News – Page 248
-
NewsHydrogen fuel cell locomotive to be tested by Sierra Northern Railway
USA: The California Energy Commission has awarded Sierra Northern Railway and energy research organisation GTI almost $4m to fund the production of a fuel cell shunting locomotive, with the aim of demonstrating the potential for hydrogen traction units to reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to diesel. ...
-
NewsChicago commuter rail coach order confirmed
USA: Alstom and Chicago commuter rail operator Metra have finalised a framework contract for the supply of 500 double-deck push-pull coaches, with a €650m firm order for an initial 200 vehicles. The Metra board selected Alstom as preferred bidder in January. The ...
-
-
Rail Business UKSwift Express Freight demonstrator to be tested
UK: Leasing company Eversholt Rail and Ricardo have teamed up to develop an electric multiple-unit intended to demonstrate a cost-effective and low carbon way of transporting parcels. Dubbed Swift Express Freight, the demonstrator is to be converted at Wabtec’s Doncaster site from a surplus Class 321 ...
-
NewsIndian high speed line track design MoU signed
INDIA: National High Speed Rail Corp Ltd and Japan Railway Track Consultants Co have signed a memorandum of understanding covering track design for the 237 km Vadodara – Vapi package T2 section of the planned Mumbai – Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor. JRTC is to provide ...
-
NewsScurrah and Cory to lead Pacific National
AUSTRALIA: Paul Scurrah has been selected as the next Managing Director & CEO of freight operator Pacific National, succeeding Dean Dalla Valle who had announced his intention to step down earlier this year. Having previously served as CEO of Queensland Rail and Executive ...
-
NewsJR East’s driver-only Series 131 EMUs enter traffic on the Boso peninsula
JAPAN: East Japan Railway has put into service its fleet of Series E131 EMUs on the relatively lightly used lines serving the Boso peninsula in Chiba Prefecture with effect from the March 13 timetable change.
-
Rail Business UKScottish Government to take over ScotRail in March 2022
UK: The ScotRail franchise is to be taken over by the Scottish Government on the expiry of the current contract with Abellio in March 2022, Transport Secretary Michael Matheson has confirmed. Services are to be operated by an arm’s length Operator of Last Resort, wholly owned ...
-
NewsEtihad Rail and Saudi Railway Co sign co-operation agreement
ASIA: UAE’s Etihad Rail and Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Railway Co have signed an agreement establishing a framework for the exchange of services, training and knowledge. The two railways will initially focus on locomotive and wagon leasing arrangements, the purchase of spare parts, special volunteer groups and ...
-
NewsADIF expands Galicia upgrading programme
SPAIN: Infrastructure manager ADIF has set out plans to invest a further €546m in modernising two rail corridors across Galicia, linking the junction at Monforte de Lemos with Ourense and Lugo.
-
NewsTests suggest 30% cost saving using distributed power with LTE
EUROPE: Initial results have confirmed the feasibility of operating long freight trains with distributed power using LTE technology, and the potential for significant cost savings.
-
Metro Report InternationalHamburg to expand S-Bahn fleet
GERMANY: The Hamburg city Senate has announced plans to order a further series of Class 490 EMUs to support expansion of the city’s S-Bahn network. Citing projects such as the S4 extension to Bad Oldesloe, the S21 extension to Kaltenkirchen and the proposed S32 western branch ...
-
NewsEMD locomotives ordered for Mongolian coal railway
MONGOLIA: Financing company Bodi International has awarded Progress Rail a contract to supply 16 EMD SD70ACeLW locomotives for use on the future Tavan Tolgoi – Gashuun Sukhait railway. The 1 520 mm gauge locomotives will be powered by 16-cylinder EMD 710 Series engines rated at 3 ...
-
News‘Four by four’ remodelling completed at Barcelona Sants
SPAIN: ADIF completed work to remodel the track layout at Barcelona Sants station on March 1, following a nine-month programme known as ‘four by four’ aimed at reconfiguring the broad gauge tracks serving the deep-level station.
-
NewsFour start-ups chosen in Rumo’s Fuse safety innovation programme
BRAZIL: Ideas and concepts to improve safety at level crossings are to be developed and tested under plans announced by freight concessionaire Rumo. Four proposals have been selected for development under the Fuse programme to identify and implement safety improvements, which was launched by the operator in ...
-
NewsSGR operating contract to be terminated
KENYA: The government has given notice that it intend to transfer control of operations on the country’s standard-gauge railway to Kenya Railway Corp from May 2022.
-
In depthTurkey: Freight won’t wait
Restrictions on road haulage due to the pandemic have driven a sharp increase in Turkey’s rail freight traffic, particularly on international corridors, reports David O’Byrne. Further growth is expected to follow the completion of rail-served logistics centres across the network.
-
Rail Business UKScotRail plans Active Travel DMU deployment on West Highland Line
UK: ScotRail hopes to see the first of its five ‘Active Travel’ coaches converted from Class 153 single-car diesel multiple-units entering service during the May 2021 timetable. The main challenge is the training of 38 drivers from Oban and Glasgow Queen Street depots whilst coronavirus social ...
-
NewsMelbourne doubling tracking and stations contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: An alliance of Acciona, Coleman Rail, and WSP has been awarded a contract for infrastructure works as part of the A$530m Hurstbridge Line Duplication project on the Metro Trains Melbourne network. This includes signalling, power and infrastructure upgrading works, the construction of stations in Greensborough and ...
-
Rail Business UKCOP26 to be rail decarbonisation showcase
UK: Plans are being drawn up for Glasgow to be a showcase for zero-emission at point of use rail technology including hydrogen and battery power when the UK hosts the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties from November 1 to 12. ‘A number of companies ...