German railway news – Page 44
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NewsTechnology for clearer station announcements
GERMANY: A public address system which Berlin-based start-up Holoplot has developed with the aim of providing clearer announcements is being trialled on the underground S-Bahn platforms at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, where the high frequency of train services means announcements must be made at very short intervals. Holoplot has installed 23 ...
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NewsRail expansion at Hamburg container terminal
GERMANY: Hamburger Hafen & Logistik has completed a project to expand the rail facilities at its Container Terminal Burchardkai in the Port of Hamburg. Work to increase capacity of HHLA’s largest container facility by 25% to 850 000 TEU/year has included the installation two additional tracks and two Kocks Ardelt ...
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NewsDMUs delivered for freight line’s passenger launch
GERMANY: Local freight railway Bentheimer Eisenbahn has taken delivery of the first two of the five Alstom Coradia Lint 41 diesel multiple-units which it has ordered to enable the reintroduction of passenger services on the 30 km Bad Bentheim – Nordhorn – Neuenhaus route. Passenger services had been replaced by ...
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NewsDB sets out five-point improvement plan
GERMANY: Passengers travelling with Deutsche Bahn can expect to see better punctuality and performance later this year thanks to a package of ‘step-by-step’ improvements announced on January 17. Presented to Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer and other government representatives by CEO Dr Richard Lutz on January 17, and board members Ronald ...
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NewsErmewa buys intermodal wagon fleet
EUROPE: SNCF’s wagon leasing subsidiary Ermewa announced on January 14 that it had acquired the intermodal fleet of Macquarie European Rail. The fleet comprises almost 600 vehicles made up of 60 ft, 80 ft and 90 ft container wagons. Ermewa says that the acquisition would ‘further strengthen’ its position in ...
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NewsState aid for road to rail freight shift approved
GERMANY: A German state aid programme designed to promote a shift of freight from road to rail has been given the go-ahead by the European Commission. A total of €350m is being made available in 2018-23 to cover up to 45% of the track access charges paid by freight operators, ...
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NewsDMUs to bring a ‘qualitative quantum leap’ for Bayerische Oberlandbahn
GERMANY: Bayerische Oberlandbahn has awarded Alstom a contract to supply 25 two-car Coradia Lint diesel multiple-units, which it plans to use from mid-2020 on the regional routes running south from München to Holzkirchen, Lenggries, Tegernsee and Bayrischzell. They are expected to replace the Jenbach-built Integral DMUs introduced ...
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NewsBayerische Oberlandbahn wins Chiemgau-Berchtesgaden operating contract
GERMANY: Following an open tender, Bayern railway agency BEG has awarded the Chiemgau-Berchtesgaden passenger operating contract to Transdev company Bayerische Oberlandbahn. The contract covers operations on the 19 km Freilassing – Berchtesgaden line for 15 years from December 2021, and on the 13 km Traunstein – Ruhpolding branch for 14 ...
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NewsFerlemann demands ‘fundamental reform’ of DB
GERMANY: State Secretary for Transport Enak Ferlemann has instructed Deutsche Bahn to come up with a proposal for a revised business structure that would deliver a higher level of performance. Calling for initial proposals to be made available in January, he told Welt am Sonntag that he expected the DB ...
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NewsDresden to house national rail research centre
GERMANY: Federal funding of €5m has been allocated in the 2019 budget to establish a national railway research centre in Dresden. The centre’s work will focus on researching and developing new types of traction drive technology and other areas of railway engineering. Economics Minister for the Land of Sachsen Martin ...
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NewsGo-Ahead and Transdev selected for Bayern operating contracts
GERMANY: Bayern railway authority BEG named the preferred bidders for two Augsburger Netze passenger operating contracts on December 7. Award of the contracts is subject to no objections being received during the 10-day regulatory standstill period. Go-Ahead is preferred bidder for Lot 1, which is to be awarded by ...
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NewsSiemens presents first Mireo EMU
GERMANY: Siemens presented the first Mireo electric multiple-unit at its Wildenrath test facility on December 6. The aluminium-bodied modular articulated EMU design is intended for commuter and regional services. DB Regio became the launch customer in February 2017 when it placed a firm order for 24 three-car units. These ...
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NewsRhein-Ruhr-Express trains are ready to roll
GERMANY: The first Desiro HC EMUs being built for Rhein-Ruhr Express services by Siemens Mobility are on course to enter service with the December 9 timetable change, following their formal approval by the Federal Railway Office using its new authorisation process. Under a €1·7bn contract from a consortium of local ...
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NewsBaden-Württemberg backs ETCS in Stuttgart
GERMANY: The Land of Baden-Württemberg agreed in principle on November 27 to support proposals for the roll-out of the European Train Control System and digital interlockings in the Stuttgart region by 2030. The Baden-Württemberg cabinet has authorised the Land transport ministry to enter into financing negotiations with the federal government, ...
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NewsDB orders wagons from Russian supplier UWC
GERMANY: Russian manufacturer United Wagon Co has won what it says is a ‘major breakthrough’ order to supply wagons to Deustche Bahn, beating rival bids submitted by ‘leading companies from Europe and the USA’. The order announced on November 27 covers 130 Sggrs80 articulated container flat wagons which will be ...
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NewsHydrogen train operation planned
GERMANY: The Länder of Brandenburg and Berlin are planning the joint award of a contract for the development and operation of hydrogen fuel cell powered trains on the RB27 Heidekrautbahn route. The proposed contract would start in December 2022 and run for 15 years, a length selected to provide experience ...
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NewsNiedersachsen awards fleet refurbishment contract
GERMANY: Niedersachsen transport authority LNVG has awarded manufacturer Bombardier Transportation a €80m contract to modernise a total of 51 double-deck coaches and 37 Traxx electric and diesel locomotives. The work is to be undertaken at Bombardier's Hennigsdorf and Kassel plants, with an initial 11 pre-series vehicles to be completed by ...
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NewsTransdev announces EMU order as Hannover S-Bahn operating contract confirmed
GERMANY: Transdev announced an order for 64 Stadler Flirt electric multiple-units on November 7, after its NordWestBahn subsidiary was confirmed as the winner of the contract to operate Hannover S-Bahn services from December 2021 until June 2034. There had been four bids for the operating contract tendered by the Hannover ...
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NewsGerman rail projects added to implementation list
GERMANY: Following detailed studies, 29 rail projects included in the 2030 federal transport infrastructure plan have been added to the priority list for implementation, Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer announced on November 6. The decision follows examination of the cost-effectiveness of 44 potential projects, some of which could be added ...
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NewsVossloh acquires Strabag Rail milling business
GERMANY: Vossloh announced on November 5 that it had agreed a deal to acquire Strabag Rail GmbH’s rail milling business, which comprises four milling machines and around 30 employees. Vossloh said the purchase price and expected sales were in the ‘low double-digit million’ range. The transaction is expected to be ...