Main line rail industry news – Page 505
-
NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Indian Railways’ Chittaranjan Locomotive Works produced 292 three-phase electric locomotives in the 2016-17 financial year, up from 280 in 2015-16 of which 215 were three-phase types and 250 in 2014-15. The Railway Board has set a target of 325 locomotives for 2017-18. ST Kinetics has entered the rail sector ...
-
NewsSiemens Mobility hit by competition and industry overcapacity
SIEMENS: Plans for a restructuring of various activities in Germany were announced by Siemens on May 11, as part of strategy to become a ‘digital industry company’ and reduce costs. The measures included centralisation of IT and training activities, and the loss of around 1 700 jobs over several years ...
-
NewsDB launches integrated consultancy service in 'important' UK market
UK: Deutsche Bahn launched an integrated engineering and consultancy service for the UK rail industry at the Railtex 2017 trade fair. The combined portfolio brings together the rolling stock expertise of DB Systemtechnik and DB's established UK technical consultancy ESG Rail with the infrastructure and operating knowledge of DB Engineering ...
-
NewsSales down but profit up at Škoda Transportation
CZECH REPUBLIC: Rolling stock manufacturer Škoda Transportation has announced record earnings of KC1∙6bn on a turnover of KC15∙7bn in 2016. Sales were down by KC2∙5bn, but net profit rose almost threefold from 2015. Exports accounted for 50∙4 % of total production and the company employed 5 327 people. Trams were ...
-
NewsUK railway news round-up
Borrowing an idea from the highway maintenance industry, Keltbray Rail Plant is installing directional LED lights on 14 Colmar road-rail vehicles to clearly identify the 10 m safety exclusion zone around them. ‘As we often work at night, signage is not always visible, and so we have adopted lighting to ...
-
NewsIsrael Railways orders more Twindexx Vario coaches
ISRAEL: Bombardier Transportation announced on May 10 that it had signed a €56m contract to supply a further 33 Twindexx Vario double-deck push-pull coaches to Israel Railways by February 2019. The order has been placed within the terms of an October 2010 framework agreement, and will take ISR’s fleet of ...
-
NewsStadler seeks 'most powerful' loco family as Eurodual trials begin
EUROPE: Stadler Valencia outlined plans for the development of its Eurodual family of electro-diesel locomotives at the Transport Logistic trade fair in München on May 10. German freight operator HVLE is to be the launch customer for the Eurodual, having confirmed an order for 10 six-axle locomotives in March. Stadler ...
-
NewsNew partners for port freight operator
FRANCE: A joint venture of Millet SA and RegioRail has been selected by the port authorities of La Rochelle and Nantes Saint-Nazaire to become the new traction partner in their rail operating company OFP Atlantique. Millet and RegioRail are to form OuestRail which will take a 24∙9% stake in OFP ...
-
NewsTraxx locomotive family expanded with multi-system and DC options
EUROPE: Bombardier Transportation announced two additions to its Traxx locomotive family at the Transport Logistcs trade fair in München on May 9. The Traxx MS3 is designed for 15 kV 16·7 Hz, 25 kV 50 Hz AC and 1·5 and 3 kV DC power supplies, the four most common electrification ...
-
NewsTrainline to sell Westbahn tickets
AUSTRIA: Independent ticket retailer Trainline now sells tickets for travel with Wien – Linz – Salzburg open access operator Westbahn. Announcing its first Austrian partnership on May 10, Trainline said it was the first independent retailer to integrate Westbahn tickets into its booking system, which means for the first time ...
-
NewsBernadette Kelly
Bernadette Kelly has been appointed Permanent Secretary at the UK’s Department for Transport. Formerly Director General, Rail Group, at DfT, she succeeds Philip Rutnam who is now Permanent Secretary at the Home Office.
-
NewsTatra-Yug presents new tram model
UKRAINE: Tram manufacturer Tatra-Yug presented its latest model on May 5. The three-section K1M6 has a ‘refined, laconic look’, according to the company. Tatra-Yug says that 250 Ukrainian component suppliers were involved in production of the tram. It is equipped with a wheelchair space, air-conditioning wi-fi, a passenger information ...
-
NewsOil funds to support a ‘new era' of rail investment
IRAN: A five-year funding stream worth US$7·5bn has been agreed with the government, national railway RAI's Vice-President for Planning & Transport Economy Noorollah Beyranvand told Railway Gazette at the Transport Logistic trade fair in München on May 9. The funding from the petroleum ministry is intended to support the country's ...
-
NewsADIF tenders infrastructure maintenance
SPAIN: Within a budget of €275∙9m, ADIF is to tender a package of contracts to undertake infrastructure maintenance on the conventional network for a period of 24 months, with a 24-month extension option. Replacing 20 existing contracts, the new contracts will be divided into six geographical lots plus a seventh ...
-
NewsPassenger night trains in Europe: the end of the line? report published
EUROPE: The European Parliament's Committee on Transport & Tourism has published a research report into the future of night train services which was produced by consultancy Steer Davies Gleave with support from Politecnico di Milano. Passenger night trains in Europe: the end of the line? looks in detail at the ...
-
NewsHitachi unveils AT400 ‘British Bullet Train’ concept
UK: A prominent feature at the front of the Hitachi Rail Europe stand at Railtex 2017 is a model of its AT400 ‘British Bullet Train’ concept. Hitachi said this 'vision' builds on the company's 'rich history in creating iconic high speed rolling stock' ranging from Shinkansen trainsets in Japan to ...
-
NewsTehran – Hamadan railway opened by President Rouhani
IRAN: The 267 km railway linking Tehran with the city of Hamadan was offiically opened on May 8 by President Hassan Rouhani and Minister of Roads & Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi. Construction of the line began in 2001, but work stopped in 2004 before being restarted after the easing of ...
-
NewsX’Trapolis Mega EMUs enter revenue service
SOUTH AFRICA: The first 13 X’Trapolis Mega electric multiple-units for Metrorail commuter routes entered revenue service on the Pretoria suburban network on May 9 after being unveiled by President Jacob Zuma. ‘This is the beginning of the revival of passenger rail after 40 years of underinvestment.’ ...
-
NewsIDS Cargo buys EffiLiner 3000 locomotive
CZECH REPUBLIC: Open access freight operator IDS Cargo has bought CZ Loko’s demonstrator EffiLiner 3000 mainline electric locomotive, which it intends to use on transit freight services on the Děčín – Břeclav (–Slovakia) route where it can utilise its 3 kV DC/25 kV AC capability. Locomotive 365.001 is former SNCB ...
-
NewsBirmingham hosts Railtex fair
UK: The 13th Railtex trade show is being held at the National Exhibition Centre on May 9-11.