Main line rail industry news – Page 1017
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NewsEurostar refurbishment design contract awarded
EUROPE: Eurostar has selected Italian consultancy Pininfarina to undertake design work for the mid-life refurbishment of the 28 high-speed trains used on services from London to Paris and Brussels. Announcing the contract on April 8, Eurostar emphasised the extensive rail sector experience of Pininfarina. Although best known for its ...
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NewsBraking joint venture
CHINA: Wabtec Corp and Shenyang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Railways Brakes Co have established Shenyang CNR Wabtec Railway Brake Technology Co as a 50:50 joint venture producing pneumatic control valves and other braking equipment for the Chinese rail market. 'We expect to have a strong impact on the Chinese ...
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NewsAirport express modelled with military precision
NORWAY: Australian simulator specialist Sydac has teamed up with The Railway Engineering Company, based in Wiltshire, UK, and Swedish company MSE Weibull to deliver six high-fidelity train simulators and three signalling simulators to Norsk Jernbaneskole under a contract worth £4·2m. They will be used in a purpose-built training centre near ...
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NewsNorth-South Railway ETCS contract placed
SAUDI ARABIA: A €340m turnkey contract to provide ETCS Level 2 signalling, telecoms, security and fare collection systems for the future North-South Railway has awarded to Thales and Saudi Binladen Group. Announcing the signing of the contract with the Public Investment Fund on April 7, Thales said it ...
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NewsSBB Cargo shortlists seven partners
SWITZERLAND: Half of the 14 bidders which submitted firm offers to work in partnership with SBB Cargo last October have been retained for further negotiations. Announcing this on April 2, SBB Cargo said that it is keeping open the option of continuing as an independent operator. Only if a partnership ...
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NewsAlstom hybrid shunter trials begin
NETHERLANDS: A two-month long trial of a hybrid shunting locomotive converted by Alstom began in the port of Rotterdam on April 6. Short-haul and shunting operator Rotterdam Rail Feeding expects to see a 40% reduction in fuel consumption, with a halving of particulate, NOx and CO2 emissions. Noise should ...
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NewsUnion Pacific targets the gaming generation
USA: Union Pacific Railroad is looking to the ‘gamer generation’ to meet the challenge of a changing workforce demographic. The Class I railroad believes that the computer training programmes it has introduced to prepare new starters for work in its marshalling yards will appeal to those who have grown up ...
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NewsSevilla metro inaugurated
SPAIN: The first phase of Sevilla metro Line 1 was officially inaugurated on April 2 by the President of Andalucía, Manuel Chaves González. He was joined at the event by Minister of Development Magdalena Álvarez Arza and the region’s head of public works Luis García Garrido, together ...
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NewsDMU contract could be China South's door to Europe
TUNISIA: China South signed a US$100m contract to supply 20 two-car diesel multiple-units to state railway SNCFT on March 30. The order comprises 12 standard gauge DMUs with a top speed of 160 km/h, and eight 130 km/h metre gauge units. CSR Nanjing Puzhen Rolling Stock Co is hoping ...
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NewsEurostar considering larger fleet?
EUROPE: Eurostar has described as ‘speculation’ French media reports that it has called prequalification bids for the supply of eight new trainsets, with options for 15 more. The French reports suggested that a specification for 400 m long trains would be issued in May, with bids closing in August. ...
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NewsBoosting employment
GERMANY: Veolia Cargo Deutschland subsidiary Dortmunder Eisenbahn has expanded its training facilities and introduced a programme to recruit and train local unemployed people. A new 400 m² training centre opened in December close to the freight operator’s base in Dortmund. The facility, equipped with the latest multimedia teaching materials, is ...
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NewsNorthern Ireland academy opens
UK: Translink’s new £1·7m operational training academy opened on February 19 at Adelaide in south Belfast. It was funded by Northern Ireland’s Department for Regional Development and features driver and signalling simulation equipment. A full-task driver simulator is complemented by a signalling simulator supplied by Manchester-based EDM that fully replicates ...
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NewsRestructured Brussels metro network launched
BELGIUM: The final section of Brussels Metro's inner ring between Delacroix and Gare de l'Ouest was officially opened on April 2 by Pascal Smet, Brussels Minister for Mobility. The event was held in the presence of King Albert II and Laurette Onkelinx, Deputy Prime Minister and President of Beliris ...
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NewsAlex orders double-deck coaches
GERMANY: Bombardier Transportation has received a €10m order to supply seven double-deck coaches to Regentalbahn. Announcing the order on April 3, the manufacturer said the Arriva Deutschland subsidiary is first private operator in Germany to order its double-deck coaches. They will be delivered from the Görlitz plant in the ...
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NewsThree-stage programme to update RZD’s fleet
RUSSIA: Plans to give Russian Railways a fleet of modern diesel and electric locomotives are being implemented as part of a two-phase network expansion strategy. Boris Lukov reports.
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NewsGrube nominated to replace Mehdorn
GERMANY:?Rüdiger Grube has been nominated by the federal government to replace Deutsche Bahn’s Chairman & Chief Executive Hartmut Mehdorn, who tendered his resignation on March 30 in the wake of further revelations about the covert surveillance of DB staff. Grube is currently Director of Corporate Development at car manufacturer Daimler, ...
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NewsBombardier signs Stansted airport train order
UK: Preferred bidder Bombardier Transportation has signed a £173m contract to supply and maintain a fleet of 120 EMU cars for services between London and Stansted Airport, the company announced on April 2. The trains are worth £155m, and will be built at Derby for delivery between March and ...
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NewsRDC in French freight venture
FRANCE:?Transport minister Dominique Bussereau announced on March 31 the creation of a joint venture to promote local and wagonload freight services. The company is intended to provide expertise, financial and project planning assistance and operational input to encourage small businesses to transport freight over short distances by rail - the ...
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NewsThe bloodbath is coming
EUROPE: Liberalisation of international passenger services is intended to boost customer choice, but fierce competition between rail and air could result in consolidation, says Christian Rossi.
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NewsCrossrail selects Bechtel as Project Delivery Partner
UK: Crossrail Ltd announced on April 1 that it intends to appoint a team of Bechtel, Halcrow and Systra as project delivery partner for the construction of the central section of the east-west route across London. Under the terms of the £400m contract they will be responsible for overseeing ...