Main line rail industry news – Page 499
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NewsWorld rolling stock market June 2017
Azerbaijan: ŽOS Vrútky has undertaken heavy overhaul of eight ADY sleeping cars, which have been converted into 160 km/h air-conditioned economy/business class cars with 60 seats. Another seven are to follow by 2018. China: Shanghai Shentong Metro Group has awarded Shentong Bombardier (Shanghai) Rail Transit Vehicle Maintenance Co two ...
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NewsWorld rail infrastructure market June 2017
Argentina: Alstom has won a €17m contract to renew power supplies on Buenos Aires metro Line B. Australia: Victoria's Level Crossing Removal Authority has awarded KBR a contract for engineering design services for the elimination of two more crossings in the Melbourne suburban area. The work is to be ...
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NewsSiemens acquires predictive maintenance specialist MRX Technologies
AUSTRALIA: Siemens has announced the acquisition of predictive maintenance specialist MRX Technologies Group for an undisclosed price. The transaction is expected to be completed in early July, with MRX Technologies to be managed as a legally independent business within Siemens’ Mobility Division. Comprising JRB Engineering, MRX Technologies, MRX Rail Services ...
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NewsDSB finds buyer for AnsaldoBreda IC2 DMUs
DENMARK: National operator DSB reached an agreement to sell 15 of its 23 AnsaldoBreda IC2 diesel multiple-units on June 16. The two-car DMUs were withdrawn from service last year after a troubled history. DSB is selling the DMUs ‘as is’ with no warranty. The unnamed buyer has initially acquired three ...
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NewsArriva wins Pågatåg operating contract
SWEDEN: Regional transport authority Skånetrafiken announced on June 22 that it had selected Arriva for the next contract to operate Pågatåg passenger services in the Skåne area of southern Sweden. The SKr5bn contract runs for eight years from December 9 2018, when the current contract which has been held by ...
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NewsFori Imperiali tram route approved
ITALY: The Cultural Heritage Ministry’s body responsible for protecting the area around Roma’s Colosseum has approved the construction of a catenary-free tram line on Via dei Fori Imperiali. The long-planned link would connect the Farini terminus of routes 5 and 14 with the Piazza Venezia terminus of Route 8. ...
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NewsTallinn tram modernised
ESTONIA: The first of 14 trams to be refurbished under a €12m contract awarded last year has returned to Tallinn. Czech companies Ekova Electric and Cegelec are modernising two Tatra KT4 trams and 12 Tatra KT6T trams which were formed in 2001-07 by inserting a low-floor centre section into ...
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NewsGibb report into improving Southern performance published
UK: A report providing recommendations for improving the performance of train services across the Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern franchise was published by the Department for Transport on June 22. The report was commissioned last year from Network Rail non-executive director and career railwayman Chris Gibb, following the sustained ...
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NewsSix bids for Mumbai metro driverless trains
INDIA: Mumbai Metro Rail Corp announced on June 20 that it had received six bids to pre-qualify for a contract to supply driverless trains to operate on Line 3: Hitachi CAF Mitsubishi Corp A consortium of Alstom Transport India and Alstom Transport A consortium of Kawasaki Heavy Industries and ...
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NewsRailway supply industry news round-up
RSSB has selected Altius VA to provide IT and management services for the UK’s Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme from May 2018, while Capita has been selected to provide audit services. RISQS is used by Network Rail, London Underground and 116 other buyers with more than 4 300 supplier members. ...
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NewsCatania upgrading progresses
ITALY: The first stage of the Passante Catania project opened on June 18. The project is being undertaken to enable the operation of frequent suburban services across the city from Taormina in the north to Letini in the south via Catania Centrale. The €100m first phase, delivered by infrastructure ...
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NewsFirst Class 345 EMU enters passenger service in London
UK: The first of 66 Class 345 electric multiple-units for London’s future Elizabeth Line entered passenger service on June 22. TfL Rail is initially operating one off-peak return trip per day between Liverpool Street and Shenfield using a Class 345. Transport for London expects a further 10 of the ...
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NewsAlstom to overhaul Akiem electric locomotives
FRANCE: Leasing company Akiem has awarded Alstom a €20m contract to undertake the mid-life overhaul of 23 BB36000 tri-voltage electric locomotives to ensure they can provide another 15 years of service. The project runs to 2024 and will include bogie refurbishment, obsolescence monitoring, component repairs and cab modernisation. The work ...
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NewsThree shortlisted for West Coast Partnership franchise
UK: The shortlisted bidders for the West Coast Partnership franchise were announced by the Department for Transport on June 22. They are: First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Ltd, a joint venture between FirstGroup’s First Rail Holdings Ltd (70%) and Italian state operator Trenitalia SpA (30%); MTR West Coast Partnership Ltd, ...
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NewsSouth Eastern franchise bidders announced
UK: The Department for Transport announced the shortlisted bidders for the next South Eastern passenger franchise on June 22. They are: South Eastern Holdings Ltd (NS’s Abellio Transport Group, East Japan Railway and Mitsui & Co); London & South East Passenger Rail Services Ltd (Govia 65:35 joint venture of Go-Ahead ...
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NewsUK railway news round-up
The first of 22 five-car and 14 nine-car Hitachi AT300 Class 802 electro-diesel trainsets ordered by leasing company Eversholt Rail for Great Western Railway services from London Paddington to Devon and Cornwall arrived at the port of Southampton from Japan on June 17. The Intercity Express Train is designed to ...
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NewsPerpetuum enters Chinese rail market
CHINA: Remote conditioning monitoring specialist Perpetuum has signed a memorandum of understanding for China High Speed Railway Technology Co subsidiary Beijing Sheenline Group Co to support its entry into the Chinese market. The agreement announced on June 21 includes wheelset, bogie and track monitoring, along with design and commissioning advice. ...
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NewsRail sector responds to the Queen's Speech
UK: The rail sector responds to the Queen's Speech given at the state opening of parliament on June 21, which outlined the government's policies and proposed legislative programme for the new parliamentary session. [View the story "Rail sector responds to the Queen's Speech 2017" on Storify]
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NewsEBRD agrees €290m loan for Egyptian locomotive order
EGYPT: A €290m loan agreement to support Egyptian National Railways’ planned acquisition of up to 100 diesel locomotives through a supply and maintenance contract was signed by the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development on June 19. EBRD said the acquisition of new locomotives maintained by a private-sector partner would ...
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NewsElectric buses enter service in Differdange
LUXEMBOURG: The first series-built fully electric buses in Differdange have entered service. Volvo has supplied four of its 7900 Electric buses to operator Sales-Lentz. These will be used on four routes of between 8 km and 9·5 km. Charging takes place every 25 min at the termini, with two ...