Industry Insider Week 3 2020 · 7 Must-Read Rail News Stories

Rolling Stock

by Josephine Cordero Sapién

Published
20 Jan 2020

Welcome to our Railway-News Industry Insider Week 3 2020, covering all the important rail news of the past week:

HS2 is bad for the environment?! A Rant. | Policy

The Wildlife Trusts have published a new report, ‘What’s the Damage? Why HS2 will cost nature too much’ and the Green Party in Britain have also expressed their opposition to the high-speed line. HS2 Ltd responded, calling The Wildlife Trusts’ claims ‘inaccurate and misleading’. Railway-News too believes that opposition from environmental groups is incredibly short-sighted. Building HS2 is in fact the best course of action for the environment.

Green corridor

Rail Associations Sign Digital Automatic Coupling Charter | Science & Technology

VPI, Allianz pro Schiene, NEE, VDB, VDV and UIP signed the Charter on Digital Automatic Coupling in Hamburg on 14 January. These associations are convinced that a strong rail freight sector needs digital automatic coupling. It will encourage a shift to rail for freight, which is key to efforts to decarbonise the transport sector. The charter calls for politicians and industry to work together to push the technology forward.

Vivarail Class 230 Successfully Completes 40-Mile Battery Tests | Rolling Stock

Vivarail, which is transforming old London Underground rolling stock into battery trains – among other things – says it has been conducting tests on its Class 230 battery train during which it managed to run on battery power for 40 miles many times. Battery power is an important bridging technology for lines that are only partially electrified and will help reduce the environmental impact of the rail sector even further. The Wales & Borders franchise will operate 5 Class 230s that are diesel-battery hybrids.

First Fully Modernised OEBB Double-Decker in Cityjet Design | Rolling Stock

OEBB is modernising a total of 100 of its double-decker cars that operate on the Franz-Josefs-Bahn between Vienna and the Czech border. The modernisation programme includes technical upgrades and a new Cityjet-look design. The first fully modernised double-decker train is now in passenger service. OEBB hopes to complete a further 19 cars in 2020 with the full programme to be completed by 2023.

Read more | First Fully Modernised OEBB Double-Decker in Cityjet Design

Electrification Between Bristol and Cardiff Complete | Infrastructure

Balfour Beatty has completed the electrification of 77km of railway track between Bristol and Cardiff on behalf of Network Rail. The electrification works are part of Network Rail’s Greater West Electrification Programme, which entails the electrification of 275km of track between London and Cardiff. The works took place over the Christmas period and involved the installation of more than 4,200 masts and booms to support 643km of electric cabling.

Deutsche Bahn and UK to Be Official Partners of Greentech Festival 2020 | Policy

Deutsche Bahn and the United Kingdom are both to be official partners of the Greentech Festival 2020, which will take place in Berlin from 19 to 21 June. The United Kingdom’s involvement comes via the Department for International Trade, which is trying to promote its ‘Green is GREAT’ campaign. Deutsche Bahn unveiled a branded Greentech Festival locomotive on the occasion of the partnership announcement.

ERTMS: 200km/h Tests on Warsaw-Gdansk Line | Infrastructure

PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. has run a test train at 200km/h on the Warsaw-Gdansk line. The Pendolino with which the test was conducted was equipped with ERTMS / ETCS Level 2, making this higher speed possible. The test trip aimed to ensure the correct functioning of the system. For example, engineers checked that the rolling stock and trackside infrastructure interacted properly. The line is on the international E65 corridor, which is part of a trans-European TEN-T line.