home to many old and abandoned train lines and railway related artefacts.

Some have been deleted and are now used as pleasant Cycle paths, some are abandoned and overgrown. The one that runs through the heart of the city is widely considered “abandoned” – but in fact, it still functions to this day.

The train was once one of the main modes of transport and the lines crisscrossed Plymouth all over the world.

READ MORE: New £ 20million MOD helicopters could be made at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil

Railways and streetcars were in place throughout the city allowing people to travel from A to B but also allow goods to come and go from warehouses and fishing industries through the port.

Such a line still exists, in plain sight, skirting Tothill Park and separating Lipson from Prince Rock with hundreds of meters of metal, Plymouth Live reports.

The line once departed from Plymouth Friary Station, which is now demolished and better known as the White Friars Court and Friary Retail Park housing estate – you can still see the old pillars at the entrance today.

Despite the line leading nowhere and the track ending on the east side of the Tothill Road Bridge, in recent weeks shocked residents have been taken aback when they saw a moving locomotive.

Scroll through the images below to learn more about Plymouth’s rail history and why locals claimed to have seen a ‘ghost train’ on one of the town’s ‘abandoned’ tracks.

Plymouth is home to many old and abandoned train lines and railway related artefacts. These passages through the city vary in their visibility, some are still clearly perceptible while others are only immortalized in memory.

Some have been removed and now serve as pleasant cycle paths, others are abandoned and overgrown. The one that runs through the heart of the city is widely considered “abandoned” – but in fact, it still functions to this day.

The train was once one of the main modes of transport and the lines crisscrossed Plymouth all over the world.

Railways and streetcars were in place throughout the city, allowing people to travel from point A to point A, but also allowing goods to come and go from warehouses and fishing industries near the port.

Such a line still exists in plain sight, skirting Tothill Park and separating Lipson from Prince Rock with hundreds of yards of metal.

The line once departed from Plymouth Friary Station, which is now demolished and better known as the White Friars Court and Friary Retail Park housing estate – you can still see the old pillars at the entrance today.

Despite the line leading nowhere and the track ending on the east side of the Tothill Road Bridge, in recent weeks shocked residents have been taken aback when they saw a moving locomotive.

Scroll through the images below to learn more about Plymouth’s rail history and why a ‘ghost train’ was seen on one of the city’s ‘abandoned’ tracks.

Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir said on Monday that the buildings and workshops that hamper the Tebbin-Abbasia railway line will be demolished and their owners will be compensated, urging them to seek a safer residence.

His remarks came following a freight train crash with two minibuses carrying workers on Monday in Cairo’s Helwan district, killing two and injuring five others, according to El-Wazir.

Families residing along the Tebbin-Abbasia railway line will be counted from Tuesday morning, El-Wazir said in a telephone interview with the MBC Masr satellite channel.

El-Wazir noted that these houses near the railroad tracks were built illegally, with the minimum distance between the railroad tracks and the houses to be 15 meters.

The Minister expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

As a result of the crash, Egyptian National Railways said the minibuses stopped in a residential area crossed by the railroad tracks and the locomotive driver was unable to stop the train.

El-Wazir, in the telephone interview, said the train driver went to Tebbin police station after the crash and tested negative for drugs.

The Egyptian Attorney General has opened an urgent investigation into the accident.

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A 13,000 km long railway line connecting China to the United States, partially submarine to cover the Bering Strait. This would be the final touch of the Belt and Road initiative, as it would connect the world by rail. But that will never happen, most RailFreight readers said in a website poll this week. Only a small number of people had full confidence in the project, which has been discussed since 2014 and seems to have more people talking than actually building.

It’s called the China-Russia-Canada-America Line, and China first proposed it in 2014. It would start in mainland China, cross Siberia, pass under the sea through the Bering Strait to in Alaska, to continue to Canada and finally the UNITED STATES. It should not be confused with the Bering Strait Tunnel, which is only the part crossing the Bering Strait. This has been on the wish list of engineers for centuries. InterBering, a company based in Alaska, is actively working on the construction of the Bering Strait tunnel.

