Traction & rolling stock news
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NewsChuo Shinkansen completion delayed until 2034
JR Central tested the maglev technology in Yamanashi prefecture (Photo: Kazumiki Miura). JAPAN: Central Japan Railway announced at the end of March that it no longer expects to start operating high speed superconducting maglev services over the Chuo Shinkansen between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027. Speaking ...
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NewsNext-generation Railjets enter service to link three countries
EUROPE: Austrian Federal Railways has put into service the first of its updated Railjet trainsets on services linking Germany, Austria and Italy. Toma Bačić rode on a preview run between München and Verona on April 5.
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NewsIR launches low-cost expresses
INDIA: Indian Railways has introduced a new category of loco-hauled trains, which is intended to provide an enhanced travel experience for its ‘lower class’ passengers who account for the majority of its long-distance traffic. Branded as Amrit Bharat, the trains will offer slightly less basic accommodation ...
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NewsStadler’s Spanish suburban EMUs on test
SPAIN: The first of 44 double-deck EMUs which Stadler is supplying to RENFE are now being tested at the manufacturer’s plant at Albuixech near València. In March 2021, RENFE placed a contract which covered an initial 24 EMUs 100 m long and 25 sets 200 m ...
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In depthInterview: Eurofima adapts to a changing market
Eurofima Chief Executive Dr Christoph Pasternak explains to Nick Kingsley how the supra-national rolling stock financing body is tweaking its strategy to reduce its reliance on the European state railways that currently make up its shareholders.
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Metro Report InternationalBologna issues tram tender to support emerging network
ITALY: Bologna municipality has called tenders worth €246m for a framework contract covering the supply of up to 60 trams. They are intended for use on the Red Line, which is under construction, and the Green Line, for which civil works contracts are now in place. ...
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NewsRZD orders high speed trains for revived Moscow – St Petersburg project
RUSSIA: Russian Railways has signed a contract with Ural Locomotives for the supply of two pre-series high speed trainsets to operate its planned Moscow – St Petersburg high speed line. RZD is making a further attempt to develop a new line between its two most strategically ...
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NewsTalgo Avril high speed trainsets to enter service in May
SPAIN: National operator RENFE has taken delivery of its first 10 Talgo S106 Avril wide-bodied high speed trainsets. The trains are to be deployed from May 21 on services to Galicia and Asturias where gauge-changing is necessary., allowing the existing S130 sets to be cascaded to ...
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Metro Report InternationalModertrans delivers first tram to Berlin – Woltersdorf line
GERMANY: Modertrans has delivered the first Moderus Gamma LF 10 AC BD tram vehicle to Schöneicher–Rüdersdorf Strassenbahn, the manufacturer announced on April 10. SRS awarded Modertrans a contract in February 2022 for the supply of three low-floor trams for use on Route ...
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NewsFirst Tema – Mpakadan DMU arrives
GHANA: The first of two Pesa diesel multiple-units for the 1 435 mm gauge Tema – Mpakadan railway was delivered to the port of Tema in early April. The two-car DMU from the manufacturer’s Link family had been taken by road from the assembly plant in ...
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Metro Report InternationalLusail tram extensions open
QATAR: Two more sections of the Lusail Tram network north of Doha were opened on April 8, adding a further 10·4 route-km. The Orange Line has been extended by 7·6 km from Al Wessil to Rawdat Lusail, serving 10 new stops. North ...
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NewsComfortJet cars unveiled in Praha
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD unveiled the first of its fleet of ComfortJet inter-city trainsets in Praha on April 9. Speaking at the ceremony, Transport Minister Martin Kupka said the trains reflected the ‘qualitative leap’ which ČD’s rolling stock had gone through ...
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NewsStadler selected for Bulgarian double-deck train order
BULGARIA: Stadler has been selected to supply seven double-deck electric multiple-units for use by national passenger operator BDZ . Stadler’s bid came in at 301m leva, including 15 years of maintenance, with a delivery time of 26 months. The 200 km/h units will have a capacity ...
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In depthEurope: IoT tools help to ensure a rapid response
German IoT specialist Optimeas is working with infrastructure manager DB InfraGo to enhance the availability of its electrification inspection and repair vehicles as part of efforts to reduce the impact of power supply failures across the network.
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NewsUkrainian Railways to order Wabtec locomotives
UKRAINE: Export-Import Bank of the United States has approved a US$156·6m 15-year loan which national railway Ukrzaliznytsia will use for the acquisition of 40 Wabtec diesel locomotives. Ukrzaliznytsia currently operates TE33AS (ES44ACI) locos supplied by GE Transportation, now Wabtec. The transaction was approved by EXIM on ...
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NewsDublin – Belfast electric-battery trains funded
EUROPE: Funding is now in place for the procurement of electric-battery inter-city trains to increase frequencies and reduce journey times on the cross-border Enterprise service between Dublin and Belfast which is operated jointly by Iarnród Éireann and Northern Ireland Railways. An order for eight 1 600 ...
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Metro Report InternationalIași tram contract signed
ROMANIA: The city of Iași has signed a 168m lei contract for Turkish company Bozankaya to supply 18 low-floor trams, co-financed by the National Recovery & Resilience Plan. They 22 m long unidirectional trams will have a capacity of 164 passengers including 45 seated. The first ...
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NewsCN to test diesel-battery hybrid main line locomotive
CANADA: CN has purchased a hybrid diesel-battery main line locomotive from Progress Rail, which it intends to use to assess the opportunity for retrofitting a portion of its fleet. The ‘plug-in’ hybrid mainline locomotive, which CN describes as ‘a first of its kind in North America’, ...
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NewsLogistics company orders locos to enter Uruguayan rail market
URUGUAY: Logistics company Grupo RAS has ordered three Wabtec C23EMP diesel locomotives to support its plans to enter the Uruguayan railway market. Wabtec will manufacture the locomotives at its Contagem plant in Brazil for delivery by late 2025. The C23EMP is designed for low axleload operations, ...
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NewsBulgarian operator buys DB coaches
BULGARIA: National passenger operator BDZ-Putnicheski Prevozi has bought 76 second-hand coaches from Germany’s Deutsche Bahn for use on services from Sofia to Varna, Burgas and Ruse. The €15·7m contract signed on March 29 covers 60 second class open saloon coaches, six second class cars for passengers ...