East Japan Railway will hold its fifth suppliers tour at the InterContinental Hotel in Frankfurt on September 18-19, providing an opportunity for European companies to meet JR East to discuss business opportunities. The bilateral meetings will focus on topics including, but not limited to, rolling stock, track and signalling.
A ‘Rail Innovation Family’ has been formed by a number of UK supply sector organisations with the aim of ensuring there is a clear explanation of how each organisation supports the rail innovation community; directing suppliers to the organisation best able to support them for any particular activity; promoting each other’s events and minimising clashes; and promoting innovation. The collaborating organisations include the Birmingham Centre for Rail Research & Education, the Rail Alliance, Rail Forum Midlands and the Railway Industry Association.
CRRC Tangshan has opened a railway research centre in Torino, under a bilateral collaboration and innovation agreement with Blue Engineering, an Italian company specialising in automotive, rail, aerospace, maritime engineering and IT. Along with China National Transportation Equipment & Engineering and GenertecItalia, CRRC Tangshan was one of three Chinese companies which acquired a 60% stake in Blue Engineering in 2016. Speaking at a launch event attended by the Rector of Polytecnico di Torino, Guido Saracco, CRRC Corp Vice-President Wang Jun, said the new centre would augment the group’s research centres in the USA, Germany, the UK, Sweden, South Africa and Turkey.
Atkins President Philip Hoare has been appointed as chair of the UK’s Rail Supply Group, succeeding Gordon Wakeford, the former CEO of Siemens Mobility UK.
On June 25 Bombardier announced an agreement to sell its Canadair regional jet aircraft business to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in the first half of 2020. Bombardier Inc President & CEO Alain Bellemare said this would complete the transformation of the group's aerospace business. 'Our focus is on two strong growth pillars: Bombardier Transportation, our global rail business, and Bombardier Aviation, a world-class business jet franchise with market-defining products and an unmatched customer experience', he said.