www.railwaygazette.

com FEBRUARY 2023

Railway Gazette
INTERNATIONAL

Making rail
more competitive
FRANCE MAINTENANCE IN FOCUS
New entrants High-tech workshops Chinese metro
energise the support DB’s expansion
passenger market growing ICE fleet continues apace
Page 18 Page 30 Page 44
 CONTENTS

Volume 179 No 2 IMAGE OF THE MONTH

28 Grand Est launch foreshadows RER
expansion An enhanced suburban service
has been introduced in the region around
www.railwaygazette.com FEBRUARY 2023

4 Recent flooding has caused disruption to

Railway Gazette railways across Australia
Strasbourg. Despite a difficult start, the
launch of REME is expected to act as a
INTERNATIONAL
catalyst for the development of more RER
networks outside Paris, as Jérémie Anne
COMMENT and Murray Hughes explain

5 Stations really matter

FLEET MANAGEMENT
INTELLIGENCE 30 DB invests to keep ICE fleet in trim
By 2030 Deutsche Bahn plans to spend
6 High speed lines inaugurated in China around €2bn on new and expanded

Making rail
maintenance workshops to keep pace with
7 Indian Railways orders 1 200 locomotives
its steadily expanding fleet of ICE trainsets
more competitive 8
9
Amtrak unveils Airo electro-diesel family
Spanish high speed network reaches Murcia
36 Hurricane-resistant workshop
FRANCE MAINTENANCE IN FOCUS
inaugurated A ‘storm-resilient’ depot has
New entrants
energise the
High-tech workshops
support DB’s
Chinese metro
expansion
10 Dhaka’s first metro line opened opened to serve New York City Transit’s
passenger market growing ICE fleet continues apace
Page 18 Page 30 Page 44
11 Quito metro ready to go Staten Island Railway

As new entrants and other state-owned 12 French companies target Thailand 38 Expanding the scope of condition
operators start to target the French long- monitoring tools Swedish company
distance rail market, incumbent SNCF 13 Aline Frantzen joins Metro Trains
has expanded its low-cost offer with the Melbourne as COO Railway Metrics & Dynamics has
introduction of loco-hauled Ouigo Train developed a low-power monitoring unit
Classique services on selected routes from 14 Market initially aimed at addressing rolling stock
April 2022. A reliveried Class BB22200 electric
locomotive passes Epinay sur Orge with a
faults such as wheel flats. Now, as CEO
service from Nantes to Paris. Jan Lindqvist explains, the company
Photo: Christophe Masse
INNOVATIONS & RESEARCH is exploring how infrastructure can be
monitored more effectively as well
16 Freight train ATO test

CONTACT 17 ‘The future is ours’ report published

IN FOCUS
Railway Gazette International
42 Growing Westbahn looks east and
1st Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas FRANCE west As private operator Westbahn
Way, Sutton, SM1 1JB, Great Britain launches a Wien – Innsbruck route, CEO
18 Start-ups energise the passenger
Tel +44 20 8652 5200 Thomas Posch sets out the company’s
market Open access passenger operators
priorities for the post-pandemic period
editor@railwaygazette.com have so far had limited success in to Toma Bačić
penetrating the French market, but a
See p48 for full details 44 Urban expansion continues apace More
medley of ambitious entrepreneurs is now
than 300 km of new urban rail lines and
www.facebook.com/railwaygazette tackling the task. Jérémie Anne reports
extensions were inaugurated in 11 Chinese
@railwaygazette 22 Developing concepts to revive rural lines cities on December 26-31, as part of
France’s policy of abandoning rural lines the country’s annual end-of-year metro
has been halted and the stage is set for opening bonanza
a revival of lightly used or closed routes.
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Murray Hughes reports regional routes

