URMA Rail/Maintenance turn into Robel France SAS The Robel Group continues to grow – following Robel North America, Robel France has now gone operational. From 10 July 2019 the Robel Holding GmbH (formerly Deutsche Plasser Holding GmbH) hold 80 percent of the newly founded Robel France SAS in Burhaupt-le-Haut (Alsace). The former
Tag: ATO
Denmark to Get 4 Additional Coradia Lint Trains
Danish train operator Nordjyske Jernbaner A/S has ordered four Coradia Lint DMUs from Alstom. This will bring their total fleet of Coradia Lint regional trains to 17. Alstom says it will manufacture the rolling stock at its facility in Salzgitter, Germany and deliver the units by mid-2021. Coradia Lint Specifications for Danish
£26m to rescue Island Line
Rolling Stock Highlights at TRAKO 2019
Event Stadler will stage an official unveiling event for this EMU on Thursday, 24 September, at 3pm, outdoor area TZ 06. Did You Know? This order is the largest single order for rolling stock in the history of the railways in Poland. Manufacturing Site Stadler has three sites in Poland. Its headquarters in Warsaw, a
Lineas to Take 5,300 Containers from Road to Rails
Brussels: Rail freight operator, Lineas, is doubling capacity on its trains in and out of Antwerp. An increase in capacity on the Antwerp to La Louvière, Genk and Zeebrugge lines and the newly established connection to Terneuzen and Gent, will allow 2,600 to 5,300 containers per week to be moved from
Leading Rail Expert Marks 20 Years at Zonegreen
Sheffield-based Zonegreen is celebrating the achievements of its technical director, who has been driving up safety standards within the rail industry for the last two decades. Christian Fletcher is marking 20 years with the firm this month, during which time he has become one of the world’s leading experts in depot
Lord Adonis hits out at HS2 review
The Government’s decision to review the HS2 rail project has been branded “bizarre” by a former transport secretary. Labour’s Lord Adonis warned that the fundamental review of the multibillion-pound high-speed rail project could lead to its cancellation. Siemens/PA He told the Lords there was a clear “left-hand, right-hand problem” in the Government’s handling
9 September: news in brief
Wrong bleach took Caledonian Sleepers out of service CLEANERS who used the wrong specification of bleach in the toilets and shower rooms on Caledonian Sleepers caused significant damage after the chemicals reacted with stainless steel pipes, it has emerged. The problem affected the inaugural train which carried VIP guests in April,
Loss of brakes on Caledonian Sleeper adds to operator woes
THE loss of control of the train brakes during the operation of the ‘Lowlander’ Caledonian Sleeper service on August 1 on the approach to Edinburgh Waverley station is being investigated by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB). Starting as the 23.36 from London Euston the previous evening, the Glasgow and Edinburgh
Greater Anglia Celebrate the Launch of 38 Stadler Trains
Rail Minister, Chris Heaton-Harris, too lauded the arrival of the new trains and reaffirmed the Government’s pledge to prioritise a passenger-focused railway which sees trains running on time. Joint Venture Greater Anglia put the first four-carriage Class 755 into service on 29 July, running on the Wherry Line between Norwich, Great Yarmouth,
Industry Insider Week 36 – 7 Must-Read Rail News Stories
Trains for Blackpool | Northern Continues Fleet Roll-Out | Rolling Stock Northern will begin operating new electric trains between Blackpool and Liverpool on Monday 9 September. The train operating company says further trains will be launched to serve Blackpool-York and Blackpool-Bolton-Hazel Grove. Northern are replacing their fleet of Pacer trains with
Uncertainty Following West Coast Partnership Award
SBB Cargo plans in the cloud
SWITZERLAND: SBB Cargo has begun using a cloud-hosted version of IVU Traffic Technologies’ IVU.rail software to plan the deployment of around 320 locomotives and 2 200 employees each day. The supplier said its IVU.cloud package offered the operator scalability, with a secure connection enabling up to 150 people work simultaneously on high-availability
UK Railtours unveils Christmas charter line up
RegioJet to standardise on Traxx locomotives
CZECH REPULIC: Expanding independent operator RegioJet has ordered 15 Bombardier Transportation Traxx MS3 multi-system electric locomotives, with an option for more. The contract announced on September 3 follows RegioJet’s 2017 order for eight Traxx MS2e locomotives, which entered service last year. The additional locos are intended to work domestic routes including
