JAPAN: Central Japan Railway has announced plans to reintroduce private compartments on the Tokaido Shinkansen. Due to be available for passengers during 2026, there will be two private rooms in a N700S trainset ― the company says the rooms will be gradually introduced on some of the N700S fleet.

MOROCCO: National operator ONCF is stepping up the pace of planning and preliminary construction work for the 40bn dirhams high speed line between Kénitra and Marrakech.

POLAND: Pomorskie voivodship has exercised an option to purchase nine more four-car Impuls2 electric multiple-units from Newag, the region’s Marshal Mieczysław Struk announced on April 16.

UK: Organisations across the UK rail sector have broadly welcomed the reform proposals unveiled by Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh on April 25.

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

EUROPE: German regional operator BeNEX is to acquire Abellio’s German subsidiary from Dutch national operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen. The transaction covers the shares in Germany held by ATH Rail Transport Beteiligungsgesellschaft Deutschland GmbH and includes Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland GmbH Halle (Saale) and Westfalenbahn GmbH Bielefeld, as well as service, cleaning and ...

ASIA: Three agreements have been signed paving the way for construction of a 303 km mixed-traffic railway linking the port of Sohar in Oman with Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

INDIA: The AT Railway a subsidiary of Amber Enterprises India has signed a joint venture agreement with South Korea’s Yujin Machinery to design, manufacture, and develop critical components for various types of rolling stock used in India.

DENMARK: Siemens Mobility has been awarded a €270m contract to equip the 170 km S-bane network in København for GoA4 unattended operations.

JAPAN: Central Japan Railway announced at the end of March that it no longer expects to start operating high speed superconducting maglev services over the Chuo Shinkansen between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027.

UK: Sir Keith Williams has lent his backing to plans by the Labour Party to implement a standalone ‘guiding mind’ for the rail sector if it wins the upcoming General Election.

EUROPE: Austrian Federal Railways has put into service the first of its updated Railjet trainsets on services linking Germany, Austria and Italy. Toma Bačić rode on a preview run between München and Verona on April 5.

INDIA: Indian Railways has introduced a new category of loco-hauled trains, which is intended to provide an enhanced travel experience for its ‘lower class’ passengers who account for the majority of its long-distance traffic.

UK: Tyne & Wear Metro operator Nexus has recreated a level crossing to create a safety training tool to educate young people interacting with the light rail network radiating from Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

ALGERIA: Work has started on construction of a Heavy haul railway in the southwest of the country which will extend the national network by 575 km.

USA: Project promoter Brightline West held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 22 in Las Vegas to launch its project to build a high speed line from the city to southern California.

SPAIN: SNCF’s low-cost subsidiary Ouigo has further expanded its operations in Spain, launching Madrid – Valladolid services on April 19, consisting of two return trips per day.

NETHERLANDS: The government has confirmed co-funding for the electrification for two regional lines in the provinces of Overijssel and Gelderland.

NORTH AMERICA: Knorr-Bremse announced on April 19 that it had agreed to buy Alstom’s North American conventional signalling business, with a deal that is expected to be formally concluded ‘in summer 2024’.

SPAIN: The first of 44 double-deck EMUs which Stadler is supplying to RENFE are now being tested at the manufacturer’s plant at Albuixech near València.