Europe
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News
CRRC drops Bulgarian train bid following EU investigation
BULGARIA: CRRC Qingdao Sifang Locomotive has withdrawn its bid for a contract to supply 20 push-pull trainsets, after the European Commission launched an investigation into whether the Chinese state-owned company might have benefited from an unfair subsidy. The tender from the Ministry of Transport & Communications ...
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News
Service increase in new Köln S-Bahn operating contract
GERMANY: Following a European tender, transport authorities go.Rheinland and VRR have selected incumbent DB Regio for a contract to operate Köln S-Bahn services until December 2032. The contract is backdated to December 10 2023 and will see operations increase from 12·3 million to 14·2 million train-km/year. ...
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News
Stadler to supply inter-city EMUs to GySEV
HUNGARY: Hungarian-Austrian cross-border operator GySEV has signed a contract for Stadler to supply nine inter-city electric multiple-units with an option for four more. The EMUs are intended for use on the Sopron – Győr – Budapest and Szombathely – Győr routes and would also be certified ...
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News
Iarnród Éireann seeks to develop start-up mindset
IRELAND: National railway Iarnród Éireann and Dogpatch Labs have launched Future Track which aims to bring a ‘start-up mindset’ to innovation in the rail sector. Iarnród Éireann staff will be mentored by entrepreneurs and engage in an annual three month programme which aims to make ideas ...
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Metro Report International
Orléans open payment system goes live
FRANCE: Orléans Métropole has launched an open payment ticketing system on its tram and bus services, deployed by its long-standing ticketing technology partner Kuba in partnership with La Banque Postale. Passengers can pay by physical or virtual bank card, smartphone or connected watch, with payment services ...
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News
SBB tests automated shunting without possessions
SWITZERLAND: SBB and Alstom have carried out a series of trials using a remotely controlled shunting locomotive on tracks that remained open for normal operations. As part of the research trials, 24 locomotive drivers operated a shunter in the marshalling yard at Zürich-Mülligen from a control ...
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News
Record spend at DB as freight volume plummets
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn carried more than 1∙8 billion passengers in the year to December 31 2023, up by nearly 6% on the previous year. Publishing its annual results on March 21, the national railway group reported that its long-distance services had been used by more than ...
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News
Passenger services to be restored on Porto orbital line
PORTUGAL: Agreement has been reached to restore passenger services on an orbital line in the northern suburbs of Porto. The first trains are expected to begin running this year, following a 13-year hiatus. A protocol to restore passenger services was signed at São Mamede de Infesta ...
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Metro Report International
Funding agreed for Milano metro extension and interurban tram refurbishment
ITALY: The national government has allocated €145m to help fund a 3·3 km western extension of Milano metro Line M1 from Bisceglie to Valsesia, Olmi and Baggio at an estimated cost of €543m. It has also allocated €88m towards the anticipated refurbishment ...
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News
Swedish national ticketing product distribution system goes live
SWEDEN: The Samtrafiken collaboration of transport operators has a launched a neutral ticketing communications platform based on the Open Sales & Distribution Model-Online standard with the aim of streamlining ticket sales and enhancing cross-selling opportunities.
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News
Swiss parliament agrees more long-term rail projects
SWITZERLAND: Parliament has approved a number of key changes to the national railway long-term investment programmes known as Ausbauschritte 2025 and 2035. The changes add around SFr3bn to the cost, taking the total to SFr23bn.
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News
Berner Oberland-Bahnen increases EMU order
SWITZERLAND: Berner Oberland-Bahnen has awarded Stadler a SFr38.6m contract to supply a further four ABeh4/8 three-car electric multiple-units. The order confirmed in early March follows on from a May 2022 contract for six units. Each EMU will have 140 seats, with areas for ...
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News
Spanish dual gauging project makes progress
SPAIN: Infrastructure manager ADIF Alta Velocidad has enlarged the 558 m Gaintxurizketa tunnel between Errenteria and Irun as part of a project to provide a dual gauge link between the French border and the start of the future ‘Basque Y’ 1 435 mm gauge high speed ...
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News
Access to EU funding unlocks major investment in Polish rolling stock
Koleje Dolnośląskie has received 333·7m złoty in co-financing from the European Union’s Recovery & Resilience Fund which it is using to refinance its Pesa Elf2 EMUs now being delivered. POLAND: The national government’s Centre for EU Transport Projects agency has allocated co-financing from the European Union’s ...
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Metro Report International
Moskva Mayor plans driverless trams
RUSSIA: Moskva Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has announced ambitions to deploy smart technologies by 2030 to make the public transport network more reliable and the preferred option for mobility within the city. This could included driverless trams in 2024-26, driverless metro trains by around 2030, a smart ...
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Metro Report International
Parcels by tram project ends
GERMANY: The transport of parcels on trams in Schwerin is not viable, operator NVS and DHL Group have concluded following a pilot project. The pilot scheme was launched in October 2022, with a tram carrying roll containers running once a day from a DHL distribution centre. ...
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News
Iberian T4000 pocket wagons arrive
SPAIN: Leasing company VTG is taking delivery of 200 T4000 pocket wagons for combined transport services on Spain and Portugal’s 1 668 mm gauge. The wagons are being built by Tatravagónka to a design derived from the T3000 pocket wagons in use on 1 435 mm ...
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Metro Report International
Dogs and bikes added to ticketing app
TICKETING: Fairtiq has added the ability to buy tickets for dogs and bicycles to its swipe-in, swipe out rail and bus ticketing app covering Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Travellers can check in up to five dogs, five bikes or a combination of both, in addition to the ...
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News
Basque region to take over RENFE suburban routes
SPAIN: On March 11 the Spanish government announced that management of all suburban services in the Basque region would be transferred from national operator RENFE to the Euzkadi autonomous community. The national government will set up a €400m fund to launch the project, some of which ...
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News
SNCF Réseau awards major track renewal contracts
FRANCE: Infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau has awarded four major track renewal contracts designed to provide suppliers with increased visibility of future work. Eiffage Rail and Captrain will renew 49 turnouts on the Atlantique, Nord-Europe and Sud-Est high speed lines in a contract which runs for four ...