Railway Gazette International February 2023 3

Photo: John Kirk
IMAGE OF THE MONTH Australia

The past 12 months have seen extensive flooding throughout Australia, with all mainland
states affected. The floods and related landslips have caused extensive disruption to a
number of key rail corridors.
Many kilometres of track were washed away, causing extensive damage that required
expensive repairs, notably in central Queensland and the Blue Mountains of New South
Wales. Much freight traffic had to be diverted to road, with a resultant loss of market share.
At Murray Bridge in South Australia, the normally dry floodplain under the viaduct carrying the
Adelaide – Melbourne railway over the country’s largest river has been inundated for the first
time since 1956. An eastbound interstate freight train crossing the bridge in early January was
led by a locally built SCT class diesel locomotive and four Chinese-built CSR class ‘Pandaroos’.

4 February 2023 Railway Gazette International

 COMMENT
Nick Kingsley, Executive Editor, Railway Gazette International
nicholas.kingsley@railwaygazette.com
Stations really matter
A 17
s this issue closed for press
on January 25, New York
MTA was poised to open its
deep-level station at Grand
Central Madison, which Governor
Kathy Hochul claims is the USA’s ‘first
modern train terminal to be built in
more than a half century’.
Grand Central Madison is the
centrepiece of MTA’s $11bn East Side
Access project enabling Long Island
Rail Road commuter trains to reach
midtown Manhattan, its location being
perceived as more convenient than
LIRR’s existing city terminus at Penn
Station. Design and construction have
taken more than 15 years, during which
the pandemic has turned on its head
many long-standing assumptions
around ‘9 to 5’ commuting. New York
seems particularly affected by a
sluggish return to the office.
This would be a challenge for any
operator, but Grand Central Madison is
noteworthy for its sheer complexity.
The 7 ha station extends 15 storeys
below the historic main concourse at
Grand Central Terminal, where
sub-surface platforms on two levels are
served by MTA’s other commuter rail
agency, Metro-North. A new passenger
concourse has been built just below
street level, from where 17 escalators
55 m long and 22 lifts will whisk LIRR
passengers to and from a deep-level
mezzanine serving upper and lower
‘train decks’. These have eight platform
faces in two adjoining twin-deck
caverns, which are expected to handle
up to 24 trains/h. MTA’s public
information notices warned that a
transfer between the Subway and the
LIRR platforms could take 12 min.
Some Gothamites may wonder if this is
much faster than walking a few blocks
to Penn Station.
Once it beds in, Grand Central
Madison will no doubt become an
essential element in New York’s
infrastructure mix. But the ESA plans
reflect ideas proposed as long ago as
1930, when Long Islanders saw their
city jobs gradually shift from the
Railway Gazette International February 2023
blue-collar west side of Manhattan to
office work in the east. It is hard not to
wonder whether it could have been
possible to facilitate access to GCT
without the need to blast through the
escalators
notorious Manhattan schist at such
and 22 lifts depth. However, a 2015 investigation by
will transfer Nicole Gelinas of the Manhattan
Institute acknowledged that a cheaper
passengers approach could have caused more
between disruption and required MTA to
the Subway confront the institutional antipathy
between its two commuter rail agencies.
and LIRR at The past two decades have seen a
New York’s revival in the role of stations as
Grand Central destinations in their own right
— Grand Central Terminal and
Madison London’s St Pancras International are
station frequently held up as exemplars. But
the ESA saga is a pertinent reminder
that stations are essential gateways to
rail networks, whether urban or
long-distance. They act as the conduit
between towns and cities and their
transport grid.
Optimising the modern station to
fulfil an efficient operational role and to
act as ‘city boosters’ is not easy (RG 3.17
p33), as SNCF Gares et Connexions
found with its proposals to remodel
parts of Paris Nord, and Network Rail
and commercial partners are finding
with proposals to build another office
complex above London Liverpool Street.
Planners risk alienating the local
population, and nowhere has this been
more evident than in Stuttgart, where
the city’s terminus is being rebuilt as a
deep-level through station under the
Stuttgart 21 project (RG 9.22 p38). This
‘It is hard to shake the
feeling that the most
successful stations are
those embedded in the
heart of their communities’
is arguably Europe’s most contentious
rail scheme, and the loss of parkland
and partial demolition of the historic
station has led to violent protests. As
with Grand Central Madison, there are
worries that DB may have bitten off
more than it can chew — first estimated
at €2·6bn, Stuttgart 21 is now expected
to cost at least €9·2bn, while concerns
remain about how far the planned
uplift in regional services benefitting
the Land of Baden-Württemberg will
be delivered in practice.
Given the complexity of city centre
projects, it is perhaps no surprise that
some cities opt to develop rail hubs on
the periphery of their urban core. One
such complex opened on January 19,
when Thailand’s long-distance trains
began using Bangkok’s Krung Thep
Aphiwat Central station at Bang Sue.
This is 10 km north of the famous
Hua Lamphong terminus, although
some local services continue to use
the old station.
Out-of-town hubs can only thrive if
well served by urban rail networks and
other ‘last mile’ transport, as exemplified
by the meshing of metro and high speed
rail developments in China (p44).
Yet it is hard to shake the feeling that
the most successful stations are those
embedded in the heart of their
communities. The megaprojects of the
past 10 to 15 years offer plenty of lessons
for planners and designers, but already
there are signs that the scale of ambition
is being reined in. Britain’s High Speed 2
programme has received criticism for its
decision to build termini rather than
through stations in London,
Birmingham and Manchester, while the
Hungarian government announced in
January that it was dropping its
application for EU funding to redevelop
Budapest’s Nyugati station as part of a
cross-city corridor (RG 12.21 p40).
Station developers need to ensure the
long-term success of the railway as well
as enhancing the urban realm — which
is not a simple task. As the old saying
goes, you never get a second chance to
make a first impression.
5
 INTELLIGENCE

