March 2006 In Rail Transport

EVENTS

March 1 - March 4

; March 1

March 5 - March 11

; March 6

March 12 - March 18

; March 17

- Heads of the Russian Railways Company (OAO), South Korean Railroad Corporation , and the North Korea n Railroad Minister met in Vladivostok to discuss linking the Trans-Korean Railroad and the Trans-Siberian Railway . The link between North and South Korea has been completed but has yet to be tested. An International consortium was created between the three parties to facilitate reconstruction and linking of the railroads. It was decided to begin the project by connecting the North Korean town of Najin (Rajin) and Russia 's Hasan . The 55 Km (34 Mi ) link may take up to 2 years to build because of differences in Rail Gauge s.

March 19 - March 25

; March 19

- Officials with the Portuguese firm Mota-Engil announce that the company will begin building a trans- Andean railway line in April 2006 that will connect Argentina and Chile . Construction of the new Transandino Del Sur railway will begin near the Argentine city of Zapala and will run from there for the 50 Km (31 Mile s) to the Chilean border; Mota-Engil expects to complete this section by 2008. From the border, the contract to build the segment to the Chilean city of Lonquimay , 170 km (106 mi) further, will be up for international bidding.¹ Argentina and Chile both use 1676 Mm Gauge .

March 26 - March 31

; March 27

- The Chinese firm Jiangsu Zhongye Iron And Steel Company announces that it has joined the bidding for the purchase of Brazil 's Novoeste , which is currently controlled by Brasil Ferrovias . Novoeste's railway line connects Corumbá , on the Colombia n border with the port city of Santos , providing a fast transport and export route for Iron and Manganese mined in the region. Already in the bidding are Asila of Korea , Brazil's Ferrocarril Central and América Latina Logística .²

REFERENCES

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