Railway supply industry news round-up

Tanzania Railways Corp has begun assembling SMH Rail diesel locomotives at its Pugu workshop in Dar es Salaam. Two complete locos have been delivered by the Malaysian company, and parts for six more for local assembly. TRC said the decision to assemble locomotives locally follows delays in the delivery of spare parts from suppliers due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, and the project has also opened business opportunities for local companies.

Škoda Group and Serbia’s Milanovic Industries Group have signed a memorandum of understanding for co-operation to produce rail vehicles at MIND’s Kragujevac site. This could include RegioPanter EMUs as well as trams and trolleybuses for Beograd.

Inland port operator Duisport and industrial proper developer Goldbeck are building a 20 000 m² assembly hall at Logport I in Duisburg-Rheinhausen which Siemens Mobility is to use for rolling stock production. Construction of the €25m rail-served facility is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, with occupancy planned for early 2027. It will have five 10 tonne capacity cranes and two 223 m long tracks, plus two 200 m long maintenance pits. 

Traktionssysteme Austria opened a €250 000 apprentice training centre at its headquarters in Wiener Neudorf on March 10. ‘Our apprentices are a vital part of TSA’s future’, said Managing Director Harold Schmidt. ‘With the new training centre, we are creating a modern environment where they can learn practical skills and develop into highly qualified professionals.’

Croatian infrastructure manager HŽ Infrastruktura is planning to make its first use of an alliance model for the construction of a €3bn alignment which would reduce the rail route between Zagreb and the port of Rijeka by 56 km to 175 km. Rather than have the contractor take most of the risks, the alliance approach which is used for large and complex infrastructure schemes would bring all key participants together as an integrated team to jointly manage risks and ensure transparent cost management. 

An October 2023 deal for Škoda Group to supply 30 EMUs worth €320m to Uzbekistan’s national railway UTY has fallen through owing to issues with export financing, which had not been finalised. A revised contract drawing on Czech and EU support is under consideration, the manufacturer told Czech media in February. 

Wagon leasing company Ermewa has appointed Svenja Verheyen as Sales Area Manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland,  succeeding Bernhard Hoffmann who became Chief Commercial Officer in February. Verheyen was Senior Manager Strategic Business Development Intermodal at HHLA Next and held several leadership and sales positions at VTG. She said ‘the rail freight sector is undergoing major changes – from digitalisation to the further strengthening of intermodal transport chains. I am looking forward to working with the Ermewa team to support our customers in the DACH region and to further expand the company’s market position.’

The Australasian Railway Association and Diversity Partners are to hold a Leading Together: Men Supporting Diversity in Rail online workshops on April 15 and May 14 as ‘a practical, respectful space for men to speak openly about workplace challenges, hear different perspectives and explore clear actions that strengthen team culture and performance’. This will look at ‘what inclusion really means for men in rail’, and barriers that hold men back from engaging.

Former Wabtec CEO Ray Betler has joined the board of autonomous wagon developer Intramotev as an independent director. ‘Ray has spent his career at the forefront of rail innovation’, said CEO Tim Luchini on March 12. ‘He’s led global organisations through times of transformation, and having his experience at Intramotev will be invaluable as we continue to grow.’ Betler said ‘Intramotev’s technology is already delivering measurable results for customers, and it’s clear the company has only scratched the surface of what’s possible’.

On February 25 Russian passsenger operator FPK approved a long-term contract with TMH Tver for the supply of up to 2 719 coaches worth 411·3bn roubles in 2026-30. There is a firm order for 1 926 coaches, with an option for up to 793 more.