Briefing Talgo trainset enters service

The 464 km mixed-traffic
railway linking the coastal
town of Quanzhou in Fujian
province with Xingguo, south
of Ji’an on the Beijing – Hong
Kong corridor, was completed
on December 28. China
Railway is initially operating
three passenger and seven
freight trains each way per
day.
EGYPT
The first of six 160 km/h Talgo trainsets ordered by
Egyptian National Railways for use on inter-city
routes from Cairo to Alexandria and Aswan entered
service on December 24.
Awarded in April 2019, the €157m contract financed by
EBRD includes eight years of maintenance at a depot
which Talgo has built in Cairo. In August 2022 the
company was awarded a second contract worth €280m
covering a further seven trainsets for night services
from 2024 and the provision of 15 years of maintenance.
Manufactured at Talgo’s Álava factory in Spain, the
trains draw on Talgo’s experience with supplying high
speed trains for Saudi Arabia’s Haramain line. Each
set is formed of five first class and eight second class
coaches, a buffet car and a generator car, providing a
total of 490 seats.

The Canadian government

and province of Ontario have
agreed to contribute up to
C$10·5m to support a C$31·5m
package of infrastructure
life extension works on
the 280 km Huron Central
Railway to maintain rail
freight services between
Sault Ste Marie and Sudbury,
with parent Genesee &
Wyoming providing the
remainder.

VR Sverige has been awarded

a SKr3·9bn contract from
Tåg i Bergslagen to operate
passenger services on
nine routes radiating from
Borlänge and Västeräs for

High speed lines

10 years from December stations. The 250 km/h services offer
2023. The Finnish operator a 69 min journey time between Kun-
will replace SJ, which is
ming Nan and Honghe in Mengzi.
withdrawing early from its

