JAPAN: JR Central has ordered 13 N700S Shinkansen trains from Nippon Sharyo. Each train will have 16 cars. Delivery of the first two trains will start in the 2023-24 financial year which ends in March 2024. Five trains will be delivered in each of the next two financial years, with final train arriving in 2026-27.

Germany: Hessen State Railway has ordered three two-car Mireo Plus B battery multiple-units from Siemens Mobility for the Upper and Lower Westerwald pilot project. The trains will operate on the 155km Limburg - Altenkirchen - Au - Siegen Upper Westerwald railway, which includes a 75km non-electrified section, and the 35km unelectrified Limburg - Montabaur - Siershahn Lower Westerwald railway. Both lines feature demanding gradients, a challenge for which Siemens says the Mireo Plus B is ideally suited. The Mireo Plus B trains will be equipped with pantographs for electric operation as well as for charging the silicon carbide batteries. The trains will have a range of 80km in battery mode on the two routes.

Italy: Rome public transport authority (Atac) has issued a call for tenders for the supply of 121 bi-directional LRVs worth an estimated €457.8m. The closing date is May 30. Bids will be assessed according to the following weighting: technical offer 70% and price 30%.

Germany: Stadler has won a contract from Alpha Trains for eight four-car Flirt3 XL EMUs, which will be leased to Vias Rail for operation on the Rheingau-Express network. The trains will have extra-long car bodies and will accommodate up 512 passengers of whom 230 will be seated. The trains will be introduced from December 2025 on the RE 19 and RB 10 lines along the Rhine between Koblenz, Neuwied and Frankfurt. The contract includes an option for an additional train.

Bulgaria: Sofia Metro is encountering difficulties in its tender for 16 metro train. Half of the trains are intended for lines M1 (Red) and M2 (Blue) and must be compatible with trains originally supplied by Metrowagonmash, a subsidiary of Transmashholding (TMH), Russia. Due to sanctions, Russian companies are not allowed to bid. The remaining eight trains will operate on Line M3 (Green) which is operated with Inspiro trains supplied by Siemens and Newag. In addition, Sofia Metro has not yet secured financing for the new trains.

Poland: Pesa has won a Zlotys 142m ($US 32m) contract to supply four five-car EMUs to the Wielkopolska region. The air-conditioned Elf II trains will have at least 240 seats, Wi-Fi, CCTV, ticket vending machines, and defibrillators.

Mexico: Teltronic has won a contract to install its RT-800 Tetra and 4G broadband radio communications system on 10 existing and 29 new trains operating on Line 1 of the Mexico City metro. Tetra will be used for drivers’ voice communications with the control centre while the broadband system will support maintenance and CCTV. The equipment will also be integrated with the train control and monitoring system (TCMS) and the train public address system.

France: Alstom conducted six demonstration runs with its two-car Coradia iLint hydrogen multiple-unit on the 13km Reignac - Loches section of the 42km Tours - Loches line in the Centre-Val-de-Loire region on February 1-3. Alstom has yet to secure authorisation to operate the trains in commercial service and reports suggest that it will only do so if it secures significant orders for the the iLint in France. Alstom is supplying 14 Regiolis hydrogen multiple-units to the French regions in partnership with CAF. However, the Centre-Val-de-Loire region reportedly believes that these trains are too long and heavy for the Tours - Loches line and is seeking a lighter alternative.

For more data on orders for new trains, subscribe to IRJ Pro.