Australia: NSW is to ‘fast-track’ the delivery of a further 17 Downer EDI/CRRC Changchun Waratah Series 2 double-deck EMUs for use on the Sydney Trains network from 2020, Minister for Transport Andrew Constance announced on February 6. Meanwhile, the UGL Unipart JV’s contract to provide heavy maintenance and logistics services for Sydney Trains’ fleet of more than 1 050 vehicles has been extended for a further two years from July 2019.
Azerbaijan: Metrowagonmash is to supply six five-car metro trainsets to Baku.
Bulgaria: Pesa has signed a €22·8m contract to supply 13 low-floor Swing trams for Sofia’s 1 009 mm gauge routes.
China: Contitech has won a follow-on order to supply air spring suspensions to CRRC for use on rolling stock for the Shanghai metro network.
Cuba: A contract for Bryansk Machine Building Works to supply 23 tropicalised LDE-2500 diesel locomotives within 45 months was signed by Transmashholding and importer Tradex on January 24.
Czech Republic: ČD Cargo has begun taking delivery of 100 Sgnss 60 ft wagons ordered from Ostravské Opravny a Strojírny which will be used to transport Innofreight containers.
ČD’s DPOV repair and maintenance subsidiary has completed the prototype rebuilding of a Type WRmee dining car into a ARmpee first class and bistro car. ČD plans to produce 27 ARmpee cars by modernising existing cars to a design from Studio Descent inspired by its refurbished Pendolino fleet.
Europe: Estonia’s Operail has awarded CZ Loko a contract to supply kits for the rebuilding of a further four of its C30-7Ai diesel-electric locomotives to the C30-M design, taking the total to seven with 12 more planned. It has also agreed to lease two C30-M locos to Ukrainian freight forwarder Lemtrans as part of a plan to offer locos for lease outside Estonia.
Germany: Đuro Đaković Specijalna Vozila has signed a €9·7m agreement to supply Shimmns wagons to a German customer from April.
International: UTLC Eurasian Rail Alliance has ordered 200 Type 13-9570 flat wagons from the Osipovichsky factory in Belarus for 650m roubles, and plans to order up to 1 000 more container wagons this year.
Italy: TPER’s freight subsidiary Dinazzano Po has ordered two CZ Loko EffiShunter 1000 locomotives.
Japan: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering is to supply an additional six-car Model 2020 Automated Guideway Transit rubber-tyred light metro trainset for use on Saitama New Urban Transit Co’s Ina Line in Greater Tokyo.
Kazakhstan: TMH Bryansk says a 2TE25KM twin-section diesel freight locomotive supplied to coal mining company Shubarkol Komir is its first loco to be more than 90% assembled from components produced in Russia.
Mongolia: TMH Bryansk has delivered a batch of 2TE25KM diesel locomotives to Ulaanbaatar Railway. The microprocessor controls automate engine handling within parameters specified by the driver, who can then focus on other aspects of operation. Modifications for local conditions include additional sealing of electrical components, bogies and cabs to reduce dust ingress.
New Zealand: KiwiRail has ordered 450 flat wagons from CRRC Qiqihar for delivery this year.
Poland: On January 28 PKP Cargo signed a €26m firm order for Siemens to supply and maintain five Vectron multi-system locos , using an option on a September 2015 order for 15. They will be equipped with ETCS and national train control systems for use in Poland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary.
Wielkopolskie voivodship awarded Pesa a 127·5m złoty contract to supply five five-car Elf 2 EMUs on February 14, with options for two more.
MPK Kraków has exercised an option for a consortium of Stadler and Solaris to supply 15 low-floor trams for 109·1m złoty.
Laude Smart Intermodal has selected Gök Yapi Sanayi to supply 44 80 ft Sggrs container wagons for €3·8m. The Turkish supplier beat one other bidder.
Russia: An agreement for TMH Tver to supply up to 3 730 coaches worth 237bn roubles by 2025 was signed by RZD’s Federal Passenger Co on February 14. This includes a firm order for 2 644 coaches, with the rest as options.
Metrowagonmash is to supply two four-car metro trainsets to Yekaterinburg.
Under a two-year agreement, United Wagon Co subsidiary Unicon 1520 is to provide RusVinyl with a fleet of tank containers on flat wagons to transport sodium hydroxide in Russia, Finland and the Baltic states.
UWC’s TikhvinChemMash is to supply 66 Type 15-6880 methanol tank wagons and 35 Type 15-6926 ammonia wagons to Shchekinoazot.
Mining and metals transport business Mecheltrans has acquired 150 wagons from Altaivagon and RM Rail for 467m roubles. It has a total fleet of around 11 000 wagons and plans to buy or lease a further 1 000 open wagons this year.
The First Locomotive Co joint venture of Bombardier and local partners has announced that its 2EV120 Prince Vladimir electric loco is the first design to obtain certification to haul freight trains at speeds of 140 km/h on the Russian network. Three locos have been produced, with one leased to L-Trans and two being used for trials.
Freight One has awarded Altaivagon a contract to supply Type 11-2135-01 vans offering a capacity of 158 m3 or 67 tonnes and 200 000 km between scheduled overhauls.
Grain exporter RIF has ordered 700 Type 19-9549 hopper wagons from United Wagon Co for delivery by the third quarter of this year.
Serbia: Srbija Kargo has ordered a further eight Siemens Vectron MS locomotives , taking its order to 16.
UK: Porterbrook has awarded Bombardier an £11m contract to modify 12 Class 387 Electrostar EMUs for use on the Heathrow Express airport services , including the first retrofitting of ETCS Level 2 to existing UK EMUs.
TE Connectivity is supplying high-voltage roofline components for the 58 electric and bi-mode multiple-units Stadler is building for Greater Anglia.
USA: Houston Metro has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to supply 14 S70 low-floor LRVs from its Sacramento plant.