Further upgrading of Portuguese narrow-gauge line approved
PORTUGAL: The national government has given road and rail infrastructure manager Infraestruturas de Portugal final approval for the €4·9m project to begin rehabilitation work on the 30 km Oliveira de Azeméis – Sernada do Vouga section of the metre-gauge Vouga line.
ELL orders up to 200 more Vectron locos
EUROPE: European Locomotive Leasing has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to supply 60 Vectron locomotives with an option for 140 more.
Railway supply industry news round-up
This week’s news from the global railway supply chain.
Hybrid satellite and terrestrial communications for rail
UK: Technology consultancy CGI, satellite operator Eutelsat OneWeb and on-train connectivity supplier Icomera are running trials to demonstrate how constellations of low-earth orbit satellite and terrestrial communications networks could provide seamless, low-latency broadband on the rail network.
Pajares cut-off opens to plug Asturias into Spanish high speed network
SPAIN: Following almost 20 years of construction, public passenger services began using the Pajares Base Tunnel through the Cordillera Cantábrica mountain range in the north of the country on November 30.
Cross-border passenger services resume after eight years
EUROPE: Passenger services have restarted on the 45 km line linking Subotica in Serbia with Szeged in Hungary after an eight-year hiatus.
Mexican government seeks to revive passenger services on seven routes
MEXICO: On November 20 the national government published legislation to introduce passenger rail services on seven corridors totalling 8 000 km.