FINLAND: National operator VR is to return to traffic four Alstom Sm6 trainsets that were used on the Helsinki – St Petersburg Allegro service until it ceased operating following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Amid geopolitical turbulence, governments in Europe and beyond will need to ramp up their defence spending urgently, potentially squeezing the funding avilable for rail and wider civilian infrastructure. However, a push for more efficiency offers opportunities too, believes our Executive Editor Nick Kingsley.

UK: The High Speed Rail Group has called for ‘new, affordable and realistic plan’ for HS2 including the completion of a London Euston to Crewe ‘core’.

JAPAN: East Japan Railway has issued the first images of its E10 Shinkansen high speed trainset.

PORTUGAL: Suburban services in the Matosinhos district of Porto has been enhanced with the partial reopening of the Leixões line to passengers after a hiatus of 14 years.

UK: The effectiveness of the disability training received by rail staff and new models of raising awareness are to be studied by the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the Community Rail Network, backed by funding from the Motability Foundation.

CANADA: Vinci Energies and its local subsidiary TCI+ have acquired signalling design, installation and maintenance company X-Rail Signalisation.

The 1·6 km twin-bore tunnel at Long Itchington Wood is among the most well advanced of HS2’s many underground sections. Chris Howe  reports from the site in Warwickshire.

PORTUGAL: National infrastructure manager IP has commissioned a cost-benefit analysis and an interoperability study to assess the gauge choice for the future Porto – Lisboa high speed line, for which procurement has started.

UK: Innovate UK has awarded funding for a project which aims to use hydrogen-based carbon clean and capture technology to prolong the life of locomotive engines while improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.

 

SWITZERLAND: Transports Publics du Chablais has awarded Stadler a SFr140m contract to supply 13 rack-equipped Beh4/8 electric multiple-units.

News from the world rail freight market.

UK: DB Cargo UK has awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to begin fitting Trainguard 200 onboard ETCS units to its fleet of EMD Class 66 diesel locomotives.

MOROCCO: National railway ONCF has awarded a consortium of Colas Rail and SETEC two contracts for work on the Kenitra – Marrakech high speed line with a combined value of €250m.

INDIA: Rolling stock and rail infrastructure supplier Texmaco Rail & Engineering and European maglev and automation technology company Nevomo have signed a memorandum of understanding.

POLAND: High speed rail and airport project promoter Centralny Port Komunikacyjny has appointed EY to prepare a business plan for the procurement and management of its future train fleets.

GREECE: Rail and air accident investigation body EODASAAM exposes serious systemic failures in the Greek railway sector and makes 17 recommendations for improvement in its report into the head-on collision between passenger and freight trains near Tempi which killed 57 people on February 28 2023.

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

UK: Transport for London and Network Rail have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate and share confidential information on asset management, maintenance and environmental issues.