German railway news – Page 19
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NewsElectric train sale-and-leaseback deal finalised
GERMANY: Northrail has structured a sale-and-lease-back transaction for 29 Alstom Coradia Stream High-Capacity electric multiple-units which DB Regio ordered in April. The EMUs are to be used from December 2025 on Kinzigtal services on the Frankfurt – Wächtersbach – Fulda – Bebra route. The investment is ...
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NewsTransdev Rhein-Ruhr wins S7 operating contract
GERMANY: Transport authority VRR has awarded Transdev Rhein-Ruhr a contract to operate Wuppertal – Remscheid – Solingen passenger service S7 for five years from December 2023, with an option for a further three years. S7 services totalling 1·47 million train km-year run every 20 min and ...
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Metro Report InternationalHamburg groundbreaking marks start of U5 construction
GERMANY: Hamburg’s Mayor Peter Tschentscher has formally launched the construction of driverless metro Line U5 with a groundbreaking ceremony exactly a year to the day after the granting of planning approval for the first phase. Described by the city government as Germany’s largest inner-city transport project, ...
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In depthEastern Europe: War and supply chain turmoil put rail growth at risk
A deal which closed in January to create a joint venture with Slovenia’s state railway to run the SŽ-Tovorni Promet freight business is the latest in a series of expansionist moves by Czech private operator EP Logistics International. But future growth is under threat as the market outlook worsens, Executive Director Zbigniew Klepacki explains to Nick Kingsley.
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NewsAgreement to address staffing issues in operating tenders
GERMANY: An agreement to tackle staff shortages and address employee concerns when operating contracts change hands has been signed by Rhein-Ruhr transport authority VRR, the Eisenbahn- und Verkehrswerkschaft trade union and Mobifair, an industry group which aims to promote fair competition in the transport sector. VRR ...
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NewsCargoBeamer introduces Rostock – Kaldenkirchen route
GERMANY: CargoBeamer has launched a service of six return journeys per week carrying craneable and non-craneable semi-trailers as well as P400, refrigerated, silo and container units between the Cabooter terminal at Kaldenkirchen near the Dutch border and the Baltic port of Rostock. HSL Logistik provides traction, ...
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NewsWabtec awarded locomotive component maintenance contract
EUROPE: Leasing company Akiem has awarded Wabtec a five-year contract to maintain Alstom Prima and Traxx locomotive brake components, pantographs and HVAC in France and Germany. The companies will also work together to develop services including additive manufacturing, remote diagnostics and more sustainable HVAC refrigerants. The ...
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Metro Report InternationalStuttgart places LRV order as rack railcar enters service
GERMANY: Stuttgarter Strassenbahnen has awarded Stadler a contract to supply a further 40 light rail vehicles from 2025. The order announced on October 5 will take SSB’s fleet of Stadler LRVs to 100 vehicles of various types supplied since 2009, plus three rack railcars. There are ...
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NewsMore ICE services in next DB timetable
GERMANY: Opening of the Ulm – Wendlingen Neubaustrecke with the European timetable change on December 11 is set to trigger a series of alterations to Deutsche Bahn’s Inter-City Express network.
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NewsContainer wagon handling robot under development
GERMANY: An autonomous mobile robot with a gripper arm for the automated handling of folding pins on container wagons is being developed by Hamburger Hafen & Logistik and the Fraunhofer Centre for Maritime Logistics & Services. The pins are installed at various positions on container wagons ...
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NewsService increases and new trains in German operating contract
GERMANY: Berlin-Brandenburg transport authority VBB has awarded DB Regio Nordost the contract to operate Netz Nord-Süd passenger services on behalf of the Länder of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Sachsen-Anhalt. The contract runs for 12 years from December 2026 and covers services RE3 Schwedt/Stralsund – Berlin – ...
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NewsDeutsche Bahn sells Arriva businesses to private equity holding company
EUROPE: Deutsche Bahn has reached agreement to sell its Arriva local transport activities in Denmark, Poland and Serbia.
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In depthGermany: Farm shop concept spurs freight tram revival
Initially developed as a student project, a mobile ‘farm shop’ retail and freight service using a converted tram-train is being proposed for use on the regional rail network around Karlsruhe. This in turn could offer a more viable business model for other cargo tram initiatives.
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In depthGermany: Wendlingen - Ulm poised to open as Stuttgart21 costs rise again
Deutsche Bahn will open the Wendlingen – Ulm high speed line in December with the controversial Stuttgart 21 project following in stages from 2025 onwards. Toma Bačić reports.
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In depthTechnology: Keeping track of tram-trains
Enhanced control and supervision tools have been deployed to improve the operation of tram-trains around Karlsruhe, where portion working is a common but complicated process.
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NewsBattery Flirt answers Schleswig-Holstein’s decarbonisation question
GERMANY: Having decided to replace the diesel multiple-units currently used on non-electrified routes in the far north of Germany, the Land of Schleswig-Holstein called tenders for the supply of a fleet of zero-emission trains, leaving the choice of technology to bidders. Stadler proposed its Flirt Akku ...
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NewsDB accepts ‘Hulk’ hybrid 09 tamper
GERMANY: DB Bahnbau Gruppe named its latest track maintenance machine ‘Hulk’ at a joint ceremony with supplier Plasser & Theurer in the outdoor arena at InnoTrans on September 20.
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Metro Report International‘Most modern and innovative tram in Germany’ unveiled
INNOTRANS: Launch customer HEAG Mobilo of Darmstadt has unveiled the first TINA tram, which Stadler has designed from scratch as its next generation of light rail vehicle. Speaking at the unveiling at InnoTrans, head of HEAG Mobilo Ann-Kristina Natus said buying a ...
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NewsAlstom’s iLint claims record run on a single tank of hydrogen
INNOTRANS: Alstom’s iLint hydrogen-powered multiple-unit set what the manufacturer says is a world record on September 15 when it arrived in München having completed a journey of 1 175 km on a single tank of fuel.
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Rail Business UKIstanbul – London freight service planned by January
EUROPE: Planning is well advanced for the launch of a rail service carrying road semi-trailers between the Asian side of Istanbul and London via the Channel Tunnel, Albert Bastius, COO of TX Logistik, told Rail Business UK at the InnoTrans exhibition. The initiative is almost ready ...