Industry Insider Week 2 2020 · 8 Must-Read Rail News Stories

Welcome to our Railway-News Industry Insider Week 2 2020, covering all the important rail news of the past week:

Siemens Unveils Plans for Rail Innovation Centre | Business

UK: Siemens Mobility has submitted a planning application for a rail innovation centre that is to sit alongside its rail manufacturing facility in the Goole 36 enterprise zone, East Yorkshire. The innovation centre is to speed up technological uptake within the rail industry. Siemens is hoping to begin construction this summer, with the first phase opening in 2023.

Siemens Mobility innovation centre interior

Interior of the Goole building

South Wales Metro Infrastructure Hub Opens | Infrastructure

Transport for Wales has opened the South Wales Infrastructure Hub in Treforest. The hub, which contains both distribution facilities and management offices, will help deliver the next phase of transforming the valley railway lines as part of the South Wales Metro project. This phase is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Avanti West Coast Pendolinos to Undergo 642m GBP Refurbishment | Rolling Stock

Avanti West Coast, the Trenitalia-First Group train operating company that took on the West Coast Partnership franchise on 8 December, replacing Virgin Trains, has signed a contract with Alstom for the refurbishment of its fleet of Pendolino trains. Avanti West Coast operates a total of 56 electric Pendolinos.

Stadler Wins First Maintenance Contract in the US | Business

Stadler has signed a contract with Dallas Area Rapid Transit which would see the Swiss rolling stock manufacturer maintain the FLIRT multiple units DART ordered in June 2019. Stadler will also maintain the accompanying service deport for a period of 15 years. This is Stadler’s first maintenance contract in the US. The FLIRT trains for DART will operate on the Cotton Belt Regional Rail Silver Line, which has an opening date of December 2022.

OEBB Cityjet Eco to Be Deployed in Greater Vienna | Rolling Stock

Siemens Mobility and OEBB have together been testing the hybrid battery-electric Cityjet Eco, which is based on Siemens Mobility’s Desiro ML. As of today, the OEBB Cityjet Eco will transport passengers in the Vienna area for two months. Information gained from these test operations will provide valuable insights that will feed into a series-production version of the vehicle.

Stadler to Deliver Further 21 KISS Trains to Hungary | Rolling Stock

Stadler and Hungary’s state railway operator MÁV-START have signed a contract for 21 double-decker electric multiple units. The contract is worth in the region of 313 million euros and is part of a 2017 framework agreement. The total volume in that framework agreement was for a maximum of 40 trains. This order, the third under that agreement, now exhausts that scope.

Stadler to Deliver 14 Trams to Darmstadt | Rolling Stock

Darmstadt’s tram operator, HEAG mobilo GmbH, has awarded Stadler a contract for 14 of its latest-generation trams with an option of up to 30 additional vehicles. These trams are set to enter passenger service from mid-2022 onward, making Darmstadt the first city to get them. The contract is worth in the region of 62 million euros.

Alstom Wins Components Contracts in China | Rolling Stock

Alstom has won a contract to supply traction systems for 174 Xian Metro’s Line 3 cars and a further contract to supply bogies and traction systems for the new tramway vehicles for Dujiangyan. Together these contracts are worth around 30 million euros. Alstom has already been involved in the Xian Metro, but this is its first contract for the Dujiangyan tramway.