VR FleetCare has invested €10m in upgrading its Oulu workshop, including a new paint shop. It is currently repainting the Alstom Sm6 Allegro trainsets previously used on Helsinki - St Petersburg services which are to be used on Finnish domestic routes from 2025. ‘With international rolling stock projects and new wagon production, we need more capacity’, said Otso Ikonen, SVP Maintenance at VR. ‘We have also introduced new technology in the paint shop, such as intelligent temperature, humidity and air exchange control to ensure internationally high-quality standards in surface treatment.’
Safety-related automation technology company HIMA Group officially opened a its first facility in India on November 21, to supply the local rail and industrial markets.
The Norwegian government has announced plans to change the financing model for state rolling stock owner Norske Tog, with state rather than private sector loan financing to be used from H2 2025. The government estimates that this will save NKr1bn to NKr2bn over 12 years, because the state can borrow at a lower cost. Existing loans would be repaid before maturity. Norske Tog will also take over Flytoget’s rolling stock as part of the merger of Flytoget into Vy from January 1 2025.
On November 14 the UN Economic Commission for Europe Working Party on Rail Transport approved proposed changes to the Model Rules on Permanent Marking of Railway Rolling Stock to create a longer transition period. The consolidated set of Rules will come into effect on publication by the UN.
On November 20 Alstom announced the implementation of a liquidity contract for its ordinary shares with Rothschild Martin Maurel, which will act as a market maker for Alstom shares on the regulated market of Euronext Paris in order to promote the liquidity of transactions and the regularity of the listing of Alstom shares. To implement this contract, €18m has been allocated to the liquidity account. This contract took effect from November 21 and has an initial term of 12 months, renewable by tacit agreement for successive periods of 12 months.
The US Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association elected two new directors on November 6: Bob Coakley, Sales Director at Ballast Tools Equipment, and Matt Violin, Vice-President of Sales at NARSTCO. Their two-year terms begin on January 1.
A Stucki Company has appointed Michelle Baker as Chief Transformation Officer, responsible for strategy development and overseeing the programme management office.
Rail Europe has increased its coverage of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Hungary and Denmark in its RailAPI, RailFlash and RailPortal platforms for travel agencies.
Patty Long is to retire as President of the US Railway Supply Institute from March 31 2025; the search for a successor is underway.
