Following its spectacular product launch at ICE 2025 NOVOMATIC is proud to announce the first ever global installation of the SAPPHIRE PACKAGE – an innovative gaming solution that combines premium hardware (Photo: NOVOMATIC AG)Gumpoldskirchen/Le Blanc-Mesnil – The inaugural installation at Casino Partouche d’Annemasse features a complete setup of four state-of-the-art DIAMOND X™ 3.32 cabinets along with the SUPERIA GAMES™ Link 1 Players can now enjoy an extraordinary Linked Jackpot experience ensuring stunning visual impact and engaging gameplay The SAPPHIRE PACKAGE delivers a synergistic combination of innovation and entertainment offering high-end gaming content through SUPERIA GAMES™ Link 1 This game mix seamlessly blends classic fan-favorites from CASH CONNECTION™ and GOLDEN LINK™ with brand-new titles providing a diverse selection of 25 thrilling games and exciting jackpot opportunities (Photo: NOVOMATIC AG)The heart of the SAPPHIRE PACKAGE is the DIAMOND X™ 3.32 a premium multi-screen gaming machine that combines elegance Featuring two 32” full HD LCD game screens with LED backlighting and an integrated 32” topper for enhanced Progressives support this cabinet ensures maximum visibility and visitor attraction on the gaming floor the brilliant LED signage powered by the proven AbsoluteVision™ platform enhances the gaming experience with its dynamic content and robust LED panels – ensuring long-lasting performance and exceptional visual appeal Its striking design makes it a true eye-catcher on the casino floor drawing players in and creating an exciting focal point for gaming enthusiasts The SAPPHIRE PACKAGE is part of an exclusive series of premium offerings Each of these special offers delivers a unique combination of innovation This groundbreaking installation in France marks a major milestone for NOVOMATIC setting a new standard for premium linked gaming solutions states: “Our goal is to constantly innovate and offer our guests the most exciting and modern gaming experiences we are proud to be the first casino worldwide to present this new concept – a stunning combination of cutting-edge NOVOMATIC technology and immersive design the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive: Players are drawn to the vibrant LED signage and thrilled by the game selection which includes iconic titles like Book of Ra™ and Queen Cleopatra™ We thank our long-standing partner NOVOMATIC for making this exclusive launch possible.” adds: “We are delighted to celebrate the first-ever installation of the SAPPHIRE PACKAGE at Casino Partouche d’Annemasse This achievement highlights our strong partnership with Groupe Partouche and our shared commitment to delivering innovative and high-quality gaming experiences With the DIAMOND X™ 3.32 cabinets and the exciting SUPERIA GAMES™ Link 1 we are confident that this new addition will captivate players and bring outstanding performance to the gaming floor.” Quelle: Novomatic AG GM Karthik Venkataraman and IM Polina Shuvalova scored an unbeaten 7/9 each at 2nd Annemasse Masters (≥1950) 2024 Karthik and Polina were placed second and third respectively Aronyak drew against both of them and also earned his second GM-norm He is now final GM-norm away from becoming India's next Grandmaster The total prize fund of the entire festival was combining three categories was €26000 + cups and medals The top three prizes in Masters was €3000 GM Sasikiran Krishnan and GM Sankalp Gupta scored 6.5/9 each This is Aronyak's fifth tournament triumph of the year Photo: Club d’Échecs du Bassin Annemassien IM Polina Shuvalova and GM Raja Rithvik R were three leaders 6.5/8 Aronyak drew with Polina to become champion GM Karthik Venkataraman defeated Rithvik to finish second He crossed 2500 more than two years ago so he needs to score his third GM-norm to become India's latest Grandmaster. Indians claimed six out of the top ten places CM Soham Datar and FM Arvinder Preet Singh earned themselves an IM-norm each scoring 6/9 and 5.5/9 respectively it was a huge success for the Indian players at this event GM Sasikiran Krishnan won 5th Maurice David Rapid Rating Open It will be mentioned in detail in a separate report a WGM and 3 WIMs took part from 21 countries across the world in Masters (≥1950) in this seven-day nine round Rating Open tournament It was organized by Cercle d'Échecs du Bassin Annemassien at Martin Luther-King Complex in Annemasse The time control of the event was 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move Details Official site Tournament details Club d’Échecs du Bassin Annemassien: fb page, youtube, instagram and linkedin We have launched the ChessBase India App. Check out this amazing resource! Android for now - Download the app now Follow Tweets by @ChessbaseIndia ChessBase India is proud to be the official partner of chessbase.com reporting on events in India Like our Facebook page for more Indian chess updates The all new ChessBase Premium Account which gives you access to ten amazing online ChessBase services like PlayChess Become a part of the ever-growing ChessBase India Youtube Channel. Subscribe now and stay update with our awesome video content.  Reports say two people on a scooter – both dressed in black and wearing balaclavas – opened fire on a car with two men inside One was hit in the shoulder and hospitalized.  The shooters escaped and a search is underway.  NOVOMATIC has announced the first-ever global installation of the SAPPHIRE PACKAGE following the product's launch at ICE 2025 in January. The gaming solution combines premium hardware The inaugural installation at Casino Partouche d’Annemasse features a complete setup of four DIAMOND X 3.32 cabinets along with the SUPERIA GAMES Link 1 Players can now access a Linked Jackpot experience brought to life with "ultra-modern ensuring stunning visual impact and engaging gameplay." The SAPPHIRE PACKAGE delivers what the company calls "a synergistic combination of innovation and entertainment," offering high-end gaming content through SUPERIA GAMES Link 1 This game mix blends fan-favorites from CASH CONNECTION and GOLDEN LINK with brand-new titles providing a diverse selection of 25 games and jackpot opportunities The heart of the SAPPHIRE PACKAGE is the DIAMOND X 3.32 a premium multi-screen gaming machine that combines elegance with player-focused design Featuring two 32” full HD LCD game screens with LED backlighting and an integrated 32” topper for enhanced Progressives support this cabinet promises higher visibility and visitor attraction on the gaming floor the brilliant LED signage powered by the AbsoluteVision platform enhances the gaming experience with dynamic content Its design makes it "a true eye-catcher on the casino floor drawing players in and creating an exciting focal point for gaming enthusiasts." The SAPPHIRE PACKAGE is part of a series of premium offerings from NOVOMATIC Each of these special offers delivers "a combination of innovation Director at Casino Partouche d’Annemasse stated: “Our goal is to constantly innovate and offer our guests the most exciting and modern gaming experiences we are proud to be the first casino worldwide to present this new concept – a stunning combination of cutting-edge NOVOMATIC technology and immersive design which includes iconic titles like Book of Ra and Queen Cleopatra We thank our long-standing partner NOVOMATIC for making this exclusive launch possible.” adds: “We are delighted to celebrate the first-ever installation of the SAPPHIRE PACKAGE at Casino Partouche d’Annemasse "This achievement highlights our strong partnership with Groupe Partouche and our shared commitment to delivering innovative and high-quality gaming experiences With the DIAMOND X 3.32 cabinets and the exciting SUPERIA GAMES Link 1 we are confident that this new addition will captivate players and bring outstanding performance to the gaming floor.” Underground activist Marianne Cohn wrote these words in her last letter from prison in Annemasse to fellow resistance activist Emmanuel Racine then ten-year-old Renée Koenig (Bornstein) who was incarcerated in the Prison du Pax together with her brother and sister Marianne's friends in the underground made a plan to rescue her tortured and brutally murdered by French militiamen All 28 children who were caught together with Marianne survived in Annemasse Mayor Jean Deffaugt was recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations They didn't say anything to me about the letter They are trying to keep me away from the children it would seem that the investigation regarding Marianne  went alright Bringing food to the children is forbidden.  Three days ago they made a terrible scene about butter.  I can receive anything I want.  Apart from that, everything is fine.  We are working quite hard, and the little ones enjoy it.  Hospital is out of the question Le sort des enfants juifs en France pendant la Shoah : un bref aperçu historique par Serge Klarsfeld Last Wednesday two brothers went to the emergency room with one suffering a work-related injury.  