FRANCE: High speed rail start-up Proxima has signed a €850m firm order for Alstom to supply 12 Avelia Horizon double-deck high-speed trains for its planned open access services between Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Angers and Paris.

AUSTRALIA: Fortescue Zero and rolling stock supplier Downer have announced plans to develop what they promise will be the world’s most energy-efficient battery electric locomotive.

USA: The Federal Railroad Administration has signed a $3bn grant awarded to Nevada Department of Transportation for the Brightline West project to build a high speed line to Las Vegas. This confirms a promise made by President Joe Biden last December to provide the funds under the Federal-State Partnership for ...

UK: The annual Rail Business Awards which recognise and reward excellence across every aspect of the industry will be back in Manchester in 2025.

INNOTRANS: China’s CRRC has unveiled its prototype Cinova H2 New Energy Intelligent Intercity Train, a hydrogen fuel cell powered trainset which it believes could replace diesel trains on non-electrified railways worldwide.

INNOTRANS: Plasser & Theurer has signed a partnership agreement with Siemens Mobility to support the equipping of on-track machinery with the European Train Control System.

EUROPE: Leasing company Beacon has signed a framework agreement for Siemens Mobility to supply Vectron Multi System electric locomotives, with an initial order for 25.

UK: The Global Centre of Rail Excellence launched a rail innovation competition in partnership with Innovate UK and the Department for Business & Trade at the InnoTrans trade show in Berlin.

AFRICA: The governments of Angola and Zambia have signed concession agreements with Africa Finance Corp paving the way for construction of an 800 km rail link between the two countries.

EUROPE: ‘Competition in railways seems to trigger an increase in ridership and brings about significant benefits to society’, according to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility & Transport.

EUROPE: Alstom is to combine its DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and Nordic (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland) regions from January 2025, and has appointed a turnaround specialist from Siemens as President of the combined business area.

UK: Lower charges for passenger trains on the high speed line from London to the Channel Tunnel and a halving of charges for freight are proposed in the Office of Rail & Road’s draft determination of the High Speed 1 concessionaire’s next five-year spending plan.

GERMANY: Saft is supplying lithium titanium oxide batteries for the hybrid fuel cell and battery traction system on seven Siemens Mobility Mireo Plus H hydrogen multiple-units.

INNOTRANS: Nevomo and Captrain plan to test linear motor technology to automate wagon movements in an industrial terminal in Germany in what promises to be the first real-world use of the MagRail Booster concept.

SWITZERLAND: Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn has awarded Stadler a contract to supply 17 three-car Flirt EMUs for use on the 13·2 km S-Bahn route S4 between Zürich HB and Sihlwald.

INNOTRANS: Romania’s Astra Vagoane Călători unveiled a prototype tram at InnoTrans 2024.

SLOVAKIA: RS Lease has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract for the ‘fast’ delivery of 30 Vectron Multi System electric locomotives, with an option for 35 more including Dual Mode variants.

UK: High speed line project promoter HS2 Ltd has awarded what it says is the largest ever archaeological post-excavation contract to the Access+ consortium.

LITHUANIA: Ribbon Communications and Telia Lithuania have deployed an FRMCS-ready critical network upgrade for national railway LTG.

EUROPE: ‘We need to think about the role of public money in rail freight strategically’, European Rail Freight Association President Dirk Stahl said when the organisation set out its position on the European Commission’s proposal to reform state aid rules for land and multimodal transport.