News about global railway electrification strategy, projects and contracts.
Much-delayed Class 810 fleet enters service on the Midland Main Line
UK: After a heavily delayed production process, the first of 33 Hitachi Rail Class 810 bi-mode trains has entered service with East Midlands Railway. Tony Miles reports from Derby.
Scottish government scales back electrification ambition to focus on fleet renewal
UK: The Scottish government has issued a revised rail decarbonisation plan that shifts the focus away from electrification to emphasise a reduction of rolling stock emissions.
Australia: Melbourne’s Suburban Loop reaches lift-off
Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop is ultimately expected to add 90 km of 1 435 mm gauge automated rail service to the city’s rail mix, but project promoter SRLA is currently focusing on delivering the first 26 km section. Benjámin Zelki reports.
Midland Main Line electrification to the north ‘not affordable’
UK: Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander says the government’s approach to rail investment ‘will be guided by securing value for taxpayers’ by ‘only supporting projects that are fully costed and affordable’.
Colombian rail revival backed by development bank
COLOMBIA: Latin America and Caribbean development bank CAF has approved a loan of up to US$300m to support the Railway Reactivation, Sustainable Mobility & Logistics Efficiency programme which aims to transform Colombia’s transport infrastructure.
Baltic States: Co-operation and competition drive network development
While Rail Baltica moves slowly towards its planned opening in 2030, the national railways in the three Baltic States are continuing to invest in modernising their broad gauge networks and integrating their domestic and international operations into the wider European network, as Vladimir Waldin explains.
Direct Busan – Mokpo services start as Southern Coast corridor completed
Californian electric train operator Caltrain to be paid for regenerated power
Lithuania’s first Flirt electric train delivered to LTG Link
Chiltern Railways unveils MkVa push-pull trainset and looks to battery power
Electric trains now running daily on the Coryton and Penarth lines
‘Highly complex’ Rail Baltica electrification contract signed
DSB’s first IC5 trainset arrives in Denmark
Romania awards contract to electrify line to Ukrainian border
Battery train sets 320 km distance record as GWR explores alternatives to diesel traction
București to Bulgaria railway modernisation contract awarded
Graz-Köflacher Bahn launches electric trains to Wies-Eibiswald
Chinese company to electrify Iranian railway to boost freight capacity
Electrification pause shows a lack of whole system thinking, rail industry groups say
Next stage of Midland Main Line electrification ‘paused’