RegioJet has taken delivery of the third of three CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Class 665 Sirius electric multiple-units which were originally ordered by Leo Express but not accepted. It joins the first two which were delivered in 2019. Although they have not been certified for commercial operation, these have been leased from the manufacturer by RegioJet under a five-year agreement and are being used on a trial basis on passenger-carrying services in the Ústí nad Labem area of the Czech Republic.
Dutch rail freight software company RailCube has acquired Spark TS, a US-based rail industry compliance, safety and drug & alcohol testing software and services to around 100 railways from Class Is to short lines. It is RailCube’s first add-on acquisition since the start of its strategic partnership with Main Capital Partners in 2023.
The European Association of Railway Rolling Stock Lessors has joined the International Union of Railways. As part of the UIC Europe Region it will focus applying the Entity in Charge of Maintenance Regulation, promoting innovation to replace diesel traction, facilitating electric energy metering and invoicing, and exchanging information on FRMCS
Visiting the Kryukovsky Railway Car Building Works on January 21, Ukraine’s Minister of Community &Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba announced plans for a comprehensive support programme for domestic railway suppliers. ‘We will create conditions for Ukrainian enterprises to become the basis for the country’s recovery’, he said. ‘Supporting a domestic manufacturer is especially important in the face of a full-scale invasion. Ukrainian entrepreneurs demonstrate every day that they are able to work at the highest level, even in the most difficult conditions.’
Martin Sames has joined Christopher Sames as joint Managing Director of Hübner Group’s mechanical and hydraulic system manufacturer Hemscheidt Engineering, succeeding Dr Mark Wöhrmann who is focusing on Hemscheidt Fahrwerktechnik. ‘Hemscheidt Engineering has now made a real name for itself in the rail industry with its range of stabilisers, chassis components, special dampers and articulation systems’, said Kai Mentel, Managing Director of the Hübner Group responsible for the Mobility Rail division.