Germany: Halle Transport has published a tender for up to 56 LRVs. The contract includes the design, manufacture and supply of the vehicles and the provision of spare parts. The tender comprises two alternatives, both with the same number of vehicles. Alternative A includes 17 45m-long and 14 30m-long LRVs. Alternative B includes nine 45m-long, 14 30m-long, and eight 38m-long LRVs. Both alternatives include three options for up to 25 additional vehicles, to be delivered by 2027, as well as an option to produce a vehicle model or module.
Ukraine: Ukrainian Railways (UZ) has launched a tender for the supply of 100 sleeper coaches worth around Hryvnia 3bn ($US 108.3m). The deadline for applications is March 30, with an auction scheduled for May 5. The tender is divided into four lots: 51 sleeping compartment coaches, worth Hryvnia 1.51bn; 12 ‘type SV’ sleeping compartment coaches, worth Hryvnia 349.1m; 20 sleeping compartment coaches equipped for wheelchair users, worth Hryvnia 633.7m; and 17 sleeping compartment coaches with wheelchair user access and staff quarters, worth Hryvnia 551.3m.
Germany: German Rail (DB) has awarded a €22m contract to Stadler Germany to upgrade a fleet of 17 double-deck Kiss EMUs for use in Switzerland as part of its effort to establish a new hourly direct cross-border service between Stuttgart and Zürich from December 2022. The upgrades will include equipping the trains with ETCS Baseline 3, as well as new passenger information, Wi-Fi and seat reservation systems. The trains will replace the IC2 double-deck fleet currently operated on the route.
Czech Republic: Czech Railways (ČD) has leased six 200 km/h Vectron locomotives from Slovakia’s Rolling Stock Lease (formerly S-Rail Lease), a subsidiary of the Erste financial group, Austria. The locomotives will expand ČD’s fleet of Vectrons to 17 units, with a further seven due to be leased under the contract from October 2022. The locomotives will operate services on the R18 line from Prague to Uherské Hradiště Old Town, replacing older class 371 3kV dc/15kV ac locomotives, which will not be able to operate on the line following an upgrade to 25kV ac electrification. The new locomotives can operate under 3kV dc, 25kV ac, and 15kV ac electrification.
India: Indian Railways (IR) has successfully conducted a trial run of a WAG 9 electric locomotive for the first time on the line between Bongaigaon and Sorupeta in the state of Assam. The trial was conducted by Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) and is a key step towards electrifying rail connections to the northeastern state. IR is on course to electrify its entire 1668mm broad-gauge network by 2023, with approximately 66% of the total track length electrified as of November 2020.
Russia: Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant (NEVZ), a subsidiary of of Transmashholding (TMH), has handed over three more 3ES5K Ermak ac electric freight locomotives to private rail freight operator NefteTransService. The locomotives will operate out of the main depot of the Timashevskaya North Caucasian Railway and are part of an order for 14 units signed in November 2020. The last batch of two is scheduled for delivery before the end of the year.
Serbia: The Serbian Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure has called for tenders for the supply of three 200km/h EMUs for use on the Beograd - Novi Sad - Subotica route. The trains must be around 100m long with a minimum of 300 seats in two classes. The first should be delivered no later than the end of October, with the two others arriving by the end of the year. It follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the potential procurement of 200km/h trains on January 6 by the Serbian government, national operator Serbian Railways (ZS), China Railway International and Chinese manufacturer CRRC.
Croatia: Rail vehicle leaser Railpool has awarded Končar a contract to maintain its fleet of Traxx locomotives. The work will be carried out at a service hub in Zagreb, offering minimal downtime and fast on-site support for Railpool customers.
China: CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive (ZELC) has launched a new high-power dual-voltage electric shunting locomotive, which it says is the first Chinese vehicle of its type. The locomotive has last-mile capabilities, can haul around 5000 tonnes, and is estimated to reduce annual carbon emissions by approximately 100 tonnes.
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