Europe – Page 7
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NewsSlovakian Kiss EMUs enter service
SLOVAKIA: National operator ZSSK has put the first of its Stadler Kiss double-deck electric multiple-units into passenger service. ‘Today is an important milestone’, State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport Denisa Žiláková said at the launch at Nové Zámky station on February 15. ’For the first ...
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Metro Report InternationalValència urban rail expansion plans
SPAIN: València city council and operator FGV have announced plans to further expand the Metrovalencia urban rail network by 2030. Light rail Line 10 which currently runs 5·3 km from Alacant in the city centre to Natzaret is to be extended north from Natzaret to the ...
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NewsEuropean Commission investigates whether CRRC received market-distorting subsidy
BULGARIA: The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation into whether a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned rolling stock group CRRC received unfair subsidy enabling it to submit a low bid for a contract. The investigation announced on February 16 is the first under the Foreign Subsidies ...
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NewsBoard of Latvian operator quits over problems with new trains
LATVIA: The supervisory board of national passenger operator Pasažieru Vilciens, now branded Vivi, resigned at the end of January, saying they lacked the powers needed to address disruption resulting from faults with new trains. Sandis Šteins had headed the board since 2016, and resigned along with ...
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NewsRailpool signs 250-loco framework agreement
EUROPE: Leasing company Railpool and Siemens Mobility have signed a framework agreement for the supply of up to 250 Vectron locomotives. This covers variants that can operate in up to 16 countries and on north-south and east-west corridors in Europe. Depending on the variant, the 6·4 ...
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Metro Report InternationalConstruction of Wien tram Route 27 begins
AUSTRIA: Wien transport operator Wiener Linien has formally launched construction of tram Route 27, with opening planned for autumn 2025.
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NewsViewpoint: Faster freight trains are needed to save southeast Europe’s industry
Investment to raise the speeds of freight trains is needed to prevent deindustrialisation in the Balkans, says Philippe Rombaut, owner of Bulgarian fertiliser manufacturer Agropolychim which is investing in its own fleet of wagons
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In depthMiddle East: Visions of an inter-continental corridor
Proposals for the development of an India – Middle East – Europe ‘economic corridor’ were announced at the G20 summit in September 2023, but many questions remain about how the project might be implemented. Raghu Dayal investigates.
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NewsSmart Train Lease aims ‘to make renting trains as easy and simple as renting a car’
GERMANY: Siemens Mobility has established a leasing subsidiary that would enable train operators to use its Mireo Smart battery, hydrogen and electric multiple-units without needing to make long-term investment commitments. Smart Train Lease GmbH would make available at short notice multiple-units already approved for operation. These ...
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NewsSwiss railway collaboration to continue
SWITZERLAND: Collaboration between Swiss Federal Railways and the independent BLS is set to continue with the introduction of an additional longer distance service in December 2025. Taking advantage of the doubling of the 4 km Grellingen – Duggingen section in late 2025, BLS will introduce service ...
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NewsSBB orders more Giruno trains to boost Italian services
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has ordered five more Stadler Giruno 250 km/h inter-city trainsets to support a planned expansion of cross-border services to Italy. The SFr170m firm order announced on February 14 has been placed as an option on a SFr970m order for an initial 29 ...
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NewsPrototype Portuguese national train under development
PORTUGAL: A prototype national train is being developed under the Producing Railway Rolling Stock in Portugal initiative. Three inter-city coaches are to be manufactured by 2025, formed as a push-pull set including a first class car with driving cab and two standard class cars, one with ...
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NewsProcurement of Portugal’s broad gauge high speed line begins
PORTUGAL: Tenders have been called for the starter section of the proposed high speed corridor between Lisboa and Porto. The first tenders covers Stage 1 between Porto and Oiã near Aveiro. Infrastructure manager Infraestruturas de Portugal held a ceremony at its headquarters at Almada on January ...
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NewsEIB backs €2·6bn Croatian rail enhancement programme
CROATIA: The European Investment Bank and the government have signed a €900m loan agreement to support a €2·6bn programme to modernise around 500 km of regional railway lines and acquire rolling stock. ‘This loan will enable us to make further investments in railway infrastructure, for the ...
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NewsOslo EMU door and HVAC systems ordered
NORWAY: Wabtec is to deliver the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning units and door systems for up to 200 Coradia Stream electric multiple-units which Alstom is to supply to national rolling stock company Norske Tog. The first of the Class 77 EMUs ordered under the 2021 framework ...
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NewsIarnród Éireann awards GSM-R support contract
IRELAND: National railway Iarnród Éireann has awarded Kontron Transportation a long-term contract to support its existing GSM-R systems until a new generation of radio mobile communication system is deployed and approved for use. ‘As a driving force in the definition of future communication standards, we offer ...
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NewsPolish new line planning contracts awarded
POLAND: Infrastructure manager PKP PLK has awarded Infra Centrum Doradztwa contracts to produce documentation for the construction of a proposed Lublin – Łęczna – Bogdanka line and modernisation of the Chełm – Włodawa route. The proposed 25 km single track electrified would run from the regional ...
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NewsTrainline targets airport users during Super Bowl
USA: Ticket retailer Trainline is to show an advertisement for European rail travel on TV screens at US international airport terminals during Super Bowl LVIII commercial breaks, while on-screen adverts will appear during the game. ‘The Super Bowl has a near-mythical status in US culture and ...
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NewsFinland’s VR to acquire Swedish open access operator
SWEDEN: Finnish national train operator VR Group has agreed to acquire MTR Nordic’s Swedish open access passenger business MTR Express. MTRX launched open access services between Stockholm and Göteborg in 2015. It now runs 18 services a day using six Stadler Flirt X74 EMUs and with ...
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Metro Report InternationalPraha metro Line C to be automated
CZECH REPUBLIC: Praha city council has approved plans to automate the existing metro Line C. This would enable orders for trainsets, platform screen doors and CBTC to be combined with those for the future Line D which is currently being built for automatic operation. Deputy Mayor ...