German IoT specialist Optimeas is working with infrastructure manager DB InfraGo to enhance the availability of its electrification inspection and repair vehicles as part of efforts to reduce the impact of power supply failures across the network.

News from the world rail freight market.

GERMANY: Berlin transport operator BVG has opened a ‘Job Store’ in the Mall of Berlin shopping centre as part of a strategy to attract around 2 500 new employees this year.

UK: Greater Anglia is offering paid industrial placements providing students practical experience in the field they are studying in across eight departments ranging from HR and marketing to IT and asset management.

LITHUANIAN: National railway LTG Group has joined the International Union of Railways’ Open Rail Freight EDI User System which enables freight operators to exchange CIM consignment notes.

USA: BNSF is working with Roundtable Learning to integrate virtual, augmented and mixed reality technology into its training programmes for staff undertaking mechanical works.

UKRAINE: Export-Import Bank of the United States has approved a US$156·6m 15-year loan which national railway Ukrzaliznytsia will use for the acquisition of 40 Wabtec diesel locomotives.

USA: The California High-Speed Rail Authority board has approved the release of a request for proposals for the supply and maintenance of high speed trainsets.

EUROPE: Funding is now in place for the procurement of electric-battery inter-city trains to increase frequencies and reduce journey times on the cross-border Enterprise service between Dublin and Belfast which is operated jointly by Iarnród Éireann and Northern Ireland Railways.

DENMARK: Two suppliers have prequalified for the contract to provide Supporting Systems for the automation of København’s S-tog suburban rail services.

UK: Independent European fund manager Arjun Infrastructure Partners and University Pension Plan Ontario have announced an investment in Angel Trains, along with the formation of a partnership to pursue further investment opportunities in OECD countries.

Florida passenger train operator Brightline and Princess Cruises have launched a rail and sail partnership, with a complimentary coach service between Brightline’s Orlando and Fort Lauderdale stations and their embarkation terminal. A paid-for luggage express service is also being offered, allowing cruise passengers to check in bags at a Brightline ...

UK: Transport for Wales is to trial a prototype Request to Stop system incorporating train running information and a button which passengers arriving at station can push to alert the driver of the next train to the need to call at a request stop. This removes the need for passengers ...

URUGUAY: A number of problems have been preventing the operation of passenger and freight services, with some not expected to be resolved until a new government is formed in March 2025.

CANADA: CN has purchased a hybrid diesel-battery main line locomotive from Progress Rail, which it intends to use to assess the opportunity for retrofitting a portion of its fleet.

EUROPE: Portuguese industry organisation Plataforma Ferroviária Portuguesa and the UK’s Railway Industry Association have signed a memorandum of understanding for co-operation.

AUSTRIA: An X534 overhead electrification construction and maintenance railcar has been converted from diesel to fuel cell power.

SLOVAKIA: Infrastructure manager ŽSR has started work on the long-planned electrification of the short 2·4 km single-track link from Devínska Nová Ves to the Austrian border at Marchegg.

UK: New suppliers and better visibility of future work are included in the Train Control Systems framework contracts awarded by Network Rail for the provision of conventional and ETCS signalling services during Control Periods 7 and 8 in 2024-34.

FRANCE: Plans have been drawn up to launch an independent rail freight operation based in Pays de la Loire, to be known as Transport Multimodal Alliances.