German railway news – Page 8
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NewsPassion and technology will support the future of rail, says Germany’s Transport Minister
INNOTRANS: ‘We need to harness people’s passion for railways’, urged Germany’s Federal Minister for Digital & Transport Dr Volker Wissing at the opening ceremony for InnoTrans 2024 in Berlin on September 24. Emphasising the need for a comprehensive modernisation and digitalisation of the country’s ageing rail network, ...
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Metro Report InternationalBerlin U-Bahn Type JK train on display at InnoTrans
INNOTRANS: On show in the city where it will operate is a Stadler Type JK metro trainset for the Berlin U-Bahn’s small-profile lines. In March 2020 operator BVG finalised a €3bn framework contract with Stadler covering the supply of up to 1 500 vehicles by 2035, ...
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Metro Report InternationalAmazon deliveries by LastMileTram
GERMANY: Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, city transport operator VGF and retailer Amazon are testing the use of trams to deliver parcels from the outskirts to the city centre. This aims to reduce road traffic, noise and carbon emissions in the urban area. The parcels ...
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In depthGermany: ÖBB enters an evolving market
Austrian Federal Railways’ acquisition of the former Go-Ahead Deutschland business marks a significant strategic move in a regional rail market which has been characterised by instability in recent years. Toma Bačić reports.
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NewsDeutsche Bahn to focus on rail as Schenker logistics business sale agreed
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn’s management board has signed a €14·3bn agreement to sell international logistics subsidiary DB Schenker to Danish transport and logistics group DSV. The sale forms part of DB’s ‘Strong Rail’ strategy to focus on its core activities, and does not include the DB Cargo ...
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In depthInterview: FlixTrain eyes ‘enormous potential’ in Europe’s rail market
Open access operator FlixTrain is expanding operations in Germany and plans to enter other European markets if conditions are favourable. Murray Hughes asked FlixTrain Managing Director Matthias Müller about the company’s plans.
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NewsLeasing company opens a locomotive workshop of superlatives
GERMANY: Railpool Lokservice has opened ‘Europe’s most modern locomotive workshop’ at Hamburg Billbrook. ‘We wanted a workshop of superlatives and we built it’, said Managing Director Christoph Engel. ‘Right from the start, the aim of the construction project was to provide our customers with the best ...
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In depthFreight: TX Logistik targets European expansion
Having acquired German intermodal business Exploris Deutschland in July last year, theTX Logistik subsidiary of Italy’s FS Group is set firmly on an expansion course. Bernd Weisweiler, Director, Marketing & Business Development, answers our questions.
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In depthRegulation: Putting customers at heart of DB InfraGO
In its biennial report published on July 1, Germany’s Monopolies Commission calls for measures governing DB InfraGO to be geared more directly to the needs of rail customers.
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NewsGrand Est cross-border fleet poised to enter service
EUROPE: Passengers in France’s Grand Est région travelling to and from destinations in Germany will soon be riding on a fleet of 30 electro-diesel Régiolis TFA trainsets built specifically for cross-border services. Unveiled on August 27 by regional President Franck Leroy and Transport Minister for Baden-Württemberg ...
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Metro Report InternationalSiemens Mobility to replace Europe’s largest light rail interlocking
GERMANY: Ruhrbahn has awarded Siemens Mobility a €180m contract to replace 1970s relay-based light rail signalling and control technology in Essen and Mülheim an der Ruhr with Trackguard digital equipment by 2031. The supplier says this includes digitalising Europe’s largest light rail interlocking at Essen Hbf, ...
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In depthFreight: Turnaround needed at DB Cargo
As Deutsche Bahn’s more flexible competitors eat into the rail freight market, drastic action is required to turn DB Cargo into a viable concern. Murray Hughes reports.
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In depthGermany: Makeover promises long-term stability
‘Too busy, too old and too kaputt’ was how Baden-Württemburg Transport Minister Winfried Hermann described the heavily used main line between Frankfurt and Mannheim. The 70 km route was closed on July 15 for a massive all-in-one rebuild, with reopening set for December 14.
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In depthInterview: Record funding is flowing – but Germany’s railway must deliver
The building blocks to turn round performance on Germany’s national network are being put in place thanks to an unprecedented investment programme, but Deutsche Bahn and infrastructure arm DB InfraGO must deliver on their promises, warns Federal Minister for Digital & Transport Dr Volker Wissing. Murray Hughes put the questions.
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In depthComment: Contrasting approaches to fixing things
The transport ministers of Britain and Germany are taking contrasting approaches to addressing the problems facing their railways. Dr Volker Wissing believes management reorganisation cannot solve DB’s problems, but his counterpart Louise Haigh is taking the opposite view with Labour’s rail reforms. Nick Kingsley suggests they could learn much from each other.
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Metro Report InternationalRhein-Ruhr fares reform to cut through the ‘tariff jungle’
GERMANY: Rhein-Ruhr transport association VRR is to implement its largest-ever fares reform in March 2025, aiming to clear the ‘tariff jungle’ by eliminating 500 of the current 650 ticket types and reducing the number of price levels from seven to three. VRR is committing to the ...
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Metro Report InternationalKarlsruhe tram-trains get smarter operations control
GERMANY: Tram-trains operating around Karlsruhe are to be equipped with the DatNet operations control system from ETC Solutions GmbH, boosting the capability of the existing onboard Intermodal Transport Control System supplied by Karlsruhe-based INIT. ITCS provides constant communication between moving vehicles and the operator’s central control ...
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NewsHomburg – Zweibrücken railway reopening agreement signed
GERMANY: A financing and implementation agreement has been signed to enable the reopening of the Homburg – Zweibrücken line with the December 2028 timetable change ‘After years of discussions and negotiations a major step has now been taken for local public transport’, said Minister-President of Rheinland-Pfalz ...
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Metro Report InternationalBremen tram depot rebuilding completed
GERMANY: Bremen transport operator BSAG has completed a €100m four-year project to rebuild the Gröpelingen public transport interchange and the adjacent century-old tram depot. The 11 000 m2 fully accessible transport interchange opened two years ago, and the rebuilt 13 000 m2 depot with nine stabling ...