Europe – Page 115
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NewsFinland responds to European Commission regauging proposal
FINLAND: Minister of Transport & Communications Timo Harakka has described as ‘unreasonable’ the European Commission’s proposal to require the use of 1 435 mm gauge throughout the TEN-T rail network, arguing that Finland should be regarded as a special case. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, ...
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NewsUkraine grain to Spain by container train
EUROPE: Spanish transport ministry MITMA and freight operator RENFE Mercancías are to test the technical and economic viability of transporting Ukrainian grain to Barcelona by rail instead of shipping via the Black Sea routes which have been disrupted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. ...
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Metro Report InternationalNovokuznetsk orders 12 trams
RUSSIA: UKVZ has beaten three rival bids to win a contract to supply 12 trams to Novokuznetsk. The cost of 73·3m roubles per vehicle is being funded through the government’s the Cleaner Air programme. Deliveries are scheduled to start in mid-December, The Type 71-623-04 trams will ...
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Metro Report InternationalKraków fast tram tracklaying underway
POLAND: Tracklaying has begun on a 5 km ‘fast tram’ extension of the Kraków tram network to Górka Narodowa in the north of the city. The extension is intended to serve park and ride facilities and provide a 20 min journey time to the city centre. ...
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NewsColas Rail enters German market with strategic acquisition
GERMANY: Colas Rail has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire rail infrastructure contractor Hasselmann Group. Colas said this would give it a foothold in the German market as part of its strategy to target countries with stable economies and high potential for investment in rail ...
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Metro Report InternationalMoscow rolling stock loans
RUSSIA: The government has approved a second loan for the purchase of rolling stock for urban and suburban rail services around Moscow. The two 15-year, 3% loans approved in October and July have a total value of 106·7bn roubles. The city government intends to use 49·7bn ...
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NewsMoselLux trains ordered with one-way system for bicycles
GERMANY: DB Regio has formally awarded Stadler a contract to supply 19 four-car Flirt electric multiple-units for use on MoselLux services along the River Mosel valley between Koblenz, Trier and Luxembourg. The EMUs are scheduled to enter service on the Koblenz – Trier – Perl route ...
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NewsZaragoza – Sagunt train protection enhancement
SPAIN: Infrastructure manager ADIF has awarded Enyse a 23-month contract worth €45∙7m to install ASFA digital automatic train protection on the 194 km line between Monreal del Campo, Teruel and Sagunt. This will be compatible with future 25 kV 50 Hz electrification. Electronic interlockings are to ...
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NewsBenefits accrue from rural railway reopenings, study finds
GERMANY: Reopening rural railways offers an important spectrum of benefits, according to a study commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development & Building.
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NewsEstonian locomotive approved for operation in Finland
FINLAND: A C30-MF diesel locomotive produced at Operail’s Tapa workshop in Estonia has been approved for use on the Finnish network. It is to be used for shunting at the port of Kotka, instead of Operail’s Wabtec/Tülomsaş PowerHaul main line freight locomotives. Transport agency Traficom granted ...
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NewsPolish approval for wheel detector
POLAND: Infrastructure manager PKP PLK has approved the use of Alstom’s ELS-96 rail-mounted wheel detector for axle counters. The ELS-96 provides full digital transmission without lineside electronics with fully automatic adjustment as well as a remote diagnostics and software upgrade capability. It can withstand high and ...
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NewsHŽPP orders DMUs
CROATIA: National passenger operator HŽPP has placed a firm order for a further seven Končar diesel multiple-units. The three-car low-floor diesel-electric units with a maximum speed of 120 km/h will be identical to existing ones, with a capacity of 167 seated and 175 standing passengers. The ...
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NewsCzech Republic electrification conversion advances
CZECH REPUBLIC: Infrastructure manager SŽ has converted the overhead electrification on the 43 km Nedakonice – Říkovice section of the Břeclav – Přerov main line from 3 kV DC to 25 kV 50 Hz. The work forms part of SŽ’s ambitious programme to establish a unified ...
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NewsLimerick to Foynes railway reopening plan
IRELAND: Iarnród Éireann has invited expressions of interest in rehabilitation works for the reopening of the line from Limerick to Foynes on the Shannon estuary. The 42 km line which last saw a revenue train in 2000 would initially be reopened for freight, connecting Shannon Foynes ...
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In depthInfrastructure: Belgium learns to live with extreme weather
Infrabel CEO Benoit Gilson reflects on the devastating floods which paralysed the Belgian network in mid-2021, and explains how the infrastructure manager has started to adapt its operations and harden its assets to cope with the impact of extreme weather.
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NewsEx-RENFE coaches enter service with CP
PORTUGAL: The entry into service of CP’s first ex-RENFE ARCO locomotive-hauled coaches was marked by a ceremony at Valença on July 28, attended by Infrastructure Minister Pedro Nuno Santos and CP Vice-President Pedro Moreira.
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Metro Report InternationalHelsinki smart ticketing contract
FINLAND: Helsinki regional transport authority HSL has awarded Conduent Transportation a contract to supply fare collection equipment for buses, trams, trains, metros and ferries. There were 238 million passenger boardings on these services in 2021. The first phase of the project is scheduled to begin in ...
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NewsČD Cargo orders locomotives
CZECH REPUBLIC: ČD Cargo has signed a contract for Siemens Mobility to supply 10 Vectron MS electric locomotives with the A54 country package, a maximum speed of 160 km/h and ETCS Baseline 3. The multi-system locomotives will be approved for operation in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, ...
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NewsNew trains and more bicycle capacity in MoselLux operating contract
GERMANY: Rheinland-Pfalz transport authority SPNV-Nord and Saarland’s transport ministry have awarded DB Regio the contract to operate MoselLux passenger services on the route along the River Mosel valley, with significant service enhancements planned. The selection of DB Regio was announced on August 2 after a tendering ...
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NewsCombined transport data exchange established
EUROPE: Hupac, Kombiverkehr, Hoyer, Paneuropa, Lokomotion and Kombiterminal Ludwigshafen have formed DX Intermodal to develop a data hub connecting combined transport companies including rail and road operators and terminal managers. The system is based on the #EDIGES data exchange standard and allows access to timetables, bookings, ...