ČD fined for anti-competitive bidding
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD has been fined KC274·8m after anti-monopoly office ÚOHS ruled that it had abused its dominant position in an effort to prevent competitors entering the passenger market. ÚOHS found that ČD had violated Czech and EU competition laws by submitting artificially low bids for 10-year contracts to
Deutsche Bahn Completes 2020 Timetable
Up until 8 April passenger train and freight operators were able to submit their preferred slots for the 2020 timetable on Germany’s rail network to Deutsche Bahn. The German state rail company received more than 72,000 applications. This also caused more than 3,000 conflicts – i.e. when different operators want
Industry Insider Week 34 / 35 – 16 Must-Read Rail News Stories
All the important rail news of the week, summed up for you in one place: our Railway-News Industry Insider Week 34 / 35 for 19–30 August 2019: New Electronic Interlocking at Linz Station | Infrastructure Austrian Federal Railways (OEBB) announced that Linz Stations’s new electronic interlocking system has entered service. The system
Smartron locomotive offered for Bulgaria and Romania
EUROPE: Siemens Mobility now offers its Smartron electric locomotives pre-configured for use in Bulgaria and Romania. The Smartron was launched in 2018 as a budget version of Siemens’ Vectron modular locomotive. It is offered in standard specification including the Capri Blue livery, offering freight operators faster delivery times and a lower
30 August: news in brief
Four days of strikes begin on South Western Railway MEMBERS of the RMT have begun four days of strikes on South Western Railway as the long-running dispute about the future role of guards continues. SWR said reduced services are running on its main lines from London to Portsmouth, Weymouth and Exeter,
LNER to pilot UK rail ticketing reform
UK: East Coast Main Line operator LNER is to pilot proposed reforms to Great Britain’s fares system from January 2 2020, with tickets going on sale from November 29. Announcing the trial on August 29, the Department for Transport said its aim was to ‘significantly boost customer confidence and flexibility in
CAF Wins LeadMind Solution Contract in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: CAF has signed a contract with Saudi Railway Company (SAR) for its LeadMind solution. Specifically, the system permits real-time remote monitoring and condition-based maintenance. As part of the contract CAF will deliver real-time and advanced analytics functionalities for the trains on the Riyadh-Qurayyat line. Riyadh-Qurayyat Line The Riyadh-Qurayyat line runs
West Coast Partnership contract signed
UK: The West Coast Partnership contract was formally signed by the Department for Transport and First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Ltd on August 28. The 70:30 joint venture of transport group FirstGroup plc and the Trenitalia UK Ltd subsidiary of Italy’s national railway holding group FS had been named preferred bidder
ERFA Secretary General appointed at an ‘exciting moment’
EUROPE: Conor Feighan became Secretary General of the European Rail Freight Association on August 26, succeeding Acting Secretary General Carole Coune. Feighan has joined ERFA from the FEPORT association which represents terminal operators and private port companies. He has had previous roles at the European Parliament and the European Economic &
Turkey: Stadler Wins EURODUAL Locomotives Contract
Stadler Co’Co’ Hybrid EURODUAL Locomotives A single EURODUAL locomotive is capable of hauling up to 2000 tons. Stadler’s EURODUAL has a power output of 2.8 megawatts when operating in diesel mode. When operating electrically with OLE the output is 6.15 megawatts. Thanks to six powered axles and a cutting-edge adhesion control
No go for TransPennine ‘185s’ as Class 2700s deleted
DB Cargo wagons are getting smarter
SOB and SBB in Co-operation Agreement | Traverso Presentation
Schweizerische Südostbahn (SOB) and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) will co-operate on two long-distance routes starting in 2020. SOB will use its Stadler Traverso trains for these services. From December 2020 onwards SOB will operate an hourly service across the Gotthard mountain route to Locarno, alternating between Zurich and Basel at the
Turkish operator orders Stadler electro-diesel locos
