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.

INNOTRANS: Panasonic Industry is showing its complete full height platform door system including control panel for the first time in Europe., along with an smart maintenance system.

INNOTRANS: Panasonic Industry is showing its complete full height platform door system including control panel for the first time in Europe., along with an smart maintenance system.

INNOTRANS: The first of 10 multifunctional maintenance vehicles for the München U-Bahn has been handed over at an event which included a brass band to create what manufacturer Robel Bahnbaumaschinen called a ‘traditional Oktoberfest atmosphere’ at the Berlin show.

INNOTRANS: Alstom is highlighting how the highly modular design of its Coradia Max partly double-deck electric multiple-units can meet the varied needs of regional and long-distance markets while offering optimised operating costs.

UK: The Global Centre of Rail Excellence and the Department for Transport’s arm-length rail consultancy body Crossrail International have signed a partnership agreement to support the development and delivery of major rail infrastructure projects around the world.

INNOTRANS: Technotrans is showing a space-saving and energy-efficient combined device for cooling both the battery and power electronics of battery-powered railway vehicles.

INNOTRANS: Simona is showcasing its Simorail range of lightweight, low-flammability and recyclable thermoplastics for rolling stock applications including seats, armrests, wall panelling, window panels, partition walls, ceiling elements and storage units.

EGYPT: The first of the 250 km/h Velaro high speed trains that Siemens Mobility is building for the 2 000 km turnkey rail system being developed in Egypt has been unveiled at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin.