News – Page 260
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NewsCummins and Leclanché to collaborate on lower-emissions traction
INTERNATIONAL: Engine manufacturer Cummins and lithium-ion battery technology company Leclanché have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on a range of hybrid, battery and fuel cell products for rail and marine applications. The two companies plan to offer customer an integrated package which will include ...
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NewsAudit Office warns of ‘chronic crisis’ at Deutsche Bahn
GERMANY: The Federal Audit Office has strongly criticised Deutsche Bahn and the federal government for failing to deal with the national railway’s ‘permanent crisis’, its ongoing financial failings and its inability to cope with operational problems. In a 33-page report published on March 15, the Office ...
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NewsBeacon Rail buys SNCF electric locomotives
FRANCE: Leasing company Beacon Rail has purchased 12 surplus Alstom Prima BB27300 electric locomotives from SNCF. Built in 2004-09 to operate Transilien push-pull suburban services, the dual-system 1·5 kV DC/25 kV 50 Hz locomotives are being modified them for use by the RegioRail subsidiary of Railroad ...
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NewsBoston South Station track and signalling contract awarded
USA: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has awarded Middlesex Corp a $98m contract to renew track, turnouts and signals at Boston’s South Station. The upgrading programme is expected to improve the reliability and resilience of the nine MBTA commuter rail routes that use the station, which also ...
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Metro Report InternationalLuton Airport DART cable-hauled peoplemover opens
UK: Full services on the Direct Air-Rail Transit automated cable-hauled peoplemover linking Luton Airport Parkway railway station with the airport terminal began running on March 27, following a soft launch with a limited timetable on March 10. Airport owner Luton Borough Council approved the 2·08 ...
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NewsFirst tunnel completed for Bulgarian route upgrade
BULGARIA: Construction of a 1 km twin-bore tunnel has been completed as part of the upgrading of the 20 km Elin Pelin – Vakarel section of the Sofia – Plovdiv line. This section is the most complex part of a 498·8m lev EU-backed project to modernise ...
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Metro Report InternationalLuxtram extension plans announced
LUXEMBOURG: Plans have been announced for the construction of two extensions to Luxembourg’s Luxtram tram network by 2035. One would branch off Line 1 at Gare Centrale to run 1·1 km west to the Hollerich district and the future Nei Hollerich neighbourhood, with two stops. The ...
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NewsDART+ train mock-up unveiled in Dublin
IRELAND: National railway Iarnród Éireann has unveiled a full-scale mock-up of the electric and battery-electric multiple-unit cars which Alstom is to supply for the DART+ programme to enhance rail services into Dublin. The units from Alstom’s X’trapolis modular commuter train platform will ...
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Rail Business UKTransport for Wales launches Class 231 Flirt DMUs
UK: Transport for Wales officially launched its fleet of Stadler Flirt Class 231 diesel multiple-units into revenue service with a ceremony at Caerphilly on March 29, at which unit 231001 was named ‘Sultan’. Ordered from Stadler as part of a £800m fleet replacement programme, the 11 ...
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Metro Report InternationalUrban transport industry news round-up
This week’s round-up of news from the urban transport sector.
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In depthSweden: Investment volte-face exposes fragility of EU rail vision
The decision last December by the incoming Swedish government to scale back radically the national high speed rail programme and remove the routes from the pan-European TEN-T network has raised profound questions about the country’s commitment to EU rail ambitions, as Nick Kingsley explains.
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Metro Report InternationalPhillip Eng named MBTA General Manager
USA: State Governor Maura T Healey has announced the appointment of Phillip Eng as General Manager of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority from April 10. Interim General Manager Jeff Gonneville will remain with MBTA and assist with the transition. Eng has nearly 40 years of experience in ...
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Metro Report InternationalMálaga extension opening expected to double ridership
SPAIN: Ridership on the Metro de Málaga light rail network is expected to double from seven to 14 million passengers/year following the opening of an extension into the city centre on March 27. The 1·7 km underground extension starts at El Perchel-María Zambrano, adjacent to the ...
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NewsTaiwanese high speed train contract approved
TAIWAN: Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp has approved a NT$28bn contract for a consortium of Hitachi and Toshiba to supply 12 N700S high speed trainsets to augment the Series 700T sets that have been used since the line opened in 2007.
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NewsRENFE orders commuter trains
SPAIN: National operator RENFE has awarded CAF a contract to supply 29 electric multiple-units for use on Cercanías suburban passenger services. The contract announced on March 27 is worth €192·7m, including 15 years of maintenance and the supply of spare parts. There are options for a ...
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NewsTanzanian training academy planned
TANZANIA: Tanzania Railways Corp has been granted approval to build a training institute on a 74 ha site in Tabora, according to local media reports. TRC will use the facility to focus on developing engineers with railway skills as it continues to develop the country’s 1 ...
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Metro Report InternationalMallorca tram-train scheme revived
SPAIN: After a decade in limbo, plans have been revived for tram-train style service from Manacor to Artá in the northeast of the island of Mallorca. Development was suspended for financial reasons in 2012. In mid-March this year, the regional government and Manacor town council agreed ...
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In depthEuropean Policy: Making the case for cross-border rail
As part of the vision for a Single European Railway Area, a coalition of member states and European institutions is pushing to revitalise and expand cross-border passenger services as a key element in driving modal shift to rail and decarbonising the EU transport sector. Chris Jackson investigates.
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NewsMoldovan rail upgrades to handle Ukrainian export traffic
MOLDOVA: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development has approved a €23m crisis response loan which national railway CFM will use to part-finance the modernisation of two sections of railway for use by Ukrainian transit traffic. The total cost of the work to increase capacity and ...
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