News – Page 76
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NewsGerman infrastructure manager InfraGO to be launched in January
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn’s supervisory board has endorsed the decision to merge DB Netz AG and DB Station & Service AG into a single infrastructure management business to be known as DB InfraGO AG with effect from January 1 2024. The decision was taken at the board’s regular ...
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NewsBank backs digital railway R&D
ITALY: The European Investment Bank is providing MerMec with a €30m loan to finance research and development of digital railway technology, including signalling for driverless trains, and diagnostic and management technology for rolling stock and infrastructure assets. An agreement covering the first €20m was signed by ...
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Rail Business UKRailway engineering degree apprenticeship announced
UK: The University of South Wales and Coleg y Cymoedd have announced a railway engineering degree apprenticeship programme. The four-year course will give apprentices the opportunity to gain a university-accredited engineering degree. The first course will start in January 2024, and it will then run annually ...
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In depthComment: Rail safety credentials matter
Politicians contines to raise doubts with rail safety, despite railways being one of the safest forms of land transport. Benjámin Zelki considers that while continuous improvement is welcome, sweeping claims about rail safety may not always align with the evidence.
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NewsRail training programmes developed for young Saudis
SAUDI ARABIA: Alstom and Saudi Railway Polytechnic have formed a partnership to provide Saudis aged 18 to 26 with Rolling Stock & Traction and Signalling & Telecom technical and vocational training. The programme will begin with 20 trainees. Male participants will have six months of intensive ...
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Rail Business UKRail leaders court Labour as fears of ‘managed decline’ grow
UK: Amid mounting concern about potential cuts to rail provision, senior leaders in the passenger and freight markets have begun to engage more closely with the Labour Party ahead of a likely general election in 2024.
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NewsBeacon Rail completes MRCE acquisition
EUROPE: Beacon Rail announced on September 29 that it had completed the acquisition of locomotive leasing business Mitsui Rail Capital Europe from Mitsui & Co. The transaction had been agreed on August 7. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in the Netherlands, MRCE has a fleet of ...
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NewsBLS Cargo orders XLoad Vectron locomotives
SWITZERLAND: BLS Cargo has ordered 10 Siemens Mobility Vectron electric locomotives for use on north-south routes from Belgian and Dutch ports to Italy. The multi-system locos ordered on September 25 will be equipped for operation in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium. They will ...
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NewsPrivate operator’s Vectron locomotive arrives in Finland
FINLAND: What future operator Fenniarail says is the first electric locomotive to be acquired by a private operator in Finland arrived at the port of Hanko from Germany on September 17. Fenniarail ordered the Siemens Mobility Vectron electric locomotive in September 2022. The 1 524 mm ...
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NewsGyumri – Vanadzor passenger service restarts after 13 years
ARMENIA: South Caucasus Railway has restarted local passenger services between Gyumri, Shirakamut and Vanadzor with the launch of a trial daily train each way. The Russian Railways subsidiary operates the Armenian network under a long-term concession agreement. The 65 km route forms ...
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Rail Business UKHeritage railway to support Network Rail training
UK: Network Rail’s Central Route has signed a memorandum of understanding with the heritage Severn Valley Railway for support, training and facilities to help its staff operate and maintain traditional technology such as mechanical signalling. In return NR will provide professional skills, advice and redundant materials ...
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NewsNorfolk Southern begins construction of East Palestine safety training centre
USA: A groundbreaking ceremony on September 21 marked the start of construction of Norfolk Southern’s First Responder Training Center in East Palestine, Ohio. The centre is intended to provide free training for emergency responders from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, building on the railway’s existing Operation ...
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NewsEFE extends Chillán – San Carlos service to Parral
CHILE: National railway EFE has extended its Chillán – San Carlos regional passenger service north to Parral, using part of the electrified main line that connects Chillán with Santiago. EFE launched the Chillán – San Carlos trains at the end of last year, and the four ...
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NewsMTA Metro-North Railroad orders electro-diesel locos
USA: Siemens Mobility has been awarded a firm order to supply six more Charger electro-diesel locomotives for use on MTA Metro-North Railroad commuter services between Connecticut and New York. The order announced on September 26 has been placed by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority on behalf ...
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NewsKazakh hydrogen loco co-operation
KAZAKHSTAN: National railway KTZ and Wabtec have signed a framework agreement for the production of hydrogen locomotives and the creation of an engineering centre at the LKZ loco factory in Astana. It was signed on September 17 when Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed plans for the ...
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NewsRENFE Mercancías selects strategic partner
SPAIN: The board of national operator RENFE has selected Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Co’s inland logistics subsidiary Medlog as strategic partner to help it develop freight business RENFE Mercancías into an integrated logistics business. The search for a strategic partner for RENFE Mercancías has been underway for ...
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NewsTesla shuttle train launches
GERMANY: A free shuttle train has been launched to serve Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg site to the east of the capital. Giga Berlin now has its own train shuttle, capable of moving 400 people per ride 🚆 pic.twitter.com/gmvy80GFFn — Tesla Europe (@teslaeurope) September 4, 2023 ...
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NewsFirst ComfortJet on test
CZECH REPUBLIC: The first of the ComfortJet rakes of push-pull coaches which ČD has ordered from a consortium of Siemens Mobility and Škoda Group arrived at the Velim test centre on September 11 for an extensive testing and approval programme. In April 2021 the national operator ...