Europe – Page 234
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NewsETCS roll-out underway
CZECH REPUBLIC: Infrastucture manager SŽDC has begun the installation of ETCS Level 2 on the 108 km Česká Třebová – Přerov route which connects the country’s two principal corridors 1 and 2. The work is being carried out by AŽD Praha at a cost of KC386m, with €11·9m to ...
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NewsMÁV domestic coach production gathers pace
HUNGARY: Following on from two prototype vehicles produced in 2014-15, a series batch of 20 IC+ hauled coaches for international trains has been completed by national railway holding MÁV. The vehicles have been produced in-house at MÁV’s Szolnok workshop. They have been funded by the company and contain more ...
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NewsVossloh sales up as rationalisation progresses
VOSSLOH: Reporting its half-year results on July 25, Vossloh Group announced that sales had increased by 4·6% to €437·1m from €418·1m for the first six months of 2018. An 18·6% increase in orders received to €568·9m had helped to lift the group’s order backlog by 33·7% to €726·9m at the ...
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NewsCDG Express trains ordered
FRANCE: The Hello Paris consortium selected to operate the CDG Express airport rail link has ordered 13 electric multiple-units to run the service at a cost of €160m, Alstom confirmed on August 1. CDG Express will run for 32 km between Paris-Est and Charles-de-Gaulle airport Terminal 2, using a ...
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NewsCzech regional line to be upgraded for 160 km/h
CZECH REPUBLIC: Infrastructure manager SŽDC and contractors Subterra, OHL ŽS and EŽ Praha have begun work to electrify and modernise the 29 km Olomouc – Uničov line by mid-2021. This will be SŽDC’s first regional line to be upgraded to allow 160 km/h operation. The EU is covering part ...
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NewsTelevic Rail acquires information systems supplier GSP
EUROPE: Belgian communications and control technology company Televic Rail has acquired German train, metro and tram passenger information system supplier GSP Sprachtechnologie as part of its international growth strategy. The acquisition ‘gives us greater access to the highly attractive German market and the larger Germany, Austria and Switzerland region’, ...
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NewsPassenger trains start to serve Yakutsk
RUSSIA: Regular passenger trains have started running on the northern section of the Yakutia Railway, following celebrations on July 27 attended by State Counsellor Vyacheslav Shtyrov, on behalf of the President of the Sakha Republic Aisen Nikolayev. Formal approval of the line for passenger operation was granted on July ...
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Rail Business UKAzuma launches on Flying Scotsman
UK: East Coast Main Line operator LNER launched its Hitachi-built Class 800 Azuma trainsets on Anglo-Scottish services on August 1, deploying one of the electro-diesel units on its flagship 05.40 Flying Scotsman service from Edinburgh to London King’s Cross and the 17.30 return working. Class 800s have been operating ...
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Metro Report InternationalRobel takes stake in Vogel & Plötscher
GERMANY: Track maintenance plant supplier Robel has taken a majority stake in Vogel & Plötscher GmbH, which specialises in track measurement systems and electric drives. Based at Breisach in Baden-Württemberg, Vogel & Plötscher will continue to trade as an independent business following the acquisition of a 70% stake in ...
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NewsRidership surge prompts SNCF to order more TGVs
FRANCE: SNCF Mobilités announced an order for 12 double-deck TGVs on July 31 as part of its fleet renewal strategy. Branded TGV Océane by the operator, the Avelia Euroduplex trainsets are to be supplied by Alstom for use on routes between Paris and Metz and Nancy in eastern ...
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NewsMonopolies Commission urges more competition on German network
GERMANY: Further separation of infrastructure provider DB Netz from the Deutsche Bahn group is amongst a raft of measures recommended by the Monopolies Commission to enhance quality and competition on the rail network. In its seventh report, published on July 25, the Commission highlights the need for better service ...
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NewsSakhalin diesel railcars outshopped
RUSSIA: Three Class RA3 diesel multiple-units to operate regauged regional railway routes on Sakhalin were formally unveiled by Transmashholding on July 26, at a ceremony attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Sakhalin oblast government Vitaly Gudin, RZD’s Deputy General Director, Passenger, Dmitry Pegov, and the First Deputy General Director ...
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Metro Report InternationalAlstom to supply 42 metro trainsets to Barcelona
SPAIN: Barcelona metro operator TMB has selected Alstom for a contract to supply 42 five-car trainsets. Signing of the €268·1m contract is expected in late September. CRRC Qingdao Sifang and CAF also bid. Alstom is to supply 24 trains for Line 1 and 18 for Line 3. The ...
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Rail Business UKNine recommendations for rail in northern England
Nine recommendations are set out in a review of the Rail North Partnership between the Department for Transport and Transport for the North which manages the Northern and TransPennine Express passenger franchises. UK: Nine recommendations are set out in a review of the Rail North Partnership between ...
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NewsLegal row over track safety rule change
BELGIUM: Infrastructure manager Infrabel said on July 30 that it had been forced to defend itself and changes in its maintenance policy in a case brought before the Brussels Francophone Business Court by freight operator Lineas. Services run by Lineas and other operators had been affected by ...
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NewsČD Cargo EffiShunter locomotives unveiled
CZECH REPUBLIC: ČD Cargo has taken delivery of the prototype Class 742.71 EffiShunter 1000M Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive which CZ Loko has produced by extensively rebuilding a ČKD-built Class 742. ČD Cargo ordered 50 of the locomotives for shunting and light main line duties in a KC2·1bn contract ...
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Rail Business UKAbellio orders East Midlands inter-city fleet
UK: Hitachi Rail has been selected to supply a fleet of 200 km/h inter-city trains to operate on the Midland Main Line, as part of the new East Midlands Railway franchise, where Abellio is due to take over from incumbent operator Stagecoach on August 18. The NS subsidiary announced ...
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NewsŠkoda signs Latvian EMU contract
LATVIA: National passenger operator Pasažieru Vilciens has signed the €240m contract for Škoda Vagonka to supply a fleet of 32 dual-system EMUs for the Riga suburban network, the manufacturer announced on July 30. Škoda Vagonka was named as preferred bidder in February, after procurement monitoring agency IUB blocked an ...
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NewsAustria referred to court over driver certification
AUSTRIA: The European Commission announced on July 25 that it would refer Austria to the Court of Justice of the EU for failing to comply with rules regarding the certification of train drivers. At present, the licensing of train drivers in Austria is managed by SCHIG, the public railway ...
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NewsMixed progress with Czech ETCS tenders
CZECH REPUBLIC: ČD has awarded the first contract for the installation of ETCS on its fleet, but has halted the tendering process for other contracts. AŽD Praha and ČD-Telematika are to equip 102 Class 162 and 362 electric locomotives by 2022 at a cost of KC1·4bn, with 39% of ...