News

By Keith Fender   SIEMENS and Alstom announced on September 26 they had agreed a merger of the two company’s rail engineering businesses. This followed months of speculation concerning a merger or joint venture between Siemens and a rival company, Bombardier. Siemens and Alstom say they are joining forces to create a ‘European champion in mobility’,…

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THE launch of Great Western Railway’s Intercity Express Train (IET) into passenger service on October 16 made a rather inauspicious start. Four Class 800 Hitachi bi-mode trains were being used on two diagrams between London and Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea, representing the biggest shake-up in motive power in the region since the introduction of the…

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SPANISH train manufacturer Talgo is keen to place a foot in the UK rolling stock market and has stepped up its search for possible manufacturing locations. Jon Veitch, key account manager in UK and Ireland for Talgo, said the company was looking at markets for both HS2 and domestic routes, and was working with lease…

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PART of the unique French metre-gauge Chemin de fer touristique de La Mure is being rebuilt ready for operation. In late June the regional government signed a concession contract to repair a section of the line at a cost of €26million and then operate it for 30 years with French group Edeis. From summer 2020…

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FORMER Victorian Railways (VR) 0-6-0 diesel electric loco F208 has returned to the main line, operating a rail tour on July 17. The tour centred around suburban Melbourne and was called ‘The Best of British’ as North British-built 4-6-4 steam loco R707 was on the other end of the train to assist where necessary. The…

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US NATIONAL passenger operator Amtrak is buying a Positive Train Control (PTC) system – RailwayNet – from aviation technology and communications company Rockwell Collins. The system will be implemented across the USA on all Amtrak routes, where it operates over other railroads’ routes. Amtrak will install it on around 310 locos in its diesel loco…

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FRENCH Railways (SNCF) has ordered 64 of the Alstom-built ‘Coradia Liner’ bi-mode units for operation of subsidised Intercités routes. The first batch contained 34, with a further 30 trains in the second batch. The first 19 trains entered service on the Paris-Troyes-Belfort route from February, completely replacing loco-operated trains hauled by CC72100 diesel locos (see…

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CLEARANCE work at the closed Kellingley Colliery in Yorkshire has created additional work for DB Cargo, writes Phil Wheldale.   Spoil trains started running to Killingholme, near Immingham, on August 21 with two return paths each day. This view shows the first train, led by No. 66001, entering the long-disused Killingholme branch at Immingham. The train is…

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THE Branch Line Society’s ‘Greendale Rocket’ tour took a pair of Europhoenix Class 37s over some very rare track on September 10. Highlight of the trip was a visit to Royal Mail’s Princess Royal Distribution Centre (PRDC) in Willesden, north London. It is thought to be the first passenger train to run into the rail-connected…

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‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado has gained approval for regular operation at 90mph following its 100mph test run in April. It will make its first public outing at the higher speed on April 14. UK Railtours’ ‘Ebor Flyer’ will take the ‘A1’ from London King’s Cross to York via the East Coast Main Line, picking up…

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