Europe – Page 21
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Metro Report InternationalEnhanced ‘comfort and convenience’ as Berlin S-Bahn fleet delivery completed
GERMANY: All 106 of the Class 483/484 Berlin S-Bahn trainsets ordered from a consortium of Siemens Mobility and Stadler are now in traffic, following the entry into service of the final set after a ceremony at Charlottenburg on September 18. ‘The longer trains offer more seats; ...
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NewsHitachi Rail restarts EU approval process for Thales GTS acquisition
EUROPE: Hitachi Rail has refiled its merger notification with the European Commission, formally restarting the clearance process for its proposed acquisition of Thales’s Ground Transportation Systems business in the EU. Regulatory approvals have been obtained in 11 of the 13 required jurisdictions since the planned €1·66bn ...
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Metro Report InternationalMoskva Central Diameter 4 launched
RUSSIA: The fourth and longest of the Moskva Central Diameter cross-city suburban commuter lines has been launched. The 86 km MCD-4 was inaugurated on September 9 by President Vladimir Putin and Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin. The route covers 86 km from Aprelevka in the west ...
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Metro Report InternationalBerlin tram route M10 extended west to Moabit
GERMANY: A 2·2 km extension of Berlin tram route M10 from Hauptbahnhof to Turmstraße U-Bahn station on Line U9 opened for revenue service on September 9, restoring tram services to the Moabit district after an absence of around 60 years.
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NewsMore trains and Spanish connections planned as SNCF signs Occitanie operating contract
FRANCE: The Occitanie région has directly awarded SNCF Voyageurs a €4bn contract to operate regional passenger trains for 10 years, and has set a target of increasing ridership from 80 000 to 100 000 passengers/day as soon as possible. President of the région Carole Delga said ...
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NewsIrish diesel loco to be converted to hydrogen fuel
IRELAND: National railway Iarnród Éireann is to work with Latvian traction technology company DiGas to undertake a proof-of-concept conversion of a diesel locomotive to use hydrogen in its existing engine. IÉ will provide one of its EMD-built Class 071 locomotive dating from the 1970s for the ...
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NewsAlstom training programme seeks Spanish students and graduates
SPAIN: Alstom has launched a further edition of its Talent Energy internship programme in Spain, aimed at students in the final year of a bachelor’s or master’s degree as well as recent graduates. Now in its 11th year, the initiative combines academic and professional experience ...
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NewsIndependent operator enters Montenegro’s rail freight market
MONTENEGRO: Kombinovani Prevoz Montenegro ran the first independently operated freight train in the country on September 9. KPM is part of the Kombinovani Prevoz Group, which is based in Serbia and has subsidiaries in Croatia and Montenegro. The group has over 200 employees and more than ...
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NewsNevomo hails magnetic levitation test success
POLAND: Technology company Nevomo says it has successfully completed tests to demonstrate the potential for passive levitation of vehicles on existing railway infrastructure.
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In depthItaly: Bringing rail and air closer together
Infrastructure manager RFI is embarking on a programme to complete rail links to airports in Venezia, Bergamo, Brindisi, Olbia and Alghero by the end of 2026, while a major reconfiguration of the rail network around Milano Malpensa is also in hand. Benjámin Zelki reports.
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NewsOpen access start-up Le Train raises funding
FRANCE: Aspiring open access operator Le Train has raised a further €8m to support its plans to launch passenger services from Bordeaux to Angoulême, Poitiers, Tours, Nantes and Rennes. The funding was raised from Aquiti Gestion, Charente Périgord Expansion, Naco and Tudigo, joining existing investors Crédit ...
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Metro Report InternationalTorino trams begin entering service
ITALY: The first of 70 trams which Hitachi Rail’s Napoli plant is supplying to Torino transport operator GTT entered service on September 11, following an official unveiling by the mayor the previous week The trams have been ordered under a May 2020 framework agreement. A €63·4m ...
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In depthItaly: Deadline catalyses enhancement programme
No less than €24·7bn has been allocated to rail investment from the EU’s Recovery & Resilience Fund, giving RFI the opportunity to accelerate a vast programme of enhancements across the network. However, the RRF funding comes with a strict 2026 deadline for project completion. Benjámin Zelki investigates the largest elements of the plans.
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Metro Report InternationalKraków fast tram route opens
POLAND: A 3·6 km section of fast tram line in the northern suburbs of Kraków was officially inaugurated on September 4. The extension from Krowodrza Górka to Papierni Pradnickich is served by routes 18 and 50. Work is still underway on the remaining 900 m of route ...
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NewsOrigami train manufacturing plan
SWEDEN: Alstom is investigating how origami-inspired manufacturing techniques from Stockholm-based design and technology company Stilfold could be used to make rolling stock production more sustainable. Stilfold’s patented ‘industrial origami’ inspired by the Japanese art of paper folding involves the use of robotic arms to fold flat ...
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Metro Report InternationalOsijek orders Končar KEV trams
CROATIA: City transport operator GPP Osijek has ordered 10 low-floor trams from Končar KEV. The contract signed on September 6 is worth €25m, of which €20m is coming from the 2021-26 National Recovery & Resilience Plan. The three-section trams will be 20·8 m long with a ...
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NewsReplacement rolling stock components 3D printed
AUSTRIA: Faced with the need to source replacements for obsolete components which are used to reduce vibration and prevent dust and moisture ingress on multiple-units, Austrian Federal Railways’ rolling stock maintenance business ÖBB Train Tech approached Chromatic to discuss the possibility of using 3D printed parts. ...
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NewsThree prequalify for København automated train contract
DENMARK: Three potential bidders have prequalified for a contract to supply at least 226 fully automatic electric mutiple-units for the København S-bane suburban network.
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Metro Report InternationalWrocław tram extension opens
POLAND: Revenue services on a 4·7 km tramway extension in Wrocław began on September 3. Opened with a formal ceremony the previous day, the extension runs from Park Biznesu to Nowy Dwór P+R main line station in the west of the city. It is served by ...
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NewsDivača – Koper railway systems contract awarded
SLOVENIA: Project promoter 2TDK has signed a €203·8m contract with a consortium of SŽ-Železniško gradbeno podjetje, Kolektor IGIN, GH Holding and YM Construction for the supply of railway systems for the second track from Divača to the port of Koper. 2TDK announced the signing of its ...