TURKEY: The Körfez Ulaştırma rail transport subsidiary of oil refiner Tüpraş has awarded Stadler a contract to supply seven Eurodual electro-diesel locomotives from 2021, along with an eight-year full service maintenance agreement. Stadler said the order announced on August 27 was its first contract in Turkey, and they would be the
Durango & Silverton sued for $25m by US Government after fire
Photo: Robert Falconer The US Government is suing one of the country’s top steam-operated railways for $25million, claiming a spark from a coal-fired locomotive started one of the worst wildfires seen in 2018. Last month, the US Attorney’s Office in Denver began legal action against the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge
Flirt fleet refurbished
GERMANY: Leasing company Alpha Trains has completed one of its largest refurbishment projects, handing over to operator Keolis the last of 44 Stadler Flirt electric multiple-units which have been modernised for use on Teutoburger Wald-Netz and Hellweg-Netz services. The comprehensive modernisation programme was undertaken by Stadler in Berlin, and included fitting
World rail infrastructure market – August 2019
Australia: ARTC has appointed Turner & Townsend and SNC-Lavalin to provide programme management office services for the Inland Rail project. Canada: Thales is to supply SelTrac CBTC signalling for Toronto’s Finch West light rail line and Stage 2 of the O-Train Confederation Line in Ottawa. Croatia: HŽ Infrastruktura, the Port of Rijeka
World rolling stock market – August 2019
Australia: The UGL Unipart 70:30 JV has been awarded a five-year extension to its contract to maintain Sydney Trains’ fleet of more than 1 050 vehicles. The contract runs for five years from July 1, replacing a two-year extension announced in January. South Australia has awarded Bombardier a contract to supply
A West Highland celebration
In the first of two features focusing on the West Highland line, which marks its 125th anniversary this year, Keith Farr analyses steam-hauled journeys over this scenic and demanding route. Glasgow (Queen Street) high-level terminus is being transformed. Platforms are being extended to cope with more frequent and longer trains
Meeting the digital future of rail strategically with IoT and analytics
SPONSORED CONTENT: To meet their promise as one of our most sustainable modes of transportation, railways in many developed countries are going to need a big upgrade, writes Karsten Oberle, Head of the Global Railway Practice at communications group Nokia. Often burdened with old and ageing infrastructure, they have fallen behind
Estonia plans rail electrification to meet 2030 climate goals
ESTONIA: The Ministry of Economic Affairs & Communications and the Ministry of the Environment are preparing a railway electrification strategy after receiving cabinet backing for the development of proposals. The government envisages that electrification works could be undertaken in 2022-28, supporting the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70% from
Review to consider whether and how to proceed with High Speed 2
UK: The terms of reference and timeline for an independently-led government review of whether and how to proceed with the High Speed 2 project were published by Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps on August 21. The ‘independent, thorough and objective’ review is to be chaired by Douglas Oakervee, whose
PKP Intercity orders Flirts as ridership grows
POLAND: National long-distance train operator PKP Intercity has signed a contract for Stadler to supply a 12 eight-car Flirt electric multiple-units and maintain them for 15 years. Stadler and a consortium of Pesa Bydgoszcz with its subsidiary ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki submitted bids in response to the operator’s December 2017 call for
Stadler Wins Tender for 12 FLIRT Trains for PKP Intercity
Abellio Takes Over East Midlands Franchise
Abellio, which won the East Midlands franchise in April this year has started operating the line, which serves the Midland Main Line. Operating as East Midlands Railway, major calling points include London St Pancras, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield, Leeds, York and Scarborough. The franchise contract is set to run for eight
SBB and ÖBB to strengthen overnight services
EUROPE: Citing a significant increase in demand for international passenger services during the first half of 2019, Swiss Federal Railways announced on August 19 that it intended to strengthen its long-term co-operation with Austria’s ÖBB and expand the provision of both daytime and overnight trains. Suggesting that increased awareness of climate
