German railway news – Page 47
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Metro Report InternationalDigital S-Bahn Hamburg automation agreement signed
GERMANY: The Digital S-Bahn Hamburg agreement to automate operations on a section of the city’s suburban rail network was signed by the mayor, Deutsche Bahn and Siemens on July 12. The partners have agreed to share the €60m cost of the pilot phase of the project, which aims to have ...
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NewsHydrogen fuel cell trainset approved for passenger service
GERMANY: Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell multiple-unit was formally approved for passenger service on July 11. The two prototype units are expected to enter pilot service on the Elbe-Weser network with the first scheduled services planned for late summer. ‘Hydrogen is a true low-emission and efficient alternative to diesel’, ...
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NewsDB orders CRRC hybrid locomotives
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn has awarded sole bidder CRRC Zhuzhou a contract to supply four hybrid locomotives for hauling engineering trains. Delivery is scheduled for 2021, and there are options for up to 16 more of the locos. The 750 kW TSI-compliant AZLok locomotives will be able to operate at a ...
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NewsŠkoda to supply up to 114 trams to Rhein-Neckar
GERMANY: Rhein-Neckar transport authority RNV has selected Škoda Transportation to supply up to 114 trams, the manufacturer announced on June 20. The €250m base order covers 80 trams of three lengths, and there are options for 34 additional vehicles. The first tram is due to enter service ...
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NewsGrain wagons enter service
GERMANY: Captrain Deutschland company ITL has put into service the first 37 of 74 grain hopper wagons which it has ordered from Tatravagónka through leasing company Ermewa. The remainder of the fleet is scheduled for delivery later this year. The Tagnpps hoppers have a capacity of 101 m3. They ...
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NewsBombardier inaugurates Bautzen production hall
GERMANY: Bombardier Transportation inaugurated a new final assembly hall at its Bautzen plant in Sachsen on June 15. Built at a cost of €8m as part of a €30m investment in the site, the hall has a production area of 8 100 m2, with the capacity to assemble and ...
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NewsFlixTrain brings forward extra services after ‘overwhelming response’
GERMANY: Open access operator FlixTrain has brought forward the introduction of additional services following higher than anticipated passenger demand. It is also introducing seat reservations and launching pop-up shops at main stations. A second daily Stuttgart – Frankfurt – Hannover – Berlin return service will now be introduced on June ...
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NewsAssembly of first Siemens Mireo EMU underway
GERMANY: Siemens has begun final assembly of the first of its first Miro electric multiple-units. The Mireo concept for a lighter, quieter and more energy-efficient successor to the Desiro Main Line family of commuter and regional EMUs was announced at InnoTrans 2016. DB Regio became the launch customer when ...
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NewsVolkswagen components switch to rail
GERMANY: The SmartRail Logistics joint venture of LIT Speditions and Captrain Deutschland began delivering automotive components to Volkswagen’s factory at Emden in Niedersachsen on June 1. The components come from suppliers in southern and central Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland. Shipments are consolidated at Dresden for delivery to ...
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NewsMinisters urge that Rastatt lessons are learnt
EUROPE: Transport ministers have issued a Declaration calling for rapid implementation of measures to mitigate the effects of a major incident such as the seven-week closure last August of the Rhein Valley main line between Basel and Karlsruhe in Germany following a tunnel collapse beneath the alignment at Rastatt. The ...
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NewsLehrte MegaHub construction launched
GERMANY: Work to build the automated MegaHub intermodal terminal at Lehrte, about 20 km east of Hannover, was formally launched on May 15. Speaking at a midday ceremony, Parliamentary Secretary of State in the Federal Ministry for Transport & Digital Infrastructure Enak Ferlemann said that the start of work for ...
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Rail Business UKUniversity alliance to promote high speed rail
INTERNATIONAL: The International Union of Railways has moved to strengthen its nascent network of academic institutions which are intended to work together to promote the development of high speed rail. UIC first announced plans for its alliance of universities at the World Congress on High Speed Rail in Tokyo in ...
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NewsGermany told to fully transpose EU safety legislation
GERMANY: On May 17 the European Commission sent a reasoned opinion requesting that Germany fully comply with Directive 2004/49/EC. This requires EU member states to establish an independent safety authority, an independent accident investigation body and coherently allocate safety responsibilities. The Commission said Germany had failed to ensure that its ...
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NewsVossloh to pay dividend
GERMANY: Vossloh AG shareholders approved a proposed dividend distribution of €1 per share at the annual general meeting held in Düsseldorf on May 9. No dividend had been distributed for the fiscal years from 2014 to 2016 as part of the restructuring of the group. ‘Paying a dividend is ...
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NewsCompetition is key as high speed rail keeps growing
Global ridership has surged by 40% in the three years since UIC last staged its World Congress on High Speed Rail. Yet operators and policymakers must work hard to keep the rail mode ahead as competition grows both in and for the market. Benjámin Zelki reports from the latest summit ...
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NewsVirtual Bodensee line testing for MTU Hybrid PowerPack
GERMANY: Rolls-Royce has used a computer-controlled simulation of operating conditions on the Radolfzell – Friedrichshafen route for bench testing of a real MTU Hybrid PowerPack to demonstrate its potential for use on services around the Bodensee. This included a demonstration of the feasibility of using battery power to provide locally ...
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NewsHupac expands port hinterland network with ERS acquisition
EUROPE: Intermodal freight operator Hupac announced an agreement on May 2 to purchase ERS Railways from Genesee & Wyoming Inc. This includes ERS’s 47% stake in Hamburg-based operator boxXpress. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of this year, subject to regulatory approval. ERS would remain a ...
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NewsDB Regio selected for operating contract
GERMANY: A group of four transport and local authorities in Germany and the Czech Republic have selected DB Regio subsidiary Start Ostsachsen as the winner of the Ostsachsen II passenger operating contract. The decision was announced on April 26, with formal award subject to the regulatory standstill period. Services ...
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NewsHigh speed services from London to Bordeaux, Frankfurt and Genève under discussion
EUROPE: ‘Advanced planning’ is being undertaken to facilitate the possible launch of a direct London – Bordeaux high speed rail service, HS1 Ltd confirmed on April 30. The manager of the high speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel also confirmed it was in very early stage discussions for ...
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NewsFlixTrain plans new routes
GERMANY: FlixMobility has applied for paths to operate open access services from Berlin to Köln and München from the December timetable change, the company confirmed on April 26 when its first FlixTrain-branded service ran on the Berlin – Stuttgart route. FlixBus has been handling ticketing for the Berlin – Stuttgart ...