Europe – Page 56
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NewsFirst Mireo Plus B battery-electric multiple-units enter service
GERMANY: An initial four Siemens Mobility Mireo Plus B battery-electric multiple-units entered passenger service on Netz 8 Ortenau routes in Baden-Württemberg on April 8. ‘We are writing a new chapter in railway history’, said the Land‘s transport minister Winfried Hermann. ’Trains operating in the Ortenau region ...
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NewsAs elections loom, rail advocates press for EU funding boost
EUROPE: Amid pressure on member states’ budgets and ongoing geopolitical instability, the rail sector used the Connecting Europe Days event in Brussels to urge EU policymakers to ensure investment is maintained in the next legislative period.
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NewsČD and RegioJet competition dispute settled
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD and Open access company RegioJet have agreed to end all legal proceedings relating to a dispute about competition on the Praha – Ostrava line Under the so-called Falcon Case, RegioJet had sought damages of up to KC717m, alleging that ČD had ...
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Metro Report InternationalBucurești tram contract finally awarded
ROMANIA: Electroputere VFU Pașcani is to supply 40 low-floor trams to București, after national arbitration body CNSC ordered the disputed contract to be awarded. The contract worth an estimated 300m lei was originally to have been awarded in 2020, but the budget was insufficient and concerns ...
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NewsMoldova applies to join OTIF
MOLDOVA: An application for accession to the Convention Concerning International Carriage by Rail has been submitted by Moldova. Unless five Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail member states object, the application will be deemed to be accepted three months after notification, which will be on ...
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NewsNext-generation Multi-Purpose Vehicle on test
SWEDEN: Railcare is testing its second-generation Multi-Purpose Vehicle, which has been developed with ABB and can both operate and charge its batteries via overhead electrification. ‘Combining electric power with the possibility of switching to battery power is an advantage on sites where there is no overhead ...
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Metro Report InternationalMilano transport operator targets French market
FRANCE: Executive Director Arrigo Giana tells Metro Report International about Milano transport operator ATM’s plans for international expansion.
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In depthComment: Multilateral initiatives still matter
Globalisation is facing a challenge in the railway industry as countries prioritise domestic production of trains. Nick Kingsley explores the drawbacks of this approach and the continued importance of international co-operation.
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NewsLong-distance electric-diesel-battery trainset unveiled
ITALY: Trenitalia has unveiled its first long-distance trainset which can operate on electric, diesel or battery power. Being supplied by Hitachi Rail, the HTR412 trainsets are equipped to operate in four modes: overhead electric power only, diesel only, battery only or hybrid battery plus diesel. It ...
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NewsLineas seeks FAME with biofuel locomotive
BELGIUM: Lineas has unveiled a FAME locomotive, powered by fatty acid methyl ester biofuel produced from non-food raw materials such as used cooking oil. Lineas said this offers a readily available alternative to diesel, and has been used in marine engines but not yet in locomotives. ...
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NewsErasmus+ Interrail pass launched to encourage sustainable travel
EUROPE: A dedicated Interrail Global pass has been launched to encourage sustainable travel and exploration by participants in the Erasmus+ education scheme. The passes developed by Interrail organisation Eurail and the Erasmus Student Network have a validity of four days in six months or six days ...
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Metro Report InternationalPraha tram extension to support housing development
CZECH REPUBLIC: Praha city council has instructed transport operator DPP to draw up plans for a tramway extension to the Komořany district to support residential redevelopment on two former industrial sites. The 2·6 km segregated double-track route serving five stops would branch off the existing network near ...
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NewsLocos ordered for Poland – France corridor
EUROPE: Polish company CLIP Intermodal has awarded Alstom a contract to supply 13 third-generation Traxx multi-system electric locomotives approved for use in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria and Poland. Sławomir Cyza, Managing Director of Alstom in Poland, Ukraine & the Baltic States, said the order announced ...
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Metro Report InternationalFacial recognition ticketing to be expanded
RUSSIA: Moskva Metro reports that 100 million trips have now been made using biometric payment, with the Russian-made system having ‘proven its utmost security and reliability’ and further deployment planned. Facial recognition cameras link a person to their payment option, removing the need for a ticket, ...
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NewsFinal ICE4 set delivered to Deutsche Bahn
GERMANY: At a ceremony in Berlin Hauptbahnhof on March 19 Deutsche Bahn took delivery of the final ICE4 trainset, which was named Spree to mark the occasion and ‘baptised’ with water from the river of the same name. Chairman of DB’s Management Board Dr Richard Lutz ...
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NewsRail skills shortage must be addressed to meet Europe’s environmental targets
EUROPE: Strategies to attract new talent to the rail sector were discussed at the Next–Gen Rail: Building The Workforce Of Tomorrow For the Rail Sector conference which was hosted by UNIFE in Brussels on March 27. Ideas discussed included retraining staff from other industries such as ...
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Metro Report InternationalLyon operating contract aims to provide ‘exemplary’ metro and tram services
FRANCE: Lyon transport authority Sytral Mobilités has awarded the Paris transport operator’s RATP Dev subsidiary the next contract to operate and maintain the city’s metro, tram and funicular services for 10 years from January 1 2025, as well as a future river shuttle service which is to launch in June 2025.
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NewsAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes operating contract includes rolling stock renewals
FRANCE: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes région has signed a contract with SNCF Voyageurs to operate local passenger services from 2024 to 2033.
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Metro Report InternationalCastor tram on test
RUSSIA: A Type 71-639 Castor tram developed by UKVZ has started dynamic testing in Chelyabinsk. At 25·75 m long and 2 500 mm wide, the Castor is the shortest three-section tram currently available for the Russian market. The six-axle 1 524 mm gauge vehicle has a ...
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Metro Report InternationalDolderbahn rack railcar unveiled
SWITZERLAND: Stadler has delivered the first of two railcars which it is supplying to re-equip the Dolderbahn rack railway in Zürich.