One of the brothers was frustrated at the delay and started to attack staff The situation escalated when others intervened The health minister promised ‘increased sentences’ for the attackers.  The trial at the Thonon Criminal Court has been adjourned until next month.  Home / Portfolio / Conservatory of Music Annemasse – Visual identity The Annemasse music conservatory is the result of the merger of 6 music schools the elected representatives of Annemasse Agglo want to make musical education accessible to all while offering a more complete and coherent range of music throughout the agglomeration The strategy will initially consist of accompanying the merger of the various schools in order to unite the teachers and create a new corporate culture of which the new identity will be a foundation the strategy will be geared towards winning over new audiences (teenagers Here is the visual identity and the communication campaign that we have designed to meet these different challenges This visual identity project can be seen as an echo of the work of Michel Butor (1926-2016), a major figure in Annemasse, a multi-faceted artist (poet, novelist, art critic, etc.) who bequeathed his incredible artistic collection to the town, which is now open to the public via the Archipel Butor "Music has greatly influenced the writing of Michel Butor whose works often translate musical structures into literary art This musical practice of writing disrupts conventional literary structures thus associating itself with the innovations characteristic of the New Novel and also proposing new constraints that lead writing to new forms: concert-conferences as well as our reading habits by involving us in the construction of the work Extract from a music lesson given to the words of Marion Coste Inspired by the relationship between music and words we sought to find the most appropriate sign to express the values of the Conservatory: openness The typographic sign of the brace allows us to express all these notions It is an open sign and serves to bring people together the staves corresponding to the various parts of the instruments that play together are joined by a brace it is because the multiple interpretations converge towards a coherent semantic focus In order to remove some of our client's doubts about the relevance of this sign (not musical enough too abstract...) we launched a survey of 250 people in order to understand whether the multi-interpretability of this sign was a handicap We wanted to check in which directions the different interpretations of this sign were going We are convinced that a perfectly descriptive sign would lack poetry and soul whereas a polysemous sign has a greater inner richness But these multiple interpretations must be coherent This is what we have been able to verify through this survey we propose to play with typography to create a musical visual universe The different types of instruments come to life in the form of typographic compositions Games of movements and shifts bring a fresh and playful effect while desacralizing the image of classical music we designed a family of visuals illustrating musical eclecticism The first aim was to combat the idea that a conservatory only teaches classical music The other dimension of this campaign concerns the widening of audiences this conservatory has the particularity of being located in the heart of the priority district of Perrier The vocation of this establishment is therefore to be open to a wide diversity of people All sociological studies attest to the fact that musical education is strongly socially marked young girls from well-to-do backgrounds will study the violin will send their boys to learn the brass or rhythm sections right from the conception of the communication to consider fighting against the perpetuation of these stereotypes You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Two libraries earned this year’s American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects The winning entries include a program that teaches information literacy through calligraphy and a community center that’s creating a new model for library governance The citations began as an initiative of 2007–2008 ALA President Loriene Roy Presented by the International Relations Round Table the awards recognize exemplary services and projects that draw attention to libraries creating positive change and providing a model for others to follow This year’s winners are Run Run Shaw Library at City University of Hong Kong (CityU a library and community space in Annemasse Supported by the municipality of Annemasse a suburb of Geneva on the French side of the border with Switzerland La Bulle (meaning the bubble in French) was envisioned as a cultural third place for the community developed over five years with community input is governed collaboratively by three groups: local citizens a committee of elected representatives (including local councilors who handle culture and sports and a professional team comprising trustees and employees Together these groups vote on key decisions and design services for a community that is becoming increasingly young and diverse In the years since CityU launched a major online database of historical Chinese texts in 2012 librarians have found low levels of interaction with physical materials leverages students’ interest in calligraphy as both a means of communication and a form of creative expression to drive engagement with undervalued historical East Asian texts students from universities in several countries participate in weekly tutorials in both creating calligraphy and parsing historical texts over the course of a semester students participate in workshops and seminars with universities in other countries and their works are collected for a roving exhibition SALLYANN PRICE is associate editor of American Libraries Make no mistake: The American people need to brace for more waves of uncertainty and oppression And in our role as stalwart information warriors we shall hold the front lines of democracy to ensure that intellectual freedom and the First Amendment are held in the highest regard.” American Libraries column, May Marshall Breeding writes: “The library technology industry showed its maturity in 2024 Businesses have become increasingly stable and robust products delivered rich functionality But decades of consolidation have created a narrower slate of competitors resulting in a smaller number of products available for each type and size of library The marketplace is seeing more specialized solutions but fewer options Companies continue to tailor products to the diverging service needs and collections of public Library services platforms designed for academic libraries This stratification further narrows customers’ choices.” American Libraries feature, May AL: The Scoop, May 2 Charlie Osborne writes: “As a professional photographer I know that photo editing software is critical to my workflow to bring out the best in my images whether to make changes to exposure and add bokeh [the aesthetic blurring of out-of-focus areas] or other creative effects Adobe Lightroom is the gold standard for many photographers but many alternative online photo editors are also excellent options We have a great selection of options for you to test out depending on your online photo editing needs.” ZDNet, Apr. 28 Veronica Fu writes: “At first glance, libraries might appear to be unaffected by Trump’s tariffs. The official list of exempt items released by the White House includes [printed books] But the reassurance this offers libraries is limited For libraries that depend on international vendors to supply books the ripple effects of Trump’s tariffs could include disrupted shipping routes and a growing pile of administrative red tape this is a moment in which libraries must lead with intention.” Katina, Apr. 24 Jennifer Peterson writes: “In my time as a youth services librarian I visited with thousands of school children each school year in the fall and spring months to promote books Here are my top five tips I can offer as you get ready to promote your summer reading program to students this spring.” ALSC Blog, Apr. 26 Hannah Weinberg writes: “This week marks 100 days since President Trump’s January 20 inauguration. It has also been approximately 45 days since Trump signed the March 14 executive order that called for stripping the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) down to its ‘non-statutory and component functions.’ Censorship attempts persist previously granted IMLS funding has been canceled and library staffers continue to make difficult decisions about how to best maintain services for their communities Following is American Libraries’ update on the challenges libraries and librarians continue to fight under the Trump administration.” American Libraries feature, Apr. 30 A publication of the American Library Association © 2009–2025 American Library Association By 2019-12-16T15:39:00+00:00 EUROPE: The Léman Express cross-border suburban network serving Genève and Annemasse began regular operation on December 16 following a formal inauguration on December 12 and a weekend of public celebrations Launched in 2001 under the CEVA branding (Cornavin – Eaux-Vives –Annemasse) the project centres on the development of a 10 km cross-city rail link connecting SBB’s main station with the isolated Eaux-Vives terminus of a branch line from Annemasse Much of the 8 km on the Swiss side of the border runs in tunnel while the 2 km in France has been rebuilt in a cut-and-cover trench to reduce the environmental impact Total cost of the project is put at SFr1·6bn and €234m with the Swiss Federal Office of Transport contributing €14·5m towards the works in France Serving 45 stations within a radius of 60 km of Genève including the Swiss cantons of Vaud and Genève and the French départments of Ain and Haute-Savoie the Léman Express network is operated by the Lemanis subsidiary owned jointly by SBB and SNCF An Alstom Régiolis EMU on test at Annemasse Trains operate on six routes totalling 230 route-km: SBB’s Regional Express route from Vevey to Genève has been extended through to Annemasse Routes 1-4 combine to provide a basic 10 min interval service over the new link at peak times with 240 trains/day each way crossing the border no trains were operating beyond Annemasse as a result of strikes in France The integrated network is expected to carry around 50 000 passengers/day with 8 000 using the cross-border link The promoters hope that this will help to reduce the 90 000 road vehicles that cross the border each day Both governments have agreed to subsidise the services in a bid to encourage modal shift with kiss-and-ride facilities at the new stations and a park-and-ride interchange at Annemasse Three types of EMU are deployed on Léman Express services which to operate at 15 kV 16·7 Hz in Switzerland and 25 kV 50 Hz in France SBB has bought 23 four-car Stadler Flirts for SFr236m while Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region has procured 17 Alstom Régiolis EMUs for €210m to operate routes L1 and L3 Double-deck Kiss EMUs are used on the Regional Express services SWITZERLAND: Genève public transport operator TPG has selected Stadler to supply trams to replace older vehicles and support planned expansion of the network Tenders were called in August last year and the formal award of the contract announced on July 7 is subject a standstill period SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has awarded Stadler a contract to supply a further 60 Kiss double-deck electric multiple-units to provide additional capacity and improve accessibility on its InterRegio long-distance services SWITZERLAND: A cross-border extension of Genève’s tram network was inaugurated on December 15 The 2·5 km extension east from Moillesulaz on the border to Annemasse-Parc Montessuit serves four stops in France and is operated as route 17 Construction started in October 2018 and cost €57m Site powered by Webvision Cloud The 16km CEVA (Cornavin-Eaux-Vives-Annemasse) rail link is part of the Mobility 2030 Master Plan of Swiss Canton Geneva which aim to enhance metropolitan transport system and intermodal links The CEVA project is the outcome of a joint venture involving the Canton of Geneva and SBB/CFF (Swiss Federal Railways) The 16km CEVA (Cornavin-Eaux-Vives-Annemasse) rail link is part of the Mobility 2030 Master Plan of Swiss Canton Geneva Construction work of the 16km CEVA rail link got underway with a groundbreaking ceremony in November 2011 Approximately 14km of the 16km railway link runs through Switzerland The link will connect Cornavin area of Geneva and Annemasse in France Travel times between Cornavin and Annemasse will be reduced to just 20 minutes The project is estimated to cost CHF1.5bn ($1.62bn) The CEVA railway line project was planned more than 150 years ago but could not be realised because of several disputes and controversies but the start of construction was delayed due to opposition from the community in the vicinity of the rail line They argued that the construction will gravely impact residential homes The issue finally went to the Federal Administrative Court of Switzerland where pleas of all the residents excepting those residing at Champel Tunnel were dismissed The Federal Court decided that the rail link work at Champel Tunnel should remain suspended The CEVA rail link is planned to meet the projected increase in the need for public transportation in Geneva by 2020 The population within a radius of 40km of Geneva is approximately 910,000 and it is projected to rise to about 1.1 million by 2020 The rail link will also strengthen the relationship between France and Switzerland from both economic and social perspective The new rail line will form part of the 230km railway network covering 40 stations between France and Switzerland The project will also improve Geneva’s public transport system The rail link will serve as an alternative for usage of private cars as it will providing a fast and reliable mode of transport connecting Geneva with the whole region The project will not only reduce dependency on personal automobiles but also enable development of a green belt in the region The CEVA railway link will be predominantly in the form of a subway as more than 60% of the line will be underground Covered tranches and gas stations will be constructed at ground level The construction at Three Oak is chiefly focused on burying the existing line by means of a covered trench non-motorised modes of transport will be provided above the ground The CEVA rail link will connect a total of seven stations including the Cornavin and Annemasse stations the railway link will pass through 3.7km and 3.6km of tunnels and covered trenches The first element is the refurbishment of the SBB (CFF) Line that connects Cornavin Station and Bachet-de-Pesay The second element is the construction of a new CFF Line crossing River Arve and running below Champel Commune through a tunnel The third part is the conversion of a SNCF single track line linking Gare des Eaux-Vives and the Switzerland-France border into an underground double-track line The last element focuses on upgrading the SNCF Line connecting the border and Annemasse BG was awarded the electromechanical and civil engineering contracts for the CEVA rail link project which is taking care of project management of sector 3 as a part of the civil engineering contract BG is the primary contractor for the electromechanical engineering works with the scope of work including managing lighting BG is associated with PKAG Company to provide executive project management services covering contact line Katzenberg Tunnel is a railway tunnel constructed on the new Rhine Valley railway line extension It is located on Mannheim-Karlsruhe-Basel railway line running between Mannheim in Germany and Basel The tunnel is built in order to replace the old freight route Soletanche Bachy France and Sif Groutbor were awarded a contract for the construction of two segments of the CEVA railway line at Val d’Arve cut-and-cover tunnel and the Eaux-Vives underground station A consortium of Vinci Construction Grand Projets Soletanche Bachy France and Sif Groutbor was awarded the contract for the first segment The contract of the second segment was awarded to a consortium comprising of Chantiers Modernes Rhone-Alpes The same consortium secured another contract related to civil engineering works at Franck Thomas and the La Gradelle cut and cover tunnels A contract for work on six sections of the CEVA rail link was awarded to a consortium led by Marti Tunnelbau and Marti Construction GEB consortium was selected to provide security engineering services for the project The construction began on the CEVA link in January 2012 The work between Trois-Chênes and the French border commenced in March 2013 The construction of the Val d’Arve cut-and-cover tunnel will involve diaphragm walls of 12,000m² The work at Eaux-Vives underground station will include the construction of ground anchors of 20,000m sprayed concrete of 12,500m² and 155 piles Diaphragm walls of 63,000m² and 27,000m² will be constructed at the Franck Thomas cut and cover tunnel and the La Gradelle cut and cover tunnel The Champel Tunnel will be excavated by using the continuous pipe screen technique a steel bridge with a length of 84m will be constructed across River Arve The next section involves the construction of an underground station using the cut-and-cover construction method The installation site will be prepared with a 6m tall nail wall and a 1km access road A total of 16 buildings will be demolished to provide space for the new Eaux Vives station Work at the ground level is primarily focused on Lancy-Pont-Rouge which will be the new stations on the Cornavin-Annemasse rail link The cover plates and diaphragm walls of the stations are above the ground in order to make sure that the disturbance caused to people residing in the vicinity is minimal The Federal Government of Switzerland is providing approximately 57% of the funds necessary for the execution of the CEVA project The balance 43% will be provided by the Canton of Geneva Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page GM Nikita Petrov (MNE) and GM Sayantan Das scored an unbeaten 7/9 each at 1st Annemasse International Chess Festival 2023. Nikita won the tournament due to better tie-breaks Their seventh round game against each other ended in a draw GM Sankalp Gupta, GM Diptayan Ghosh and IM Mehar Chinna Reddy C H were placed third The total prize fund of the festival was €22000 Photos: Cercle d’Échecs du Bassin Annemassien GM Deep Sengupta went on to win 21st Cap d'Agde Grand Prix GM Sayantan Das finished at second place for the second consecutive tournament a WGM and two WIMs took part from 19 countries all over the world in this seven-day nine round Rating Open tournament It was organized by Cercle d'Échecs du Bassin Annemassien at Martin Luther King Complex in Annemasse The time control of the event was 40 moves in 90 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move Details Official site Tournament details Cercle d’Échecs du Bassin Annemassien: fb page, youtube and instagram French prosecutors say the 23-year-old victim was stabbed in the neck by a person who escaped in a car with another person inside.  