8% of global freight volumes

The construction of the China-Russia-Canada-America rail line could provide a capacity of 100 million tonnes of freight, or 8% of world freight each year between Europe, Russia, China, Japan, Korea South, Canada and the United States. In addition, it would allow passengers to travel between the United States and Russia in just over 20 minutes if high-speed trains were running on the network. It is also nicknamed the Global Land Bridge, because it would connect the world, advocate those who propose the project.

However, it is not surprising that the majority of RailFreight readers voted with little confidence in the project (56%). Technically, the project is very difficult, the costs are outrageous, and perhaps more importantly, the political relations between the United States, Russia and China are not at their best. What’s more, it’s not entirely clear who will build the tunnel, as the different parties seem to have their respective ambitions.

Technically possible

Technically, crossing the Bering Strait is the most difficult task. If an underwater tunnel were built here, it would be the longest in the world, spanning 103 km. In comparison, the Channel Tunnel, currently the longest in the world, measures 50 km. InterBering, an Alaska-based company, appears to be actively working on the project.

The project would actually involve the construction of three parallel tunnels under the Bering Strait, as well as sections of railroad connecting the rail systems on each of the two continents. InterBering writes. “Two tunnels would accommodate two-way traffic and consist of two levels: the lower part for slower freight and passenger traffic, and an upper level for high-speed trains. The third tunnel would function as an emergency tunnel and would be placed in the middle.

InterBering says “integrate information and management processes with particular emphasis on the organization, financing and construction of an interhemispheric tunnel in the Bering Strait and connecting the railways of two continents, North America and Asia ”. According to the company, the project would take 12 to 15 years, at an estimated cost of 35 billion US dollars.

Expensive items

However, this includes the underwater link alone. To make it a global land bridge connecting China and the United States, new infrastructure must be laid, as there are currently many missing links. On the Russian side, the nearest terminus is 3,000 km away, while in Alaska, the project would require some 1,200 km of new rail line. Complicating matters is that Russian and US railways use different track gauges, writes Ed Peters in the South China Morning Post.

It is this missing infrastructure that makes the project a huge financial challenge. The total estimated costs are around US $ 200 billion, which critics say is disproportionate. As sea routes already exist, it is more viable to continue to navigate by sea, is the argument often heard from opponents.

Different actors involved

Although Interbering claims to “actively lead to a historic agreement between the governors of the State of Alaska (United States) and the Autonomous Okrug of Chukotka (Russia), making this railway tunnel project a future reality, the China seems to be on a whole different page.

As mentioned, China announced plans to build the China-Russia-Canada-America line in 2014. At the time, Chinese engineers claimed to be in talks with Russia to start the line. In addition, it is currently building the world’s first high-speed submarine train, which would stretch from Ningbo, a port city near Shanghai, to Zhoushan, an archipelago of islands off the east coast. Many consider this to be a test project to see if they could complete the longer Bering Strait tunnel.

The Ningbo-Zhoushan tunnel is 77 km long, 16.2 km of which is underwater. Although the submarine section is shorter than the Channel Tunnel, the novelty is that it will facilitate high-speed rail traffic. To be precise, it will have a Maglev train, levitating above a magnetic track as it is propelled at high speed. And this is not a dream project, because it is already underway.

Political will on all sides

It is not excluded that China and Russia will cooperate in this project. After all, they already share the longest railway line in the world: the Trans-Siberia Line. The two countries have worked very closely in recent years to form a bridge between Europe and Asia, and a rail line to the United States would be an extension of that effort.

However, the willingness of the United States to work with Russia and China on this megaproject is less likely. Currently, relations between the United States and Russia are not at their best, and as China becomes the dominant economic player in the world, the United States might not be so keen to facilitate this growth.

At the same time, the benefits will be for all countries involved. “The Bering Strait Railroad and Tunnel Project can help enhance and expand 21st century prosperity by connecting the world’s greatest industrial nations to the vast untapped mineral resources of the Arctic,” said the Governor from Alaska, Wally Hickel.

