Europe – Page 255
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NewsModernised platskartny coach enters service
RUSSIA: The first platskartny coach to be modernised by the Vagonremmash factory in Tambov re-entered revenue service on March 18, following the completion of testing and certification. It is to be used on trains 19/20 Rostov-na-Donu – Moscow and 11/12 Anapa – Moscow. Platskartny coaches offer the most basic, and ...
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NewsTilting train service direct award planned
GERMANY: The Land of Thüringen has given advance notice of its intention to directly award incumbent DB Regio a new contract to continue to operate a group of regional passenger services which require the use of tilting diesel-multiple units to achieve the required timings. The Land said a direct award ...
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NewsStation regeneration to create a gateway to Vilnius
LITHUANIA: The Vilnius Connect programme to revitalise the capital’s main station and its surroundings has been designated as a project of regional importance by the city council. Mayor Remigijus Šimašius said the project to create a modern European gateway to the city would be inspired by the ‘best examples of ...
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Rail Business UKOverhead Line Electrification for Railways
Book Review Overhead Line Electrification for Railways By Garry Keenor Developed over several years by an experienced electrification engineer, this book is intended to provide ‘an approachable and reasonably comprehensive’ study of overhead electrification systems, setting out ‘the why as well as the what’ for readers with some basic engineering ...
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Metro Report InternationalTransport for London joins the London Connectory
UK: Transport for London has started an 18-month collaboration with Bosch Connected Mobility Solutions to develop ‘smart mobility’ projects. The collaboration forms part of the newly created London Connectory, established by Bosch and Nitrous. This aims to bring together public-sector, private-sector and academic partners. TfL hopes to use this ...
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NewsLithuanian Railways restructuring underway
LITHUANIA: The restructuring of national railway Lietuvos Geležinkeliai into a state-owned holding company with stand-alone passenger, freight and infrastructure business is underway, with completion planned for the second quarter of this year. LG said the change was intended to increase transparency and operational efficiency and to comply with the requirements ...
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NewsEdinburgh tram extension to Newhaven approved
UK: Edinburgh city council has approved an extension of the city’s tram line from York Place to Newhaven. Construction is due to commence following a six-month early contractor involvement period that is due to begin at the end of March. A joint venture of Sacyr, Farrans and Neopul has ...
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NewsDB unveils details of ECx Talgos
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn has announced further details of the 23 push-pull trains that it ordered from Talgo for €550m in February as part of a framework contract for up to 100 trainsets. At an event in Berlin on March 13 attended by the government’s Commissioner for Rail and Parliamentary Secretary ...
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Rail Business UKCost of UK electrification could be cut by half
UK: Better planning of projects, wider adoption of best practice and a long-term commitment to a rolling programme could reduce the cost of overhead line electrification by between 33% and 50%, according to a report published by the UK’s Railway Industry Association on March 14. The Electrification Cost Challenge review ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
The Department for Transport has invited stakeholder views on the interoperability of the draft Control Command & Signalling, Energy, Noise, Operations & Traffic Management, Safety in Railway Tunnels and Rolling Stock - Wagons National Technical Specification Notices, which would replace the EU’s Technical Specifications for Interoperability in the event of ...
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NewsMayor inaugurates Eskişehir tram extension
TURKEY: Eskişehir mayor Yılmaz Büyükerşen inaugurated an extension of the city’s metre-gauge tram network on March 10 at a ceremony at the former eastern terminus of Açelya. The 3 km eastern extension to Sehir Hastanesi adds four stops. A further extension from Sehir Hastanesi to Sultandere is planned. ...
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NewsItalian line reopens
ITALY: Passenger services on the Ruvo – Corato section of Ferrotramviaria’s 70 km Bari – Barletta line restarted on March 4, having been suspended while the line was upgraded following a head-on collision on July 12 2016 in which 23 people were killed and 54 injured. The work has included ...
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NewsFour tram lines planned for Bologna
ITALY: Bologna Mayor Virginio Merola announced on March 7 that the city plans to build a four-line tram network. A request for central government funding has been made and a response is expected later in the year. The first line, designated as the Red Line, would serve ...
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NewsRail Baltica passenger and freight service plan unveiled
EUROPE: Rail Baltica project promoter RB Rail has unveiled details of the proposed operational plan for the future 1 435 mm gauge line running 870 km from the Polish border to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The operational plan for 2026–56 has been developed by ETC Gauff Mobility, COWI and Institut ...
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NewsDurmazlar unveils its first tram for Istanbul
TURKEY: Durmazlar unveiled the first tram that it is supplying for the future route T5 in Istanbul on March 11. According to the manufacturer, the styling is intended to evoke waves. The Bursa-based manufacturer signed a contract in January 2018 for the supply of 30 trams. These would run ...
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NewsVR selects Stadler to supply diesel locomotives
FINLAND: Stadler has been selected for a contract to supply 60 diesel shunting locomotives, national railway VR Group announced on March 11. The contract, which is expected to be finalised during April, would be worth approximately €200m, with deliveries scheduled for 2022-25. There would be an option for a further ...
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NewsNature influences Nantes tram concept
FRANCE: Consultancy RCP Design Global has unveiled its proposed design for the next generation of trams to be deployed in Nantes, where a fleet renewal programme is envisaged. Nantes has a three-route tram network covering 44 km which opened in 1985; its current fleet comprises 46 TFS1 vehicles dating from ...
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NewsSiemens unveils Dual-Mode Vectron
GERMANY: The first of two prototype Vectron Dual-Mode locomotives was formally unveiled at the Siemens Mobility plant in München-Allach on March 11. Announced at InnoTrans 2018 last September, the 160 km/h Bo-Bo electro-diesel locomotive is intended to fill a gap in the Vectron range, and is intended primarily for freight ...
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NewsEKE buys predictive maintenance software company Humaware
EUROPE: Finnish train automation and onboard data system supplier EKE-Electronics has bought Humaware, a UK firm specialising in predictive condition monitoring analytics. Humaware’s software was originally developed for use with helicopters, and is now used by rail customers including Network Rail and London Underground. EKE-Electronics plans to combine Humaware’s ...
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NewsRevenue up but one-time events hit VTG earnings
VTG: Wagon leasing and rail and tank-container logistics company VTG has announced unaudited group revenue of €1·07bn for 2018, with the 5·7% year-on-year growth attributed to increased demand which saw capacity utilisation reaching 93·5% at the end of the year, the highest for 10 years. The acquisition of Nacco also ...