2016-26 contract following a
collapse in revenue during the
coronavirus pandemic.
The Chilean government
has granted environmental
approval for a US$250m
project to build an
underground station below
Santiago’s Central-Alameda
hub and a 3·2 km double-track
tunnel as part of a project to
reopen the 61 km Santiago –
Melipilla suburban railway.
Uzbekistan’s President
Shavkat Mirziyoyev and
his Kazakh counterpart
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev have
launched the construction of
a multimodal terminal near
inaugurated
CHINA
China Railway began operating
passenger services over four sec-
tions of high speed line in Decem-
ber, as work continues to develop
the ‘eight-by-eight’ grid.
December 30 saw the start of
350 km/h services on 149 km of
new line, completing a 173 km
route between Beijing and Tang-
shan serving eight stations. This
has brought end-to-end journey
times down to 60 min.
In Hunan province, the 91 km line
between Changde and Yiyang was
opened on December 26, serving
an intermediate station at Hanshou.
This forms part of the 1 611 km
Yuxia corridor linking Chongqing
with Xiamen, which is being laid
out with a mix of 350 km/h and
200 km/h segments. The 63 km be-
tween Yiyang and Changsha Xi had
opened on September 6.
The 106 km line between Mile
and Mengzi in Yunnan was opened
on December 16, serving five
Also designed for 250 km/h
operation, the 121 km Nanning
– Chongzuo line in southwest
Guangxi opened on December 5.
Work is underway on an 80 km
extension to Pingxiang on the Vi-
etnam border.
★ A programme to enhance the
Chengdu – Kunming axis was
completed with the opening of
the upgraded Emei – Miyi section
on December 26. Construction of
new alignments has shortened the
route from 1 096 km to 915 km
and the line speed has been raised
from 80 to 160 km/h. The work re-
quired 11 major bridges and seven
tunnels of more than 10 km.

East Coast Rail sale agreed

Toshkent to handle Eurasian
freight traffic. The Yangiyo’l
facility is to be developed and
operated by Kazakh company
PTC Holding, with Halyk
Bank providing US$70m in
financing. Further support is
coming from the Toshkent
regional government and
Vuono Capital.
Read the latest news at
www.railwaygazette.com
AUSTRALIA
Aurizon has signed a bind-
ing agreement to sell its East
Coast Rail coal haulage busi-
ness to Magnetic Rail Group.
This is a wholly owned subsidi-
ary of Magnetic Infrastructure
Group, a 50:50 joint venture
between coal trading company
M Infrastructure Group and In-
donesian ports and shipping
group Asian Bulk Logistics.
Aurizon undertook to divest
ECR to obtain regulatory ap-
proval for its acquisition of One
Rail Australia, which was final-
ised in July 2022 (RG 9.22 p12).
ORA’s bulk and general freight
assets have been integrated into
Aurizon, but ECR continued to
operate under independent man-
agement while Aurizon pursued a
trade sale or demerger.
Aurizon is to receive cash
proceeds of A$425m, including
A$125m deferred for 12 months.
Magnetic will assume ECR’s exist-
ing debt facilities which originally
totalled A$500m.

