Coronavirus news – Page 13
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NewsRolling stock leasing companies exposed to effects of prolonged lockdowns
Government support for train operators will protect the short-term cash generation of rolling stock leasing companies during coronavirus lockdown periods, but there could be pressure on their revenue base once the restrictions are lifted, warns Christian Kuendig, Senior Director, Non-Bank Financial Institutions, at Fitch Ratings.
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Rail Business UKManchester Metrolink faces financial crisis and Merseyrail struggling to survive, mayors warn
UK: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has warned that services on the region’s Metrolink light rail system could be suspended unless government funding is provided, while his Liverpool City Region counterpart Steve Rotheram said Merseyrail suburban rail services also need help. Urgent action needed At a ...
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NewsTesting resumes in Ceneri Base Tunnel
SWITZERLAND: Test running has restarted in the 15∙4 km Ceneri Base Tunnel at the southern end of the Gotthard corridor. Agreement for the tests to resume on April 20 was reached after tunnel contractor AlpTransit Gotthard AG concluded discussions with medical specialists at operator SBB and the ...
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NewsInnoTrans 2020 moved to new date
INNOTRANS: Organiser Messe Berlin has rescheduled the InnoTrans 2020 trade fair, the biggest event in the rail industry calendar. The Messe Berlin venue has more than 3 km of outdoor tracks for rail vehicles to be displayed. InnoTrans 2020 was to have ...
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Metro Report InternationalUrban transport news round-up
A revised seating layout is being tested on the Praha metro. The current seats are arranged in a 2+1 transverse configuration, but in the proposed layout the single seats are turned 90º to face the aisle. Many passengers were already sitting sideways on these seats, and DPP ...
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NewsRail investment is vital to post-Covid-19 recovery, say associations
EUROPE: Investment to ‘make rail the core element of the European transport system’ should be an intrinsic part of the EU’s plans for stimulating economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to rail sector associations CER and UNIFE.
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Rail Business UKSignaller training centre to keep trains moving through the pandemic
UK: Network Rail has converted former testing workshops and meeting rooms at Newport into a temporary training centre to ensure it has enough skilled signallers to keep trains in the Wales & Western Region moving during the coronavirus crisis. More than 200 people ...
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NewsRENFE introduces personalised tickets
SPAIN: National operator RENFE has introduced personalised tickets for passengers travelling on AVE, Larga Distancia, Avant and Alvia services and all other trains where seats reservations are obligatory. Purchasers are required to provide mobile phone numbers and other contact information, with their privacy protected under national and ...
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NewsWestbahn and ÖBB awarded public service contracts to secure operations during the pandemic
AUSTRIA: Both Austrian Federal Railways and open access competitor Westbahn have been awarded emergency public service obligation contracts to ensure the continued operation of Wien – Salzburg trains during the coronavirus pandemic, in a move which the ALLRAIL association of new market entrants said should provide a ...
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NewsTrains ensure food supplies to Sweden’s supermarkets
EUROPE: To ensure deliveries to Sweden during the coronavirus pandemic, grocery chain ICA is transporting goods using rail services which Green Cargo normally operates for Volvo Group. The trains are run to transport goods from Sweden to Volvo’s factory at Gent in Belgium. For the last six ...
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Metro Report InternationalDriver sign-on system adapted for social distancing
GERMANY: Moveo Software has provided a temporary update for the duty registration system used by München transport operator MVB, enabling drivers to sign into work using mobile devices from their vehicle instead of a using web-based terminal in a shared staff room. ‘Usually, many drivers meet in ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Wabtec is working with Tronix3D to produce face shields for Pennsylvania healthcare provider Excela Health. ‘As a 150-year-old member of the greater Pittsburgh community, we have a responsibility to support our first responders during these unprecedented times’, said Wabtec President & CEO Rafael Santana. ‘Wabtec and Tronix3D ...
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Metro Report InternationalMaking transport more sustainable after the coronavirus
EUROPE: Emphasising that ‘the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic cannot simply be a return to business as usual’, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe has published guidance for policy makers aiming to reduce car use in urban areas. Developed under the Transport Health & Environment Pan-European ...
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Rail Business UKTrains branded in tribute to the NHS
UK: Govia Thameslink Railway has applied special branding to three electric multiple-units in tribute to National Health Service staff fighting the coronavirus pandemic. ‘There are more than 50 hospitals across our network and we are carrying more than 200 000 key workers ...
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NewsGreenbrier suspends wagon manufacturing at Gunderson site
USA: The Greenbrier Companies has suspended wagon manufacturing at its Gunderson site in Portland, Oregon, owing to the economic impacts of Covid-19. The announcement on April 16 came a week after Greenbrier Gunderson ended production on its double-stack intermodal line, which has run nearly continuously for 25 ...
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Metro Report InternationalMetro staff learning under lockdown
INDIA: Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corp Ltd has arranged for online training classes to be provided by the L&T Metro Training Academy in Hyderabad, in order to make productive use of time during the national coronavirus lockdown period. A total of 41 people who had been recruited ...
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Rail Business UKLNER Reserves launched to connect staff with voluntary organisations
UK: Inter-city operator LNER has launched the LNER Reserves scheme to connect its staff wishing to volunteer during the coronavirus pandemic with organisations including the National Health Service, the emergency services, partner charity Campaign Against Living Miserably, FareShare, The Trussell Trust, Age UK and the National Council ...
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Metro Report InternationalPublic transport continuity needed to ensure ‘the health crisis does not turn into a social one’
INTERNATIONAL: Ensuring the continuity of public transport services during the coronavirus pandemic is essential to ensure that ‘the health crisis does not turn into a social one’, according to the International Association of Public Transport, United Cities & Local Governments, the International Transport Workers’ Federation and the ...
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Rail Business UKHitachi Rail begins to restart production
UK: Hitachi Rail began a staged restart of rolling stock production at its Newton Aycliffe site on April 14. Work had been put on hold during March as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. ‘Our priority continues to be the safety and well being of all Hitachi ...
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NewsAmtrak awarded $1bn from coronavirus relief package
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration is making available more than $1bn to support Amtrak operations during the coronavirus pandemic, under the terms of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act approved by the US Congress on March 27.