Industry Insider Week 23 – 13 Must-Read Rail Stories

All the important rail news of the week, summed up for you in one place: our Railway-News Industry Insider Week 23 for 3–7 June 2019:

Stadler Eurodual six-axle locomotive
Eurodual six-axle locomotive © Stadler

Rolling Stock

Stadler FLIRT train for Dallas, Texas
FLIRT train for Dallas, Texas © Stadler

Stadler to Deliver 8 FLIRT Trains to Texas

Swiss train manufacturer Stadler has entered into a contract with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) to deliver eight FLIRT trains. The trains will enter passenger service around 2022 on the Cotton Belt Rail Line, a planned 26-mile (42 km) commuter rail line. This contract is worth around 119 million USD (107 million euros). DART has also contracted Stadler to design an equipment maintenance facility (EMF) for the Cotton Belt Regional Rail Project.

Read more | Stadler to Deliver 8 FLIRT Trains to Texas

Bombardier TRAXX MS3 Locomotive at Transport Logistic

Bombardier Transportation will be displaying its TRAXX locomotive platform and service solution at Transport Logistic 2019 which takes place in Munich on 4–7 June. The TRAXX Multi-System 3 locomotive is awaiting homologation for more than 50 configurations such as last mile, remote control, bogie type and the like. The TRAXX platform features innovative electronics as well as improved mechanics used to increase the locomotive’s power and tractive effort.

Read more | Bombardier TRAXX MS3 Locomotive at Transport Logistic

Hitachi and Bombardier will design and manufacture 14 ETR1000 trains for Trenitalia
Hitachi and Bombardier will design and manufacture 14 ETR1000 trains for Trenitalia © Bombardier

Trenitalia to Get 14 New ETR1000 Very High-Speed Trains

Hitachi and Bombardier have entered into a contract with Italian train operator Trenitalia for 14 Frecciarossa 1000 (ETR1000) very high-speed trains. The contract also includes maintenance services spanning a ten-year period. The contract is worth an estimated 575 million euros (643 million USD) with the partnership between the two manufacturing companies being shared out at 60% / 40%. Trenitalia already has a fleet of 50 Frecciarossa 1000 trains in service.

Read more | Trenitalia to Get 14 New ETR1000 Very High-Speed Trains

Stadler Traverso Enters Regular Passenger Service

Stadler’s new eight-car electric multiple unit, branded the ‘Traverso’, entered into passenger service for SOB (Schweizerische Südostbahn AG) in the beginning of June. The train will run on the Voralpen-Express route between St Gallen and Lucerne. During peak times in the mornings and evenings services will be supplemented by four-car silver Stadler FLIRT trains. After the new timetable comes into effect on 15 December 2019, six Traverso trains will replace the existing rolling stock on the Voralpen-Express route.

Read more | Stadler Traverso Enters Regular Passenger Service

Alstom's proposed HS2 design
Alstom’s proposed HS2 design © Alstom Design & Styling 2019

UK: Alstom Reveals Its Design for HS2 Trains

French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom has unveiled its proposed design for the new UK high-speed train in a bid to win the contract to deliver the rolling stock for the HS2 project. Alstom’s proposed design for the HS2 trains uses its Avelia platform and has met the project’s design requirement of having the capacity to function on the conventional rail network as well as the high-speed tracks. HS2 is expected to choose a rolling stock manufacturer in 2020.

Read more | UK: Alstom Reveals Its Design for HS2 Trains

Bombardier and Hitachi Reveal Proposed HS2 Train Design

Bombardier and Hitachi have revealed their collaborative design proposal for the new HS2 rolling stock. The contract for delivering 54 high-speed trains for HS2 Phase 1 is worth 2.75 billion GBP (3.1 billion euros | 3.5 billion USD). Once HS2 Ltd nominates the successful bidder, the winning rolling stock manufacturer(s) will work with both HS2 Ltd and the West Coast partner to finalise the design of the HS2 trains.

