Traction & rolling stock news – Page 215
-
NewsAAE acquires majority stake in ZSSK Cargo wagon fleet
SLOVAKIA: European wagon leasing company AAE has been selected to acquire a majority stake in the Cargo Wagon fleet management subsidiary of state-owned freight operator ZSSK Cargo for €7m. In July 2013 the government approved a restructuring plan under which ZSSK Cargo is to concentrate on freight operations, with its ...
-
NewsGreenbrier and Watco to combine wagon maintenance activities
USA: Wagon manufacturer The Greenbrier Companies and short line and wagon repair group Watco are to combine their wagon repair, refurbishment and maintenance workshops through the formation of an equally-owned joint venture to be known as GBW Railcar Services. Announcing the plan on June 4, the companies said the ...
-
NewsVR calls tenders for double-deck inter-city fleet
FINLAND: National operator VR Group has begun procurement of 46 double-deck coaches for 200 km/h inter-city services, with options for a further 185. These would replace the current Express coaches dating from the 1970s and 1980s which are nearing the end of their life. Announcing the European tender on June ...
-
NewsĐuro Đaković and Newag sign locomotive manufacturing agreement
EUROPE: Croatian wagon manufacturer Đuro Đaković and Poland’s Newag Gliwice have signed a co-operation agreement which could see a 25 kV 50 Hz version of Newag’s Griffin E4ACU electric locomotive produced at Đuro Đaković’s Slavonski Brod plant for Croatian and other markets. Đuro Đaković formerly produced diesel locomotives, but now ...
-
NewsUpgraded stock to work ČD’s Praha – Hamburg services
CZECH REPUBLIC: State-owned passenger operator ČD has called bids for the refurbishment of EuroCity and InterCity coaches to be used on Praha – Berlin – Hamburg services from the December 2015 timetable change. The move follows the signing of a collaboration agreement between ČD and DB on May 22 for ...
-
NewsTraxx ME handed over in Bayern
GERMANY: The first of eight multi-engined Traxx P160DE diesel locomotives being built for Sudostbayernbahn services by Bombardier was formally handed over in Müldorf on May 23. SOB ordered the 2 252 kW Class 245 locomotives under a framework contract for up to 200 locos placed by DB Regio in April ...
-
NewsSerco wins 15-year Caledonian Sleeper franchise
UK: Serco has won a 15-year franchise to operate the Caledonian Sleeper service between London and various Scottish destinations from April 2015, replacing incumbent FirstGroup.At present, two trains operate in each directions on six nights per week; a ‘lowland’ service connecting London Euston with Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and a ...
-
NewsVeolia Verkehr awards heavy maintenance contract to DB
GERMANY: Veolia Verkehr has awarded DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung a 'double-digit million' euro contract to undertake the periodic heavy maintenance of 78 diesel multiple-units in 2014-20. The Alstom Lint and Bombardier Talent DMUs are used on services operated by Veolia's NordWestBahn, Bayerische Regiobahn and Nord-Ostsee-Bahn subsidiaries. The contract covers heavy maintenance ...
-
NewsGreenbrier announces alliance with Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance
USA: The Greenbrier Companies announced an ‘alliance’ with Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance on May 22, saying this would combine Greenbrier Leasing Co's expertise in wagon leasing and management with MUL's experience of asset finance. MUL plans to acquire a $1bn portfolio of new and used wagons in the coming ...
-
NewsTver unveils proposed EMU
RUSSIA: Transmashholding’s Tver Carriage Works unveiled a mock-up of a planned modular electric multiple-unit family on May 15, and expects to test two prototypes later this year. The EG2Tv is intended to combine modern technology similar to that used by foreign rolling stock manufacturers with the Tver plant’s lower costs ...
-
NewsUnited Wagon Co to enter tank wagon market
RUSSIA: United Wagon Co announced plans to develop a 3bn rouble tank wagon manufacturing facility at its Tikhvin site on May 19. Production is scheduled to begin in 2015, with an annual capacity of 3 000 chemical, LPG and petroleum wagons. The wagons are to be designed by UWC’s ...
-
NewsAzerbaijan Railways orders Alstom KZ8A freight locomotives
AZERBAIJAN: National railway ADDY has placed a €300m order for 50 Alstom KZ8A twin-section 25 kV AC electric freight locomotives to be delivered in 2016-18. The locomotives are to be supplied from Astana in Kazakhstan by the EKZ joint venture of Kazakh national railway KTZ (50%), Transmashholding (25%) and ...
-
NewsOaktree Capital Management buys Railpool
EUROPE: HSH Nordbank and KfW IPEX-Bank sold their shares in rolling stock leasing company Railpool to funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management on May 9. The price was not disclosed. The two banks founded Railpool as an equally-owned joint venture in 2008, and will continue to act as lenders to ...
-
NewsWorld rolling stock market May 2014
Australia: The government of Victoria has ordered an additional Bombardier VLocity three-car DMU for A$17m, taking the order to 43 cars. Metro Trains Melbourne has awarded Alstom a contract to install GSM-R digital radios on 82 trainsets. The EDI Rail Bombardier JV which maintains Perth’s commuter fleet has ...
-
NewsStadler wins Gotthard base tunnel high speed train contract
SWITZERLAND: Stadler Rail has beaten rival bidders Alstom and Talgo to win a SFr980m contract to supply 29 articulated high speed trains for international services through the Gotthard base tunnel. Announcing the order on May 9, Swiss Federal Railways said that Stadler Rail was the clear winner with a ...
-
NewsRussian Railways takes delivery of first Talgo
RUSSIA: The first of seven trainsets which RZD's Federal Passenger Co ordered from Patentes Talgo in June 2011 has been delivered to Moscow. Following trials at the Shcherbinka test circuit, entry into revenue service is planned for later this year. Four 1 520 mm gauge Talgo trainsets are to be ...
-
NewsNedTrain wins NSB refurbishment contract
NORWAY: National passenger operator NSB has awarded the NedTrain subsidiary of Dutch national operator NS a contract to undertake the mid-life overhaul of its 20 Class 73 inter-city electric multiple-units. This will include interior and exterior refurbishment and the installation of a new passenger information system on the four-car trainsets, ...
-
NewsGBRf leases Ecofret container wagons
UK: Following a successful 18-month trial with a single vehicle, on May 8 GB Railfreight announced it had agreed to lease 18 Ecofret triple-platform container wagons from VTG Rail UK for five years. Deliveries of the 17 extra wagons will run from November 2014 to early 2015. The Ecofret wagon ...
-
NewsNew South Wales to order 'off-the-shelf' Intercity fleet
AUSTRALIA: Plans to order around 65 trainsets totalling 520 cars for NSW TrainLink Intercity services between Sydney and the Central Coast, Newcastle, the Blue Mountains and Illawarra were announced by New South Wales Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian on May 8. The government is to begin ...
-
NewsOdakyu Electric Railway to test all-SiC power module
JAPAN: Odakyu Electric Railway has placed the first order for Mitsubishi Electric Corp’s all-silicon carbide traction inverter designed for 1 500V DC overhead supplies. The 3·3 kV, 1 500 A inverter will be installed in a Series 1000 four-car urban EMU in December. Along with four high-efficiency motors the new ...