Industry Insider Week 25 – 9 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 25 for 17–21 June 2019:
Rolling Stock
Bombardier’s ZEFIRO Wins German Design Award
The Brandenburg Design Award has been awarded to Bombardier Transportation for the interior and exterior design of its ZEFIRO Express intercity train. Bombardier says the high-speed trains will redefine the intercity passenger experience in the Swedish region of Västra Götaland, where Swedish rail operator Västtrafik will run these trains. The three-car multiple units possess the following mandate: high capacity, high levels of passenger comfort, and low operating costs.
Read more | Bombardier’s ZEFIRO Wins German Design Award
UWC Ships 26 Tank Cars to GATX Rail Vostok
United Wagon Company (UWC) has shipped 26 tank cars to GATX Rail Vostok, a subsidiary of GATX Corporation. The tank cars will be used to transport molasses and vegetable oils. This tank car is a new addition to UWC’s product line and includes a stainless steal boiler and an axle load of 25t. UWC subsidiaries the All-Union Research and Development Centre for Transportation Technology and TikhvinChemMash developed and manufactured the 15-6900-04 tank cars.
Read more | UWC Ships 26 Tank Cars to GATX Rail Vostok
Brussels: STIB Buys Additional 30 FLEXITY Trams
Bombardier Transportation has received an order from the Brussels Transportation Company (STIB) for 30 additional FLEXITY trams. The five-car multiple units will be a total length of 32 metres. This order is part of a framework agreement that the two companies signed in April 2018. The agreement covered a maximum of 175 trams. This current order is worth around 67 million euros (75 million USD). Bombardier says it will begin delivering these trams starting in December 2020.
Read more | Brussels: STIB Buys Additional 30 FLEXITY Trams
Italy: Newag Impuls 2 Electric Trains for FSE
Polish rolling stock manufacturer Newag is producing IMPULS 2 electric multiple units for Italian railway company Ferrovie del Sud Est (FSE). The electric train will enter service in September this year and will contribute to a greener Bari-Putignano line. The Newag EMUs are 59 metres long and will have a top speed of 120km/h. Each multiple unit has 175 seats and includes features such as LED passenger information displays, video surveillance systems, air-conditioning and audio systems.
Read more | Italy: Newag Impuls 2 Electric Trains for FSE
London: CAF to Supply 43 Metro Trains for DLR
Transport for London (TfL) has awarded the Spanish rolling stock company CAF a contract for the design and manufacture of 43 new driverless metro trains for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). 33 of the 43 modern five-car metro trains will replace the existing fleet on the DLR, while the remaining ten will deliver improved capacity and frequency on the 38km line. TfL has said that the new trains will allow more direct services to “the growing employment centre and cultural hub at Stratford”.
Read more | London: CAF to Supply 43 Metro Trains for DLR
Bombardier to Open Rail Car Assembly Site in California
Bombardier won a contract with Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to deliver the ‘Fleet of the Future’ vehicles back in June 2012. BART ordered 410 at the time and a further 365 in 2014, bringing the total to 775. Bombardier is currently manufacturing these rail cars in New York state. However, it has been announced that a new rail car assembly plant will be opening in Pittsburg, California, where the remaining manufacturing works will proceed. Bombardier hopes that by opening this new assembly plant it will free up capacity in its NY Plattsburgh location for east coast orders.
Read more | Bombardier to Open Rail Car Assembly Site in California
Winning Bid: Stadler to Supply 55 FLIRT Akku Trains to Germany
Following the call for tenders by Nahverkehrsbund Schleswig-Holstein GmbH, Stadler has been chosen as the winning bidder for XMU tender. The Swiss rolling stock manufacturer now has to deliver 55 FLIRT Akku battery trains to the operator. Stadler submitted the winning bid to NAH.SH and has won the first ‘green technology’ (no diesel) tender for vehicles with alternative power sources in Germany. If there is no objection after the ten day period that allows losing parties to appeal the contracts can be signed.
Read more | Winning Bid: Stadler to Supply 55 FLIRT Akku Trains to Germany
Infrastructure
Alstom P80 Point Machine Passes Testing in Kazakhstan
The P80 point machine has been successfully tested by the Alstom-SOP Trade joint venture KEP – KazElectroPrivod – in collaboration with Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) and Prommashkomplekt (PMK). The testing ensued over a six-month period at the new turnout (set of points) at Shiderty Station, Ekibastuz, in the Pavoldar region of northeast Kazakhstan. The P80 point machine performed successfully and completed 1200 switches during a severe winter.
Read more | Alstom P80 Point Machine Passes Testing in Kazakhstan
Comment
Equality. Diversity. Inclusion. This Is Not Altruism.
HS2 Ltd is one amongst many companies proactively working towards changing the employment landscape in construction and engineering within the rail industry. Mark Lomas, Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion at HS2, delivered a speech entitled ‘The Shape of Things to Come’ at Railtex this year. He explained why EDI is not altruism and described how organisations are filtering out the workforce they desperately need from the get-go.
Read more | Equality. Diversity. Inclusion. This Is Not Altruism.