The victim was rushed to the University Hospital in Geneva thought to be the passenger in the vehicle gave himself up at the Plainpalais police station.  Another man was arrested shortly after.  Geneva police are now investigating together with the Annecy public prosecutor’s office.  France — Members of the thriving Annemasse Ward not only hail from different nations but also live in two countries The ward — one of the highest-baptizing wards in the stake and mission — is in France and is adjacent to the great city of Geneva with the international customs border control only a short distance from the meetinghouse The city of Annemasse sits at the foot of the Alps in the valley between the Saleve and the Chablais mountains across the Arve River The bishop and his family are English; like many members here he lives in France but works across the border in Switzerland Part of the Geneva Switzerland Stake that was created from a division of the Geneva Ward the Annemasse Branch held meetings in a small hotel in Annemasse for three years until their meetinghouse was constructed Longtime Annemasse members Joseph and Therese Quarino met each other at Church some 17 years ago and met Therese at a single adult conference in Nice She had joined the Church in a small branch of just 30 members in Clermont-Ferrand Although both were converted through missionary tracting labors member contact was a significant influence for Brother Quarino A work colleague joined the Church and invited him to hear the missionaries at his home Joseph Quarino wasn't interested at the time but this brief introduction to the gospel remained with him along with remembering that every question he asked was answered When missionaries knocked on his door six years later he was about to turn them away when he heard the last part of the name of the Church and recognized that this was the same Church his work colleague had joined Recollecting the good impression he had of the teachings of the Church Brother Quarino serves as the ward mission leader "The members are well integrated into missionary work," he said Door-to-door tracting is difficult here because most apartment complexes and even private houses are security locked "but the members provide the missionaries with many referrals the missionary work grows," said Brother Quarino Ward members are not slow to welcome investigators "The first impression investigators receive here is one of being a part of our family," said Brother Quarino "It is important that they feel warmth and happiness here Missionary work is regarded as an important activity in the Annemasse Ward to which members invite friends and acquaintances the elders quorum president has already assigned home teachers for the family being baptized and introduces them to the new member at the baptism service "Members invite missionaries into their homes to help them with missionary work," added Sister Quarino "There is a good welcoming spirit of friendship in the ward I feel that the Church will grow here; already there are many young families in the Church in this area." are longtime members of the Church in the Annemasse Ward They joined the Church together 30 years ago in Geneva Brother Moullet is director of his own chain of beauty and hair salons and serves as stake patriarch He previously served as branch president and bishop in the Geneva Branch and Salve Ward Explaining the Annemasse Ward's success in missionary work The members follow the direction of the stake president and their bishop." members "make every effort to welcome investigators speak to their friends and neighbors about the gospel and baptism services are very well attended." "There is a family atmosphere here that is very welcoming to investigators," added Brother Moullet "Our neighbors are very respectful of our faith," Sister Moullet said recounting an experience in which neighbors were invited to dine with them "We asked them if they minded if we blessed the food they asked us if we would bless the meal." Typical of the international membership of the ward is the Galopin family She joined the Church in Chile 23 years ago and came to Geneva for work where her family lives; they were sealed in the Bern Switzerland Temple Also members of the Annemasse Ward is the Mundele family from the Congo where his family and his future wife's family were acquainted He introduced the missionaries to Nicole before returning to Geneva married Nicole and brought her back to Geneva Bishop Adrian Folley came to Geneva 21 years ago with his wife the international nuclear research establishment based in Geneva but they were determined to adapt to their new home and worked hard to integrate in their new ward where they have raised native-speaking children Their son John has just returned from serving a mission in Finland and is continuing university studies in England "President Hinckley said bishops should take charge in leading missionary work We were able to call a ward mission leader and get directly involved in the missionary work." Application Areas Coatings Technologies Legislation Markets & Companies People & Careers Production & Lab Raw materials Sponsored Content Home » News » Markets & Companies » Siegwerk modernises “Center of Excellence” in France Employees and local authorities recently came together to celebrate the reopening of the revamped facility “Next to our headquarters in Germany Annemasse belongs to our most important sites in Europe,” says Christopher van Laack Vice President Business Units Paper & Board EMEA and Liquid Food Packaging at Siegwerk Apart from large-scale modifications to the administration building including the modernisation of offices the recent renovations in Annemasse also included the renewal of the façade The entire renovation project already started in November 2021 but had to be partially paused due to the pandemic The Annemasse site is one of 15 “Centers of Excellence” worldwide that manufacture Siegwerk’s basic inks and coatings in a standardised process With a production capacity of more than 25,000 tons per year it accounts for 10% of the Siegwerk group’s annual output the French site is home for 275 employees and counts as Siegwerk’s European leading location for water-based and inkjet solutions production and testing capacities under one roof Demand for sustainable products continues to grow — but decorative coatings must also be durable Striking the right balance is one of the greatest challenges facing the.. has introduced three regional entities in Germany The aim is to decentralise the company’s structure have inaugurated a new laboratory in Shanghai The centre aims to strengthen innovation capabilities in the region US chemicals group Dow is considering the shutdown of two energy-intensive plants in Schkopau and Böhlen The decision follows market overcapacities rising costs and increasing regulatory pressures... Duncan Taylor will take over as interim CEO of Allnex on May 1 who will retire from the company on June 30 Taylor will continue to serve as Chief Financial Officer.. Marcus Jordan has assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IMCD N.V Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions in our FAQ collection Renovation works included the improvement of the building's overall facade and modernisation of its administration sections Germay-based ink and coatings manufacturer Siegwerk has reopened its Center of Excellence in France after completing affiliated modernisation works The reopening of the site was marked by an official ceremony that was held at the end of May in the presence of local authorities and the company’s employees the Center of Excellence is Siegwerk’s second-largest facility for packaging inks and coatings in Europe The company has a total of 15 Centers of Excellence located across the globe that are used for manufacturing basic inks and coatings in a standardised process The modernisation of this Annemasse facility indicates the company’s efforts to strengthen its French site to address the demands of the Europe The associated project commenced