
France to Support Eurostar and in Talks with UK Says Ministe...
French transport minister confirms to the National Assembly that France would make sure it supported Eurostar and was in talks with Britain.
French transport minister confirms to the National Assembly that France would make sure it supported Eurostar and was in talks with Britain.
Railway Division Virtual Annual Luncheon 2021: Celebrate and network with senior railway industry colleagues on 5th March.
IMechE's Young Engineers and Apprentices Railway Seminar: A New Era in Rail will take place on 28th and 29th January 2021.
Stalder has delivered the first of 12 Citylink tram-trains to Hungary where they will start serving Szeged and Hódmezővásárhely from Q4 2021.
Alstom has won the contract to provide the signalling, train control and telecommunications systems for the Delhi-Meerut railway line, India.
The CAF-Bombardier consortium has been chosen as the preferred bidder to supply 146 double-decker MI20 trains for RER Line B in Paris.
Bombardier Transportation's joint venture in China, BST, has won a contract to provide maintenance services for 280 high-speed train cars.
Siemens Mobility has won its biggest-ever service contract from Deutsche Bahn. It is to revise 40 ICE 4 trains, with an option for 50 more.
There are renewed calls on the UK government to provide support to Eurostar to prevent Britain's only international rail link from folding.
RailTech Europe 2021 (March 30 – April 1): ProMedia Group has opened registration for RailTech Europe 2021 and announced its first speakers.
Following clearance from the European Commission, the German transport ministry is funding ERTMS for rolling stock for the first time.
Bombardier will overhaul 143 first-generation double-decker TWINDEXX coaches for Israel Railways, including modernising the doors.
The European Commission has published the 7th monitoring report (2015–2018) on the development of the rail market in the EU.
Siemens Mobility has signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of 1,000km of high-speed rail lines in Egypt.
Stadler has signed a framework agreement with Austrian Federal Railways for up to 20 fire-fighting and rescue trains.
Ballard Power Systems announces order from Arcola Energy for modules to power Scotland’s first fuel cell-powered train.
Bombardier has signed a contract with SNCF for three additional OMNEO Regio 2N trains for the Île-de-France region (Paris).
Alstom's Citadis X05 trams have started carry passengers on the South Circular section of the Circular light rail line in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
BNSF and Wabtec are testing a battery-electric locomotive between Barstow and Stockton (CA) to test the viability of battery technology.
Network Rail and its partners have launched the tram train pilot learning hub, a "comprehensive body of learning" that is free to access.
A look at Edmonton's Valley Line Southeast, which is due to open in 2021. 2021 will also see the start of phase 2 construction.
Stadler will supply eight electric multiple units for the Centovalli railway between Switzerland and Italy starting in 2023.
During the Christmas closure of London King's Cross, Network Rail engineers lifted all four tracks going into the station to divert a sewer.
A look at three rail line extensions that will open in the United States in 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Seattle, and the Boston area.
Colorado Pacific Railroad will challenge a deal between Union Pacific and Rio Grande Pacific to run rail services on the Tennessee Pass Line.
Bombardier will supply 33 OMNEO Regio 2N double-decker trains to SNCF for the Hauts-de-France region. Delivery will begin in 2024.
Alstom has deployed its ground-charging technology for the Eminonu-Alibeykoy tramway in Istanbul, Turkey, 9km of which opened on 1 Jan 2021.
Bombardier will maintain the rail vehicle fleet and wayside track and overhead line assets for a Toronto light rail project for 30 years.
Alstom has completed the first test run for the Mostaganem tramway project in Algeria. The rolling stock for the 14km line is the Citadis.
Skoda Transportation will deliver a further 79 low-floor RegioPanter electric multiple units to Czech Railways (České dráhy) over four years.
TransLink has ordered 205 rail cars – 41 five-car metro trains – for Vancouver's SkyTrain from manufacturer Bombardier Transportation.
The new S-Bahn trains for Berlin, built by a Stadler-Siemens Mobility consortium, will enter passenger service on the city's Ringbahn line.