To carry out the project, the countries involved will all have to participate and contribute. Before a consensus is reached and funding is available from all sides, the China-Russia-Canada-America line will probably remain a dream project.

Want to know more?

Do you want to know more about the traffic to and from China? At RailFreight.com, we write a lot on this topic. Want to make sure you don’t miss a thing? Then you can subscribe to our newsletter.

BELGRADE (Serbia), June 14 (SeeNews) – Serbia has signed a contract for the reconstruction of its section of the railway line between Subotica and the Hungarian Szeged with a consortium made up of the Russian company RZD International and the Serbian Karin Komerc, announced the government in Belgrade.

The consortium submitted the unique offer, worth 10.2 billion dinars (105.1 million dollars / 86.7 million euros), as part of a call for tenders for the repair of the railway line built in April, the Serbian government said in a statement on Saturday.

The contract provides for the modernization of the 26.6 km rail section for speeds of up to 120 km / h, of the buildings at Palic, Backi Vinogradi and Horgos stations, as well as the repair of 13 level crossings and two crossings. underground.

In October, the Serbian government said it hoped to complete the project to redesign the Subotica-Szeged cross-border rail line by mid-2022.

Hungary plans to build additional sections of the railway line, connecting Szeged to Hodmezovasarhely, Bekescsaba and Baja, while the line can also connect to the Belgrade-Budapest railway, which is currently under reconstruction as part of the China-Central and Eastern European Country Cooperation Initiative (CEEC), the Serbian Ministry of Infrastructure said in 2019.

(1 euro = 117.643 dinars)

Pakistani engineers reopened the country’s main north-south railway line yesterday after cleaning up the mutilated wreckage of two trains that collided in a remote agricultural region, killing dozens and highlighting huge security problems on the dilapidated network.

At least 63 people died early Monday when a high-speed passenger train struck the cars of another express train that had derailed minutes earlier near Daharki in Sindh province.

It took a day and a half for army and civil engineers to clear the wreckage of the crushed or sliced ​​cars like tin cans.

A strong smell of diesel, sweat and blood hung over the scene, with workers claiming bodies were still being extracted overnight from mutilated cars.

“It was the most colossal accident I have seen in my ten years of service,” railway engineer Jahan Zeb said, eyes swollen with insomnia.

The Millat Express was heading from Karachi to Sargodha when it derailed, its cars strewn across the tracks as the Sir Syed Express from Rawalpindi arrived a few minutes later in the opposite direction, crashing into it.

The accident reignited debate over the precarious state of Pakistan’s public transport system – particularly a rail network that has seen little investment for decades.

It is not known what prompted the Millat Express to jump on its tracks, but Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid – a former Minister of Railways – described this section of the line as “a shambles”, while that the current minister Azam Swati called it “really dangerous”.

Usman Abdullah, the deputy provincial commissioner, said 63 people had died in the crash, releasing two lists that named 51 victims and marked 12 others as unidentified. They ranged from a one month old baby to an 81 year old woman.

Daharki’s senior police officer Umar Tufail said 65 people were killed, while local news site Dawn quoted him as saying 12 wedding members died in the crash .

Pakistan Railways have not released a final toll, but spokesman Ijaz Shah said the families of those killed would receive compensation of 1.5 million rupees (US $ 9,600).

Khan Mohammad, a station master at the nearby Reti junction, said more lives could have been saved if they had only had a few more minutes after the derailment.

“I saw a 6 or 7 year old girl stuck under the locomotive, her knee stuck in the track,” he said.

“We saved her somehow, and she was miraculously alive.”

But then the oncoming train hit.

“If there had been a delay of about 10 minutes, this accident could have been avoided,” added the station manager.

The accident happened around 3:30 a.m., when most of the 1,200 passengers on the two trains were dozing.

Farmer Ali Nawaz, 47, was watering his crop – normal this time of year to stop summer evaporation – when he heard screams and then saw flames. “We realized the train had derailed and started frantically calling the railroad official,” he said.

“While we were trying to call, the other train arrived… with a really big explosion and flames rising high in the sky.”