in November 2021 but had to be paused due to the global pandemic Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis The revamping work mainly involved the renewal of the building’s facade which now displays Siegwerk’s branding and providing a large-scale overhaul to the company’s administration building including the modernisation of meeting rooms Siegwerk’s vice-president of its Paper & Board EMEA and Liquid Food Packaging businesses Christopher van Laack said: “We are happy to finally present our new building design to our employees and partners here in Annemasse Annemasse belongs to our most important sites in Europe we do not only keep our production and laboratory facilities up to date in terms of technology and safety but we also give our buildings a modern look.” The revamped facility has an annual production capacity of more than 25,000 tonnes which is equivalent to 10% of the company’s total annual output The Annemasse facility is a modern technical centre that features product production as well as research and development capacities It currently employs approximately 275 employees View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard on Saturday fought off a ferocious attack from Tadej Pogacar on the first of four Alpine tests in the Tour de France as Spain’s Carlos Rodriguez won stage 14 Vingegaard now leads Pogacar by 10 seconds after winning a war of nerves in the battle for the title that had hillside fans in raptures Ineos Grenadiers rider Rodriguez climbed into third place overall just 1 second ahead of Australian rider Jai Hindley with a great climb and a daredevil downhill finish he later put down to his days in BMX rides ahead of UAE Team Emirates’ Tadej Pogacar on the Col de Joux Plane during stage 14 of the Tour de France from Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil on Saturday “Its incredible — something I always dreamed of,” 22-year-old Rodriguez said as Ineos won again following Michal Kwiatkowski’s triumph on Friday Vingegaard took the King of the Mountains climb points jersey but his mind was firmly fixed on the yellow overall leader’s jersey he was to wear for a ninth day yesterday “It was a very hard fight once again today I was happy to gain that second in the end,” the Dane said with a broad smile that belied the vinegary atmosphere developing between him and Pogacar Jumbo-Visma’s Sepp Kuss took Vingegaard as far as he could before Pogacar’s own lieutenant Pogacar then launched his blistering turn of pace and opened a 5 second gap only for the Dane to doggedly track and then reel in the exasperated Slovenian with 2km still to climb Vingegaard drew level with his younger rival and eyed him Pogacar tried again atop the 17km climb to burst past last year’s winner but was blocked in the narrow passage of fans by a motorbike carrying a photographer Instead Vingegaard then burst ahead and took three bonus seconds at the top of that last climb An infuriated Pogacar wasted precious energy racing past his rival in a show of anger but later refused to be drawn on the episode “If I have to draw a balance here it was a good positive day and we can go into the coming days with confidence,” he said Vingegaard said the motorbikes had been close but “to talk about what might have been is useless.” Tour organizers later banned the motorbike rider and photographer from Sunday’s 15th stage While all this was going on Rodriguez pulled back and drew level just after the hilltop before dashing off downhill to win the stage itself The favorites end another stage still standing and holding their nerve in this tightly matched war of attrition a daredevil downhill dash and an individual race against the clock over the next three stages could decide the winner Vingegaard disagreed when asked if he thought downhill finishes were dangerous Rodriguez took the day’s honours thanks to his downhill dash my descending skills are one of my strong points,” the 22-year-old winner said 2023: Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil Profile of stage 14 of the 2023 Tour de France(Image credit: ASO)The profile of Col-de-Joux-Plane(Image credit: ASO)The profile of Col de la Ramaz(Image credit: ASO)The map of stage 14 of the 2023 Tour de France (Image credit: GEOATLAS)Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil The continued showdown between leader Jonas Vingegaard and rival Tadej Pogacar continues with a vengeance on stage 14, which brings another test in the Alps for the second week of the Tour de France Vingegaard's lead is down to 9 seconds after the Slovenian clipped away at the finish and snagged a time bonus and a four second gap After an aggressive race to the top of the Grand Colombier on Friday there will undoubtedly be more drama on the 151.8 kilometre route from Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil “It’s unlikely that the riders will enjoy the view of Lake Geneva at the start of the stage,” Race Director Christian Prudhomme said about the start in Annemasse with four categorised climbs and 4,200 metres of climbing on the agenda The first pair of ascents arrive in the opening 30km with Col de Cou and Cold du Feu separated by less than 20km the 13.9km Col de la Ramaz brings an average of 7.1% The final 12.5km lead to a downhill finish in Morzine The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999 and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling By 2019-09-09T15:52:00 FRANCE: The first of 17 three-system Régiolis EMUs being supplied by Alstom to operate SNCF’s share of the Léman Express RER network in Genève entered service on September 4 operating regional trains between Annemasse and Evian-les-Bains Already have an account? LOG IN You’ve reached your limit of content for the month Register for free now the story emerged the brothers went to the emergency room after one sustained a work-related injury.  They complained about having to wait too long – and allegedly started to attack staff until a full-scale brawl broke out The incident triggered a response from the French health minister who promised ‘extended sentences.’ there were many off-duty staff present as they were having an office party One of the brothers alleges he was pushed first by a nurse who smelled of alcohol – and they were only defending themselves The brothers were arrested the next day when they voluntarily visited a police station to complain about their treatment.  Public prosecutors are acknowledging an alternative version of the story is now emerging A lawyer for the hospital firmly denies staff may be at least partly to blame.  The issue will go to court next month.  STRIKES MAR START OF LÉMAN EXPRESS SERVICES The new cross-border railway connecting Geneva with Annemasse in France plus the network of inter-regional services operated as Léman Express by a joint venture between French Railways (SNCF) and Swiss Railways (SBB/CFF) which share the common core largely tunnel section between Geneva and Annemasse and serve Bellegarde were supposed to start on 15 December but due to the long-running strike by railway and other trade unionists in France (protesting against planned pension changes) almost no trains operated in France beyond those arriving at Annemasse with Swiss drivers which comprises 45 stations and 230km of track is billed as ‘the biggest cross-border regional rail network in Europe’ and is designed to reduce traffic congestion in Geneva as its planners hope many of the thousands of French residents who currently commute into the city daily for work will in future take trains Up to six trains per hour in each direction are planned on the new core section of the network The project has been planned for more than a century; the Swiss and French governments signed an agreement for a Geneva Cornavin (Geneva’s main station) to Annemasse railway line in June 1881 Even then the project had been under discussion for three decades; construction of the first section from Annemasse to Genève-Eaux-Vives just inside Switzerland was completed in 1888 and until 2019 this remained an isolated piece of Swiss railway only connected to France; passenger services ended in 2013 to allow construction of the new line Construction of the new ring line – known as CEVA (Cornavin Eaux Vives Annemasse) around Geneva’s western and southern suburbs started in 2011 The line starts at La Praille yard – itself at the end of a 1949-built branch – and is then mostly in tunnel only emerging to cross the river Arve on a bridge Two brand new underground stations have been built on the new line whilst the two stations on the 1888-built line which has been placed underground in a double-track cut and cover trench have been replaced by new underground stations Both Geneva Cornavin and Annemasse stations have been extensively rebuilt to accommodate the additional services planned and two other surface stations have been built on the new line in Geneva The new international line is electrified at 15kV AC with voltage changeover to 25kV AC taking place at Annemasse station Construction of the CEVA line cost around CHF1.8 billion (£1.42 billion) the 14km section (not all