6 February 2023 Railway Gazette International


Indian Railways orders
1 200 electric locomotives
INDIA
Indian Railways has selected
Siemens Mobility to act as its
technology partner to sup-
ply and maintain 1 200 electric
locomotives for the Western
Dedicated Freight Corridor and
other steeply graded routes. The
9 000 hp locos will be able to haul
4 500 tonne double-stack contain-
er trains at 75 km/h on 1 in 200
gradients.
Valued at Rs260bn, the con-
tract announced on January 16 is
described as Siemens Mobility’s
largest ever locomotive order. The
locos are to be assembled by IR
staff at Dahod in Gujarat, where
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
laid a foundation stone for expan-
sion of the existing workshop in
Kigoma contract awarded
TANZANIA
Tanzania Railway Corp has select-
ed a Chinese joint venture to build
the 411 km branch of its growing
standard gauge network from Tab-
ora to the port of Kigoma on Lake
Tanganyika.
The US$2·21bn contract with
GTX trainset unveiled
SOUTH KOREA
The first EMU for Seoul’s Great Train Express com-
muter rail network has been unveiled at Hyundai
Rotem’s Changwon plant, with a ceremony attend-
ed by Minister of Land, Infrastructure & Transport
Railway Gazette International February 2023
April 2022. Assembly is expected
to run from 2023 to 2034, using
IGBT traction equipment supplied
from Siemens Mobility factories in
India. Prototypes are to be deliv-
ered within two years.
China Civil Engineering Con-
struction Corp and China Railway
Construction Corp was signed on
December 20. It includes the con-
struction of 10 stations and two
freight terminals at Uvinza and
Katosho, together with 95 km of
additional tracks. Construction is
scheduled to take 48 months.
Won Hee-ryong.
The 20 eight-car trains are due to be delivered by
June 2024, ready for opening of the 82 km Line A,
which will link Unjeong in the northwest to Dongtan
in the southeast, serving 11 stations. The trains are
designed to run at up to 180 km/h, reflecting the ex-
press nature of the GTX network and its wider
catchment than the Seoul metro.
The company will also provide
35 years of full-service mainte-
nance at depots in Vishakhapat-
nam, Raipur, Kharagpur and Pune,
using its Railigent data platform to
ensure 95% availability.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan
said the SGR would open up Tan-
zania and provide an export route
for the output from mines in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
The electrified network is expect-
ed to total 2 561 route-km, run-
ning inland from Dar es Salaam to
Mwanza, Kigoma and Katavi.
INTELLIGENCE
African
concessions
sold
AFRICA
French industrial conglomerate
Bolloré announced on Decem-
ber 21 that it had completed the
sale to Genève-based shipping
group MSC of its Bolloré Africa
Logistics business, for a total en-
terprise value of €5·7bn, made up
of €5·1bn for 100% of the share
capital and €600m to repay
shareholder loans.
The deal includes three railway
concessions: Sitarail operates be-
tween Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire and
Kaya in Burkina Faso; Camrail has
about 1 000 km of route in Came-
roon; and Bénirail runs the
500 km line in Bénin linking Para-
kou with the port of Cotonou and
the 143 km line between Niamey
and Dosso in Niger.
JR Freight
to transport
airport cargo
JAPAN
JR Freight is to begin the regular
transport of bonded cargo between
warehouses and Tokyo’s main air-
ports in April, as part of a project
to reduce emissions and provide
more reliable logistics services.
Fukuoka-based private railway
Nishitetsu began moving consign-
ments from its Rinku cargo centre
in Izumisano to Narita and Haneda
airports near Tokyo after the num-
ber of international flights from
Osaka’s Kansai Airport was reduced
during the coronavirus pandemic.
The traffic initially moved by
road, but a growing shortage of
lorry drivers meant reliability
could not be guaranteed. A study
into the use of rail found that this
could reduce CO2 emissions by
around 60%. Nishitetsu then con-
ducted trials with JR Freight and
logistics company Senko. The pro-
moters envisage that about 50% of
the air freight currently moving by
road will switch to rail.
7
 INTELLIGENCE

