TWO German companies, Voith and Liebherr, have agreed to develop diesel engines for rail vehicles. Liebherr will supply several versions of its basic 500kW engine and components for the exhaust gas aftertreatment system based on its latest generation of a six-cylinder in-line engine. Voith will be responsibile for the diesel engine and exhaust gas aftertreatment system.

VOITH has fitted a British class 158 DMU with two DiwaRail hydro-mechanical transmissions in a trial project with leasing company Angel Trains and operator Arriva Trains Wales.

Finland's capital has drawn up an ambitious long-term urban plan which seeks to accommodate population and employment growth while halting urban sprawl and reducing carbon emissions. Keith Barrow looks at why rail is central to this bold vision of a 21st century city.

VOITH, Germany, has handed over the first three of its RailPack 400DE power-packs for installation on 30 three-car hybrid trains which Changchun Railway Vehicles is building for China Railway Corporation (CRC) for use on non-electrified or partially-electrified suburban lines.

BRITISH passenger operator Great Western Railway (GWR) has awarded Voith a contract to carry out major cooling system overhauls on its fleet of class 43 HST power cars, which are used on inter-city services from London to South Wales and southwest England.

THALES has been awarded a €17m contract to supply signalling, telecommunications, and an Operational Control Centre for the Danhai light rail line in New Taipei City.

RUSSIAN Railways (RZD) has begun six months of trials with the first of 32 diesel locomotives being supplied by Sinara for the 1067mm-gauge network on the Pacific island of Sakhalin.

BRITISH rolling stock leasing company Angel Trains has awarded Voith a contract to supply 188 new final drives and cardan shafts for its fleet of 94 class 142 Pacer dmus, which are used by Arriva Trains Wales and Northern Rail.

VOITH confirmed on January 27 that its management board has decided not to resume talks on the sale of its locomotive production unit, which is based in Kiel in northern Germany.

STADLER Rail announced on December 2 that it has signed a contract with Voith to acquire the company's Dutch train maintenance subsidiary Voith Rail Services (VRS) for an undisclosed sum.