Latest news – Page 13
-
Rail Business UKRail training academy to develop local skills
UK: The Transport, Rail & Infrastructure Academy developed by City of Wolverhampton College and National Infrastructure Solutions was officially opened by Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street on February 20. The academy at the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation’s Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre ...
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
Rail Business UKPorterbrook takes stake in Brodie Engineering
UK: Rolling stock leasing and asset management company Porterbrook has agreed to take a 49% stake in Brodie Engineering, which specialises in the heavy maintenance, refurbishment and overhaul of passenger and freight vehicles. Brodie Engineering was established in 1996 and now has two sites in Kilmarnock, ...
-
Rail Business UKUK government publishes Draft Rail Reform Bill
UK: The government has published its Draft Rail Reform Bill, to give parliamentarians and the industry an opportunity to provide feedback. Legislation is needed to implement the government’s rail reform proposals, including the creation of Great British Railways. However, a bill is unlikely to pass before ...
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
NewsEast Japan Railway to work with University of Birmingham
INTERNATIONAL: East Japan Railway has signed a memorandum of understanding to work with the UK’s University of Birmingham on innovative technology and staff skills development. Shunzo Miyake, Director General of International Affairs at JR East, said the partnership announced on February 19 aims to ‘develop railway ...
-
Rail Business UKUK urged to join Eurofima to facilitate access to cheaper rolling stock finance
UK: Eurofima is urging British policymakers to sign its convention, which would facilitate UK rail organisations’ access to cheaper funding for rolling stock and other equipment.
-
In depthIran: International connections take shape slowly
Work is progressing on various cross-border rail links as Iranian Railways seeks to strengthen its role as a Eurasian rail hub. Toma Bačić investigates.
-
-
NewsFootbath train launched to serve hot springs resort
JAPAN: Private train operator Kintetsu has modified one of its electric multiple-units to operate luxury tourist services between Nagoya and Yunoyama-Onsen, a hot springs resort in the Suzuka area of outstanding natural beauty.
-
NewsRack line track renewals
CZECH REPUBLIC: Infrastructure manager Správa Železnic has called tenders for track renewals on its steepest section of line and its only rack railway, between Tanvald and Kořenov on the Liberec – Jelenia Góra cross-border route to Poland. Ordinary services do not use the Abt rack and ...
-
Rail Business UKTokyo Metro amongst bidders for Elizabeth Line operating contract
UK: Transport for London has shortlisted four bidders for the next concession to operate services on the cross-city Elizabeth Line. They are: Arriva UK Trains; First Keolis Elizabeth Line, a joint venture of FirstGroup and Keolis; GTS Rail Operations, a joint venture of Go-Ahead Group, ...
-
NewsCalifornia orders more hydrogen trainsets
USA: California’s Department of Transportation has ordered six more Stadler Flirt H2 hydrogen fuel cell multiple-units. The $127m order announced on February 15 has been placed using an October 2023 framework contract which included an $80m firm order for four trains with options for up to ...
-
Rail Business UKTransPennine Express confirms plans to ‘build back’ its timetable
UK: TransPennine Express has confirmed that it expects to begin reinstating services to meet commitments it made when it announced temporary timetable reductions in December 2023. Good progress has been made with crew training which will allow the operator to begin to restore services from June ...
-
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
-
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.
-
-
Metro Report InternationalSecondment scheme to develop tram talent
UK: Light rail industry body UKTram is developing a framework for staff secondments with the aim of helping the sector retain top talent and to provide additional experience for young managers, engineers and other key personnel. More than half of UK light rail operators have already ...