of which is new) on Swiss territory accounted for the bulk of this at around CHF1.6 billion (56% of which came from the Swiss Government) a joint venture of SBB/CFF (60%) and SNCF (40%) although both trains and crews are provided by the respective owners The Léman Express network is operated using a fleet of 17 Alstom-built SNCF Z31500 Régiolis tri-voltage (1.5kV DC 15kV/25kV AC) EMUs (10 more are also on order) and 23 Stadler-built dual-voltage SBB 15kV/25kV AC Flirt EMUs Both fleets have Alstom European Train Control System Level 2 Baseline 3 systems SBB will also operate St Maurice to Annemasse Regional Express services on the new line using Stadler Kiss EMUs On 15 December the Geneva tram network was extended 2.1km across the border into Annemasse The extension is almost entirely in France and cost €57 million although the Swiss Government funded 44% of the cost The current Annemasse-Parc Montessuit terminus is temporary as a 1.2km extension into Annemasse is under construction The new section is served by Line 17 of the Geneva network The December timetable change saw the largest switch from Czech national operator České dráhy (ČD) to other operators operating regional and inter-regional services Services entirely in one regional government area are tendered by the relevant Region RegioJet began operating contracted regional services around Ústí nad Labem initially using a fleet of second-hand Deutsche Bahn Class 628 DMUs on an entirely electrified network although these will be replaced by new EMUs on order from Polish manufacturer Pesa from 2021 Fellow open access operator Leo Express also began operating its first regional contracts in the Pardubice region in the centre of the country on the Ústí nad Orlicí to Mlýnický Dvůr route (plus weekend-only services from Dolní Lipka to Hanušovice) Leo Express is using a variety of more modern Alstom Lint DMUs (11x2-car and four single units) previously used by Transdev in Germany Originally Leo Express had planned to use its existing Flirt EMUs on the electrified Ústi nad Orlici – Lichov route but these are not yet available as the three new ‘Sirius’ EMUs on order from Chinese manufacturer CRRC have yet to be approved for passenger use Leo Express is extending one service from Ústí nad Orlicí to Lichov to operate as a through Prague to Wroclaw service at weekends and on Fridays although it is unable to carry domestic passengers in Poland due to restrictions imposed on track access rights Leo Express operations have already attracted criticism from the Pardubice regional authority which awarded the contract with cancellation of the 10-year contract threatened unless staffing and on-board equipment issues were resolved in January TENDERED OPERATION OF LONG-DISTANCE SERVICES BEGINS Until 2018 Czech national operator ČD had won most tenders issued by the central government for inter-regional services serving more than one regional government area both Arriva subsidiary Arriva Vlaky (owned by DB) and Regiojet were awarded significant contracts in December 2018 Both contracts switched to their new operators on 15 December Arriva Vlaky won a three-year contract to operate semi-fast services on four non-electrified routes centred on Prague offering a price per train kilometre of CZK119 (£4) R26: Prague – Přbram – Písek – České Budĕjovice A fleet of 27 refurbished ex-DB Class 628 DMUs (renumbered as Czech Class 845) is being used to operate the services Initially at least insufficient trains were available so alternative trains were hired in from Czech private operators Regiojet won an eight-year contract to operate services on the R8 route between the Czech Republic’s second city Brno and Bohumín Regiojet is running 17 train pairs per day using a fleet of seven leased Vectron MS electric locomotives hauling trains typically formed of five or six refurbished ex-Austrian (ÖBB) or Swiss (SBB) inter-city coaches Each train has a mini buffet in one vehicle Regiojet will replace the leased Vectron locomotives with its own new Traxx 3 Class 388 locomotives on order from Bombardier The Regiojet contract for the R8 route represents around two million train kilometres annually for which the operator is being paid CZK251 million (£8.45 million) a year Regiojet is using the same retail approach for the regional services between Brno and Bohumín as it does for its open access long-distance service and has continued its practice of assigning seats to those passengers who buy tickets directly this was clearly causing confusion and irritation in the first days of operation for regular passengers with season tickets or passes as the trains previously had no reservations Reservations are not compulsory – or possible for the large number of passengers using regional tickets (or foreign visitors using rail passes etc) Currently the Czech Government does not require operators to accept each other’s tickets so holders of ČD issued tickets for the route require additional tickets; the Government has suggested it will adopt a national approach to ticketing a patchwork of contracts issued to multiple operators make longer journeys harder to plan as multiple tickets may be needed In common with several central European countries the Government has required operators to offer free or heavily discounted tickets to students and pensioners meaning the number of passengers contributing via the farebox has reduced substantially in recent years although payments from Government mitigate revenue losses ČD retained two other major long-distance routes in the face of competition from Regiojet with new nine-year contracts to operate hourly route R2 inter-city services from Prague to Žilina in Slovakia and also route R18 Prague – Luhačovice services from December 2019 until 2028 ČD will be paid CZK445 million (£15 million) annually for these two routes – representing a saving of CZK153 million (£5 million) a year or 25% for the Government compared to the 2019 cost Czech freight operator ČD Cargo (ČDC) has ordered five new-build Effishunter 1000 Class 744 diesel locos from domestic loco manufacturing specialist CZ Loko The first of the five locos entered service in late September and all were due in service before the end of 2019 although the new locos are not currently permitted to operate in neighbouring countries The four-axle Effishunter 1000 design utilises a Euro IIIB compliant 895kW Caterpillar C32 engine and traction equipment supplied by Siemens The locos have been built with European Train Control System from new Whilst the design was first unveiled in 2012 orders have only been forthcoming in recent years; nine locos have been built for freight operators in Italy between 2016 and 2019 whilst the ČDC order was the first from Czech operators Separately CZ Loko is undertaking rebuilding programmes to modernise older 1970s/1980s vintage diesels for ČDC Up to 50 Class 742 locos are to be rebuilt to a similar Effishunter 1000M (modernised) standard as the new-build locos and four older Class 753 locos have been rebuilt to the Effiliner 1600 specification GO-AHEAD AND ABELLIO EXPAND STUTTGART NETWORK Go-Ahead’s German subsidiary started operation of regional services around Stuttgart in June 2019 as it and Abellio took over parts of the ‘Stuttgarter Netze’ contract The transition to the new operators was far from smooth with widespread public complaints Abellio suffered from a severe shortage of trains after Bombardier failed to deliver a fleet of Talent 2 EMUs on schedule whilst Go-Ahead suffered multiple minor in service problems with its brand new fleet of Flirt EMUs supplied just in time for the service start by Stadler Both operators and the Baden-Württemberg transport ministry Abellio again faced the prospect of having nowhere near the number of trains it had ordered; in August Bombardier forecast that 18 of the 25 three-car EMUs due in service by December would be delivered Contingency plans were developed and Abellio has hired EMUs from several operators including DB and has sub-contracted operation of some services to DB Regio using loco-hauled stock that was supposed to be replaced These temporary arrangements are expected to last until June at the earliest as that is the current delivery estimate from Bombardier for the new EMUs Abellio took over the following routes in December: RE10a Stuttgart – Heilbronn – Neckarelz – Heidelberg – Mannheim; RE10b Stuttgart – Heilbronn – Sinsheim – Heidelberg – Mannheim; and The Regional Express (RE) service on the Stuttgart to Heilbronn section of both RE10 routes is being operated by DB Regio using older double-deck stock Abellio is due to take over further routes from Stuttgart in June Go-Ahead received all the Flirt EMUs it had ordered from Stadler before 15 December but following the June 2019 experience deliberately decided not to introduce them all until they have been fully tested and initial teething problems resolved without delaying passengers The 11 Flirt3 XL three-car EMUs ordered for the Stuttgart to Nuremberg route were not put into service in December with Go-Ahead; loco-hauled trains provided by three private sub-contractors will