Europe
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NewsHauts-de-France unveils Premium EMU
FRANCE: The first of 19 Omneo Premium double-deck inter-city electric multiple-units ordered by the Hauts-de-France région for the Paris – Amiens and Paris – Saint Quentin – Cambrai/Maubeuge ‘Picardie Y’ routes has been rolled out at Alstom’s Crespin plant.
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Metro Report International
København metro train mid-life refurbishment contract awarded
DENMARK: København metro operator Metroselskabet has awarded Alstom a €30m contract to undertake the mid-life refurbishment of the 34 three-car AnsaldoBreda driverless trainsets used on lines M1 and M2. Alstom is to undertake the work at a workshop in Rotterdam in the Netherlands over three years. ...
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News
Baltic States discuss Vilnius – Riga – Tallinn passenger service and gauge conversion
EUROPE: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are to explore options to launch a passenger service between their capitals using existing 1 520 mm gauge railways, ahead of the completion of the future Rail Baltica 1 435 mm gauge line. The lack of through services between the Baltic ...
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News
Regional railways to be revitalised with 200-train framework agreements
POLAND: Regional passenger operator Polregio has signed framework agreements with four manufacturers for the supply of up to 200 electric multiple-units which are intended to offer a step-change in quality on routes serving smaller towns. The agreements signed on January 25 enable H Cegielski FPS, Pesa ...
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News
Rail project promoter to take stake in infrastructure contractor
POLAND: Airport, rail and road project promoter Centralny Port Komunikacyjny has signed a preliminary agreement to purchase a controlling stake in rail infrastructure contractor Torpol, to mitigate the risk of the lack of adequate contractor resources to implement its plans to build 2 000 km of ...
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News
Stadler Flirt3 XLs ordered for Frankfurt – Koblenz service
GERMANY: VIAS Rail is to lease eight Stadler Flirt3 XL electric multiple-units from Alpha Trains for use on a Frankfurt – Koblenz service along the right bank of the Rhein which is to be introduced in December 2025. There is an option for one more EMU. ...
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News
Rail Baltica regional station design contract signed
ESTONIA: National Rail Baltica project implementation body Rail Baltic Estonia has awarded Ardanuy Ingeneria a €368 000 contract to design seven stations for use by regional passenger services on the future 1 435 mm gauge line. The stations at Assaku, Luige, Saku and Kurtna in the ...
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News
National Express selected for 10-year operating contracts
GERMANY: National Express Rail has been selected to operate passenger services RE1 Aachen – Hamm and RE11 Düsseldorf – Paderborn – Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe for 10 years from the December 2023 timetable change. The €1bn contract tendered by Rhein-Ruhr transport authority VRR, go.Rheinland (formerly NVR), Westfalen-Lippe authority NWL ...
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Metro Report International
Beograd metro early operator assistance contract signed
SERBIA: Beograd city council has awarded RATP Dev the early operator assistance contract to support development of a planned three-line automated metro network. RATP Dev will draw on its international experience to review and advise on the design and specifications, with a focus on passenger experience, ...
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In depth
Portugal: National plan to boost rail’s market share
Ambitious plans to connect Portugal’s 10 largest cities by high speed rail form the centrepiece of a comprehensive railway development package unveiled by the Portuguese government late last year. To be completed by 2050, the plan also envisages new suburban corridors and a third bridge over the River Tagus. André Pires reports.
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News
Operail sells more wagons from its lease fleet
ESTONIA: National freight operator Operail has sold a further 807 wagons from its lease fleet for €22·1m as part of a programme of divestment of non-core assets. More than 40 companies were invited to participate and 20 tenders were submitted. After what Operail said was a ...
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News
DB Regio awarded Rheine – Löhne operating contract
GERMANY: DB Regio has been selected to operate new regional express service RE62 Rheine – Osnabrück – Löhne for seven years from December 2023. The service running every 2 h is being commissioned by Neidersachsen transport authority LNVG and Westfalen-Lippe authority NWL to retain an hourly ...
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Metro Report International
Energy-efficient Dortmund tram unveiled
GERMANY: The first of 90 energy-efficient high-floor light rail vehicles being supplied for use in Dortmund has been unveiled by operator DSW21, HeiterBlick and Kiepe Electric at Dorstfeld depot. Under the B-car project, the two manufacturers are assembling 26 new trams in Leipzig and rebuilding 64 ...
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News
Elron orders 10 more EMUs
ESTONIA: Passenger operator Elron has awarded Škoda Group a firm order to supply a further 10 electric multiple-units. The order announced by the Czech manufacturer on January 24 has been placed using an option in a 2021 contract for initial six EMUs which are now being ...
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News
Work to rebuild Praha Masarykovo station to start this year
CZECH REPUBLIC: The remodelling and expansion of Praha’s Masarykovo terminus has received planning approval, infrastructure manager Správa železnic has confirmed. Tenders are due to be called in the spring, and construction work is scheduled to start later this year. The existing seven platforms will ...
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News
Electrification 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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News
Merged Eurostar and Thalys branding revealed
EUROPE: The branding for the merged Eurostar and Thalys high speed rail businesses was unveiled in Brussels on January 24.
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News
Aargau Verkehr orders EMUs to standardise fleet
SWITZERLAND: Aargau Verkehr has awarded Stadler a SFr39·5m contract to supply five ABe4/8 Saphir II metre-gauge electric multiple-units for use on the 22 km Wynental and 10 km Suhrental lines west of Zürich from December 2025. The firm order has been placed as an option on ...
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In depth
Europe: Authorising modifications — time to learn from experience
Practical experience suggests that changes to the vehicle authorisation process introduced in the EU’s Fourth Railway Package have clarified the requirements covering the approval of modifications to existing rolling stock deployed in more than one country.
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Metro Report International
Hitachi Rail awarded Roma metro train contract
ITALY: The city of Roma has awarded Hitachi Rail a framework contract to supply up to 30 metro trainsets for Lines A and B. The contract was signed on December 29 after an unsuccessful appeal from another bidder, and includes a firm order for 12 trainsets ...
