Railway electrification news – Page 4
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NewsBrno area route modernisation underway
CZECH REPUBLIC: Subterra, OHLA ŽS and EŽ Praha have begun work to complete double tracking and 25 kV 50 Hz electrification of the Brno – Zastávka u Brna line. The first 8·5 km from Brno-Horní Heršpice to Střelice was completed in September 2021. Work is now ...
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NewsRegioPanter EMUs enter service on electrified regional line
CZECH REPUBLIC: Electric services have begun running on the Olomouc – Uničov – Šumperk line, which is to become SŽ’s first regional route to be controlled exclusively using ETCS.
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Rail Business UKStandards revised to lower electrification costs
UK: The Rail Safety & Standards Board has introduced new and revised standards for AC electrification systems and rolling stock which Director of Standards Tom Lee anticipates ‘will help the rail industry save millions of pounds when rolling out new electrification schemes’. The introduction of Standard ...
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Metro Report InternationalLisboa – Cascais suburban line voltage conversion contract awarded
PORTUGAL: A €31·6m contract for the modernisation of the Lisboa Cais do Sodré – Cascais suburban line and the conversion of its electrification from 1·5 kV DC to 25 kV 50 Hz has been awarded to the Spanish-Portuguese Comsa/Fergrupo consortium. The re-electrification will make the line ...
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NewsKlagenfurt – Weizelsdorf line electrified
AUSTRIA: A €50m 18-month project to modernise and electrify the 12·1 km Klagenfurt – Weizelsdorf line was completed when the route re-opened for revenue services with the December 11 timetable change. The line is Route S3 of the Kärnten S-Bahn network. According to operator ÖBB, the ...
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In depthIndia: Traction for a decarbonised future
As its ambitious electrification programme nears completion, Indian Railways has been adjusting its traction policies and revising its procurement strategies for the coming years, reports Raghu Dayal.
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In depthUSA: Electrification comes to Bay Area commuters
Caltrain is updating and electrifying one of the oldest commuter rail operations in the USA, which will bring a range of environmental and social benefits, as Executive Director Michelle Bouchard and Programme Manager Pranaya Shrestha explain to Dave Lustig.
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NewsPrasa restores Johannesburg Park – Naledi electrification
SOUTH AFRICA: Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa restarted electric services on the Johannesburg Park – Naledi suburban line on November 28.
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NewsTransnet Freight Rail looks at alternative traction energy options
SOUTH AFRICA: Transnet Freight Rail is seeking industry feedback on how affordable renewable electricity could be integrated into its traction power supplies to improve energy security and efficiency and reduce the railway’s environmental impact Any changes would need to take into account the scale of the ...
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In depthIsrael: ISR expansion ramps up again
Israel Railways has embarked on an ambitious strategy to double the size of its network, as it seeks to cope with a projected quadrupling of demand by 2030. CEO Michael Maixner explains his priorities to Chris Jackson.
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NewsTCDD seeks solar-powered electricity supply
TURKEY: National infrastructure manager TCDD has begun work on the development of a 10 MW solar power plant in Balıkesir in the northwest of the country.
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NewsDutch battery-electric train initiative halted
NETHERLANDS: The northeastern province of Overijssel has frozen its plans for deploying battery-electric trains on non-electrified routes from 2027.
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Rail Business UKWork starts on next section of Midland Main Line electrification
UK: Network Rail announced on November 3 that it had started piling work on the next phase of electrification of the Midland Main Line.
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NewsBaden-Württemberg rules out hydrogen traction
GERMANY: Hydrogen-powered rolling stock is less efficient and more expensive than battery-powered traction on non-electrified routes, according to a study commissioned by the Baden-Württemberg Land transport ministry.
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Rail Business UKElectrification priorities in northern England
UK: The Railway Industry Association North has published Greener, Faster, Better, setting out which routes in northern England should be prioritised for electrification and where battery or hydrogen could be appropriate. This was one of the key recommendations of RIA North’s previous Building the North’s New ...
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In depthCzech Republic: Piecemeal modernisation makes steady progress
A further tranche of CEF funding from the EU will enable Czechinfrastructure manager Správa Železnic to progress numerous projects in its multifaceted modernisation of the country’s principal rail corridors. Toma Bačić investigates.
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In depthComment: Energy efficiency at all costs
As an energy crisis looms for many of the world’s railways, our Executive Editor Nick Kingsley asks whether lessons can be learnt from the 1970s oil crisis, and urges the industry to redouble its efforts in maximising its energy efficiency.
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NewsElectrification extended southeast of Paris
FRANCE: Electrification of the 72 km Gretz - Longueville – Nogent-sur-Seine section of the Paris Est – Troyes main line and the 7 km single-track Longueville – Provins branch has been completed with the launch of electric services on October 3. Speeds and journey times are unchanged, but electrification is expected to improve reliability.
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Metro Report InternationalGrand Paris Line 18 power supply contract
FRANCE: A 50:50 consortium of Colas Rail and Eiffage Énergie Systèmes has been awarded a €26m contract to provide traction power supply equipment for the 35 km Grand Paris Express automated metro Line 18 between Orly Airport and Versailles-Chantiers station. This will include 15 rectification substations, ...
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In depthInfrastructure: Connected workers inspect catenary
A novel workflow tool has been trialled by Network Rail on the East Coast Main Line in northeast England to combine the benefits of monitoring overhead lines using drones with the elimination of paper-based processes at the worksite.