Bombardier has completed the first ZEFIRO Express for Västtrafik. The high-speed train will now undergo testing and commissioning.
Alstom has won a contract with Toulouse Metropole to supply systems for the Toulouse Aerospace Express metro line, including rolling stock.
Bombardier will upgrade 73 of Railpool's TRAXX MS2 locomotives from ETCS Baseline 2 to Baseline 3 to deliver safety and performance benefits.
HS2 has started its search for a switches and crossings supplier for Phase 1 and Phase 2a of the high-speed line between London and Crewe.
Success for the Autonomous Train project: a Prima BB 27000 locomotive ran semi-autonomously on the French national rail network under ERTMS.
Berlin will get up to 117 new FLEXITY trams after Bombardier and Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) signed a framework agreement worth €571m.
President-elect Joe Biden has nominated former Mayor of South Bend as his transportation secretary, a move welcomed by the rail industry.
The National Infrastructure Commission has published its Rail Needs Assessment report, causing widespread dismay over possible cuts to HS2.
Hitachi has partnered with Eversholt Rail to install batteries in a Class 802 Intercity Express Train, removing one of the diesel engines.
Seth Moulton introduced the American High-Speed Rail Act which proposes to invest $205 billion in the US's high-speed rail infrastructure.
Estonia's rail infrastructure manager Esti Raudtee has awarded a contract to electrify the country's rail network to a Spanish JV.
Bombardier has revealed its first body shell for its FLEXITY trams for Dresden, which have undergone testing and have been accepted by DVB.
On Sunday, 13 December, timetabled passenger and freight services started operating through the Ceneri Base Tunnel, completing the NRLA.
Alstom is the latest member to join the US High Speed Rail Association following Deutsche Bahn prior to Biden's inauguration.
Zurich will get a further 40 FLEXITY trams as VBZ has signed a contract with Bombardier based on an option in the original 2017 contract.
The European Commission has presented its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy with ten flagship ideas to decarbonise transport.
Siemens Mobility has won a contract to provide signalling and train control technology for the Yellow Line of the Bangalore Metro, India.
There will be new international night trains in Europe from 2021, as agreed by the bosses of Deutsche Bahn, SNCF, OEBB and SBB.
Bombardier has won a contract to modernise the 430 and 423 fleets for S-Bahn Stuttgart, which is operated by DB Regio.
The Siemens Mobility Mireo is among the winners of the German Sustainability Award Design in the pioneer category.
United Wagon Company has received a further order from leasing company Dessa for flat cars for the transportation of timber.
DB Cargo is trialling automatic shunting locomotives and automating brake inspections at its shunting yard in Munich-North.
Amtrak will operate the Metrolink services in Southern California from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2025, having beaten four competing bids.
HS2 Ltd has revealed the first images of the north portal for the Long Itchington Wood tunnel site southeast of Birmingham.
Bombardier has handed over its 200th TRAXX locomotive to Railpool, which has ordered a total of 232 units since 2009, 10% of the global total.
BNSF has won a court case in Oklahoma challenging a state law banning trains from stopping for more than 10 minutes on a level crossing.
The Mayor of London, TfL, the DfT and the treasury have agreed a funding and financing package for the final phase of Crossrail.
Alstom's hydrogen train, the Coradia iLint, has successfully completed 3 months of test operations in regular passenger service in Austria.
Alstom and Bombardier have announced the expected closing date for Alstom's acquisition of Bombardier Transportation.
Brexit: the European Commission has proposed a regulation giving extensions covering the Channel Tunnel infrastructure and train licences.
CSX, a United States Class 1 railroad, has announced that it will acquire Pan Am Railways, expanding its presence in New England.
Jure Mikolcic, CEO of Stadler Pankow GmbH, at the VDB Digital Dialog Forum "Rail Revolution 4.0: Picking up Speed after the Crisis".
Northern has removed the last of its 102 Pacer trains from service, following regulations requiring rolling stock to be accessible.
Train operator Grand Central to resume services from December at a reduced level. These will be reservation-only to enable social distancing.
