News – Page 181
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News
ComfortJet brand for ČD Viaggio Comfort trainsets
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD has announced ComfortJet as the brand name for its future Viaggio Comfort trainsets. The 20 nine-car 230 km/h push-pull trainsets are being built by a consortium of Siemens and Škoda Transportation under a KC12·5bn contract signed in April 2021, and are ...
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News
Tramway du Mont-Blanc train delivered
FRANCE: Stadler has delivered the first of four electric multiple-units for the Tramway du Mont-Blanc mountain railway. The metre-gauge line runs 12·5 km from Fayet station at 580 m above sea level in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains to the 2 372 m high summit station at Nid d’Aigle. It ...
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News
Alstom wins Romanian EMU order
ROMANIA: Alstom has announced its first order to supply main line passenger trains to Romania. The €270m contract signed with railway reform authority ARF and announced on March 25 covers the delivery of 20 Coradia Stream inter-regional electric multiple-units and the provision of 15 years of ...
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Rail Business UK
Govia Thameslink Railway awarded National Rail Contract
UK: The Department for Transport has awarded incumbent Govia Thameslink Railway a National Rail Contract to continue operating Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern passenger services from April 1 2022 until at least April 1 2025, with up to a further three years at the Secretary of ...
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News
Channel Tunnel track contracts awarded
EUROPE: Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel has awarded Colas Rail two contracts for maintenance and renewal of the 200 km of track at its two terminals and in the tunnel. One contract covers routine maintenance and is worth €2·5m over three years, with an option for a ...
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News
Danish battery train supplier selected
DENMARK: Local railway operator Midtjyske Jernbaner has selected Siemens Mobility to supply seven battery multiple-units. The two-car Mireo Plus B units are to be deployed on the Holstebro – Skjern and Vemb – Lemvig – Thyborøn lines in northwest Jylland from the end of 2024. They ...
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News
Finland’s VR buys Arriva’s Swedish rail and bus business
SWEDEN: Finland’s national railway VR Group is to acquire Deutsche Bahn’s Swedish train and bus operating business Arriva Sverige, with the aim of expanding in the urban transport sector and becoming a significant operator in the larger Swedish market. Arriva Sverige is Sweden’s third largest train ...
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In depth
Southeast Asia: Philippines’ slow revival gathers pace
Development of the North-South Commuter Railway in Manila has lent fresh momentum to plans for rail and metro projects both in Luzon and elsewhere in the Philippines. David Carmona investigates.
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News
Three key issues for rail freight in EU state aid reform
EUROPE: The European Rail Freight Association says three key issues need to be addressed in the European Commission’s planned revision of state aid guidelines for railway undertakings. Modal shift: ERFA believes state aid has an important role to play in supporting a transition towards more sustainable ...
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News
Vossloh reports growth in sales and earnings in 2021
INTERNATIONAL: Vossloh has reported strong growth in its sales and earnings in 2021, despite the ongoing constraints imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sales were up 8·4% year-on-year to €942·8m. Profitability continued to improve, despite rising materials, logistics and energy costs, with the operating EBIT reaching €72·3m. ...
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News
Captrain buys Takargo in Iberian expansion drive
PORTUGAL: Rail Logistics Europe has purchased private freight operator Takargo from the Mota-Engil construction group, subject to formal approval by the competition authorities. Founded in 2006 as part of Mota-Engil’s diversification strategy, Takargo was the first independent operator to apply for paths on the Portuguese network ...
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News
Wabtec to modernise 330 Norfolk Southern locomotives
USA: Norfolk Southern has awarded Wabtec Corp a multi-year contract to rebuild a further 330 Dash 9-44CW diesel locomotives to AC44C6M, improving their efficiency and reducing emissions. The modernised locomotives will feature the FDL Advantage engine upgrade, as well as Trip Optimizer, SmartHPT and Distributed Power ...
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News
Regionerate Rail selected to build Gowrie – Kagaru section of Inland Rail corridor
AUSTRALIA: Australian Rail Track Corp has selected the Regionerate Rail consortium as preferred bidder for a PPP contract to build and maintain the 128 km Gowrie – Kagaru section of the 1 700 km Inland Rail corridor. Regionerate Rail comprises Clough, GS Engineering & Construction, Webuild, ...
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Rail Business UK
Rail research institute opens motion simulation and pantograph behaviour laboratories
UK: The Institute of Railway Research at Huddersfield University has opened two more laboratories with a focus on full-train motion simulation and the study of pantograph-catenary behaviour. IRR is the specialist hub for rolling stock R&D within the UK Rail Research & Innovation Network, and has ...
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News
Rail freight operator introduces energy surcharge and expects others will follow
BELGIUM: Freight operator Lineas has announced the introduction of a dynamic energy surcharge from April 1, saying this will be a first for the rail sector and it anticipates that other operators will follow. Lineas said such surcharges are common for other modes. ‘We cannot continue ...
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News
JR Central launches hybrid trainsets with remote monitoring
JAPAN: Central Japan Railway is to replace its ‘Wide View’ Series Kiha 85 diesel multiple-units dating from the late 1980s and early 1990s with a fleet of Series HC85 hybrid multiple-units comprising 64 vehicles in total. Following tests with a four-car prototype built by Nippon Sharyo ...
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News
Electric locomotive incorporates domestic technology
RUSSIA: Ural Locomotives has unveiled its first 3ES8 Malakhit three-section 3 kV DC electric locomotive, which is intended as the basis for a new generation of electric locomotives incorporating domestic technology. Domestically designed and manufactured technology includes the asynchronous traction drive developed ...
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News
Ukraine to nationalise Russian-owned rolling stock
UKRAINE: National railway Ukrzaliznytsia has begun the process of nationalising Russian-owned rolling stock in the country. The announcement came after the President of Ukraine signed a law setting out principles for the seizure of Russian property following the invasion. Ukrzaliznytsia is drawing up a list of ...
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News
CFR studies electrification of secondary route to Bulgaria
ROMANIA: CFR Infrastructură has awarded a nine-month contract worth €586 000 to Consis Proiect to conduct a feasibility study into the electrification of the Videle – Giurgiu railway line. It is estimated that it will cost €46m to electrify the line from Rădulești to Giurgiu Nord ...