News
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NewsPort Botany freight capacity enhancement contracts awarded
AUSTRALIA: Australian Rail Track Corp has awarded two contracts for works to increase freight capacity on the Port Botany line in Sydney. John Holland has been awarded a design and build contract for the Botany Rail Duplication project to double-track the remaining 2·9 km of ...
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News
ADIF AV lets contract to build first section of Cantabrian high speed line
SPAIN: ADIF Alta Velocidad has awarded Sacyr Construcciones a 36-month contract worth €77∙3m to for civil works on a 20∙8 km section of high speed line between Palencia Norte and Amusco.
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News
Arup to undertake all-Ireland rail review
EUROPE: Ireland’s Department of Transport and Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure have commissioned Arup to undertake an All Island Strategic Rail Review, which will consider how the 1 600 mm gauge rail networks can be used to improve connectivity, enhance regional accessibility and support balanced development. ...
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News
Second Baikal tunnel bore opened
RUSSIA: President Putin has inaugurated the second bore of the Baikal tunnel, built as part of a double-tracking project which will increase capacity on the Delbichinda to Daban section of the Baikal – Amur main line from 17 to 85 trains each way per day. ...
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Rail Business UK
Next Go-Ahead CEO named
GO-AHEAD: The board of the Go-Ahead Group has appointed Christian Schreyer as Chief Executive with effect from the November 5 annual general meeting. He will succeed David Brown, who announced in May that he would retire this year. To provide a smooth transition, Schreyer will ...
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In depth
Central & Eastern Europe: Rail at heart of recovery package
Railways across central and eastern Europe stand to benefit as member states submit their national post-Covid recovery plans to the EU in order to access temporary stimulus funds. Toma Bačić provides a snapshot of proposals from five countries.
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News
Container wagon designed to offer seven day China – Europe transit time
RUSSIA: Sinara Transport Machines has unveiled a prototype wagon developed to meet Federal Freight Co’s requirements for transporting containerised high-margin goods between far eastern and European Russia at passenger trains speeds of 140 km/h. The Type 13-6704 wagon has a pair of three-axle bogies and ...
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News
Prototype refurbished Coradia Continental EMU rolled out
GERMANY: ‘This is a prime example of how tried and tested rolling stock can be upgraded and refurbished to provide passengers with a level of convenience similar to that of new trains’, said Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director of Alpha Trains Europa, when Talbot Services unveiled a ...
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News
Friesen Bridge replacement project gets underway
GERMANY: A ceremony has been held to symbolically launch work to build the largest swing bridge of its kind in Europe, which will replace the Friesen Bridge over the River Ems near the Dutch border which was irreparably damaged by a cargo ship in December 2015. ...
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In depth
Comment: Modal shift still key to rail’s green agenda
In the transport sector, the urge to decarbonise is manifesting itself in an increasingly frenetic push for the roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell and battery technology to replace internal combustion in everything from cars to small aircraft. These offer significant potential for decarbonising rail too, but should not be prioritised over the need to deliver modal shift from more polluting forms of mobility, argues our Managing Editor Nick Kingsley.
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Rail Business UK
Rail Freight Energy & Emissions Calculation tool to help optimise performance
UK: Funding has been awarded for the development of a low-cost tool allowing train operators and their customers estimate accurately the emissions produced by different traction, route and loading options in order to assess the benefits of modal shift to rail. Network Rail will also ...
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News
CP set to acquire 117 EMUs in ‘largest ever’ procurement
PORTUGAL: The Council of Ministers has approved investment worth €819m to enable national passenger operator CP to call tenders for 117 regional and suburban EMUs, of which €617m would come from EU grants.
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In depth
Africa: Traxtion eyes growth potential
New investment opportunities are opening up in the African rail sector, and as the continent’s largest private freight operator Traxtion wants to lead the charge, CEO James Holley tells Chris Jackson.
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News
Vossloh expands in the Netherlands with acquisition of ETS Spoor
NETHERLANDS: Vossloh signed an agreement to acquire ETS Spoor on July 26, saying the rail infrastructure component and services company is an ‘established and leading’ business in the ‘technologically sophisticated and highly innovative’ Dutch market where Vossloh sees ‘outstanding’ growth prospects. The deal is expected ...
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News
Brno selects ‘grand and human, monumental and tangible’ design for new main station
CZECH REPUBLIC: The city of Brno has selected a team of Benthem Crouwel Architects and urban design company West 8 as the winner of an international competition to design a new main station in the Trnitá urban redevelopment area. Completion is envisaged in 2032-35 at a ...
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News
Collapsed bridge replaced in two days
RUSSIA: A bridge on the trans-Siberian line has been replaced within two days of being destroyed by flooding. The bridge between Kuenga and Ukurey collapsed on July 23. Trains had already been suspended after structural faults were identified, with local passengers being transported by bus ...
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News
‘Enormous potential’ to cut CO2 emissions with battery traction
GERMANY: A strategy for widespread adoption of battery-electric trains for local and regional passenger services has been put forward by Germany’s Railway Industry Association. With academic input from the technical universities of Berlin and Dresden, the report is presented as a background and position paper ...
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News
Kettle to head Los Angeles Metrolink
USA: Darren Kettle has been selected as the next Chief Executive Officer of Los Angeles commuter rail operator Metrolink, the Southern California Regional Rail Authority announced on July 23. Joining with effect from September 7, he succeeds Arnold Hackett, who has been acting as Metrolink’s interim ...
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Rail Business UK
Transport for Wales Flirts on test in Switzerland
UK: Testing has begun in Switzerland of the first of the Flirt multiple-units which Stadler is building for Transport for Wales, ahead of delivery for further testing on the Wales Borders network and entry into passenger service from the end of 2022. Stadler ...