be used until March instead The Flirt3 XL units feature longer car bodies than the rest of the Go-Ahead Flirt fleet; each three-car train is 67.6 metres long seating 210 passengers (compared to the standard three-car Flirt3 Go-Ahead took over the following routes in December: RE90 Stuttgart to Nuremberg (loco-hauled replacement trains until March); and Go-Ahead has been sub-contracting some Stuttgart to Karlsruhe services to DB Regio since June 2019; this is likely to continue until June 2020 Go-Ahead also started its first Norwegian contract on 15 December operating services on the Oslo – Stavanger Sørlandsbanen route GOVERNMENT CUTS VAT ON LONG-DISTANCE RAIL FARES The reduction in VAT charged on rail fares in Germany for journeys longer than 50km from 19% to 7% went ahead from 1 January This followed a last-minute agreement between the German Federal Government and the German Parliament just before Christmas Objections had been raised by the country’s 16 federal states arguing they would have to finance the tax revenue shortfall These objections plus concerns around future carbon pricing were removed as the Federal Government agreed to fund any tax shortfall The carbon price has now been set at €25 per tonne of CO2 from January 2021 (rather than €10 per tonne as originally planned) with further €5 increments agreed annually for the next five years taking the price to €55 per tonne of CO2 by 2026 Tax relief for commuter season tickets plus energy efficiency home improvements were also included in the overall package agreed Germany’s main long-distance operator DB started advertising its new lower ‘Sparpreis’ fares before Christmas ahead of the VAT cut DB’s lowest advance purchase fare is now €17.90 instead of €19.90 and this can be further reduced to €13.40 using a ‘Bahn Card’ railcard All DB long-distance fares (and charges such as reservations) have been reduced by around 10% since 1 January including the BahnCard 100 ticket which gives unlimited travel on long-distance services The lower 7% VAT rate already applied to regional train tickets and journeys under 50km Whilst parts of the British media contrasted the German ‘fare cut’ with the annual UK rail price increase the comparison is only partly valid as VAT is not charged on UK rail tickets (although many remain higher than their German comparators) and the rail operators in Germany are not funding the fare cut as the Government is foregoing revenue by cutting tax levels It is likely the VAT cut will benefit DB and to a lesser extent open access operator FlixTrain as rail fares will be more competitive with long-distance buses or the cost of motoring/flying Passengers on a Stadtbahn light rail vehicle in Bonn had to break into the driver’s cab and follow telephone instructions from the control centre to stop the vehicle after the driver collapsed operating between Siegburg and Bad Honnef via Bonn city centre on 22 December passed through at least eight stops at up to 70km/h without stopping and without a conscious driver The operator Stadtwerke Bonn (SWB) told the media after the incident that it appears the driver collapsed and after the vehicle failed to stop at the next stop the first emergency calls were made by passengers Eventually two passengers broke down the door to the drivers’ cabin and were able to stop the vehicle It appears the driver collapsed in such a way that the driver vigilance equipment fitted was activated as ‘safe’ He was released from hospital before Christmas with no apparent long-term health issues The Stadtbahn vehicles are fitted with emergency brake override systems to prevent them stopping in tunnels as are trains on some routes across Europe as the passenger alarm only alerted the driver nothing happened when passengers used the emergency alarm system on-board The incident could have been very serious had the vehicle encountered road vehicles or sharp curvature at 70km/h Had the tram not been stopped whilst it was still on reserved Stadtbahn track and reached shared road space controlled only by traffic lights a serious collision could have occurred – by good fortune it still was on the reserved track equipped with treadle-worked (tram activated) automatic level crossings – albeit very near the end of the section when it was stopped Our thanks to reader John Morris for some of the information in this report FIVE-YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING AGREEMENT The Irish Government agreed a five-year infrastructure funding contract with Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) in December to cover the period 2020-24 the new ‘Infrastructure Management Multi Annual Contract’ funds maintenance and renewal of the railway infrastructure During the recent economic crisis IÉ experienced serious funding deficiencies over several years – even to the extent of having insufficent funds to cover the payroll at one point however ‘steady state’ funding was restored in 2019 to fund continued operation of the existing network The new contract provides IÉ Infrastructure with €199.7 million of government funding in 2020 Over the remaining life of the contract the funding is inflation-proofed to meet steady state funding levels The government funding is supplemented by €89.6 million (2020) from track and station access charges payable by the Railway Undertaking (the train operating part of IÉ) The contract includes performance obligations which are monitored quarterly and annually by Ireland’s ‘Commission for Railway Regulation’ The present IÉ network comprises approximately 2,400km of operational track with 4,440 bridges Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) has been receiving criticism in the press in Ireland and the UK for refusing to allow passengers to offer their own reusable cups for filling by on-board catering staff a policy which appears counter to current attitudes towards the environment IÉ has stated that the pre-packed cups in which it serves beverages form part of the stock control system and also that with limited space under the hot water dispenser on trollies allowing untried reusable cups could cause spillage of boiling water and result in scalding to staff Whilst the latter would appear a serious issue the fact that passengers may buy a branded ‘Enterprise Keep Cup’ on cross-border services operated jointly by IÉ and Northern Ireland Railways would appear to compromise the stock control argument Those buying the ‘Enterprise Keep Cup’ are given a 10% discount when it is refilled IÉ says it is looking into the subject to see what changes it can make to allow wider acceptance of ‘keep cups’ on domestic services Porto light rail operator Metro do Porto has ordered 18 new light rail vehicles from Chinese manufacturer CRRC representing the company’s first order for passenger rolling stock in western Europe CRRC beat Siemens and Škoda Transportation with a bid of €49.5 million which was less than the pre-assigned budget which will be delivered from 2021 and are derived from designs in service widely in China Metro do Porto is expanding its fleet as extensions are planned and under construction during the next three years Spanish national infrastructure manager ADIF has ordered a purpose-built high-speed inspection train from Talgo in a contract worth €39 million The 330km/h train is based on Talgo’s new Avril design and is equipped with gauge changeable bogies enabling use on both 1,435mm gauge high-speed lines and the 1,668mm gauge classic network In early January ADIF announced it had placed a €74.5 million contract with Stadler and Italian diagnostics specialist MerMec for three new bi-mode infrastructure measurement trains The contract includes maintenance of the trains for five years Two of the trains will be built for use on the 1,668mm classic network and one standard gauge train for use on the high-speed (and dual-gauge) sections of the network The trains will measure both track and structures plus trackside equipment such as European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) balises Separately ADIF has also ordered 22 2.8MW diesel locos derived from the EuroLight/UKLight (Class 68) design to operate engineering and test trains on the Spanish standard gauge high-speed network equipped with Euro Stage V emissions compliant Caterpillar C175-16 engines will be equipped with European Train Control System and the Spanish Asfa signalling system As part of the contract the Stadler majority-owned Erion maintenance joint venture will maintain the new locos for eight years STADLER BI-MODE MAINTENANCE LOCOS DELIVERED Appenzeller Bahnen in eastern Switzerland and Chemins de fer du Jura in the west of the country took delivery in late 2019 of brand new two-axle electro-diesel narrow gauge locos built by Stadler The 28-tonne locos are primarily designed for working engineering trains They are rated at 700kW when working from 1.5kV DC overhead power and are also equipped with 400kW Mercedes diesel engines Stadler has previously sold 14 similar locos to operators in Switzerland (12 locos) and Spain (two locos for FGC in Catalonia for use on the Cremallera de Núria rack line near the French border) A similar rack equipped loco is on order for Slovak national operator ZSSK for use on the Tatra mountain network Subscribe to Key Modern Railways now to access the wealth of information on offer completely ad free Subscribe now Key Publishing Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with Company Number 2713662 according to French intelligence officials The unit was based in the Haute-Savoie area due to its proximity to the Swiss and Italian frontiers and because it was frequented by Russians for That section has been free to road users since 1987 but expected maintenance costs of EUR 300m has been deemed unsustainable without tolls Many are worried the traffic will be pushed to the smaller roads – but there are plans to bring in carpooling lanes some other fees on the A40 will be dropped.  