Read more | Bombardier and Hitachi Reveal Proposed HS2 Train Design

HS2 train design as submitted by Siemens Mobility Ltd
HS2 train design as submitted by Siemens Mobility Ltd © Siemens

Siemens Mobility Joins Competition to Win HS2 Bid

German rolling stock manufacturer Siemens Mobility has submitted its formal bid to deliver 54 trains for Phase One of the HS2 project. Siemens highlighted its existing presence and experience in the high-speed sector stating its Velaro platform is already being used in several countries, such as Spain, China, Russia, France and more. Siemens also made note of the fact that it held the “largest installed base of Siemens rolling stock in the world” in the UK.

Read more | Siemens Mobility Joins Competition to Win HS2 Bid

DB Regio Orders 18 Stadler KISS Trains

German train operator DB Regio has signed a contract with Stadler for the design, manufacture and delivery of 18 double-decker KISS trains which will be equipped with Stadler’s new GUARDIA train control system. The trains will enter service starting June 2020 and will run on the ‘Elektronetz Ost’ (Hamburg metropolitan area) route. The contract is worth an estimated 220 million euros (248 million USD).

Read more | DB Regio Orders 18 Stadler KISS Trains

Stadler EURO 4001 six-axle locomotive for VFLI
EURO 4001 six-axle locomotive for VFLI © Stadler

New Generation of Six-Axle Locomotives on Display at Transport Logistic

Swiss rolling stock manufacturer Stadler and companies within the SNCF group exhibited the latest-generation six-axle locomotives at Transport Logistic, a trade fair which took place in Munich (4–7 June). VFLI and ITL (two of SNCF’s subsidiaries) and Stadler also presented projects centring around the new locomotives. Stadler will be manufacturing twelve EURO4001 locomotives for VFLI and four EURODUAL hybrid locomotives for ITL. VFLI will take on the EURODUAL prototype.

Read more | New Generation of Six-Axle Locomotives on Display at Transport Logistic

Israel Railways Buys 74 TWINDEXX Vario Coaches

Bombardier Transportation has signed a contract with Israel Railways (ISR) to deliver an additional 74 TWINDEXX Vario double-decker coaches. These coaches are part of a framework agreement that the two parties signed in October 2010. The contract is worth around 147 million euros (166 million USD). Bombardier has said they will deliver the 74 coaches by December 2021. This order brings Israel Railways’ fleet of Bombardier double-decker TWINDEXX Vario coaches to 586.

Read more | Israel Railways Buys 74 TWINDEXX Vario Coaches

Comment

First SBB Cargo freight train in the Gotthard Base Tunnel
First SBB Cargo freight train in the Gotthard Base Tunnel © SBB CFF FFS

SBB Cargo International CEO Sven Flore on the Rail Freight Industry

German native and SBB Cargo International CEO Sven Flore discussed his thoughts on the Ceneri Base Tunnel in Switzerland and explored its optimisation of the transit axis through the country in an interview conducted for the SBB blog. He discussed upcoming construction sites such as the feeder railway lines in Italy and Germany which are still in the planning stages. He also discussed topics such as the New Rail Link through the Alps (that the Ceneri Base Tunnel is the final component of), ETCS and more.

Read more | SBB Cargo International CEO Sven Flore on the Rail Freight Industry

Critical Communications for Australian Railways

Anton Abrahams, Chairman of CCW, a chapter of the Critical Communications Association (TCCA), shared his views on challenges railways face and how improved critical communications can ensure the future safety of rail passengers. Anton talks about the most-established communications system Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) and  current projects utilising the system such as the CBD and South East Light Rail, the Sydney Metro Northwest and more.

Read more | Critical Communications for Australian Railways

Policy

Amtrak train
Amtrak train © Jerry Huddleston under licence

US Supreme Court Rules against the AAR

After an eight-year-long court battle involving Amtrak and the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the US Supreme Court has ruled it acceptable for Amtrak to have authority over its host freight railroads. The dispute revolved around performance metrics and standards. AAR argued that Amtrak was a non-governmental entity and shouldn’t have regulatory authority over its own industry – effectively its competitors.

Read more | US Supreme Court Rules against the AAR

Previous Industry Insiders for you:

Industry Insider Week 22 – 12 Must-Read Rail News Stories
Industry Insider Week 21 – 12 Must-Read Rail News Stories
Industry Insider Week 20 – 11 Must-Read Rail News Stories
Industry Insider Week 19 – 11 Must-Read Rail News Stories

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