10 Must-Read Rail News Stories for Week 49
The Railway-News Industry Insider week 49 (3–7 December):
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Inland Rail: The Future of Freight in Australia
Richard Wankmuller, CEO of Inland Rail, explains why Australia’s Inland Rail project is of vital importance for rail freight transport in the country. Once completed, the rail link will measure 1,700km, connecting the ports of Melbourne and Brisbane on the east coast. Importantly, Inland Rail will reduce journey times from approx. 32 hours to under 24 hours, allowing rail to compete with road.
Read: Inland Rail: The Future of Freight in Australia
Rolling Stock
Newag Impuls 45WE for Polish Province of Pomerania Ready
Polish rolling stock manufacturer Newag says its five-car electric multiple units for Pomerania are ready. The first two trains, type Newag Impuls 45WE, will enter service in the Polish province in December 2018. Each Newag Impuls 45WE has a capacity of 500. The initial order was for five such trains with an option to order an additional five units. Pomerania has now ordered four of the trains from the additional option.
Read: Newag Impuls 45WE for Polish Province of Pomerania Ready
Stadler to Supply Cross-Border Ticino Lombardy Trains to FNM
Swiss company Stadler is to supply interoperable electric trains to run between Switzerland and Italy. Trenord will lease the trains to support the new timetable in December 2020. The trains will be equipped with ERTMS and ETCS. Furthermore, they can undergo remote diagnostic testing. The total capacity per train is 655. Of these spaces 244 are seated.
Read: Stadler to Supply Cross-Border Ticino Lombardy Trains to FNM
United Wagon Company Receives Flat Car Order from Kastamonu
United Wagon Company is to supply 75 high-capacity flat cars to Kastamonu, a wood processing company. UWC will deliver two different models. Firstly, 30 forty-foot models with a loading capacity of 122 cubic metres; and secondly, 45 sixty-foot models with a loading capacity of 155 cubic metres. In particular, these flat car models are able to transport bigger loads without operators having to pay more in transport tariffs.
Read: United Wagon Company Receives Flat Car Order from Kastamonu
Battery Electric Train by Bombardier Wins German Innovation Award
Bombardier’s battery electric train, which produces no emissions, has won the Berlin Brandenburg innovation award. Thanks to its battery power it is able to bridge non-electrified track sections. As a result, this train is able to replace diesel trains that were previously needed for the task. Academics at TU Dresden also found that this battery electric train is the most cost-effective and carbon-free alternative to diesel over the train’s total lifespan of 30 years.
Read: Battery Electric Train by Bombardier Wins German Innovation Award
Keolis Preferred Operator for Danish Light Rail Contract
The transport provider of the Danish city of Odense, Odense Letbane, has selected Keolis as its preferred operator for the city’s light rail line. In particular, the first phase of the line is due to open in 2020. Odense already has one light rail line. The rolling stock, meanwhile, will come from Stadler.
Read: Keolis Preferred Operator for Danish Light Rail Contract
Alstom Delivers Last of the 22 Sydney Metro Trains
Rolling stock manufacturer Alstom won the contract to be the rolling stock supplier for the Sydney Metro in 2014. Specifically, the total order comprised 22 six-car Metropolis trains. The company has now manufactured the last of these units at its facility in Andhra Pradesh, India. This facility will also manufacture rolling stock for the metro systems in Montreal and Mumbai in 2019.
Read: Alstom Delivers Last of the 22 Sydney Metro Trains
GE Transportation Celebrates 20 Years of Locomotive Monitoring
GE Transportation set up its first Global Performance Optimization Center in 1998. Now, 20 years later, there are four such centres, staffed by experts around the clock. They give around 300 instructions per day and each one takes less than 15 minutes to issue after the data has come in.
Read: GE Transportation Celebrates 20 Years of Locomotive Monitoring
Railway Infrastructure
European Union Makes 100 Million Euros of Funding Available for Transport Projects
The European Commission has announced a call for funding proposals. Specifically, it has made 100 million euros available for the goals of combatting rail freight noise and for removing bottlenecks, bridging missing links, and improving rail interoperability with an emphasis on making cross-border sections better. The EC together with INEA will host a virtual information date on 17 January.
Read: European Union Makes 100 Million Euros of Funding Available for Transport Projects
SYSTRA Canada Chosen to Design Quebec Tramway
Quebec City, Canada, is to get a new tramway. Specifically, the city’s administrators and transport operators have now chosen SYSTRA to assist and advise them in its design. There will be a 23km tram line as well as a 17km ‘tram-bus’. The Quebec tramway is due to open in 2026.
Read: SYSTRA Canada Chosen to Design Quebec Tramway
