EUROPE: High speed line concessionaire HS1 Ltd has appointed ‘experience design’ agency Active Thinking to undertake an in-depth study into expanding passenger capacity at London St Pancras International station to cope with increased demand for international travel and the potential arrival of competitors to Eurostar.

UKRAINE: The Karpaty wagon factory has developed five models of grain hopper wagon using newly-sourced domestically produced components.

UK: A team of students from the University of Sheffield was the winner of the 13th Railway Challenge competition, organised by the Railway Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

ESTONIA: The delivery of 16 new electric multiple-units from Škoda’s Ostrava factory to Estonian passenger operator Elron’s depot at Pääsküla is being managed by logistics company EWSA, with transport by road from the Czech Republic to Latvia and then by rail with Operail as transport partner in Estonia.

CHINA: CRRC Qingdao Sifang has unveiled its six-car Cetrovo 1.0 Carbon Star Express metro trainset, which features carbon fibre composite bodyshells, bogies and other load-bearing structures.

INTERNATIONAL: The Australasian Railway Association is organising a study tour to London and Paris the week before InnoTrans, to provide delegates with insights into topics including interoperability, high speed rail, sustainability, infrastructure development and operations, as well as networking opportunities with industry leaders.

CANADA: National passenger operator VIA Rail is to begin the competitive procurement of ‘new, comfortable and accessible trains’ for use across the country following the confirmation of government funding.

USA: The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a notice of funding opportunity, making $153m available from the Restoration & Enhancement grant programme.

UK: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham remains confident that funding remains available for the development of a new Liverpool – Manchester railway serving Manchester Airport and a new underground station in Manchester following the recent change of government.

SWEDEN: National transport agency Trafikverket has directly awarded state operator SJ a contract to operate Stockholm – Narvik overnight trains for one year from December 15 2024, with an option for a further year.

News from the world rail freight market.

UK: Train operator Northern has reviewed its recruitment processes with the aim of ensuring that applicants with neurodivergent conditions are better supported.

INTERNATIONAL: Investors EQT Future and Kühne Holding have agreed to acquire a 35% minority stake in Flix, which manages the commercial side of open access train and coach services that are operated by partner companies.

HVAC: Liebherr-Transportation Systems has developed its first series-produced heating, ventilation and air-conditioning units to use propane as an alternative to more environmentally harmful refrigerants.

SWEDEN: National infrastructure manager Trafikverket has appointed Sweco to assist with capacity expansion on the busy East Coast trunk line between Stockholm and Uppsala.

UK: Local rail services around Manchester are to be brought into the region’s expanding Bee Network by 2028 as part of a public transport development strategy unveiled by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham on July 10.

EUROPE: Montenegro and Serbia opened a joint rail border crossing at Bijelo Polje on the Beograd – Bar line on July 8.

This week’s news from the global railway supply chain.

KAZAKHSTAN: Industrial and logistics group Texol has opened a wagon manufacturing plant in Atyrau.

EUROPE: A through regional passenger train service linking Liège in Belgium with Aachen in Germany via Maastricht in the Netherlands was finally launched on June 30.