The European Commission has launched ‘targeted consultations’ to explore how to increase the international role of the euro in specific sectors including railway manufacturing. This is a follow-up to the December 2018 publication Towards a stronger international role of the euro, which the Commission said outlined ‘the benefits of a strengthened international role of the euro for the EU and the international financial system and proposed initiatives to boost the euro's role.’
Hübner Group has acquired Wolfratshausen-based Gersys, which supplies locomotive cab components including computers, displays and driver assistance systems ‘The acquisition of Gersys will enable us to develop new product capabilities and at the same time to strengthen our role as a supplier of railway manufacturers in areas outside of our traditional portfolio’, said Helge Förster, head of Hübner’s Mobility business. ‘We think there are interesting growth possibilities in the locomotive cab area, which we will now begin to develop.’
UK vehicle lifting specialist TotalKare and Italian manufacturer Emanuel have formed a partnership offer mobile column lifts in the UK rail market. Available in a range of capacities from 5 500 to 50 000 kg, the columns can be configured in sets of four to 128 and used to lift any type of rolling stock including complete trainsets. ‘We have been working with Emanuel for five years, supplying its heavy-duty four post lifts into the bus and coach and commercial vehicle sectors’, said David Hall, Managing Director of TotalKare. ‘Following a number of conversations, we recognised the opportunity to take its manufacturing expertise into the rail sector, where they have similar requirements.’
US company Grainger Inc is entering the UK rail and transport hand tool, power tools and protective equipment market through its subsidiary Zoro UK. ‘If you are an engineer or are working in an industrial SME and need that power tool the next day, then Zoro will deliver it to you‘, said Zoro UK Managing Director Marcus Nelson. ‘We have over 200 000 products that the small engineering company needs.’
Malaysian travel agency Sri Sutra Travel now sells tickets for Kuala Lumpur’s Express Rail Link airport service through its online retail channels.
3M has launched its 3M Authorised Rail Partners quality assurance scheme, which formalises criteria for quality control and customer service. The first 3M Authorised Rail Partners are UK companies Aura Graphics and Stewart Signs.
Cable management specialist HellermannTyton UK has opened a virtual reality facility at its Cannock site, where customers can experience its product range through five virtual worlds including the underneath of a train.
Taiyuan CRRC Times Rail Engineering Co Ltd was established on January 23.
Flexible conduit manufacturer Flexicon has obtained accreditation to the latest IRIS Certification rev.03 system based on the ISO 9001:2015 structure.