The Philippines’ Department of Transportation and MerMec are to co-operate to develop local skills in railway infrastructure monitoring, safety, training and cost-effective maintenance and the creation of a National Diagnostic Data Centre. The government aims to provide highly specialised training for Filipino technicians and engineers, and to attract highly qualified professionals currently working abroad to return their homeland.
On December 11 Alstom completed syndication of its €2·25bn 12-month revolving credit facility with a pool of 20 international banks. There are two six-month extension options. Alstom said the transaction was largely oversubscribed and showed its strong relationship with its ‘large and supportive’ group of banks to finance working capital swings as well as general corporate purposes. The banks have also approved a second one-year extension on two other RCFs to lengthen Alstom’s maturity profile. The €2∙5bn backstop RCF maturity is extend to January 2029 and the €1·75bn liquidity RCF maturity is extended to January 2027.
Europorte subsidiary Socorail, has acquired 67% of Renofer, which specialises in track and infrastructure maintenance.
European Sleeper has announced a €1m sharefunding round from December 27, to support marketing and sales for its extension from Berlin to Dresden and Praha from March 25 and the introduction of a dining car. Investors will get a discount on future purchases of train tickets. The operator says it has now run more than 150 night trains on the Brussels - Berlin route and transported over 30 000 passengers.
Eurofima has disbursed KC2.7bn to Czech shareholder ČD as the third tranche of a framework agreement signed in 2022. This is intended to finance the purchase of 100 Škoda RegioPanter dual-voltage EMUs and 22 Pesa RegioShark DMUs.
The Rotem SRS subsidiary of Hyundai Rotem announced on December 8 that it had signed a contract with Ganz-MaVag International, owned by Hungarian investment company Magyar Vagon covering warranty repairs, spare part supply and facility management for 1 350 coaches being supplied to Egyptian National Railways by TMH Hungary Kft.. Magyar Vagon became 100% owner of Hungarian consortium member Dunakeszi Járműjavító in July 2022.
Architectural firm Grimshaw has renewed its membership of the US High Speed Rail Coalition Executive Committee.
MÁV-Vagon and Alstom are to work together on a €3m three-year project to overhaul the bogies of 25 MÁV-Start Traxx electric locomotives. MÁV-Vagon will refurbish the bogies, while Alstom will overhaul the traction motors and supply new wheelsets.