Steelmaker orders broad gauge EffiShunter locos
UKRAINE: ArcelorMittal has awarded Czech manufacturer CZ Loko a contract to supply four 1 520 mm gauge EffiShunter 1600 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives for heavy shunting at its Kryvyi Rih steelworks. The order is being financed by OTP Leasing, with delivery scheduled for the second half of 2020. The locos will have CAT
ProRail Increases Capacity for 2020 Timetable
The Dutch railway infrastructure manager ProRail has determined its 2020 timetable. This is a major logistical feat, taking into account 7,000km of track, 400 stations and the wishes of 34 freight and passenger train operators. Creating the new timetable, which always comes into force in December in European countries, is a
West Highland Line re-opens after flooding
West Highland Line re-opens after flooding. Photo: Network Rail Network Rail has announced that the West Highland Line has fully re-opened for start of service today, after repair works finished following flash floods. The line had been closed by ‘wash-aways’ and landslips at multiple locations around Crianlarich and Tyndrum as a
Industry Insider Week 33 – 9 Must-Read Rail News Stories
All the important rail news of the week, summed up for you in one place: our Railway-News Industry Insider Week 33 for 12–16 August 2019: Russia’s Busiest Airport to Get New Railway Line | Infrastructure Russia’s busiest airport, Sheremetyevo International Airport, is to get a new railway line. The airport is located
Filling the intermodal information gap
EUROPE: Intermodal freight company Kombiverkehr is piloting Train Monitor, which provides real-time information on the location and punctuality of its services operating within Germany and from Germany to Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Poland. This includes the estimated time when
Japanese take over Rio suburban network
BRAZIL: A consortium of Mitsui and West Japan Railway has purchased a majority stake in Rio de Janeiro suburban operator SuperVia, at a reported cost of around ¥20bn. The Japanese trading group had previously held a 24% stake in the concessionaire, through its stake in SuperVia parent Odebrecht Mobilidad. It has
Russia’s Busiest Airport to Get New Railway Line
Sheremetyevo International Airport, which is located 30km from Moscow, is to get a new railway line, Russian Railways has said. The new line will extend to the Northern Terminal Complex (NTC), which comprises Terminals B and C. The goal of the project is to increase the airport’s accessibility while taking
Northern Adds 15 New CAF Civity Trains to Its Fleet
MIRA and PGGM to acquire all of Genesee & Wyoming Australia
AUSTRALIA: Existing shareholders Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets and PGGM have agreed to assume full ownership of the Genesee & Wyoming Australia business. This announcement on August 6 follows an agreement for GWA’s parent company Genesee & Wyoming Inc to be acquired by Brookfield Infrastructure and GIC in a transaction which
From the archive: Budapest’s secret steam – Hungary’s hidden time capsule
Out of public view in Budapest’s Istvántelek railway works is an extraordinary collection of historic steam locomotives and rolling stock. Ben Jones was given a rare opportunity to visit the depot for The RM. IMAGINE for a moment Stratford Works, in east London, had not been demolished and redeveloped.
First/Trenitalia to Operate West Coast Partnership
First/Trenitalia will run the West Coast Partnership franchise from December 2019 to 2031. The two partners – FirstGroup and Trenitalia – have different areas of expertise. For example, the former is highly familiar with the British rail industry, while Trenitalia is incredibly knowledgeable about high-speed trains. The West Coast Partnership replaces
First, Trenitalia win West Coast Partnership franchise
THE government has awarded the West Coast Partnership to a consortium of FirstGroup and Trenitalia. Transport secretary Grant Shapps and Keith Williams, chair of the Rail Review, have described the deal as ‘vital to deliver the swift introduction of significant benefits for passengers’. The new contract is also designed to ‘fit
FirstGroup replaces Virgin to run West Coast route
