News – Page 483
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NewsRail to benefit from reduction in wind energy surcharge
GERMANY: The European Commission has ruled that Germany’s plan to grant railways a reduction on a planned offshore energy surcharge is permitted under EU state aid rules, because it would contribute to the rail sector’s competitiveness without unduly distorting the single market. Under an amendment to the German Energy Act ...
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NewsCost drove cancellation of UK electrification projects
UK: The National Audit Office has published an investigation into why and how the government cancelled the planned 25 kV 50 Hz electrification of the Cardiff – Swansea route, the Oxenholme – Windermere branch and the Midland Main Line north from Kettering to Nottingham and Sheffield. The report released on ...
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NewsAppenzeller Bahnen takes deliveries of EMU and LRV
SWITZERLAND: Metre-gauge operator Appenzeller Bahnen recently took delivery of two vehicles ordered as part of the St Gallen Durchmesserlinie project. On March 27 Appenzeller Bahnen took delivery of the first of five ABe4/12 electric multiple-units ordered from Stadler for SFr40m in 2016. This is due to enter revenue service ...
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NewsDartford electric bus pilot begins
UK: An electric bus trial started in Dartford on March 22 and will continue until May 9. Being run by operator Arriva in partnership with Kent county council, the pilot uses a Volvo 7900 Electric bus running on Fastrack A route between Greenhithe and Bluewater shopping centre. The ...
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NewsUK railway news round-up
Easier-to-use ticket vending machines and clearer language have increased the number of passengers buy the right ticket for their journey, according to mystery shopper research by the Office of Rail & Road. This found that 91% of users would have bought the most appropriate ticket, up 11% from 2016. Of ...
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NewsGo-Ahead prepares for German launch
GERMANY: The first of 45 Flirt3 electric multiple units ordered by UK-based transport group Go-Ahead as part of its entry into the German passenger market has been completed at Stadler’s Pankow factory in Berlin. In November 2015 the Land of Baden-Württemberg selected Go-Ahead for the Stuttgart Netz Lot 1b (Rems–Fils) ...
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NewsBombardier Transportation completes negotiations for ‘reorientation’ in Germany
GERMANY: Bombardier Transportation has announced the completion of negotiations with employee representatives for the ‘reorientation’ of its German activities. The company said the programme scheduled for completion by 2020 would offer all of its German sites a ‘long-term and sustainable perspective’, although there would be a loss of up to ...
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NewsZwolle infrastructure upgrading contract signed
NETHERLANDS: Infrastructure manager ProRail has awarded VolkerRail and Van Hattum & Blankevoort a €170m contract to undertake extensive track works between Zwolle and Herfte, where the lines to Meppel and Emmen diverge. The contract signed on March 16 covers the construction of two extra tracks between Zwolle and Herfte, a ...
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Metro Report InternationalCivil works awarded for Paris Line 14 extension
FRANCE: RATP has awarded two contracts to undertake civil works on the southern extension of its driverless metro Line 14, which will run for 14 km between Olympiades and Orly Airport. The project is being funded by Société du Grand Paris as part of the Grand Paris Express programme. Contract ...
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NewsGWR to manage Heathrow Express service
UK: The Heathrow Express premium airport service between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport is to continue running until at least 2028 under a new agreement announced on March 28. The non-franchised service is currently operated in-house by Heathrow Airport Ltd, which will continue to own the service and be responsible ...
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NewsWest Coast Partnership invitations to tender issued
UK: The Department for Transport issued invitations to tender for the West Coast Partnership franchise on March 27. The contract will cover the operation of InterCity West Coast services from September 15 2019 until 2031, and the planning of the initial service on High Speed 2 in partnership with project ...
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NewsAtocha Phase 2 unveiled
SPAIN: Development Minister Íñigo de la Serna has unveiled plans for the second phase of a capacity expansion programme at Madrid Atocha station, designed by architect Rafael Moneo. In preparation for the opening of the 1 435 mm gauge tunnel under Madrid to Chamartín, built at a cost of €322m ...
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NewsVinkovci – Vukovar electrification project backed
CROATIA: Proposed EU co-financing for the electrification and upgrading of the route from Vinkovci to the River Danube port of Vukovar has been backed by the JASPERS technical assistance partnership of the European Commission, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development. The project is costed ...
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NewsSiemens and Alstom sign agreement for ‘the birth of a new champion’
INDUSTRY: A business combination agreement for the proposed merger of Siemens’ Mobility division with Alstom was signed by the two companies on March 23. The BCA sets out the terms and conditions agreed by the companies, building on a memorandum of understanding signed on September 26 2017 and the conclusion ...
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NewsMore Crossrail trains ordered
UK: Transport for London has awarded Bombardier Transportation a contract to supply a further five nine-car Class 345 Aventra electric multiple-units for use on the Elizabeth Line, taking its total order to 70 trainsets. The order announced on March 27 includes an expansion of the existing train services agreement to ...
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NewsLocomotive Workshop Rotterdam joint venture announced
NETHERLANDS: Siemens and leasing company Mitsui Rail Capital Europe have agreed to establish an equally-owned locomotive servicing and maintenance joint venture to be known as Locomotive Workshop Rotterdam. Subject to regulatory approval, the formation of the company is expected to be completed in the first half of 2018. A groundbreaking ...
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NewsNorway’s ERTMS programme moves forward
NORWAY: National infrastructure manager BaneNOR is pushing ahead with its national ERTMS roll-out following the award of three key contracts as part of an NKr20bn 10-year digitisation programme. Formal contract signing is expected at the beginning of April. The BaneNOR board agreed on March 14 to award the NKr5·5bn trackside ...
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NewsNovi Sad bridge completed
SERBIA: A ceremonial first train carried guests including European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc, Minister of Construction, Transport & Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlović and local officials across the new combined road and rail bridge over the River Danube between Novi Sad and Petrovaradin on March 26. Revenue services are scheduled to begin ...
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NewsSecond tram line opens in Izmir
TURKEY: The Konak tram line in Izmir opened to passengers at 10.00 on March 24. Travel is free for the first 45 days. The 12·8 km route runs from Fahrettin Altay metro station in the west to Halkapınar metro and Izban station in the east via Konak metro station ...
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NewsWaratah Series 2 EMU delivered
AUSTRALIA: The first of 24 eight-car Waratah Series 2 double-deck suburban electric multiple-units has been delivered to Sydney. The new fleet is expected to be in service by early 2019. Ordered from Downer EDI in December 2016 under the New South Wales government’s A$1·5bn ‘More Trains, More Services’ programme, the ...