Bombardier's TRAXX Africa locomotives, operated by Transnet Freight Rail in South Africa, have completed 10 million kilometres in service.
Italy is to get its first hydrogen trains with delivery starting in 2023. FNM has ordered six Coradia Stream trains from Alstom for Lombardy.
State aid: the European Commission has approved Austrian measures to support passenger and rail freight affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Talgo has unveiled its plans to get into the hydrogen train market, with the Talgo Vittal-One, named in honour of hydrogen's atomic number.
HS2 and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) will work together on utility diversions in readiness of the metro eastside extension.
Railtex 2021, which was to be held jointly with Infrarail in May 2021, has been postponed to 7–9 September because of COVID-19.
Alstom and Kiepe Electric have won a contract with the Cologne Public Transport Authority (KVB) for 64 low-floor Citadis trams.
The FRA has published its third quarter 2020 update on the implementation of positive train control on the mandated route miles.
Reearch by City & Guilds and the National Skills Academy for Rail says the rail industry will face a critical skills shortage by 2025.
Bombardier has announced it is opening an engineering academy in Cairo, Egypt, to train engineers for its monorail project in the capital.
Deutsche Bahn and Siemens Mobility launch the H2goesRail partnership to trial a hydrogen train (Mireo Plus H) and refuelling infrastructure.
Network Rail has announced major works at Euston for the construction of the HS2 terminus and on the West Coast Main Line in 2021.
Bombardier's BST joint venture in China has won a contract to supply 14 CR300AF high-speed electric multiple units. Delivery by January 2021.
Following the funding agreement reached between TfL and goverment, consultancy work on Crossrail 2 will end, safeguarding will continue.
Deutsche Bahn has become a member of the US High Speed Rail Association, which aims to promote support for high-speed rail in America.
CFL cargo has signed a contract with Bombardier Transportation for 10 TRAXX multi-system locomotives, which run on AC and DC, plus last mile.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's 10-Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution aims at incentivising driving and doesn't mention rail.
Amtrak, SEPTA and PennDOT have received 15.9m USD in grant funding from the FRA to upgrade signalling equipment on the Harrisburg Line.
The University of Leeds has entered into a research collaboration worth 1 million GBP with the West Coast Parnership, which will operate HS2.
Alstom will supply an additional 13 Citadis Dualis tram-trains for the Île-de-France region. These are an option from a 2007 contract.
USHSR has published a 5-point plan for developing high-speed rail in the US, starting with a new High Speed Rail Development Authority.
Hong Kong's MTR Corporation has announced that the first new Phase 5 light rail vehicles will start carrying passengers on 17 November 2020.
Project Connect was on the ballot for voters as they went to the polls on 3 November 2020 and they voted in favour of light rail in Austin.
The American Public Transportation Association says all commuter railroads in the United States are on track to meet the 2020 PTC deadline.
The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement on making 2021 the European Year of Rail.
Alstom has completed the first phase of the Lusail light rail project in Qatar. It will run 28 low-floor Citadis X05 trams.
Although hydrogen and fuel cell technology can play its part in the rail sector, it will not decarbonise transport. It is a fringe component.
Midlands Voices report by the High Speed Rail Group says the eastern leg of HS2 up to Leeds is crucial for levelling up the country.
9 new VLocity trains have entered service on Victoria's regional rail network. In total Victoria has ordered 18 new three-car VLocity trains.
Alstom gives an update on its acquisition on Bombardier Transportation in its H2 2020 financial results, including a timetable of events.
The second section of the Dawlish sea wall is being built using the 'Wavewalker', a floating barge that can withstand high tidal ranges.
Siemens Mobility has unveiled its Mireo Smart EMU. Based on its more bespoke Mireo platform, this is a cost-effective, easy alternative.
Alstom's SriCity factory in India, which opened in September 2012, has reached the milestone of having manufactured 500 metro cars.
The Siemens Mobility Vectron Dual Mode locomotive has received its operating approval from the German Federal Railway Authority (EBA).
