Main line rail industry news – Page 324
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NewsSiemens rolls out new Turkish Velaro
TURKEY: Siemens has unveiled the first of 12 Velaro high speed trainsets ordered by Turkish national operator TCDD Taşımacılık at the supplier’s Düsseldorf plant on November 13. Due to arrive in Ankara by the end of November, the train is expected to enter passenger service in February ...
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NewsPraha ETCS programme launched
CZECH REPUBLIC: A programme to install ETCS Level 2 on routes around Praha was launched by infrastructure manager SŽDC and signalling contractor AŽD Praha on November 5. The project is costed at KC327·7m, with 42% to be funded from European Union sources. The project is divided into ...
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NewsNew ERFA President calls for a ‘truly European and competitive’ freight market
EUROPE: BLS Cargo CEO Dirk Stahl was elected as President of the European Rail Freight Association at its board meeting on November 20. Maciej Gladyga, director of Poland’s Land Transport Chamber of Commerce, was elected as Vice-President of the organisation which represents new entrants to the freight ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
Stadler’s directors have recommended former Swiss transport minister Doris Leuthard for election to the board at the AGM to be held on April 30 2020. ‘Thanks to her proven specialist expertise in matters relating to traffic and infrastructure, as well as her political experience as a former ...
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NewsTexas Central selects railway systems supply partner
RENFE is acting as shadow operator of the planned Texas Central high speed line in the USA USA: Dallas – Houston high speed railway promoter Texas Central reached an Early Contractor Involvement agreement with Mass Electric Construction Co on November 23. Under the agreement, the Kiewit Corp ...
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NewsAfrica’s first high speed line covers its costs
MOROCCO: Speaking at a press conference on November 20, Moroccan National Railways Director General Mohamed Rabie Khlie told media representatives that the high speed Al Boraq service launched by King Mohamed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron on November 15 2018 had carried 2·5 million passengers in ...
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NewsFederal funds to boost Queensland projects
AUSTRALIA: The federal government has committed to increase funding for several railway projects in Queensland, as part of an A$3·8bn package of infrastructure spending announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on November 21. Described by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk as a ‘huge win’, the announcement followed lengthy ...
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NewsUrban transport news in brief
Uraltransmash is testing a prototype 71-411 tram on the metre-gauge network in Yevpatoria. Series production could begin in 2020. A 4·8 km metro line with three stations opened in Wuhan on November 6. This would eventually form the southern end of Line 8, whose initial section opened ...
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NewsDanish parliament approves Vestfyn fast line
DENMARK: A law granting the Minister of Transport legal powers to build a 35 km line suitable for 250 km/h operation between Odense Vest and Kauslunde on the island of Fyn was approved by parliament on November 21. The double-track electrified Vestfyn line would be 4 km ...
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NewsMaine acquisition as CP looks coast-to-coast again
INTERNATIONAL: Canadian Pacific has agreed to acquire the Central Maine & Quebec Railway from Fortress Transportation & Infrastructure Investors LLC, the two companies announced on November 20. CMQ operates a 774 km network in Québec and Maine, largely comprising the former Canadian Atlantic Railway and Banger & ...
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NewsPolarteknik begins production of next-generation of train door control units
FINLAND: Polarteknik has begun production of its latest design of control units for internal doors on trains. The D56 is designed with the flexibility to accommodate the varing passenger flow and functionality requirements of vestibules, saloon, catering vehicles, accessible toilets and gangway fire doors. As well as ...
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NewsFirst Amtrak Avelia emerges
USA: The first of 28 Avelia Liberty trainsets being assembled by Alstom to operate Amtrak’s Acela Express services has been outshopped at the manufacturer’s Hornell plant, ahead of the start of test running. Ordered in 2016 as part of a $2·45bn package of ...
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NewsDB Regio places Mireo order
GERMANY: DB Regio has formally awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to supply seven Miro electric multiple-units for use on services from Karlsruhe to Bruchsal, Heidelberg and Mannheim which it is to operate as part of the Netz 7b operating contract. The three-car units with more than 200 ...
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NewsAlpha Trains raises green financing
LUXEMBOURG: Rolling stock leasing company Alpha Trains has refinanced some of its existing bank debt and secured further bank funds with a total volume of over €500m, as well as raising an additional €200m through a US private placement. This includes €140m of green bank financing, which ...
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NewsDoll to leave DB as Arriva sale falters
Photo: Deutsche Bahn AG/Pablo Castagnola GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn has announced that Alexander Doll, Board Member for Finance, Freight Traffic & Logistics, will leave the business on December 31. Doll’s departure was agreed on November 18 at an extraordinary meeting of the Supervisory Board. A new chief financial ...
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NewsChinese high speed train operator’s IPO approved
CHINA: Beijing–Shanghai High Speed Railway Co’s planned IPO was formally approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission on November 14. The state railway’s investment arm currently owns a 50% stake in the operator of the 1 318 km line, which opened in June 2011 with trains running ...
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NewsSBB awards ETCS maintenance contract
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has awarded Alstom a €25m contract to maintain its ETCS onboard equipment for 10 years with an option for three more. This extends a contract which had been awarded when the equipment was fitted in 2003-08. It includes logistics management for repair and ...
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NewsAgreement to increase exports of Russian food to China by rail
ASIA: An agreement for the joint development of rail services to deliver Russian food products to China has been signed by RZD Logistics and YuXinOu (Chongqing) Logistics. The companies plan to expand the geographic range of the existing Agroexpress service, with a series of shipments to ...
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NewsFirst order for Vectron Dual Mode brings 'the best of two worlds'
GERMANY: Railsystems RP has become the first customer for Siemens Mobility’s Vectron Dual Mode electro-diesel locomotive, with an order announced on November 18 for two to be delivered at the end of 2020. Announced at InnoTrans 2018 and unveiled at the manufacturer’s München-Allach plant in March this ...
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NewsItalo signs ‘largest ever’ green loan for transport
ITALY: Open access high speed train operator Italo has signed a €1·1bn syndicated loan, which CEO Gianbattista La Rocca said was the world’s largest green loan in the transport sector. The proceeds will be used to refinance €900m of existing green investments on better terms, and to ...