29/09/2015 By Last weekend over 32,000 people turned up to visit the sites of the ongoing construction of what has been dubbed Geneva’s “project of the century” When complete the project will connect the train networks of France and Geneva to create a seamless link between Cornavin it will improve links such as those between Lausanne and Annemasse and Coppet and Evian-les-Bains in France Around 500,000 people cross Geneva’s borders every day By 2030 this number is expected to rise significantly as the number of Geneva-based jobs increases to 500,000 only 27% of residents on the Swiss side take public transport to work In neighbouring France the percentage is even lower With most others using their cars the roads are overloaded It is hoped the CEVA rail-link can alleviate this problem Connecting French and Swiss public transport networks should make public transport a workable option for more commuters The link is 16 kilometres long – 14 kilometres are in Switzerland and 2 kilometres are in French territory The budget for the Swiss portion is CHF 1.567 billion with a  potential cost overrun of CHF 202 million The canton of Geneva is covering 44% of this and Bern is funding the remainder The French section’s cost of Euro 234 million Construction started in November 2011 and full completion is expected by December 2019 The Lancy-Pont-Rouge section is expected to open earlier in December 2017 CEVA will reduce the trip from Geneva’s Cornavin station to Annemasse to 20 minutes – the journey currently takes 38 minutes on public transport or 25 minutes by car if there is no traffic For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter Filed Under: International Geneva Tagged With: , , By subscribing you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy Previous Newsletters Copyright © Le News Sàrl 2014-2022 / Company number: CH-550.1.129.786-5 / VAT number: CHE-193.843.357 TVA By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy Nguveren Goovy Iyorhe a member of the Nigeria D’Tigress squad that qualified for the Olympics back in 2004 in Athens says she is “very proud” of the present set of D’Tigresses who clinched the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ticket over the weekend “I have been following this set of players for the past two years now and I am so proud and happy at what they have accomplished. Frankly, I am quite speechless in trying to explain how I feel for these young ladies and their officials”. Iyorhe spoke Exclusively to #YourSportsMemo www.aclsports.com from her home in France where she is currently coaching the Annemasse Basketball Club in the town close to the Swiss capital With her tournament and now coaching experience she says to the technical crew “one game and one day at a time They should be ready to take good and objective decisions on and off the court all the time very important especially in keeping the team spirit great.” Goovy Iyorhe is very impressed with the D’Tigress “These ladies have great qualities and great fighting spirit and I do not doubt they will put up a great show in Tokyo They must have fun playing at the Olympics – that is an important quality to have on the court as a basketball player Fun with determination; fun with fighting spirit and fun to win” The story of the D’Tigress making the Olympics in 2004 is the kind that only sports throws up In 2003 the D’Tigress failed to qualify for that year’s AfroBasket tournament that was to be in Mozambique Goovy (as Iyorhe is called) takes up the story: “We finished second to Senegal in the qualifiers for that AfroBasket but went on to win the Gold medal at the 2003 African Games in Abuja A country pulled out of the AfroBasket so FIBA Africa gave us the Wild Card to attend Nobody gave us a chance as Senegal and Mozambique were the favourites but we beat them in the semi and final to win Nigeria’s first title and thereby qualify for the Olympics the following year” So it was not just winning Nigeria’s first AfroBasket title “To be honest it is quite difficult to describe how I and most of my mates felt at the time because here we were making history for the country The Point and Shooting Guard believes that this set of D’Tigress will “Certainly want to write their own history We won one match in Athens so I am sure they would not want to be left out in making history and leaving their footprints on the Nigeria Olympic history” As a coach Goovy Iyorhe Aye in looking forward to the Tokyo Olympics for the D’Tigresses has her coaching hat on “These young ladies have had a phenomenal last two years with back to back AfroBasket wins plus World Championships outings They have also had a good match with the US in the qualifiers but for the Olympics the first aim is to qualify from the group stage first The current D’Tigress have no Nigeria based player in the squad as Goovy was in the team that went to Athens It took a lot of years of hardwork and maybe luck too to make the team” A member of the all conquering First Bank Basketball Club for many years from which there were also those who played in the qualifiers “There were many of my fellow home based players who were unlucky to make the squad for the championships but they helped me a lot and supported me it was really not a big deal playing with the foreign based players because they were comfortable with my game as I was confident in my ability so we just went on to do our thing on the court It helped that I was able to play in any position tactically on the court” She combines her coaching job with a regular job in the medical field as well as being a wife and mother of two boys She was very adaptable on the court when she played basketball Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden Please log in here to leave a comment The new timetable will come into force on Sunday December 10th but the national rail company has already published its 2024 schedule “New direct connections to Swiss tourist regions such as Valais, Graubünden and Bernese Oberland" are planned, along with some new or expanded international routes, the SBB said These are some of the changes you can expect: This line is used mostly by cross-border employees who commute to work from the French communities to Geneva and Vaud RegioExpress trains (line RE 33) will make additional stops between Geneva and Annemasse In the Annemasse–Geneva direction: Chêne-Bourg In the Geneva–Annemasse direction: Geneva-Champel These early trains will allow passengers from the cities mentioned to take the first wave of flights offered from Geneva Airport Commuters will be able to go directly to Bern (arrival at 6:24 am) and Basel (arrival at 7:32 am) from Tuesday to Sunday by taking the IC6 in Brig (departure at 5:16 am) The last IC6 of the evening will run from Basel (departure at 10:28 pm) to Brig (arrival at 12:41 am) via Bern (departure at 11:37 pm.) In order to connect to these new IC6s in the morning and evening a RegionAlps connection is set up earlier between Martigny (04:07) and Brig (05:13) a train will run from Brig (00:27) to Martigny (01:38) and will stop at all stations with a connection at Visp (00:36) to Martigny Two new direct trains linking Geneva to the capital of Graubünden via Zurich will be put into service Four direct trains will run in each direction during the weekends The situation will improve in Gotthard tunnel, where traffic had been disrupted since August, following the derailment of a freight train SBB plans to operate 31 passenger trains via the Gotthard Base Tunnel on weekends with journey times identical to those before the derailment two RegioExpress (RE9) services will be extended to and from Bern providing an alternative for travel between Bern and Paris: departure from Bern at 6:23 am A connection is provided with the TGV for arrival in Paris at 11:08 am a connection is provided between the TGV from Paris (departure at 17:56) and the RegioExpress service from Frasne (departure at 20:53) to Neuchâtel (arrival at 21:53) and Bern (arrival at 22:30) TGV Lyria will operate a daily round trip train between Geneva and Marseille Since travel to the Bavarian capital has been very popular with Swiss commuters an additional train will connect Zurich to Munich Commuters will benefit from a train service every two hours between the two cities