News – Page 138
-
NewsStudy to support the transition to very low-emission traction
EUROPE: The Association of European Rail Rolling Stock Lessors has commissioned consultancy Eolos to identify technologies which could reduce the climate impact of existing diesel-powered fleets and help non-electrified lines transition to low-carbon technologies. The association said the transition from diesel must be planned to reflect ...
-
-
NewsNew owners to expand services at Alberta Midland Railway Terminal
CANADA: Rail freight terminal operator Alpenglow Rail Services and investor Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure have acquired Alberta Midland Railway Terminal Ltd, which provides wagon staging and storage-in-transit for industrial customers in the the greater Edmonton region. The 120 ha AMRT site 30 km east of ...
-
NewsAustralian National Rail Manufacturing Plan funded
AUSTRALIA: The 2022-23 federal budget includes A$14·2m over four years to establish a National Rail Manufacturing Plan ‘to ensure more trains are built in Australia, support skilled manufacturing and expand the local rail industry’. An Office of National Rail Industry Co-ordination will be formed within the ...
-
NewsVR selects preferred bidder for EMU order
FINLAND: National operator VR has selected Stadler Bussnang as preferred bidder to supply 20 electric multiple-units. The contract worth around €250m would include the supply of spare parts, tools, training and documentation, along with options to purchase up to 50 additional EMUs and maintenance services. Stadler ...
-
In depthCzech Republic: Piecemeal modernisation makes steady progress
A further tranche of CEF funding from the EU will enable Czechinfrastructure manager Správa Železnic to progress numerous projects in its multifaceted modernisation of the country’s principal rail corridors. Toma Bačić investigates.
-
NewsMoscow suburban train order
RUSSIA: Moscow’s Central Suburban Passenger Co has awarded Transhmashholding’s Tver-based TMH-PTR subsidiary a contract to supply 23 11-car DC electric multiple-units between Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. The contract awarded to the sole bidder is worth 20·5bn roubles including VAT. The EMUs will have a design ...
-
Metro Report InternationalApprentices needed to keep largest tram network moving
AUSTRALIA: Applications have opened for a four-year apprenticeship programme which Melbourne operator Yarra Trams uses to train people to manage and maintain the 500 km of overhead electrification on the world’s largest tram network. During the first two years, apprentices will work on de-energised infrastructure alongside ...
-
News€353m Rail Baltica grant agreement signed
EUROPE: A grant agreement which will see the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility provide €353·9m for the Rail Baltica project has been signed by the European Climate, Infrastructure & Environment Executive Agency, ministries from the three countries and tri-national implementation agency RB Rail. This will fund the ...
-
NewsCalifornia high speed rail station design contract awarded
USA: The California High-Speed Rail Authority has awarded Foster+Partners and Arup a $35m contract to provide design services for Merced, Fresno, Kings/Tulare and Bakersfield stations on the initial 275 route-km segment of the line. The 30-month contract includes identifying right-of-way and utility relocation requirements. A separately ...
-
Metro Report InternationalCádiz Trambahía tram-train line opens
SPAIN: The Trambahía tram-train line in Cádiz has opened as the country’s first 1 668 mm gauge tram-train line. It includes 13·7 km of new tramway between Pelagatos and Río Arillo, from where services run 10·3 km into Cádiz over RENFE main line tracks shared with ...
-
In depthBelgium: Double-deck power cars enter service
SNCB has put into operation the first of 90 double-deck power cars ordered to operate with its M7 push-pull coaches. Dr Harry Hondius reports.
-
NewsPop-up workshops to retrofit digital automatic couplers
EUROPE: With around 500 000 European wagons needing to be equipped with digital automatic couplers by 2030, Deutsche Bahn is to deploy ‘pop-up’ mobile workshop tents where the work can be undertaken quickly and near where wagons are used, for example at industrial customers’ sites. From ...
-
Rail Business UKBristol Temple Meads to host Station Innovation Zone
UK: Bristol Temple Meads station has been selected as a Station Innovation Zone which will host trials of technology to improve the passenger experience. The five-year partnership between Network Rail and the Connected Places Catapult innovation accelerator will select start-ups to test ideas such as smarter ...
-
NewsArrow commuter service launched in California
USA: San Bernardino County Transportation Authority’s Arrow passenger service has launched, providing an hourly link between San Bernardino-Downtown station on the Los Angeles region’s Metrolink commuter network and the University of Redlands. Revenue services on the 14·5 km line began on October 24 following a ribbon ...
-
NewsFrench open access passenger service postponed
FRANCE: Three factors have led Le Train to postpone the launch of its planned open access high speed services in southwest France from mid-2023 until early 2024.
-
NewsEuropean Sleeper now targets 2023 launch
EUROPE: Night train start-up European Sleeper now expects to launch its first service on the Brussels – Amsterdam – Berlin – Praha route in 2023. The Dutch company announced a year ago that infrastructure managers Infrabel, ProRail, DB Netz and Správa Železnic had allocated capacity for ...
-
NewsLong-term strategy to address rail sector skills shortages
EUROPE: Rail, education and policy stakeholders met in Brussels to discuss a long-term action plan to address the sector’s growing skills shortage, including the need for reskilling and upskilling to support the green and digital transition. The event on October 13 marked the half way point ...
-
Metro Report InternationalNational public transport ticketing contract awarded
NEW ZEALAND: Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency has awarded Cubic Transportation Systems the National Ticketing Solution contract to supply an account-based ticketing platform for rail, bus and ferry services. Local transport authorities will decide on travel products and fares for their regions and control the ...
-
In depthEastern Europe: Adding capacity in Poland’s capital
Modernisation of the busy east-west cross-city route and construction of a second cross-city tunnel in the Polish capital during 2023-27 will generate much-needed capacity. Elsewhere in the Mazowieckie voivodship surrounding Warszawa, there are plans to build new lines and reopen old ones. Benjámin Zelki reports.