News – Page 442
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Metro Report InternationalFTA announces zero-emission bus funding
USA: The Federal Transit Administration announced on August 24 that it is providing grants totalling $84·5m to cities and transport authorities for the purchase of electric and low-emission buses as well as related infrastructure such as charging stations. The funding covers a total of 52 projects in 41 states. ...
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NewsRhein-Ruhr Express EMU maintenance depot opens
GERMANY: The Rail Service Centre where Siemens Mobility will maintain for 32 years the 82 Desiro HC electric multiple-units which it is supplying for Rhein-Ruhr Express services was officially inaugurated on September 6. The depot on the site of the former Dortmund-Eving marshalling yard has 5·5 km of track, a ...
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NewsCAF completes Solaris acquisition
CAF: Spanish group CAF completed its acquisition of 100% of the shares of Polish company Solaris Bus & Coach on September 4. CAF has also entered into an agreement for Poland’s PFR investment fund to acquire a 35% stake in Solaris on the same terms and conditions. 'CAF’s investment in ...
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Metro Report InternationalWashington Metro starts next fleet renewal
USA: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has unveiled plans to replace its oldest remaining trainsets, which are now approaching life-expiry. The agency issued a request for proposals on September 4 for the design and manufacture of up to 800 new vehicles, designated Series 8000, along with a driver training simulator ...
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NewsHigh-performance digital interface
HARTING: Data communications and connector specialist Harting has launched its first modular connector designed for the Category 7A transmission standard, adopted as the future standard for rail vehicle applications. Wi-fi and smarter passenger information systems, video surveillance and monitoring sensors are driving a rapid increase in the amount of data ...
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NewsRhätische Bahn orders locomotives
SWITZERLAND: Rhätische Bahn awarded Stadler Bussnang a SFr215m contract to supply seven two-axle overhead/battery electric shunting locomotives on September 3. They are scheduled to enter service in 2020, enabling 11 older locomotives to be withdrawn. The metre-gauge locomotives will be identical to ones ordered by Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn in ...
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NewsOdyssey tram unveiled
UKRAINE: On September 4 Odesa transport operator Odesmiskelektrotrans unveiled the first of six Odyssey-branded partially low-floor trams which it ordered from local supplier Vagonoremontni Maisterni in June. It is the 17th in a series of trams with bodies designed by Pragoimex and produced by Polytechnoservis to be assembled locally since ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
The submission of legislation enabling the construction of Phase 2B of High Speed 2 from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds is to be delayed. The Department for Transport said this would better align the project with Northern Powerhouse Rail, and would not affect the planned completion ...
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NewsGet a lift to the train
PALFINGER: The lift supplier will be using InnoTrans 2018 to highlight the growing demand for wheelchair lifts in the rail sector as step-free access to trains becomes an increasingly important issue across the sector. Palfinger will be introducing its Trainlift TRV 1200, which has a lifting height of 1200 mm, ...
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Metro Report InternationalVancouver light rail and metro funding announced
CANADA: Federal and provincial funding for the Surrey – Newton – Guildford Light Rail Transit and Broadway Subway projects in Vancouver was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier of British Columbia John Horgan Federal on September 4. The national government is to contribute C$1·37bn towards ...
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NewsCN orders 60 locomotives
CANADA: Canadian National has ordered a further 60 Evolution Series diesel locomotives from GE Transportation, building on an order for 200 placed in December 2017. The EPA Tier 4 compliant locomotives will be produced at the GE Manufacturing Solutions facility in Fort Worth, Texas. They will be equipped with GoLINC ...
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NewsKuala Lumpur – Singapore high speed rail project officially postponed
ASIA: An agreement to delay construction of the planned 350 km Kuala Lumpur – Singapore high speed rail line by up to five years was signed by representatives of the governments of Malaysia and Singapore on September 5. The project is one of several approved by the previous Malaysian government ...
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NewsTokyo fleet renewal progresses
JAPAN: East Japan Railway announced on September 4 that it had ordered a further build of 745 Series E235 EMU cars to replace older rolling stock on Tokyo’s Yokosuka and Sobu Kaisoku suburban services. JR East is currently rolling out a batch of 30 11-car E235 trainsets on the busy ...
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NewsGySEV Flirt3 EMUs on test
EUROPE: Hungarian-Austrian cross-border operator GySEV has begun passenger-carrying testing of the first two of 10 Stadler Flirt3 electric multiple-units which it ordered in September 2016. The initial two units were delivered to Szombathely last November. Testing on the Sopron – Szombathely – Szentgotthárd line is scheduled to run from August ...
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NewsCleaner components
BVL OBERFLÄCHENTECHNIK: The Emsbüren-based company will showcase two component cleaning tools at InnoTrans 2018. BvL Pacific is intended for wheelset cleaning and can be installed in an inspection pit and connected to a local floorloader system. A bespoke nozzle provides even water application to the components even in difficult-to-reach parts ...
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail seeks East Coast Main Line ETCS partner
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail has begun the process of appointing a train control partner to act as its ‘complete delivery agent’ for the roll-out of ETCS Level 2 on the East Coast Main Line. Deployment would start with the southern 160 km between London King’s Cross and Grantham, which ...
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NewsSeven approved to bid for Helsinki commuter operating contract
FINLAND: Greater Helsinki area regional transport authority HSL has prequalified all seven companies which expressed interest in a contract to operate commuter train services around the capital for 10 years from June 2021. The contract would cover commuter services on the Ring Line serving the airport, on the main line ...
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NewsSpårväg City tram link opens in Stockholm
SWEDEN: A short but significant extension of Stockholm tram Route 7 was opened for revenue service at 11.30 on September 3. Adding 560 m of double track and one stop, the extension from Sergels Torg to T-Centralen provides interchange to the city’s three metro routes and the cross-city suburban railway, ...
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NewsElectrification of Mol - Neerpelt line begins
BELGIUM: Infrabel has started work on the 3 kV DC electrification of the single-track Line 19 from Mol to Neerpelt and the Dutch border at Hamont. Wiring of the 33 km route is expected to cost €47·5m, of which 40% will be financed by the European Union. The line will ...
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NewsEMUs enter service in Vladivostok
RUSSIA: Russian Railways has put one six-car and two four-car EP3D electric multiple-units supplied by Transmashholding’s Demikhovsky Engineering Plant into service on suburban routes around Vladivostok. The modern EMUs are expected to offer better passenger comfort than the older designs, with lower operating and maintenance costs over their expected 40-year ...