FOLLOWING an international tender, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, Energy and Transport of the German state of Saarland announced on January 9 that DB Regio and Netinera subsidiary Vlexx have been awarded contracts to operate the Saar Electric Network for 15 years from December 2019.

DB Regio has secured two concessions to operate regional services in four German states.

BAVARIAN Railway Company (BEG) has decided to award German Rail’s (DB) regional division, DB Regio, a contract for both lots of a concession to operate the Nuremberg S-Bahn network.

ABELLIO Rail, NorthWestBahn (NWB) and DB Regio have won three tenders to operate train services in the German state of North Rhine Westphalia.

TRANSDEV Germany subsidiary NOB has been forced to to withdraw its entire fleet of Bombardier push-pull coaches, which are used on Hamburg - Westerland (Sylt) regional services following the discovery of coupling defects.

GERMAN Rail (DB) has developed a concept to provide all passengers on DB Regio services with internet access via a wireless local area network (WLAN), as a solution to the lack of network coverage provided by mobile operators.

ALSTOM confirmed on October 27 that it has received a €130m order from DB Regio for 24 Coradia Continental EMUs, which will be used on the Breisgau S-Bahn network in southwest Germany.

BRITISH rail and bus operator National Express has decided to withdraw from a concession to operate the Nuremberg S-Bahn, which it was awarded by Bavarian Railway Company (BEG) 20 months ago, because it claims a protracted legal challenge by German Rail (DB) has damaged the economic viability of the deal.

GERMAN Rail (DB) has confirmed to IRJ that it has placed an order with Bombardier for a further eight class 245 Traxx ME multi-engine diesel-electric locomotives, supplementing the fleet of 27 units already in service.