Main line rail industry news – Page 626
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NewsOlsztyn inaugurates its second tram network
POLAND: The official inauguration of regular services on the Olsztyn tram network took place at 12.30 on December 19, with free travel until the end of the month. The first tram network opening since 1959 brings the number of Polish cities with trams to 15. Olsztyn’s original metre gauge ...
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NewsSpeedInnov to develop future TGV
FRANCE: The ministries responsible for transport, research and industry announced on December 17 the creation of SpeedInnov, a joint venture that is to develop ‘the TGV of the future’. The new joint venture also includes Alstom and ADEME, a government agency providing funding for projects aiming to reduce environmental impact ...
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NewsMontréal to call commuter rail tenders
CANADA: Agence Métropolitaine de Transport announced on December 17 that it plans to call tenders for contracts to operate Montréal's commuter rail services and supply new rolling stock. AMT expects to award the operations and rolling stock maintenance contract in autumn 2016. A separate contract for the supply of an ...
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NewsChina orders more high speed sleeper trainsets
CHINA: A €152m contract to supply China Railway Corp with a further five 250 km/h CRH1E-250 sleeper trainsets was announced by the Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation joint venture on December 18. This is the second order for the 16-car sleeper train design, after a 2007 contract for 20 sets which ...
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NewsSNCB signs €3·3bn framework for 1362 M7 cars
BELGIUM: National operator SNCB signed a €1·3bn firm order for 445 Type M7 double-deck passenger vehicles with a consortium of Bombardier and Alstom on December 18. There are options for up to 917 more vehicles which would take the total value to €3·3bn. The M7 cars would be able to ...
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NewsFirst X’Trapolis Mega EMU arrives in South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA: The first pre-series X’Trapolis Mega electric multiple-unit that Alstom is supplying for Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa arrived at PRASA’s Wolmerton depot in Pretoria on December 18. The second pre-series trainset is due to arrive in early 2016. The six-car 1 067 mm gauge EMUs are ...
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NewsBuenos Aires Line H extended
ARGENTINA: On December 18 President Mauricio Macri joined Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, head of the Buenos Aires city government, to officially open the extension of metro Line H from Corrientes to Las Heras. Bringing metro services to over 75 000 inhabitants, this latest extension to Line H currently serves one intermediate ...
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NewsGold Coast double-tracking contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: The Queensland government announced on December 16 that it had awarded Golding Contractors a contract for civils works related to double-tracking of part of the Gold Coast – Brisbane line. Due to begin in March, the A$163m project would double 8·2 km of the 1 067 mm gauge ...
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NewsFunding to develop Old Oak Common station plans
UK: The European Commission is providing €4m to Transport for London towards planning new stations at Old Oak Common in west London. The funding comes from the Connecting Europe Facility and will be match-funded by TfL. The funding will support development of options for new stations on Old Oak ...
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NewsFaster to Salamanca and Zamora
SPAIN: On December 17 national operator RENFE introduced Alvia services from Madrid to Salamanca and Zamora, following the completion of high speed infrastructure between Olmedo near Medina del Campo and Zamora, as well as upgrading and electrification of the conventional route between Medina del Campo and Salamanca. The fastest journey ...
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NewsMoscow approves new tram lines
RUSSIA: The Moscow city government approved the start of planning for two new tram routes in the south of the city on December 8. The first project is an extension of a route approved in June 2014. Construction of the 8·3 km, 10-stop line from Krasnogo Mayaka to Biryulyovo ...
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NewsShift2Rail issues first open call for research proposals
EUROPE: The Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking issued its first open call on December 17, inviting proposals for a range of research projects expected to have a total value of €170m. Proposals have been invited for nine packages in three of the five Shift2Rail Innovation Programmes (below). An information day is to ...
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NewsNTV unveils ‘futuristic’ Pendolino styling
ITALY: Open access operator NTV has revealed the appearance of the eight 250 km/h Pendolino trainsets which it ordered from Alstom in October. Deliveries are scheduled for late 2017 and entry into service for early 2018. The design was created by Alstom's Design & Styling Centre, which was responsible ...
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NewsTrenord boosts fleet spend
ITALY: Regional passenger operator Trenord has announced that it is to invest an additional €170m on new rolling stock to enter service in 2017. Funding is being provided by the Lombardia region and FNM, which owns 50% of the Trenord joint venture with Trenitalia. Trenord is to acquire 18 trainsets, ...
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NewsBNDES funds VLI rolling stock
BRAZIL: Federal development bank BNDES has approved funding of R$587⋅8m for the acquisition of 16 diesel locomotives and 1 916 wagons by freight operator VLI Multimodal. BNDES is to provide R$392⋅9m directly, and Banco Safra R$195m. By acquiring new rolling stock in 2016, VLI is looking to increase freight capacity ...
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NewsInnsbruck orders Regionalbahn LRVs
AUSTRIA: The city of Innsbruck, the Land of Tirol and transport authority IVB signed a contract on December 16 for the supply of rolling stock for the city’s Regionalbahn light rail project. Bombardier Transportation is to supply 20 Flexity light rail vehicles, along with maintenance support under Bombardier’s FlexCare ...
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NewsWellington chooses suburban rail operator
NEW ZEALAND: Greater Wellington Regional Council announced the selection of a joint venture between Transdev and Hyundai Rotem as preferred bidder for a contract to operate the capital’s suburban rail services on December 17. Formal award is planned for March. A Keolis Downer-KiwiRail joint venture and Serco had also ...
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NewsKampala light rail agreement signed
UGANDA: The government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government for the construction of a light rail network in Kampala. To be built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp, the first phase would cost US$440m to build and would extend for 35 km on an elevated ...
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NewsQingdao metro opens
CHINA: The first metro line in Qingdao opened for trial passenger operation at 11.00 on December 16. Services on Line 3 operate between 06.30 and 21.30 using six six-car trainsets. The 12 km northern section of Line 3 links Qingdao North railway station with Shungshan in the city centre. ...
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NewsWaldenburgbahn to be regauged
SWITZERLAND: Plans to convert the 13·1 km Waldenburgbahn from 750 mm to 1 000 mm gauge by 2022 were approved by Basel’s construction and planning commission last month. The single-track line from Liestal to Waldenburg opened in 1880 and was electrified at 1·5 kV DC in 1953. It is ...