All Railway Gazette International articles in March 2018
All articles published this month.
-
News
World rolling stock market - March 2018
Azerbaijan: On February 16 Metrowagonmash signed a contract to supply two five-car trainsets to the Baku metro. Czech Republic: ČD Cargo is seeking to award a framework contract for the supply of up to 55 locomotives suitable for international operation, enabling it to replace many of its older locos. ...
-
News
British Airways takes delivery of tank wagons
UK: A batch of aviation fuel tank wagons which British Airways is to lease from VTG Rail UK has been delivered to London from The Greenbrier Companies’ Wagony Świdnica factory in Poland. Fully compliant with aviation regulations, the wagons will be bottom-loaded at the refinery and include a vapour recovery ...
-
News
Bishkek receives trolleybuses
KYRGYZSTAN: Trolza delivered the first five of 37 trolleybuses that it is supplying to Bishkek on March 23. The 12 m long 5275.03 Optima vehicles have three sets of 1 230 mm wide double doors and capacity for 100 passengers, including 27 seated. In November Bishkek Trolleybus Co ...
-
News
Railway supply industry news round-up
Trainline has announced a partnership with Austrian Federal Railways, enabling it to sell all ÖBB products including discounted, Nightjet and Wien City Airport Train tickets. Scandinavian sales, distribution and settlement company Linkon AB has been rebranded as SilverRail Technologies AB and integrated into the SilverRail Technologies Group. ‘SilverRail has been ...
-
News
Presidents officially open Azerbaijan – Iran rail link
ASIA: The rail link between Astara in Azerbaijan and similarly-named town on the Iranian side of the border was officially opened with a ceremony on March 29. Presidents Hassan Rouhanid of Iran and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan participated via a video link from the Azerbaijan – Iran Business Forum which ...
-
News
Rail to benefit from reduction in wind energy surcharge
GERMANY: The European Commission has ruled that Germany’s plan to grant railways a reduction on a planned offshore energy surcharge is permitted under EU state aid rules, because it would contribute to the rail sector’s competitiveness without unduly distorting the single market. Under an amendment to the German Energy Act ...
-
Metro Report International
Driverless shuttle enters passenger service in mixed traffic
SWITZERLAND: An autonomous shuttle started running with passengers in mixed traffic in Neuhausen am Rheinfall on March 27. The Navya vehicle has received approval from the Federal Office of Road Traffic and has been integrated into the operations control system of Schaffhausen public transport authority VBSH. It operates on ...
-
News
Cost drove cancellation of UK electrification projects
UK: The National Audit Office has published an investigation into why and how the government cancelled the planned 25 kV 50 Hz electrification of the Cardiff – Swansea route, the Oxenholme – Windermere branch and the Midland Main Line north from Kettering to Nottingham and Sheffield. The report released on ...
-
News
Appenzeller Bahnen takes deliveries of EMU and LRV
SWITZERLAND: Metre-gauge operator Appenzeller Bahnen recently took delivery of two vehicles ordered as part of the St Gallen Durchmesserlinie project. On March 27 Appenzeller Bahnen took delivery of the first of five ABe4/12 electric multiple-units ordered from Stadler for SFr40m in 2016. This is due to enter revenue service ...
-
News
Dartford electric bus pilot begins
UK: An electric bus trial started in Dartford on March 22 and will continue until May 9. Being run by operator Arriva in partnership with Kent county council, the pilot uses a Volvo 7900 Electric bus running on Fastrack A route between Greenhithe and Bluewater shopping centre. The ...
-
News
UK railway news round-up
Easier-to-use ticket vending machines and clearer language have increased the number of passengers buy the right ticket for their journey, according to mystery shopper research by the Office of Rail & Road. This found that 91% of users would have bought the most appropriate ticket, up 11% from 2016. Of ...
-
News
Go-Ahead prepares for German launch
GERMANY: The first of 45 Flirt3 electric multiple units ordered by UK-based transport group Go-Ahead as part of its entry into the German passenger market has been completed at Stadler’s Pankow factory in Berlin. In November 2015 the Land of Baden-Württemberg selected Go-Ahead for the Stuttgart Netz Lot 1b (Rems–Fils) ...
-
News
Bombardier Transportation completes negotiations for ‘reorientation’ in Germany
GERMANY: Bombardier Transportation has announced the completion of negotiations with employee representatives for the ‘reorientation’ of its German activities. The company said the programme scheduled for completion by 2020 would offer all of its German sites a ‘long-term and sustainable perspective’, although there would be a loss of up to ...
-
Metro Report International
First Edmonton Valley Line LRV completed
CANADA: The first light rail vehicle for Edmonton’s Valley Line has been completed at Bombardier Transportation’s factory in Kingston. It is scheduled to arrive in Edmonton in mid-2018. Bombardier is supplying 26 LRVs for the first phase of the Valley Line project as part of the TransEd Partners consortium, ...
-
News
Zwolle infrastructure upgrading contract signed
NETHERLANDS: Infrastructure manager ProRail has awarded VolkerRail and Van Hattum & Blankevoort a €170m contract to undertake extensive track works between Zwolle and Herfte, where the lines to Meppel and Emmen diverge. The contract signed on March 16 covers the construction of two extra tracks between Zwolle and Herfte, a ...
-
Metro Report International
Civil works awarded for Paris Line 14 extension
FRANCE: RATP has awarded two contracts to undertake civil works on the southern extension of its driverless metro Line 14, which will run for 14 km between Olympiades and Orly Airport. The project is being funded by Société du Grand Paris as part of the Grand Paris Express programme. Contract ...
-
News
GWR to manage Heathrow Express service
UK: The Heathrow Express premium airport service between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport is to continue running until at least 2028 under a new agreement announced on March 28. The non-franchised service is currently operated in-house by Heathrow Airport Ltd, which will continue to own the service and be responsible ...
-
News
West Coast Partnership invitations to tender issued
UK: The Department for Transport issued invitations to tender for the West Coast Partnership franchise on March 27. The contract will cover the operation of InterCity West Coast services from September 15 2019 until 2031, and the planning of the initial service on High Speed 2 in partnership with project ...
-
News
Atocha Phase 2 unveiled
SPAIN: Development Minister Íñigo de la Serna has unveiled plans for the second phase of a capacity expansion programme at Madrid Atocha station, designed by architect Rafael Moneo. In preparation for the opening of the 1 435 mm gauge tunnel under Madrid to Chamartín, built at a cost of €322m ...
-
Metro Report International
Contactless payment comes to Dijon
FRANCE: Dijon Métropole and public transport operator Keolis announced the launch of contactless bank card payment on the city’s trams on March 27. The technology has been supplied by Visa, Worldline and Natixis Payment Solutions, with the support of regional development bank Caisse d’Epargne de Bourgogne Franche-Comté. A ...