Climate and the rail industry – Page 9
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NewsInterim operating contract awarded pending battery train deployment
GERMANY: Incumbent DB Regio has been directly awarded an interim passenger train operating contract while battery trains and charging equipment are procured to replace diesel multiple-units on the routes. The interim contract awarded by transport authorities in Baden-Württemberg, Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz covers the West & Südpfalz ...
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Rail Business UKGWR buys Vivarail battery train assets to secure Greenford trial
UK: Great Western Railway has agreed contracts to buy Vivarail’s battery train related assets, saying this will secure the future of planned trials of the technology in London. The deal announced on February 16 includes intellectual property, rolling stock and equipment relating to the development of ...
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NewsPartnership to develop North American battery train
USA: A contract for the development and testing of a battery multiple-unit for the North American market based on Stadler’s Flirt Akku design for Europe has been signed by the Swiss manufacturer, Utah State University and the Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification engineering research centre.
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NewsBattery train pilot project on ‘challenging’ Westerwald routes
GERMANY: Hessische Landesbahn has ordered three Mireo Plus B battery-electric multiple-units from Siemens Mobility to replace diesel sets on steep and partly-electrified routes in the Westerwald region. The BEMUs will be used from the December 2025 timetable change on the 115 km Oberwesterwaldbahn service RB90 Limburg ...
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NewsStrukton and ProRail trial battery-electric locomotive conversion
NETHERLANDS: Contractor Strukton Rail and infrastructure manager ProRail demonstrated a hybrid battery-electric locomotive in Utrecht last month. The Alstom-built Class 1700 Bo-Bo dating from the early 1990s was used by passenger operator NS, but was withdrawn as surplus to requirements following the replacement of push-pull trainsets ...
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NewsHydrogen train to be demonstrated in Québec
CANADA: An Alstom Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell multiple-unit is to operate demonstration passenger services on the Chemin de fer de Charlevoix from June 17 to September 30. The return service along the St Lawrence River between Parc de la Chute-Montmorency on the outskirts of Québec ...
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NewsElectrification motor tower cars delivered
AUSTRIA: Europten has taken delivery of the first two of three Plasser & Theurer MTW 100.216 motor tower cars for use on electrification and maintenance projects in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The MTW is a designed for overhead contact line installation inspection and maintenance, and can ...
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NewsHydrogen distribution by rail to be studied
USA: The role of railways as consumers and transporters of hydrogen is to be studied by BNSF and Bakken Energy, which is working on the Heartland Hydrogen Hub proposal to develop a facility to produce hydrogen from natural gas. ‘Railways could play a critical role in ...
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NewsFederal funding to support Caltrain electrification
USA: Bay Area commuter rail operator Caltrain has been allocated a further $43m in federal funding for its ongoing electrification programme. Work on the project to install 25 kV 60 Hz overhead line equipment between San Francisco and San Jose is well advanced, and the first ...
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NewsBrno area route modernisation underway
CZECH REPUBLIC: Subterra, OHLA ŽS and EŽ Praha have begun work to complete double tracking and 25 kV 50 Hz electrification of the Brno – Zastávka u Brna line. The first 8·5 km from Brno-Horní Heršpice to Střelice was completed in September 2021. Work is now ...
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NewsCRRC unveils hydrogen train
CHINA: CRRC has unveiled a hydrogen fuel cell powered train designed to enable suburban services to be extended onto non-electrified routes. The four-car trainset based on CRRC’s Fuxing family of designs has been developed jointly by CRRC Changchun and Chengdu Rail Transit, ...
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NewsPrototype battery multiple-units ordered as suburban EMUs unveiled
CROATIA: HŽPP has awarded Končar KEV a contract to supply two prototype battery-only and battery-electric multiple-units.
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NewsShort line natural disaster recovery funding bill introduced
USA: A bill has been introduced to Congress which would authorise the Department of Transportation to provide emergency funding to assist short line railways with recovery from natural disasters.
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NewsRegioPanter EMUs enter service on electrified regional line
CZECH REPUBLIC: Electric services have begun running on the Olomouc – Uničov – Šumperk line, which is to become SŽ’s first regional route to be controlled exclusively using ETCS.
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Rail Business UKHydrogen has a modest role to play in decarbonising rail, committee says
UK: Hydrogen has a modest but potentially critical role to play in rail decarbonisation, and the government should set out the lessons learned from hydrogen trains abroad, according to a report from the House of Commons Science & Technology Committee.
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In depthTraction Technology: Diverse fleets demonstrate energy storage advances
ABB’s novel modular battery powerpacks are being deployed on new trains being built by several major manufacturers, as advances in energy storage technology start to become commercialised.
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NewsAmtrak unveils Airo electro-diesel train design for ‘the next generation of travel’
USA: Amtrak has announced Airo as the brand name for the electro-diesel push-pull trainsets which it has ordered from Siemens Mobility for use on medium-distance inter-city services.
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NewsKyrgyz Railways to increase climate resilience
KYRGYZSTAN: National railway KTJ is to replace wagons, undertake climate mitigation works and promote economic inclusion using €11m of financial support which has been arranged by the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development. The package comprises a 12-year sovereign bank loan of up to €8m, plus ...
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In depthTraction Technology: Remanufacturing diesel trains with battery power
Although UK rolling stock specialist Vivarail entered administration on December 1, the company’s Managing Director Steve McBride argues that remanufacturing of existing trains with battery traction remains a compelling choice for a quick and cost-effective transition away from diesel power.
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Rail Business UKStandards revised to lower electrification costs
UK: The Rail Safety & Standards Board has introduced new and revised standards for AC electrification systems and rolling stock which Director of Standards Tom Lee anticipates ‘will help the rail industry save millions of pounds when rolling out new electrification schemes’. The introduction of Standard ...