Europe – Page 251
-
NewsLéman Express cross-border EMU unveiled
EUROPE: The first completed Alstom electric multiple-unit for the Léman Express cross-border regional passenger service between Genève in Switzerland and destinations in France was unveiled at the manufacturer's Reichshoffen factory on April 10. SNCF has ordered 17 EMUs from Alstom’s Coradia Polyvalent family, known as Régiolis by the operator. The ...
-
NewsDual-fuel locomotive on test
LATVIA: The prototype conversion of a ČME3 diesel shunting locomotive to dual-fuel gas operation has attracted international interest, with representatives of French gas supplier GRDF and the city of Lille recently visiting Riga to see the loco in action. National railway LDz and Riga-based DiGAS launched the pilot project two ...
-
Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
c2c has begun introducing the PICO4UK ticket issuing system, which by the end of the year will replace seven separate legacy retailing systems to integrate its ticket machines, ticket offices, website and app. PICO4UK has been developed for the UK market to replicate a system which parent company Trenitalia has ...
-
NewsMetrans orders Vectron locomotives
EUROPE: Hamburger Hafen & Logistik subsidiary Metrans has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to supply 10 Vectron MS locomotives for use on cross-border freight service in central and eastern Europe. The order announced on April 10 includes the 900th Vectron to be sold. Deliveries from Siemens Mobility’s ...
-
Rail Business UKSouth Eastern franchise award delayed
UK: The start of the next South Eastern passenger franchise has been delayed ‘while we make a decision on the competition’, Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling confirmed to parliament on April 9. The Department for Transport is negotiating a short-term extension to its current agreement with Govia. This ...
-
Rail Business UKBimode and hydrogen trains as Abellio wins next East Midlands franchise
UK: The Department for Transport named Abellio as the winner of the next East Midlands passenger franchise on April 10. Formal award is subject to a regulatory standstill period. The contract is due to begin on August 18 2019 and run until at least August 21 2027, with DfT having ...
-
NewsReal-time insight into port’s rail traffic
NETHERLANDS: Port of Rotterdam Authority has launched the OnTrack application, which provides real-time insight into rail flows within the port and its terminals. The aim is to inform operators’ planning processes and help shippers anticipate any deviations from the schedules. At present, most terminals use their own planning system ...
-
Metro Report InternationalNaming ceremony for Grand Paris Express TBM
FRANCE: The first tunnel boring machine to excavate metro Line 14 South of the Grand Paris Express network was named at a ceremony at Thiais on April 3. Next month, TBM Claire will start boring the initial 4·5 km section of tunnel between the future Pont de Rungis station ...
-
Metro Report InternationalMessina tramway saved from closure
ITALY: The Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport has allocated €100m for an extension and upgrade of the Messina tram line. The funding would be put towards construction of a northern extension of the route from Annunziata to serve the university. Other planned improvements to be funded by the government ...
-
NewsTransmashholding sales up
RUSSIA: Rolling stock manufacturer Transmashholding has announced a 44% year-on-year increase in sales to 224·8bn roubles for 2018. Sales of single-deck coaches were up 62% to 696, while sales of double-deck coaches were up 59% to 65. The company launched a major project to update its range of coaches, and ...
-
NewsDB tests talking robot head
GERMANY: A robot head which smiles at passengers and greets them with ‘My name is FRAnny. How can I help you?’ is being tested by Deutsche Bahn’s information technology arm DB Systel and airport operator Fraport. The initial trial is at Frankfurt airport, with trials at Berlin Hbf planned for ...
-
Metro Report InternationalCubic awarded Irish mobile ticketing contract
IRELAND: The National Transport Authority has awarded Cubic Transportation Systems a contract worth more than US$4m to supply and maintain a mobile ticketing system. This will included a mobile app enabling users to purchase and present tickets for multiple operators. It is to be piloted on a number of Bus ...
-
NewsDB stops accepting ICE4 trains after welding issues discovered
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn has stopped accepting deliveries of new ICE4 trainsets, after it emerged that bodyshell welding had not been carried out as prescribed. Siemens Mobility is the general contractor for the ICE4 fleet under a framework contract awarded in May 2011, with subcontractor Bombardier Transportation responsible around 30% of ...
-
NewsGas fuelled railcar pilot project planned
ITALY: A memorandum of understanding setting out plans to test the conversion of diesel railcars to run on natural gas has been signed by national railway FS Group, rolling stock manufacturer Hitachi Rail Italy and gas supply infrastructure company Snam. Trenitalia plans to provide one or two ALn668 or ALn663 ...
-
NewsCustoms buildings handed over as Eurotunnel prepares for Brexit
FRANCE: On April 4 Eurotunnel officially handed over to the French authorities buildings intended for customs, veterinary and phytosanitary inspection services. The Douane-SIVEP control centre will be open 24/7 for Ministry of Agriculture officials and customs officers. It provides nine unloading docks, a refrigerated storage area, 100 parking spaces ...
-
NewsHamburg-Holstein becomes next eCitaro customer
GERMANY: Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein has ordered 16 Mercedes-Benz eCitaro electric buses. Deliveries under the contract announced on April 4 are due to take place at the end of 2019. The buses will have three sets of double doors, a multi-function area and USB charging ports. They will be equipped with ...
-
NewsTatra-Yug tram presented in Kyiv
UKRAINE: Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Deputy Mayor Dmytro Davtyan officially inaugurated a Tatra-Yug tram for the city on April 2. On December 18 operator Kyivpastrans signed a 428·9m hryvnia contract with Tatra-Yug for the supply of 10 trams to replace some of the current fleet operating ...
-
NewsSweden to fund international night trains
SWEDEN: Overnight trains connecting Sweden with several international European destinations are to be introduced as part of government proposals to facilitate environmentally-friendly transport. Infrastructure Minister Tomas Eneroth announced on March 31 that the Social Democratic, Centre and Green parties had reached agreement to include a SKr50m framework grant in the ...
-
Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee published a report into delays to the Crossrail project on April 3, saying a 'fixation' on a delivery deadline of December 2018 led to signs that the programme was in trouble being missed or ignored. 'It is clear that the delivery deadline of ...
-
Rail Business UKFirst look inside new Caledonian Sleeper trains
UK: London to Scotland overnight train operator Caledonian Sleeper has unveiled the interiors of its new coaches, which are being built by CAF in northern Spain. Entry into service had originally been scheduled for April 2018 but is now expected by the end of May. The Lowlander route between London ...