Main line rail industry news – Page 216
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NewsRecognising and managing the risks of battery fires
INNOTRANS: In the latest InnoTrans Podcast, Roger Dirksmeier, Managing Director of Fogtec, explains how the rail industry must adapt its fire-fighting measures to cope with battery-electric and fuel cell drive systems. ’It is important to look at fire safety as an integrated system and not simply ...
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NewsCzech passenger services change hands
CZECH REPUBLIC: The timetable introduced on December 12 brought a further decline in passenger volumes operated by ČD, although the state operator has returned to two short branch lines where trains were previously run by private operators.
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NewsBattery power to extend Dublin commuter services as Alstom wins DART fleet renewal
IRELAND: Alstom was formally confirmed as supplier of up to 750 suburban multiple-unit cars for Iarnród Éireann as part of its DART+ Programme on December 13, having been named preferred bidder in June.
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NewsFrench night trains relaunched as government announces €800m investment
FRANCE: At 20.52 on December 12, the rebirth of France’s domestic overnight passenger network took a step forward. Jérémie Anne reports from Paris Austerlitz.
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NewsFirst Pro Trilhos construction schemes approved
BRAZIL: The federal government signed contracts with six groups on December 9 authorising them to progress nine railway construction projects which would add an estimated 3 507 km to the national network using R$50bn in private funding.
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NewsDB and ÖBB selected for Bayern operating contracts
GERMANY: Bayern railway agency BEG has selected DB Regio and a subsidiary of Austrian Federal Railways for two transitional contracts to operate restructured Expressverkehr Ostbayern passenger services. Following an international tender, BEG announced on December 1 that DB Regio has been selected for Lot 1, which ...
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NewsCoronavirus track access charge reduction approved
SWEDEN: The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules a SKr1·37bn Swedish scheme to support the rail passenger and freight sectors during the coronavirus outbreak.
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NewsShareholders back CP-KCS merger
NORTH AMERICA: Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern shareholders have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proposed merger between the two railways, allowing the transaction to move ahead.
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NewsHigh-strength steel wagons designed to improve efficiency
USA: A ‘stronger, lighter and more energy-efficient’ open wagon design which makes use of high strength steel to reduce empty weight by 6·8 tonnes has been announced by US Steel, The Greenbrier Companies and Norfolk Southern, which has ordered an initial batch of 800. The companies ...
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NewsBattery train supply and operation contract awards completed
GERMANY: All the contracts are now in place for the financing, supply, maintenance and operation of a large fleet of battery multiple-units for non-electrified routes in Schleswig-Holstein, with the award of the final operating contract following a tendering process which led to a legal challenge. Having ...
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NewsInland Rail trackwork contractor selected
AUSTRALIA: Australian Rail Track Corp has selected Martinus for the Rail Corridor Programme contract, which covers tracklaying and level crossing works on 574∙5 km of the Inland Rail corridor in New South Wales and southern Queensland. The agreement announced on December 7 covers the route between ...
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NewsFinland – Sweden rail link to be electrified
FINLAND: Funding has been agreed for the electrification of the 24 km line from the junction at Laurila near Kemi to Tornio and across the border to Haparanda in Sweden.
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NewsWork starts on Algarve electrification
PORTUGAL: Infraestruturas de Portugal has formally launched a €20∙4m electrification scheme covering the 56 km route between Faro and Vila Real de Santo António on the Algarve coast in the south of the country.
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NewsTurkish track order
TURKEY: Vossloh has announced an ‘economically significant’ order to supply infrastructure contractor Kalyon Group with 147 turnouts of various geometries, along with spare parts and additional track materials, for the Bandirma – Bursa – Yenişehir – Osmaneli High Standard Railway Project. Deliveries are scheduled to run ...
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NewsERTMS axle counter framework contract awarded
NETHERLANDS: ProRail has awarded Thales its ‘Generic Axle Counter System for ERTMS’ framework contract, which covers the supply of axle counting systems for use in ERTMS deployment projects over eight years plus the provision of 25 years of maintenance. With the infrastructure ...
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NewsThai locomotives rolled out in China
THAILAND: CRRC Qishuyan has rolled out the first of 50 diesel locomotives ordered by State Railway of Thailand to replace locos more than 40 years old. The 6·5bn baht contract signed on August 31 2020 required the first 20 locomotives to be ...
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NewsTurkish steelmaker orders locomotives
TURKEY: Steelmaker Erdemir has placed an order for four CZ Loko EffiShunter 600 shunting locomotives to be delivered to its Eregli plant in Q1 2023, with an option for two more. Intended to replace obsolete Soviet and Chinese-designed locos at the plant, they will have 709 ...
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NewsEurostar biometric trial goes live
EUROPE: Eurostar has begun live trials of the SmartCheck biometric face authentication system, enabling passengers boarding at London St Pancras International to complete secure ticket verification and UK exit checks on their mobile devices before travel.