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:

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Deutsche Bahn Will Resume Acceptance of ICE 4 Trains

In April of this year Deutsche Bahn stopped accepting ICE 4 trains from Siemens Mobility and Bombardier after it was found they didn’t meet the high quality standards agreed in their contracts. Following an agreement to rework and test the welds on the body shells DB has now resumed acceptance of the ICE 4 trains.

Read more | Deutsche Bahn Will Resume Acceptance of ICE 4 Trains

China’s Virtual Rail Transit System Put Through Its Paces in Doha

CRRC began testing its Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) system on 17 July 2019 in Doha, Qatar. CRRC has given an update showing the system has been performing well even in the hot conditions. The ART system uses on-board sensors to run along a virtual track, which in turn cancels the need to lay real tracks, dramatically reducing construction time and costs compared with other rail transit systems.

Read more | China’s Virtual Rail Transit System Put Through Its Paces in Doha

Rail Minister Reaffirms Commitment to Zero-Emission Technology

Rail Minister Andrew Jones reaffirmed the UK government’s commitment to eco-friendly rail journeys whilst visiting Steamology, a Hampshire-based company. The company received  £350,000 from the government to invest in its ‘Water to Water’ (W2W) system. The W2W system is a zero-emission compact steam generator that works using oxygen and hydrogen to drive a turbine, which then charges on-board battery packs.

Read more | Rail Minister Reaffirms Commitment to Zero-Emission Technology

More Trains: DB Is Expanding Its Intercity Fleet by 17 New Double-Decker Trains

Deutsche Bahn (DB) is expanding its intercity fleet and has purchased 17 new high-quality double-decker trains. DB made the quick decision to purchase the trains in order to develop their long-distance services. The high-quality KISS trains were manufactured by the Swiss company Stadler but DB is buying them second-hand from Westbahn in Austria. DB will receive the first trains in December which will run as ‘Intercity 2’ on the new line between Dresden-Berlin-Oranienburg-Rostock.

Read more | More Trains: DB Is Expanding Its Intercity Fleet by 17 New Double-Decker Trains

Low-Emission Locomotives Enter Service on California Northern Railroad

California Northern Railroad Company (CFNR), a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W), has two new US EPA Tier 4-compliant low-emission locomotives in service. The diesel locomotives were built in Tennessee by Knoxville Locomotive Works. The locomotive engines are expected to provide fuel savings of 25 percent and reduce emissions. California’s Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) helped purchase the locomotives with a $3.7 million grant.

Read more | Low-Emission Locomotives Enter Service on California Northern Railroad

Greater Anglia: New Intercity Train Completes Test Run

Greater Anglia and Stadler signed a contract in October 2016 for 10 new 12-car intercity trains to replace the old Greater Anglia fleet. One of the new trains has now successfully completed a daylight test run between Norwich and Liverpool Street. The train underwent extensive testing operating at different speeds and braking levels. Liverpool Street station staff also received on-board training. Three of the new trains are now in East Anglia. The first train will enter commercial service this autumn.

Read more | Greater Anglia: New Intercity Train Completes Test Run

Infrastructure

Government Sets Out Strategy for Biodiverse Railway Lineside

Network Rail has been given guidelines from the Department for Transport on how to deal with lineside vegetation whilst ensuring the safety of passengers and services. Six strategic suggestions were made and accepted. The suggestions included improved communications with affected communities, leading a cultural change for valuing nature and the environment, and more. The policy was written in collaboration with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as part of their 25-year Environment Plan.

Read more | Government Sets out Strategy for Biodiverse Railway Lineside

HS2 Unveils Designs for Automated People Mover

HS2 revealed the designs for its new 20-metre long automated people mover (APM). The driverless people mover will link Birmingham interchange station with Birmingham International Railway Station, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), and Birmingham Airport. The APM will depart from each stop approximately every 3 minutes. The service route is across an elevated viaduct, and each stop will be equipped with passenger information display systems and receive audio announcements.

Read more | HS2 Unveils Designs for Automated People Mover

Business

Network Rail: Route Directors Appointed for Eastern Region

Several Network Rail employees have been appointed as Eastern Route Directors who will form a new senior management team. The management team will be responsible for ‘putting passengers and freight customers first’. The new Route Directors are Ellie Burrows (Route Director for Anglia), Gary Walsh (Route Director for East Midlands), Matthew Rice (Route Director for North and East), and Paul Rutter (Route Director for East Coast). The rest of the appointments will be announced in the following weeks.

Read more | Network Rail: Route Directors Appointed for Eastern Region

Events

Register Now for the 3rd ASEAN Rail Summit

You can now register to attend the 3rd ASEAN Rail Summit. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has one of the fastest-growing regions in the economic world. The summit will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 18–19 September 2019. Over 300 experts and decision-makers from ASEAN and global rail industry government agencies, design units, operators and industry suppliers will come together to discuss the development of the ASEAN rail transit industry.

Read more | Register Now for the 3rd ASEAN Rail Summit

Previous Industry Insiders for you:

Industry Insider Week 29 – 11 Must-Read Rail News Stories
Industry Insider Week 28 – 10 Must-Read Rail News Stories
Industry Insider Week 27 – 9 Must-Read Rail News Stories
Industry Insider Week 26 – 12 Must-Read Rail News Stories

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