News – Page 337
-
Rail Business UKAvanti West Coast sets out plans for West Coast franchise
UK: Avanti West Coast was officially unveiled as the brand name for the new West Coast Partnership franchise on November 27. Joint venture partners FirstGroup and Italian national operator Trenitalia explained that ‘Avanti is Italian for “Forward!” and reflects a mission to deliver an innovative railway service ...
-
NewsEurasian containers replace coal as freight market changes
Source: Duisport GERMANY: The Coal Island facility at the inland Port of Duisburg is to be replaced by a rail, river and road intermodal terminal in a change which operator Duisport said reflects a ‘sharp decline’ in the coal market but ‘booming’ trade with China. The ...
-
NewsThree operators awarded Spanish high speed paths
SPAIN: High speed infrastructure manager Adif AV has selected three preferred bidders to negotiate 10-year framework agreements enabling them to operate passenger services on the routes from Madrid east to Valencia and Alacant, south to Sevilla and Málaga and north to Barcelona and the French border. The ...
-
Metro Report InternationalBrisbane Metro BRT vehicle supplier selected
AUSTRALIA: Brisbane City Council has selected Hess, Volgren and ABB to supply 60 electric buses and charging infrastructure for the Brisbane Metro bus rapid transit project. A prototype is due to be delivered next year, ahead testing and series production. Final assembly will take place at Volgren’s ...
-
Metro Report InternationalAlstom wins contract to automate Marseille metro
FRANCE: Alstom is to supply trains and signalling for the conversion of the Marseille metro to fully driverless operation, the manufacturer announced on November 26. The €430m contract, financed by local authority Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence, will see both lines of the city’s rubber-tyred metro move to driverless operation ...
-
NewsStadler Flirts in Azerbaijan
AZERBAIJAN: National railway ADY has ordered 10 five-car Flirt multiple-units from Stadler. The €115m contract announced on November 27 includes spare parts and depot equipment. The first four trainsets to be delivered, starting in 2022, will be DMUs for inter-city services. These will include a power module ...
-
NewsFreight hub master plan unveiled
NEW ZEALAND: A master plan for a rail and road freight hub near Palmerston North was unveiled by Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones on November 26. Video: Palmerston North intermodal freight hub master plan The proposed facility would replace an existing yard ...
-
NewsSNCF selects train connectivity technology supplier
FRANCE: SNCF has selected Klas Telecom and its local partner Seolane Innovation for a contract to provide LTE train-to-ground communications to support operational and passenger connectivity services. The first deployment of the supplier’s TRX R6 Connected Transportation Platform will support CCTV onboard regional trains, with passenger information ...
-
NewsArup to review the case for hydrogen trains
UK: The Rail Safety & Standards Board has appointed Arup to develop a ‘route map to enter service’ for hydrogen-powered trains. This will involve working with manufacturers, regulators, rolling stock owners and operators to establish a high-level operational concept as well as to identify hazards and regulatory ...
-
NewsLocomotive Workshop Rotterdam maintenance facility opens
NETHERLANDS: The Locomotive Workshop Rotterdam maintenance depot in the port’s Maasvlakte 2 area was offically inaugurated on November 26. It has been developed by a joint venture of manufacturer Siemens Mobility and leasing company Mitsui Rail Capital Europe, and will undertake preventive and corrective maintenance, inspection and ...
-
NewsRizhao – Qufu high speed line opens
CHINA: The Rizhao to Qufu section of the Rizhao to Lankao Passenger-Dedicated Line opened for revenue services on November 26. Crossing the south of Shandong province from east to west, the 235 km long line designed for 350 km/h operation connects the port of Rizhao on the ...
-
Rail Business UKParagon fleet supports Hull Trains’ ambition to be the ‘greatest train operator’
UK: ‘My vision is that Hull Trains will be the greatest train operator in the UK’, Managing Director Louise Cheeseman told Railway Gazette International at the unveiling of the open access operator’s first Hitachi AT300 trainset on November 25. ‘Other operators will come and look at ...
-
NewsArticulated open wagons offer 23% increase in load per unit length
RUSSIA: United Wagon Co has obtained federal certification for two designs of articulated open wagon. It said these can increase the load per unit length by 23% compared to conventional designs, providing a significant boost to network efficiency without needing to change the infrastructure to accommodate ...
-
Metro Report InternationalSotetsu Link inaugurated
JAPAN: Ceremonies were held at Hazawa yokohama-kokudai station on November 25 to mark the formal completion of the publicly-funded link between the private Sagami Railway and JR East’s Tokaido Freight Line.
-
NewsRATP and Getlink target French regional market
Photo: Christophe Masse FRANCE: RATP Dev has signed an agreement with Channel Tunnel operator Getlink to establish a joint venture to bid for tendered operating contracts in the forthcoming opening up of the French regional rail market. RATP would have a 55% stake in the joint venture, ...
-
NewsNightjet plans mini-capsules for private travellers
AUSTRIA: ÖBB has unveiled the interior designs for the sleeping car and couchette vehicles in its Siemens-built Nightjet overnight trains which are scheduled to enter service from 2022.
-
Rail Business UKTransPennine Express launches Nova fleet
UK: Marking the completion of a £500m investment programme, TransPennine Express formally launched its new fleet of 44 Nova trainsets with an event at Liverpool Lime Street station on November 22. Working with different leasing companies and manufacturers, the FirstGroup-operated franchise has procured three builds of new ...
-
Metro Report InternationalNovosibirsk suburban operator orders EMUs
RUSSIA: Novosibirsk suburban operator Express Prigorod has ordered two eight-car EP2D electric multiple-units for delivery from Transmashholding’s Demikhovsky factory by the end of the year. They will include cycle racks, a passenger information system and fire fighting equipment. Accessibility features will include wheelchair lifts and signage in ...
-
NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Kiel-Meimersdorf yard has been remodelled to increase the maximum length of trains it can handle from 535 m to 740 m. The €7·9m project is one of 17 rail schemes being undertaken as part of the federal Sea Port Hinterland Transport II programme Kansas City Southern has ...
-
NewsStrukton updates asset monitoring platform
NETHERLANDS: Strukton has released a ‘completely renewed’ version of its cloud-based POSS Online R7 condition monitoring platform, which uses big data, IoT and machine learning technology to provide rail asset owners with 24/7 performance insight. POSS Online R7 analyses and interprets the collected data and reports on ...