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Comment
by Railway-News
Published:
16 Jan 2018
Tags
Northern Powerhouse
Northern Rail
TfN
Transport Plan
Engineering Long Term Planning in the Rail Industry
By David Hoggarth
In years to come, 2018 may be recognised as a pivotal year for the rail industry, and the North – the year when long-term thinking really began to inform and steer short-term behaviours. Anyone who knows the industry recognises what a complex and often frustrating entity it is. Filled though it may be with passionate committed people, too often there is a perception that, major projects happen in a piecemeal way, get delayed, costs over-run and outputs fail to meet expectations. This is against the backdrop of what is a massive success story, with record growth levels and significant investments planned and underway. The industry, however has recently been shaking itself up and has found new energy and new vision to tackle some real opportunities for growth and development.
Nowhere is this truer than in the North of England. Here, a positive set of circumstances have combined to provide a strong launch platform for change. It can be argued that this all began a decade ago with the ‘Northern Way’ report advocating investment in projects such as the Northern Hub (the centrepiece of which, Ordsall Chord opened last November) and later the High-Speed North report which identified a set of outputs required if the North’s railway infrastructure was to be begin performing anywhere near its potential. At the same time as this we had the birth of the Northern Powerhouse and the realisation that economic growth for the North had many interdependencies – including transport which is consistently highlighted as a key enabler of economic growth
Rail North
The birth of my own organisation in 2014, Rail North, created, for the first time, a pan-northern partnership of 25 northern local authorities working as one. Rail North created a new partnership with the DfT to launch and manage the North’s two prime rail franchises transformational programmes of enhancement and modernisation. This was a significant moment and the response of both Northern and Trans-Pennine Express to commit over a billion pounds to improvements in rolling stock (including the end of the pacers!) and stations was testament to the vision of those who created the opportunity.
Transport for the North
And now we have Transport for the North, a pan-northern sub national transport authority, again providing ‘one voice’ (with statutory status) for all the local authorities of the North and the Local Enterprise Partnerships to ensure pan-northern transport interventions can be focused and informed.
Strategic Transport Plan
On Tuesday 16th January, Transport for the North launched the North’s draft Strategic Transport Plan – the anchor document that will steer the next three decades of pan-northern transport investment in the region. The launch took place simultaneously across six locations in the North and was led by TfN’s Partners highlighting different capabilities unitednort around a shared vision.
The vision is a simple one – but one that works for all – that is for a thriving North of England, where modern transport connections drive economic growth and support an excellent quality of life. The draft Strategic Transport Plan has been developed on the back of a number of bedrock components – not the least of which is the Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review – a piece of work which identified, for the first time across the North where the key prime capabilities and enablers lie and where the key areas for improvement are.
One of the key areas for improvement was, as expected, the development of better transport connections within, into, and out of the region – and rail was recognised as a core component for those better connections.
Long Term Rail Strategy of the North
The bedrock component that informed this area of the Plan is the draft Long Term Rail Strategy of the North which, in its simplest form sets out Transport for the North’s (TfN) vision for the ongoing transformation of the North of England’s railway, covering the period up till 2050.
What makes these two plans so valuable to the North is that they have been part of a sea-change in mindsets that has now moved from a centralised modus operandi to a much more devolved way of working using local knowledge where it matters and shared resource where it can add value.
England’s First Sub-National Transport Authority
Transport for the North goes ‘live’ in April becoming England’s first sub-national transport authority. At about that time Rail North will become part of Transport for the North and Network Rail and the DfT will be further consolidate the way in which they service the North building on the dedicated teams they have put in place over the last year or so.
The result of all this will be a significant change in the way future rail-related transport interventions are handled in the North – by all the parties involved. And with a core plan in place guiding that investment over the next three decades an intelligent pipeline of investments can be developed – each building on the merits and strengths of the one that preceded it.
If you apply this to the way in which, for example, the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade, Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 Phase 2b will evolve you can quickly gauge the added value of having a joined-up plan linked clearly to supporting sustainable economic growth.