Europe – Page 41
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NewsFive steps to boost Belgian rail freight
BELGIUM: Privatised freight operator Lineas has called for Belgium’s national and regional governments to take five steps which it says are needed to improve the competitiveness of rail freight and help address road congestion, climate change and the energy transition. These are: Competitive fairness: the ...
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NewsFunding deal clinches Göteborg – Borås high speed line
SWEDEN: Funding has been agreed for construction of a 60 km high speed line between Göteborg and Borås, the second largest town in the Västra Götaland region. The existing line from Göteborg to Borås and Alvesta is single track and does not serve Landvetter Airport, which ...
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In depthRegulation: Putting customers at heart of DB InfraGO
In its biennial report published on July 1, Germany’s Monopolies Commission calls for measures governing DB InfraGO to be geared more directly to the needs of rail customers.
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NewsKoleje Małopolskie signs EMU framework agreement
POLAND: Koleje Małopolskie and Newag have signed a 1·3bn złoty framework contract for the purchase of six 3 kV DC electric multiple-units with an option for 19 more, Małopolskie voivodship announced on September 9. The 345m złoty firm order for six trainsets is being financed from ...
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NewsGrand Est cross-border fleet poised to enter service
EUROPE: Passengers in France’s Grand Est région travelling to and from destinations in Germany will soon be riding on a fleet of 30 electro-diesel Régiolis TFA trainsets built specifically for cross-border services. Unveiled on August 27 by regional President Franck Leroy and Transport Minister for Baden-Württemberg ...
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Metro Report InternationalSiemens Mobility to replace Europe’s largest light rail interlocking
GERMANY: Ruhrbahn has awarded Siemens Mobility a €180m contract to replace 1970s relay-based light rail signalling and control technology in Essen and Mülheim an der Ruhr with Trackguard digital equipment by 2031. The supplier says this includes digitalising Europe’s largest light rail interlocking at Essen Hbf, ...
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In depthFreight: Turnaround needed at DB Cargo
As Deutsche Bahn’s more flexible competitors eat into the rail freight market, drastic action is required to turn DB Cargo into a viable concern. Murray Hughes reports.
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Metro Report InternationalStrasbourg tramway expansion gains momentum
FRANCE: Tracklaying has begun on Strasbourg’s Tram Ouest project, and planning is under way for a northern expansion of the network. A ceremony was held on August 26 to officially install the first rail for the 4 km double track Tram Ouest extension of Route F ...
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In depthGermany: Makeover promises long-term stability
‘Too busy, too old and too kaputt’ was how Baden-Württemburg Transport Minister Winfried Hermann described the heavily used main line between Frankfurt and Mannheim. The 70 km route was closed on July 15 for a massive all-in-one rebuild, with reopening set for December 14.
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NewsMetre-gauge EMU order increased
EUROPE: Italian operator SSIF has placed a firm order for an additional four-car Stadler electric multiple-unit for use on the 1 000 mm gauge Domodossola – Locarno line which it operates in partnership with its Swiss counterpart FART. This takes SSIF’s total order to four units. ...
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NewsMoldova joins the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail
MOLDOVA: Moldova has become the 52nd Member of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail. Based in Switzerland, OTIF is the intergovernmental organisation which develops a unified legal framework for railways which is applied by countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. Moldova’s application for accession ...
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Metro Report InternationalZagreb tram order signed
CROATA: A firm order for Končar KEV to supply a further 20 low-floor trams to Zagreb operator ZET was signed by Mayor Tomislav Tomaševićs on September 3. A €37·8m order for an initial 20 trams was signed in June 2023, financed by the EU-backed National Recovery ...
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In depthInterview: Record funding is flowing – but Germany’s railway must deliver
The building blocks to turn round performance on Germany’s national network are being put in place thanks to an unprecedented investment programme, but Deutsche Bahn and infrastructure arm DB InfraGO must deliver on their promises, warns Federal Minister for Digital & Transport Dr Volker Wissing. Murray Hughes put the questions.
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Metro Report InternationalDriverless tram begins passenger-carrying test runs
RUSSIA: A tram converted for driverless operation has begun passenger-carrying test running on Route 10 in Moskva. Operator Moskva Metro and the Centre for Electric Transport & Driverless Technologies have fitted the PK TS 71-911EM Lvyonok singe-section tram with six cameras and four lidar and three ...
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In depthComment: Contrasting approaches to fixing things
The transport ministers of Britain and Germany are taking contrasting approaches to addressing the problems facing their railways. Dr Volker Wissing believes management reorganisation cannot solve DB’s problems, but his counterpart Louise Haigh is taking the opposite view with Labour’s rail reforms. Nick Kingsley suggests they could learn much from each other.
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NewsGotthard Base Tunnel fully reopens after derailment damage is repaired
SWITZERLAND: The 57 km Gotthard Base Tunnel has fully reopened, 389 days after a derailed freight train caused extensive damage to the slab track in the western bore of the world’s longest railway tunnel. ‘The Gotthard Base Tunnel is not only a connection between German-speaking Switzerland ...
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NewsSpanish high speed lines to be linked by chord
SPAIN: High speed rail infrastructure manager ADIF Alta Velocidad has awarded Vías y Construcciones a €40m civil works contract for the construction of a chord at Olmedo to enable through running between the Galicia and Asturias/Burgos high speed lines. The 8·2 km link will be located ...
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Metro Report InternationalRhein-Ruhr fares reform to cut through the ‘tariff jungle’
GERMANY: Rhein-Ruhr transport association VRR is to implement its largest-ever fares reform in March 2025, aiming to clear the ‘tariff jungle’ by eliminating 500 of the current 650 ticket types and reducing the number of price levels from seven to three. VRR is committing to the ...
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Metro Report InternationalKarlsruhe tram-trains get smarter operations control
GERMANY: Tram-trains operating around Karlsruhe are to be equipped with the DatNet operations control system from ETC Solutions GmbH, boosting the capability of the existing onboard Intermodal Transport Control System supplied by Karlsruhe-based INIT. ITCS provides constant communication between moving vehicles and the operator’s central control ...
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NewsBulgarian EMU order signed as previous procurements hit problems
BULGARIA: The Ministry of Transport & Communications has signed a contract for Škoda Group to supply 20 four-car 160 km/h electric-multiple units for use on long distance services from Sofia to Burgas, Varna and Ruse. The 25 kV AC 50 Hz EMUs from the Czech manufacturer’s ...