Main line rail industry news – Page 468
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NewsStadler to supply more metro trains to Berlin
GERMANY: Berlin transport operator BVG has ordered a further 80 metro cars from Stadler Pankow, in response to an urgent need to increase capacity on its small-profile lines. The first must be delivered at the latest during the second half of 2019. BVG announced in 2011 its intention to ...
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NewsUniversities to develop railway monitoring technology
CHINA: An agreement to establish a joint innovation centre was signed by Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Southwest Jiaotong University on October 27. The centre would develop real-time monitoring systems and diagnostic technology for high speed rail infrastructure, rolling stock and components. ‘The signing of the agreement means closer ...
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NewsRail fastening factory opens
RUSSIA: The Vossloh Fastening Systems RUS joint venture of Vossloh-Werke GmbH and concrete sleeper supplier OAO BetEITrans has officially opened a rail fastening factory in Engels. The partners have invested €7·7m in what Vossloh says is the most modern rail fastening factory in Russia, which covers 4 000 m2 and ...
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NewsPomorskie awards two operating contracts
POLAND: Pomorskie voivodship received bids from only the two incumbents when it tendered one-year contracts for the operation of regional passenger services. Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia suburban rail operator SKM Trójmiasto priced its services at 54m złoty, while national regional train operator PolRegio quoted 35·9m złoty. The current services ...
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NewsBaku – Tbilisi – Kars railway corridor inaugurated
INTERNATIONAL: The presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan and the prime ministers of Georgia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan attended a ceremony at the Port of Baku on October 30 to dispatch an inaugural freight train on the Baku – Tbilisi – Kars corridor. The heads of state and government then travelled to ...
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NewsIzmir suburban rolling stock order planned
TURKEY: Izmir suburban rail operator Izban is planning to purchase the first double-deck rolling stock in Turkey, it announced on October 28. Izban intends to purchase 25 three-car electric multiple-units, of which nine would have a double-deck centre car. The EMUs are expected to be delivered in two years, ...
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NewsTasRail selects freight planning software
AUSTRALIA: TasRail has awarded Biarri Rail a contract to supply its Boss MP cloud-based operations planning and scheduling software in a three-stage process which will run until early 2019. ‘If for example we have a new customer that wants to move several million tonnes of freight via rail, we ...
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NewsSolaris to supply electric buses to Rzeszów
POLAND: The city of Rzeszów signed a contract with Solaris Bus & Coach on October 30 for the supply of 10 electric and 30 diesel buses. Solaris will supply 10 of its Urbino 12 buses under a 30·2m złoty contract that includes charging infrastructure. The 12 m long vehicles ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Next month GB Railfreight will begin taking delivery of 50 Astra Rail hopper wagons which it is to lease from Nacco to support a contract to haul biomass for Lynemouth Power. The new wagons will have a payload of 70 tonnes, compared to the 53 tonnes of existing vehicles. ...
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NewsEC confirms Croatian electrification funding
CROATIA: Financial support worth €80·8m for a project to modernise and electrify the 23·8 km line from Zaprešić to Zabok to support an expansion of suburban services northwest of Zagreb was approved by the European Commission on October 19. The project includes the construction of several sections of new alignment, ...
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NewsWorld rolling stock market - October 2017
Brazil: CRRC Sifang is to supply eight eight-car EMUs for use on the future Line 13 of the São Paulo suburban network operated by CPTM. The 1 600 mm gauge trainsets based on CRRC’s Type A metro design are to be delivered from 2019. China: Chengdu Metro ...
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NewsPrince Vladimir broad gauge Traxx locomotive certified
RUSSIA: The federal railway certification body granted type approval on October 13 enabling First Locomotive Co to begin series production of its 2EV120 Prince Vladimir 1520 mm gauge locomotive design. The First Locomotive Co joint venture of Bombardier Transportation and local investors was formed to manufacture locomotives at a factory ...
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NewsCAF to supply more trams to Stockholm
SWEDEN: CAF has won a further tram order from Stockholm transport authority Storstockholms Lokaltrafik, the company announced on October 25. The €37m contract for 12 trams includes 10 three-section trams for the Tvärbana line, which is due to be extended in 2021, and two four-section trams for the Lidingöbanan ...
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NewsAlstom to supply more trams to Rabat
MOROCCO: Société des Transports de Rabat-Salé has signed a €45m contract with Alstom for the supply of 22 Citadis trams, the manufacturer announced on October 26. The 32 m long low-floor vehicles will run in coupled pairs and will augment the fleet of 44 Citadis trams that Alstom supplied ...
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NewsSurferlab to develop augmented vehicle technology
FRANCE: On October 25 Bombardier Transportation, Prosyst and the University of Valenciennes & Hainaut-Cambrésis inaugurated Surferlab, a joint facility which will develop embedded digital technology for safer and more intelligent rail, road, air and maritime transport. The three priority areas for Surferlab are connected and predictive maintenance, artificial intelligence, and ...
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NewsDeutsche Bahn launches driverless shuttle
GERMANY: National railway Deutsche Bahn launched an electric driverless shuttle service in the town of Bad Birnbach in Bayern on October 25. DB said it aims to use the multi-year project to become better acquainted with the technology, and test the acceptance of driverless shuttles among passengers. ‘Our ...
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NewsWest Midlands Trains announces London Northwestern brand
UK: Services on the West Coast Main Line to be operated as part of the next West Midlands franchise are to be branded London Northwestern, the West Midlands Trains Ltd consortium of Abellio, East Japan Railway and Mitsui & Co announced on October 27. The new West Midlands franchise is ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Stadler signed its first Flirt EMU maintenance contract in Norway on October 26, a three-year extendable deal with NSB Gjøvikbanen which runs from January 1 and covers 10 units. The existing Lodalen maintenance facility in Oslo will be adapted for the contract, which is modelled on a similar agreement with ...
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NewsTraxtion Group targets African rail market
AFRICA: The Sheltam group has been rebranded as Traxtion Group, following a 30% investment from Harith General Partners’ Pan African Infrastructure Development Fund 2. Traxtion Group aims to partner with locomotive and wagon manufacturers, track construction companies, consulting engineers and project developers in the African rail market. Chairman Brian ...
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NewsVDL to supply electric minibuses to Noord-Holland
NETHERLANDS: Transdev subsidiary Connexxion has placed an order with VDL Bus & Coach for 62 electric minibuses to be used for services that are part of the Noord-Holland Noord concession from next year. The 8 m long MidCity Electric buses will be fitted with 87 kWh batteries. The order ...