Infrastructure
projects
tendered
ITALY
RFI called tenders in December
2022 for a package of 18 infrastruc-
ture contracts valued at €6·8bn.
The largest contract by value
covers construction of the 35 km
Battipaglia – Romagnano section
of the planned Salerno – Reggio
Calabria high speed line, with the
€2·2bn cost due to be financed
from the EU’s Recovery and Resil-
ience fund. Another tender budg-
eted at €1·5bn covers the double-
tracking of the 30 km Fiumetorto
– Lercara section of the Palermo –
Catania main line, which will be up-
graded for 200 km/h operation.
Works to facilitate a 9 km ex-
tension of the Salerno suburban
rail service from Stadio Arechi to
Salerno Costa D’Amalfi Airport
are costed at €185m including the
Amtrak unveils Airo
electro-diesel train family
USA
Amtrak has selected Airo as the
brand name for the electro-diesel
push-pull trains that it has or-
dered from Siemens Mobility to
operate medium-distance inter-
city services.
Amtrak ordered 73 Intercity
Trainsets in 2021 to replace its
ageing Amfleet I loco-hauled
coaches and subsequently exer-
cised an option for an extra 10
sets, bringing the investment to
$7·3bn including new and up-
graded maintenance facilities.
Deliveries are expected to start
in 2025, with the trains entering
service in 2026-31.
There will be 26 six-car and
32 eight-car bi-mode sets for
Northeast Corridor services,
powered by a Tier 4 compliant
ALC42E locomotive. The adja-
cent coach will be an ‘auxiliary
power vehicle’ with a pantograph
and transformer to feed the loco­
motive’s traction motors, as well
as a supplementary powered
bogie.
The 17 six-car hybrid sets for
use in the northeast will have a
traction battery to feed the loco-
motive when operating around
New York Penn station, where
diesel traction is prohibited. The
remaining eight six-coach sets
are destined to work Amtrak
Cascades services in the Pacific
Northwest, powered by either
ALC42E locomotives or Wsdot-
owned SC-44 Chargers.
Siemens Mobility will assemble
the trains in Sacramento. Each
set will have a business class car
with 2+1 seating and a café car
providing a ‘contemporary’ food
service. The driving vehicles and
other trailers will have standard
2+2 seating.
★ The Department of Transpor-
tation announced on Decem-
ber 21 that it would provide near-
ly $9bn to fund infrastructure
renewals and expand passenger
services along the Northeast Cor-
ridor. This will help fund some of
the priority projects identified by
the FRA in November. According
to Administrator Amit Bose, the
extra funding is to be disbursed
through the Federal-State Part-
nership for Intercity Passenger
Rail Grant Program, which will
now total $36bn over the next
five years.

Fleet renewal to double ridership

construction of four stations.
A €1·4bn framework contract is
envisaged for the installation of
noise barriers throughout the
country, while two others will cov-
er track maintenance and the re-
furbishment of station buildings.
★ RFI has awarded a €428m con-
tract to a consortium of Rizzani
De Eccher, Manelli Impresa and
Sacaim to construct an 8 km dou-
ble-track branch linking Venezia’s
Marco Polo Airport to the Venezia
Mestre – Trieste main line.
LITHUANIA
The procurement of electric trains
and service enhancements to
double ridership are envisaged in
a long-term operating contract
awarded to the national railway’s
passenger division LTG Link
by the Ministry of Transport &
Communications.
Under the 10-year PSO
contract running from Janu-
ary 1 2023, the government is
to provide an average of €40m a
year to support operations. This
is intended to enable LTG Link
to attract additional funding to
finance its fleet renewal. There
are also mechanisms for local au-
thorities to contribute to service
improvements, including better
co-ordination with bus services,
integrated ticketing and park &
ride facilities.
LTG Link CEO Linas Baužys
described the accord as ‘a new
milestone in the development of
green rail transport’. The operator
carried almost 4·3 million pas-
sengers between January and No-
vember 2022; its target is to reach
6 million passengers in 2025 and
10 million by 2030.

Through working
agreement
AFRICA
Botswana Railways trains have begun run-
ning through to Bulawayo, following the
signing of a through working agreement
with National Railways of Zimbabwe.
The deal, signed by NRZ General Man-
ager Respina Zinyanduko and BR Opera-
tions Director Palalani Mari at Plumtree on
December 16, also provides for NRZ loco-
motives to run to Francistown.
NRZ said eliminating the need to change
loco­motives at the border would cut delays
and improve efficiency in the delivery of
freight including salt, fuel, grain, sugar and
coal.