FirstGroup, along with Italian firm Trenitalia, will operate train services on the West Coast Main Line from December 8, the Department for Transport has said. The joint partnership was awarded the West Coast Partnership (WCP) contract, which also includes responsibility for running the first HS2 trains from 2026. But the DfT said
Snowdon Mountain Railway orders battery-diesel locos
UK: Snowdon Mountain Railway has ordered two battery-diesel hybrid locomotives from Clayton Equipment Ltd, which specialises in the production of bespoke designs for specialist railway, metro, mining and tunnelling applications. The 800 mm gauge railway runs steam and diesel locos up the highest mountain in Wales using the Abt rack and
Northern Takes First Pacer Train Out of Service
DB invests in mobile data analytics company
SWITZERLAND: A company which uses mobile phone data to obtain information on travel demand has raised US$17·5m in a funding round with participants including Deutsche Bahn’s technology investment fund DB Digital Ventures, Robert Bosch Venture Capital, Innogy Ventures, LBBW Venture Capital, Liil Ventures and existing investors Atomico and Lakestar. Teralytics was
Loram to acquire Aurizon’s rail grinding business
AUSTRALIA: Loram Maintenance of Way has agreed to purchase Aurizon’s rail grinding business, along with its contracts to serve four customers. ‘Loram recognises substantial opportunities in the Australian rail market’, explained Stephen Mannix, Managing Director of local subsidiary Loram Pty Ltd, when the agreement was announced on August 12. ‘This acquisition
Keolis Opens New Section of Songjiang Tram Network
French public transport operator Keolis opened a new stretch of the Songjiang light rail network on 10 August. The total tram network, consisting of two lines, now measures 27km, with 40 stations. The first 13.9km of the network opened in December 2018. This tram network in the suburban Songjiang district of
DB to Analyse Passenger Behaviour Using Big Data
The branch of Deutsche Bahn dealing with new digital business models, DB Digital Ventures, is teaming up with Teralytics. This Swiss start-up performs mobility analyses using big data, something DB believes holds far-reaching potential for a customer-oriented development of its services. Using data obtained from mobile phones Teralytics supplies reliable information
RegioJet to launch Praha – Wien – Budapest service
Inquiry launched into power cuts
AN inquiry has been launched by the government after widespread power cuts brought many trains to a stand, particularly in the London area. Tyne & Wear Metro was also disrupted by the widespread outages, on Friday afternoon. The problems were caused by the failure of two generators according to National Grid,
Industry Insider Week 32 – 10 Must-Read Rail News Stories
All the important rail news of the week, summed up for you in one place: our Railway-News Industry Insider Week 32 for 05–09 August 2019: Rolling Stock Italy: CAF to Supply Metro Trains to Naples The City Council of Naples, the body managing public transport in the city, has awarded the Spanish company
Vall de Núria rack locomotive delivered
SPAIN: A Stadler electro-diesel rack locomotive is expected to enter service on Catalunya operator FGC’s Vall de Núria line this month. The metre-gauge route between Ribes-Enllaç and Vall de Núria climbs 1 062 m in 12·5 km to provide access to a car-free tourist destination 1 967 m above sea level in the Pyrenees. The first
Wabtec Delivers 5 PowerHaul Locomotives to Turkey
Körfez Ulaştırma A.Ş. has received 5 new diesel-electric locomotives from the American company Wabtec Corp. – which recently merged with GE Transportation – to accompany their existing fleet of 5 leased diesel locomotives. Körfez Ulaştırma A.Ş. is a subsidiary of Tüpraş, Turkey’s largest oil refinery operator. The order for the new locomotives was
nVent SCHROFF: Modernizing Aging Equipment for Rolling Stock
Modernizing aging equipment for rolling stock presents unique challenges such as installing more electronics in on-board locations where space is at a premium. Installing a greater number of IIoT devices and interconnected electronic systems on board is a balancing act to maximize space while creating rider and operator friendly interiors. This eBook will
İtalya’da İçişleri Bakanı Salvini seçime gidilmesini istedi
İtalya’da koalisyon hükümetinde Başbakan Yardımcılığı ve İçişleri Bakanlığı görevini yürüten aşırı sağcı Lig Partisinin lideri Matteo Salvini, “Yüksek hızlı tren oylamasında açıkça çoğunluğun olmadığını gördük. Bir karar alması için parlamentoya gidiyoruz ve sonrasında sözü artık seçmene bırakacağız” ifadesini kullandı.
