Main line rail industry news – Page 513
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NewsShift2Rail funding call oversubscribed
EUROPE: Proposals for research projects valued at almost €200m have been submitted in response to this year’s Shift2Rail Call for Proposals, which closed at the end of March. The 60 applications from groups representing 412 organisations have a total value of €192·8m, with requests for funding totalling €136·5m, equivalent to ...
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NewsZSSK orders DMUs and coaches
SLOVAKIA: National passenger operator ZSSK has awarded its traditional supplier ŽOS Vrútky two contracts to supply locomotive-hauled coaches and diesel multiple-units. The 21 Class 861 DMUs are to be delivered from 2018 for use on the Zvolen – Vrútky and Zvolen – Fiľakovo lines. They will have air-conditioning, wi-fi and ...
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NewsDrug and alcohol compliance software for short lines
USA: Browz has launched a software-as-a-service package to assist short line railways and their contractors in complying with Federal Railroad Administration drug and alcohol testing requirements coming into force in June. Browz ShortLine will enable operators to check the compliance of their contractors and employees, and to source new contractors ...
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NewsEglė Radvilė
Lithuanian national railway LG has appointed Eglė Radvilė to head up its IT Centre, while Linas Baužys becomes Deputy General Director.
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NewsRhein-Ruhr-Express EMU car rolled out
GERMANY: Siemens unveiled the first Desiro HC car for the future Rhein-Ruhr-Express network at its Krefeld factory on March 31. ‘The RRX will lift regional transport in NRW to a higher level’, said NRW Transport Minister Michael Groschek on his visit to Krefeld, adding that ‘the new trains combine ...
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NewsRhein-Ruhr-Express EMU car rolled out
GERMANY: Siemens unveiled the first Desiro HC car for the future Rhein-Ruhr-Express network at its Krefeld factory on March 31. ‘The RRX will lift regional transport in NRW to a higher level’, said NRW Transport Minister Michael Groschek on his visit to Krefeld, adding that ‘the new trains combine ...
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NewsLoco ‘designed, engineered and manufactured in Africa’ unveiled
SOUTH AFRICA: What national freight group Transnet says is the ‘first locomotive to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Africa’ was unveiled by South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria on April 4. The Trans-Africa Locomotive was developed by Transnet’s manufacturing division Transnet Engineering and assembled at its plant in ...
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NewsRZD International signs Iran electrification contract
IRAN: Russian Railways’ export business RZD International and Islamic Republic of Iran Railways signed a €1·2bn contract on March 28 for the electrification of the 495 km route from Garmsar on the Tehran – Mashhad main line to Incheh Borun on the border with Turkmenistan. This builds on an initial ...
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NewsTracsis buys stake in Vivacity
UK: Transportation data software supplier Tracsis announced on April 4 that it had taken a stake in Vivacity Labs, a provider of data for smart cities and intelligent transport systems. Tracsis is investing up to £1m, subject to performance milestones, through a tranched equity funding mechanism in return for ...
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NewsStadler proposes move from Altenrhein to St Margrethen
SWITZERLAND: Rolling stock manufacturer Stadler confirmed on April 4 that it was evaluating options to replace its Altenrhein site with a new plant at nearby St Margrethen. The new facility would be optimised for the production of Kiss double-deck vehicles, unlike the current leased facility at Altenrhein, which Stadler said ...
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NewsLNG locomotive agreement
LITHUANIA: An agreement to co-operate to develop a liquefied natural gas-fuelled shunting locomotive was signed on March 30 by Lithuania Railways, stevedoring company Bega, oil and gas terminal operator Klaipėdos Nafta, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and Klaipeda University. The partner aim to produce a prototype shunting locomotive for use at ...
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NewsBeijing Dinghan Technology buys SMA Railway Technology
GERMANY: Beijing Dinghan Technology Co has acquired Kassel-based auxiliary convertor manufacturer SMA Railway Technology from SMA Solar Technology on undisclosed terms. Operational and corporate responsibility will remain in Kassel, with SMA Railway continuing to operate under its own name and with its existing management. SMA Railway Technology said the deal ...
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NewsKuala Lumpur – Singapore design consultants appointed
MALAYSIA: Promoter MyHSR Corp has selected a mix of international and domestic firms to work as Reference Design Consultants on the Kuala Lumpur – Singapore high speed line project, the company announced on April 3. The consultants will be responsible for preparing the reference designs for the infrastructure alignment and ...
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NewsQuiet wagons mandatory by 2020
GERMANY: Noisy freight wagons will effectively be banned from the national rail network from the December 13 2020 timetable change, after Federal Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced on March 30 that the Bundestag had passed legislation requiring the use of low-noise freight wagons as part of his ‘Quiet Rail Strategy’. ...
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NewsInnovative engineering underpins new Ilkeston station
UK: New stations at Ilkeston in Derbyshire and Low Moor in West Yorkshire opened on April 2. Passenger trains began calling at Ilkeston for the first time since 1967 with the opening of the £10m station following a project led by Derbyshire County Council. This was supported by an £4·5m ...
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NewsSNCF orders 30 Coradias for TET services
FRANCE: SNCF Mobilités has awarded Alstom a €250m contract to supply a further 30 Alstom Coradia multiple-units. These are scheduled to be delivered from September 2018 for use on Trains d'Equilibre du Territoire long-distance services on the Paris – Amiens – Boulogne, Paris – Bourges – Montluçon, Clermont-Ferrand – Nîmes, ...
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NewsBucurești metro expands
ROMANIA: A 2 km extension of metro Line M4 in București opened to passengers on March 31, taking the line northwest from Parc Bazilescu to Straulești with an intermediate station at Laminorului. Construction was completed on December 19. The project also includes the construction of a depot and a ...
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NewsBangkok Sukhumvit Line extended
THAILAND: A southern extension of the Sukhumvit Line in Bangkok opened at 13.00 on April 3, from Bearing to Samrong. Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang attended the opening ceremony for the new section of the elevated metro line. Samrong will offer interchange with the future Yellow Line monorail, which is ...
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NewsGurgaon metro Phase 2 opens
INDIA: Phase 2 of the Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon elevated metro opened on March 31. The 7 km southern extension takes the route to Sector 55-56, with five stations. Work began in October 2012, with Siemens acting as lead contractor. In June 2013 IL&FS Engineering & Construction announced that it ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Slovakian operator Express Group has bought from ŽOS Zvolen two refurbished Škoda Type 61E electric locos previously operated by ZSSK Cargo. These will be used for expansion into the 3 kV DC area in northern Slovakia and Poland. Express Group also plans to acquire a third Siemens ES64F4 loco in ...