News – Page 238
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Rail Business UKClass 80x recovery plan takes shape
UK: Industry insiders report that progress is being made towards the reinstatement of some of the Class 80x Hitachi units currently out of service following the discovery of cracks ‘behind the lifting (jack) pocket bolster’.
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NewsStadler lodges objection to DSB multiple-unit contract
DENMARK: Stadler has lodged an objection to DSB’s selection of Alstom for a contract to supply around 150 electric multiple-units as part of its Future Train rolling stock renewal strategy. The national passenger operator had named Alstom as preferred bidder on April 12 for its largest-ever ...
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Metro Report InternationalTrial running starts on London’s Elizabeth Line
UK: Trial running in the Crossrail tunnels under central London began on May 10, ahead of the launch of Elizabeth Line services which is now planned for the first half of 2022.
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup agrees £6m termination fee for TransPennine Express
UK: FirstGroup plc announced on May 11 that it had reached agreement with the Department for Transport on the fee payable for termination of the TransPennine Express franchise. The move is part of the process agreed with DfT as the Covid-19 pandemic saw operators moving into ...
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NewsDOT backs return of Gulf Coast passenger trains
USA: The Department of Transportation has endorsed efforts to revive inter-city passenger train services on the Gulf Coast route east of New Orleans, which were suspended following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Writing to the Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board Martin Oberman on May 10, DOT ...
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NewsFlixTrain to launch new routes and night trains
EUROPE: Having launched its first FlixTrain services in Sweden on May 6, FlixMobility announced on May 11 that it intends to launch two additional inter-city routes in Germany over the coming months, as part of an expansion programme aiming to double the number of open access services.
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NewsVoith Turbo discusses digital automatic couplers on the latest InnoTrans podcast
INNOTRANS: The latest episode of the InnoTrans podcast was released on May 11, with Cornelius Weitzmann, CEO Mobility at Voith Turbo, discussing the importance of digital automatic couplers in ensuring the competitveness of rail transport. ‘Rail is the most efficient and sustainable way to realise medium ...
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Rail Business UKMace and Dragados to build Birmingham Curzon Street HS2 station
UK: HS2 Ltd confirmed on May 10 that it had selected a consortium of Mace and Dragados to build the station at Birmingham Curzon Street under a contract worth £570m.
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NewsPetroCity plans general freight railway
BRAZIL: Industrial group PetroCity Portos SA is pursuing plans to develop a new railway to serve the states of Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais, running inland from a proposed port, logistics and business complex at Urussuquara, south of São Mateus on the Atlantic coast.
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NewsConnecting Europe Express to tour 26 countries in 36 days
EUROPE: Marking Europe Day on May 9 and the EU Year of Rail, the European Commission has confirmed the programme for its Connecting Europe Express exhibition train. Intended to demonstrate ‘the power of rail to connect people and businesses’, the project will also celebrate the cultural, economic ...
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NewsSotetsu orders Hitachi EMUs to work Tokyo through services
JAPAN: As part of its ¥15∙7bn capital investment plan for the 2021 financial year, Yokohama-based Sagami Railway is to order four eight-car Series 21000 EMUs from Hitachi.
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NewsSNCF launches Ouigo high speed services in Spain
SPAIN: The first fare-paying passengers were due to board Ouigo services on the morning of May 10 as SNCF’s low-cost high speed rail subsidiary entered the Spanish domestic market, competing with RENFE on the Madrid – Barcelona route.
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Rail Business UKZipabout shows passengers their last mile options
UK: A last mile feature has been added to the Rail Delivery Group’s National Rail ‘Alert Me by Messenger’ function, which uses Facebook’s messaging platform to provide passengers with alternative routes to help maintain social distancing if their journey is predicted to be busy or disrupted. ...
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Rail Business UKMass cancellations as Hitachi trains grounded by cracks
UK: A significant number of train services were cancelled over the weekend of May 8-9 after cracks were discovered in electric and electro-diesel trains constructed by Hitachi Rail for several operators.
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NewsVTG sees ‘huge potential’ in Turkish freight market
TURKEY: VTG has announced a ‘sharp expansion’ in the Turkish market, bundling the activities of VTG Rail Europe, VTG Rail Logistics and VTG Tanktainer under local subsidiary VTG Nakliyat. Offices have been opened in Halkalı and Pendik on the European and Aisan sides of the Bosporus ...
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NewsElectrification to increase Ukraine – Poland iron ore export capacity
UKRAINE: National railway Ukrzaliznytsia has begun a project to electrify the 94 km line from Kovel to Izov and the Polish border. The route handles 90% of rail freight tonnage between the two countries, mainly iron ore being exported from the Kryvyi Rih region to steelmakers ...
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NewsNew Zealand’s 10-year Rail Plan prioritises resilience and reliability
NEW ZEALAND: The government has published a 10-year Rail Plan, setting out its ambitions for a ‘resilient and reliable’ rail network and outlining its investment priorities. The plan does not provide a definitive list of investments or funding commitments, but is intended as a sign of ...
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NewsIndustrial espionage concerns raised over third-party train maintenance contract
GERMANY: Swiss rolling stock manufacturer Stadler has raised concerns about the potential for industrial espionage after Go-Ahead awarded the international subsidiary of Transmashholding a contract to maintain a fleet of electric multiple-units ordered for use on E-Netz Allgäu services in Bayern. Stadler is worried that its ...