Main line rail industry news – Page 447
-
NewsONCF orders 30 Alstom electric locomotives
MOROCCO: Alstom is to supply 30 electric locomotives to ONCF for €130m. Announcing the contract on February 8, the national railway said this was the first order to be placed under a planned wider rolling stock acquisition programme which would include locomotives, multiple-units and wagons. The 3 kV DC Prima ...
-
NewsUncertainty derails Aurizon’s Galilee plans
AUSTRALIA: Prospects for the construction of rail links to serve controversial mining developments in Queensland’s Galilee Basin coal reserves have been thrown into doubt after heavy haul operator Aurizon announced on February 9 that it had decided to withdraw its application for funding from the federal government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure ...
-
NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Ontario Northland has obtained locomotive engine line boring equipment, which it says makes it the only railway in Canada offering in-house line boring capabilities to external customers. ‘Our line boring machine is a portable computerised unit that is capable of driving multiple different cutting heads, we can bore 6 to ...
-
NewsHigh speed operator accepts takeover bid
ITALY: Open access high speed train operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori SpA announced on February 7 that its shareholders had decided to accept a €1·98bn takeover bid from international fund manager Global Infrastructure Partners III. The deal was ratified by a board meeting the following day, which also confirmed that NTV ...
-
NewsDen Haag – Rotterdam upgrade to support a train every 5 min
NETHERLANDS: A €300m infrastructure investment plan which is designed to facilitate the operation of a train every 5 min between Den Haag and Rotterdam from the 2025 timetable change was announced by the Ministry of Infrastructure on February 5. The plan includes quadrupling the section of the route between Rijswijk ...
-
NewsEurostar aims to tread more lightly with new environmental targets
EUROPE: Eurostar marked the 10th anniversary of its Tread Lightly environmental programme with the unveiling on February 6 of an ‘ambitious’ 10 point plan to reduce its environmental impact. CEO Nicolas Petrovic said the high speed train operator had already achieved a 32% reduction in carbon emissions through Tread Lightly, ...
-
News'Dynamic and aspirational' year brings record sales at Knorr-Bremse
GERMANY: Knorr-Bremse’s Rail Vehicle Systems and Commercial Vehicle Systems divisions contributed equally to record group sales in 2017, the company announced on February 7. ‘For us, the past financial year was particularly dynamic and aspirational, so we are all the more delighted at our strong growth’, said executive board Chairman ...
-
NewsRoma tram extension receives funding
ITALY: Roma Municipality has allocated €5m towards a tram extension. It will now ask the Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport for more funds towards the estimated €20m project cost. The 1·5 km extension of lines 5 and 14 from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele to Largo Corrado Ricci would run along ...
-
NewsUK railway news round-up
Network Rail announced on February 6 that CEO Mark Carne had informed the board of his intention to retire from the company later this year. The timing would ensure that a new CEO can be established in the role before the start of the next five year regulatory control period ...
-
NewsKnorr-Bremse to address industry challenges at ‘key’ InnoTrans 2018 trade fair
INNOTRANS: Knorr-Bremse sees InnoTrans 2018 and German motor vehicle show IAA as its ‘key’ trade fairs this year, the rolling stock and commercial vehicle braking and subsystem supplier said when announcing its preliminary results for 2017 on February 7. The company will be using the two trade fairs to showcase ...
-
NewsLoram acquires GREX
USA: Loram Maintenance of Way announced on February 6 that it had reached a definitive agreement to acquire the outstanding shares in Georgetown Rail Equipment Co. The transaction is expected to close in mid-February. ‘The merger with GREX, a market leader in material handling and track inspection technologies, strengthens our ...
-
NewsŠkoda and Iveco present new battery trolleybus
CZECH REPUBLIC: Škoda Electric has tested a new battery trolleybus model in Plzeň. The 35 Tr 18 m articulated trolleybus is manufactured in co-operation with Iveco, which has supplied its Urbanway bus bodyshell from its Annonay factory in France. Electrical equipment has come from Škoda Electric, which is also ...
-
NewsCSX committed to Harrison’s vision
USA ‘I’m excited about the progress we are making and am confident we have the right team in place to achieve our goal of becoming the best railroad in North America’, said CSX Transportation President & Chief Executive Officer James M Foote, briefing investors on the company’s 2017 results. According ...
-
NewsMedway enters Spanish market
SPAIN: Medway of Portugal has operated its first freight train on the Spanish national network between Madrid and Valencia, where five return intermodal services are now provided each week. Hauled by a Euro 4000 diesel locomotive and comprising 38 wagons carrying 76 TEU, the first service arrived at the Fuente ...
-
NewsBydgoszcz – Gdynia included in electrification studies
POLAND: Infrastructure manager PKP PLK has awarded TPF a 5·8m złoty contract to study the feasibility of upgrading the Bydgoszcz – Kościerzyna – Gdynia route to handle significantly more freight traffic. This would free capacity on the main line via Gdańsk for use by passenger services. The Bydgoszcz – Kościerzyna ...
-
NewsEva to offer 100%-connected high speed at low cost
SPAIN: On February 6 Development Minister Íñigo de la Serna unveiled Eva, a smart train concept that national operator RENFE is due introduce in high speed service between Madrid and Barcelona in 2019. Having captured 65% of the combined rail and air market between the two cities, RENFE is now ...
-
NewsVirgin Trains East Coast franchise to end within months
UK: InterCity East Coast franchisee Virgin Trains East Coast has breached ‘a key financial covenant’ and cannot be expected to continue for more than a few months, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told parliament on February 5. The VTEC joint venture of Stagecoach (90%) and Virgin (10%) has ‘met all its ...
-
NewsTalgo to convert night trains for high speed day use
SPAIN: RENFE has awarded Talgo a €107m contract to convert Series 7 Tren Hotel overnight trainsets into high speed day trains capable of operation at up to 330 km/h. The contract, approved on February 5, covers 13 trainsets totalling 156 coaches. An option for a further six sets totalling 72 ...
-
NewsElectric bus on test in Nürnberg
GERMANY: Nürnberg public transport operator VAG has started testing an electric bus, which it expects will enter regular service next month. The bus supplied by Solaris is powered by six lithium-ion batteries, mounted on the roof and on the rear of the vehicle. These are charged in the depot ...
-
NewsAbellio joins East Midlands franchise shortlist
UK: Abellio, Arriva, incumbent Stagecoach and a joint venture of FirstGroup and Trenitalia are on the latest shortlist to receive invitations to tender for the next East Midlands franchise, Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling told parliament on February 5. Abellio had not been included on the previous shortlist ...