8 February 2023 Railway Gazette International

 INTELLIGENCE

Regional line electrified cost of KC4·2bn, while the 29 km from Uničov to Libina
and Šumperk has been upgraded at a cost of KC3·5bn.
The first two units in a dedicated fleet of three-car
Briefing
CZECH REPUBLIC
Class 640.2 RegioPanter EMUs being supplied by Private inter-city operator
Electric services have begun running on the Olomouc Škoda Transportation to work the line entered ser- Brightline opened two
– Uničov – Šumperk line, which has been upgraded vice on December 20. additional intermediate
under a project co-funded by the EU. Managed from ★ Subterra, OHLA ŽS and EŽ Praha have begun work stations in southern Florida
a control centre at Olomouc, this is SŽ’s first regional on the second phase of a KC2·96bn project to double- on December 20. The stations
at Aventura and Boca Raton
route to be controlled exclusively using ETCS. track the Brno – Zastávka u Brna line and electrify it at
are aimed at tapping into
The line has been electrified at 3 kV DC, with provision 25 kV 50 Hz. The 8·5 km from Brno-Horní Heršpice to
potential commuter traffic on
for conversion to 25 kV 50 Hz. The 29 km single-track Střelice was completed in September 2021, and the re- its initial route between Miami
section from Olomouc to Uničov was rebuilt in 2021 at a maining 10·5 km is due for completion by late 2024. Central and West Palm Beach.
Arriva has been awarded the
Twente-ZHO contract to
operate passenger trains on
the non-electrified Zutphen
– Hengelo – Oldenzaal line
and local bus services in
Twente, replacing Keolis from
December 2023. The contract
will run for a maximum of
five years, pending the
development of plans for more
sustainable operation. Arriva
is expected to use the current
fleet of Alstom Lint 41 DMUs.
Caltrain has been allocated
a further $43m in federal
funding for its electrification
programme (RG 12.22 p18).
The omnibus spending bill
passed by the US Congress
in December provides $10m

High speed network

for a community project and

Linha Sul a further $33m from FTA’s

Capital Investment Grant

heads south reaches Murcia

BRAZIL
Federal operator CBTU has start-
ed revenue services on a 15 km
two-station extension of Natal’s
suburban Linha Sul from Caju-
piranga to São José de Mipibu,
with a further extension to Nísia
Floresta due to be handed over
at the end of January.
Both of the city’s diesel-
operated 1 000 mm gauge subur-
ban lines are being extended. A
4·1 km branch of Linha Norte to
Jardim Petrópolis is expected to
be completed this month, adding
three stations.
A limited service began running
on the Linha Sul extension on
January 2, with all trains operating
to São José de Mipibu from Janu-
ary 9. Opening of the full exten-
sion to Nísia Floresta is projected
to double ridership on the net-
work, adding an estimated 11 000
riders a day. Total cost of the Lin-
ha Sul extension is put at R$78m,
of which R$51·6m is being covered
by the federal government.
SPAIN
Passenger services between Ma-
drid and Murcia began running
on December 20, following the in-
auguration of the final 15·9 km of
high speed line between Orihuela
and Murcia by King Felipe VI.
The 1 435 mm gauge single track
line runs alongside another track
of 1 668 mm gauge, with a 2·5 km
section of dual gauge at Murcia del
Carmen.
Renfe is initially providing four
high speed trains each way per day
between Madrid and Murcia, us-
ing its Talgo Class 112 trainsets.
It has also introduced an Avant
regional service between Alacant
and Murcia using 250 km/h Al-
stom/CAF Class 104 EMUs. The
two trains per day between Ma-
drid, Albacete and Murcia via the
more direct 1 668 mm gauge line
will continue to run, with some
services extended to Águilas.
Programme, aimed at closing
a $367m shortfall in funding
for the $2·44bn project.
Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie
has started work on a €48m
contract to modernise the
34 km Mitrovicë – Fushë
Kosovë line as the second
stage of a €208m three-
phase programme to enhance
Infrakos’s main line linking
North Macedonia with Serbia
through Kosovo. The route
forms part of the Western
Balkans core rail network and
an extension of the Trans-
European Transport Network.
CFL has acquired a 64·5%
stake in Manuport, which
in turn holds a 50% stake
in the Luxport Group that
operates Luxembourg’s only
inland port at Mertert on
the River Moselle and is also
active at Trier in Germany
and Metz in France. CFL Chief
Executive Marc Wengler said
the national railway was
‘steadfast in our objective
to develop Luxembourg as a
European multimodal hub’.
Read the latest news at
www.railwaygazette.com

