SPAIN: Aviation safety body AESA has granted Ineco authorisation to use autonomous drones to inspect railway infrastructure.

UK: Leasing company VTG Rail UK has signed a long-term framework agreement for Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems UK to supply its FreightControl Sentinel system, which forms the backbone of VTG’s iWagon platform for the digitalisation of wagons.

NEW ZEALAND: The government has announced an order for two rail-equipped replacement ferries for the Interislander service, along with agreements for associated landside works which will reuse existing infrastructure where possible.

TAIWAN: A civil works contract has been let covering the next section of the Wanda-Shulin (Light Green) Line in New Taipei.

IRELAND: A consortium led by Plenary Group and including Webuild, Hitachi Rail and Keolis is putting together a bid to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the planed Metrolink automated metro in Dublin.

UK: A pilot deployment of ‘next generation’ fast on-train wi-fi using technology developed for Formula 1 has been launched.

NETHERLANDS: National passenger operator NS has awarded Stadler a contract to supply 36 Flirt Flex electric multiple-units to provide capacity to accommodate growing ridership.

UK: Project promoter East West Railway Co has announced updated proposals for the Oxford to Cambridge railway corridor following public consultation and detailed technical design work.

SPAIN: Studies are to assess the viability of upgrading the Madrid – Barcelona high speed line to raise the maximum speed to 350 km/h and other works which would provide a journey time of under 2 h.

SPAIN: High speed line infrastructure manager ADIF Alta Velocidad has awarded three contracts for the 69 km Plasencia –Talayuela section of the Madrid – Extremadura high speed line project.

This week’s round-up of news from the urban transport sector.

CZECH REPUBLIC: Škoda Group has entered a strategic partnership with US electric vehicle battery technology company Microvast to develop and manufacture battery systems for public transport applications.

CANADA: The Deux-Montagnes branch of Montréal’s Réseau Express Métropolitain has opened, tripling the length of the automated metro.

EUROPE: The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility & Transport hosted the Young People & Transport Jobs: Making Transport Careers More Attractive conference which explored how to make transport jobs more appealing.

SPAIN: Alstom is undertaking static and dynamic testing of the first of 10 electric multiple-units ordered by Catalunya regional train operator FGC for use on a future shuttle service from Barcelona city centre to El Prat Airport.

UK: The eligibility criteria for the Disabled Persons Railcard are to be expanded so that both visible and non-visible disabilities are better recognised.

UKRAINE: Alstom is to supply national railway Ukrzaliznytsia with 55 Traxx Hauler electric freight locomotives tailor-made to local requirements.

USA: Shareholders of both companies have approved Union Pacific’s planned acquisition of Norfolk Southern. Combining Union Pacific’s network in the west of the country with Norfolk Southern’s routes in the east would create the first railway company spanning the USA from coast to coast.

EUROPE: Open access operator Westbahn has described the European rolling stock market as an ‘oligopoly’ dominated by a few manufacturers, leading to reduce choice, long delivery times and high costs.

AUSTRALIA: Mining company BHP has taken delivery of its first purpose-built battery-electric heavy haul locomotives for trials between its Pilbara iron ore mines and Port Hedland.