Amsterdam – Brussels trainsets ordered
NETHERLANDS: National operator NS has awarded Alstom a contract to supply a further 18 Intercity New Generation 200 km/h electric multiple-units, which will provide it with a pool of 20 units equipped for use on Amsterdam – Brussels services as well as domestic routes. This would enable the locomotive-hauled ICR stock which
RegioJet Adds Budapest to Its Destinations
RegioJet says it will add Budapest, Hungary, to its list of destinations starting in June 2020. Last week RegioJet announced that it was terminating its contract with GKB and instead collaborate with WESTbahn, who will operate all RegioJet services in Austrian territory starting 15 December 2019. This affects RegioJet services that
New pressure on DfT after franchise competition was cancelled
TWO frustrated bidders for the South Eastern franchise could be set to join the growing number of companies sueing the Department for Transport over its handling of franchise competitions. The DfT has cancelled the competition for South Eastern, with the bidders down to two, saying it had ‘significant concerns that continuing
Bid to run Southeastern rail route scrapped
Bid to run Southeastern rail route scrapped. Photo: Southeastern. The bid to run Southeastern rail route has been scrapped, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced. Incumbent operator Southeastern’s rail route contract was due to expire in November, but this has been extended until April 1 next year. The franchise competition was
6 August: news in brief
Second station funding boost for West Midlands TWO stations in the West Midlands which were closed in January 1965 have moved a significant step closer to being reopened, with news of a £10 million grant from the Department for Transport. Darlaston and Willenhall were closed as part of the Beeching cutbacks,
Industry Insider Week 31 – 12 Must-Read Rail Stories
All the important rail news of the week, summed up for you in one place: our Railway-News Industry Insider Week 31 for 29 July–02 August 2019: Rail yard behind the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia © Donnie Nunley under licence Business Stadler manufactures the Berlin S-Bahn at its Pankow site © Railway-News Stadler
Trenitalia plans €2·7bn regional EMU spend
ITALY: State-owned passenger operator Trenitalia has invited expressions of interest by October 1 for the supply of up to 250 single-deck EMUs with an estimated total value of €2·7bn. The FS Group subsidiary is looking to award two four-year framework agreements for EMUs to operate regional passenger services on the 3 kV
Cybersecurity firm raises seed funding
ISRAEL: Railway cybersecurity startup company Cervello has raised US$4·5m during a seed funding round. Investors include North First Ventures of Israel and Awz Ventures of Canada, along with Nissim Bar-El, the founder of technology security consultancy Comsec Group. ‘As operators further digitise their infrastructure, the railway industry is adopting an active
Westbahn to operate RegioJet’s Wien – Praha trains
EUROPE: Open access operators Westbahn and RegioJet have signed an agreement under which Westbahn will take over the ‘technical operation’ in Austria of RegioJet’s international trains which link Wien, Brno and Praha. Since their launch in December 2017, these trains have been operated between Wien Hbf and the Czech border station
Italy: CAF to Supply Metro Trains to Naples
Florida tourist train loses half its route after owner decision
AROUND half the route operated by Florida tourist train Orlando & Northwestern Railway – which runs as ‘The Royal Palm Railway Experience’ – was closed to passengers in April. The move came after the route’s owner, shortline freight operator Florida Central Railroad, decided it would no longer maintain the Tavares to
DB Class 111 electrics locos losing passenger work in southern Germany
Feature articles in the August 2019 issue of Railway Gazette International
Feature articles in the latest issue of Railway Gazette International, the leading business journal for railway operators and suppliers, read in 140 countries. Subscribe to Railway Gazette International today. Comment Jumping on the night train News Main Line Urban Rail Market Industry Innovations Pointers Analysis Safety crisis prompts reform in Taiwan, ERA’s cross-authorisation of rolling
MÁV domestic coach production gathers pace
HUNGARY: Following on from two prototype vehicles produced in 2014-15, a series batch of 20 IC+ hauled coaches for international trains has been completed by national railway holding MÁV. The vehicles have been produced in-house at MÁV’s Szolnok workshop. They have been funded by the company and contain more than 50%
£400 Million Investment in Hitachi Trains for East Midlands Railway
Abellio UK, franchisee of East Midlands Railway (EMR), has confirmed it has awarded a £400 million contract to Hitachi Rail for its new fleet of intercity trains. Artist impression of new train © Hitachi Rail under license A Modern Fleet for the East Midlands Serving the main cities and towns on the Midlands Main
Azuma launches on Flying Scotsman
UK: East Coast Main Line operator LNER launched its Hitachi-built Class 800 Azuma trainsets on Anglo-Scottish services on August 1, deploying one of the electro-diesel units on its flagship 05.40 Flying Scotsman service from Edinburgh to London King’s Cross and the 17.30 return working. Class 800s have been operating between London
UK railway news round-up – August 1
Ridership surge prompts SNCF to order more TGVs
Alstom to Supply 5 Additional Trains to Occitanie Region
The French regions of Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée have placed an order for an additional 5 Coradia Polyvalent trains from Alstom. Alstom Coradia Polyvalent train for Régiolis © Alstom The order is worth approximately 30 million euros (27.46 million GBP / 33.45 million USD). The region previously ordered 46 Coradia Polyvalent trains for
Legal row over track safety rule change
BELGIUM: Infrastructure manager Infrabel said on July 30 that it had been forced to defend itself and changes in its maintenance policy in a case brought before the Brussels Francophone Business Court by freight operator Lineas. Services run by Lineas and other operators had been affected by an unexpected change
ČD Cargo Effishunter locomotives unveiled
CZECH REPUBLIC: ČD Cargo has taken delivery of the prototype Class 742.71 EffiShunter 1000M Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive which CZ Loko has produced by extensively rebuilding a ČKD-built Class 742. ČD Cargo ordered 50 of the locomotives for shunting and light main line duties in a KC2·1bn contract signed in November 2018.
Abellio orders East Midlands inter-city fleet
Travelling with Confidence: Accessible Travel Policy Guidance Published
UK: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has published its new Accessible Travel Policy (ATP) guidance for train and station operators which it hopes will help older and disabled people travel by rail with more confidence. Carried out between November 2018 and February 2019, the Improved Assisted Travel consultation, which
Metre-gauge coaches delivered
BANGLADESH: A batch of 26 new inter-city coaches for Bangladesh Railways’ metre-gauge main lines was expected to arrive at Chittagong Port by the end of July, having been shipped from the Indonesian port of Tanjung Perak, in Surabaya, on July 19. Being supplied by PT Inka under a US$101m contract for
Robust cyber-security plans keep trains running on time
SPONSORED CONTENT: As primary movers of people and goods, railways play a central role in the economic and social life of most countries, writes Karsten Oberle, Head of the Global Railway Practice at communications group Nokia. Railways have also become an attractive target for potential cyber attacks, due in large
ADLINK Announces New Rugged, Fanless, Real-Time Video/Graphics Analytics AIoT Platform for Railway
ADLINK, a global provider of advanced Edge Computing products, has released its latest rugged, fanless NVIDIA Quadro embedded AIoT (AI and IoT) platform, the PIS-5500, designed for real-time video/graphics analytics applications in the rail industry. ADLINK PIS-5500 AIoT platform © ADLINK Technology Inc. Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are being adopted globally by
Port of Barcelona rail motorway terminal agreed
SPAIN: An agreement to build and operate a rail motorway terminal in the Port of Barcelona has been signed by the government of Catalunya and SNCF subsidiary VIIA. The terminal will be open to any operator, offering capacity to accommodate eight trains per day carrying unaccompanied lorry trailers to and from
Merseyrail top of punctuality charts
Industry Insider Week 30 – 10 Must-Read Rail News Stories
All the important rail news of the week, summed up for you in one place: our Railway-News Industry Insider Week 30 for 22–26 July 2019: Current Westbahn KISS interior © Westbahn Rolling Stock Siemens, Bombardier and DB reach an agreement about the ICE 4 trains © www.siemens.com/press Deutsche Bahn Will Resume Acceptance of ICE 4
29 July: news in brief
Maynard returns to DfT PAUL Maynard has returned to the DfT as a transport minister, as part of Boris Johnson's cabinet reshuffle. Grant Shapps had already returned to the Department as the new transport secretary, replacing Chris Grayling. Other new arrivals as ministers at the DfT are Chris Heaton-Harris (replacing Michael Ellis),
Accessible travel policy guidance updated
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has published updated guidance designed to enable train and station operators to provide older and disabled people with greater confidence when travelling by rail. The Accessible Travel Policy replaces ORR’s Disabled Persons’ Protection Policy and broadens its scope. Updated requirements include: better staff training
Eyre grain lines are not closed, insists GWA
AUSTRALIA: Unequal treatment of road and rail was a major factor behind the decision to suspend services on the 1 067 mm gauge network in South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, according to operator Genesee & Wyoming Australia. The 700 km network was mothballed at the end of May after GWA’s only customer switched its
PowerHaul locos delivered to Turkish private operator
TURKEY: Wabtec and Tülomsaş have delivered five PowerHaul diesel-electric locomotives to Körfez Ulaştırma, the rail transport subsidiary of oil refining company Tüpraş which was the first operator to order new locos after the government began issuing operating licenses to private companies in 2017. Körfez Ulaştırma signed the order with what was