Railway Gazette International February 2023 9

 INTELLIGENCE

Parklife to Dhaka’s first metro opened

run Sydney was underway on three lines,
BANGLADESH
Airport metro Dhaka metro Line 6 was in-
and studies were in progress
for a further two.
AUSTRALIA augurated by Prime Minister Japan International Co-
Sheikh Hasina on Decem- operation Agency financed
Sydney Metro has selected the ber 28, with Dhaka Mass 75% of the US$2·8bn cost of
Parklife Metro consortium for the Transit Co starting limited Line 6 under a 40-year soft loan
Systems, Trains, Operations & passenger services the fol- agreement signed in February
Maintenance package covering lowing day. The country’s 2013. Construction began in
the fitting out of the fully auto- first metro runs for 11·7 km June 2016, with civil works un-
mated Western Sydney Airport on an elevated north-south dertaken by Italian-Thai Devel-
metro line and 15 years of alignment from Uttara North opment and China Sinohydro
operation. to Agargaon, serving nine Corp. Track, CBTC and 1·5 kV
The third and final major stations. With more than 22 million peo- DC overhead electrification were
works package covers the com- Work is underway to complete ple in the metropolitan area, the supplied by Marubeni and Larsen
pletion of six stations on the a further 9·5 km and eight sta- capital had been one of the biggest & Toubro under a ¥55bn contract
23 km line between St Marys and tions. The section from Agargaon cities in the world without a metro. awarded in June 2018.
Aerotropolis and construction of to Motijheel is expected to open in A 20-year Strategic Transport Plan Kawasaki Heavy Industries and
a stabling and maintenance facil- December, with Motijheel to Ka- developed by the Dhaka Transport Mitsubishi were awarded a ¥40bn
ity at Orchard Hills, along with malapur to follow in 2024. Close Co-ordination Authority envisag- contract to supply 24 trains and fit
the supply of railway systems to the main railway station, Ka- es a network of six lines and more out the depot. The six-car sets have
and 12 trainsets. The package is malapur will provide interchange than 100 stations by 2030. The 306 seats and space for up to 1 700
valued at A$5·2bn, bringing the to the future lines 1, 2 and 4. Prime Minister said development standing passengers.
total project cost to approxi-
mately A$11bn.
The consortium is led by Ple-
nary Group, which has a 60%
Nagpur extends PPP to finance
stake in the SPV. Other partners
are Siemens Mobility/Siemens
INDIA with one under construction.
The openings complete the
Kraków tram
Financial Services (20%), Webuild Two extensions of the Nagpur Rs86·5bn first phase of the Nagpur POLAND
(10%), and operator RATP Dev metro have opened for revenue metro development programme.
(10%). service following a formal inaugu- The Orange Line is now 19·7 km Financing has been put in place
‘The public-private partner- ration by Prime Minister Naren- long, and the Aqua Line 18·6 km. for the fourth phase of the Kraków
ship has brought together four dra Modi on December 11. Modi also laid a foundation stone Fast Tramway project, through
world-class organisations’, said The 5·4 km northeast exten- marking the start of the Rs67bn what EBRD says is the first public-
Parklife Metro Chair Paul Oppen- sion of the Orange Line links Kas- phase two. This will add 18·6 km to private partnership in the Polish
heim. ‘Our collective international turchand Park with Automotive the south of the Orange Line, from tramway infrastructure sector.
experience will ensure the latest Square, serving four stations, with Khapri to MIDC ESR, and 13 km Turkish engineering firm Güler-
and best technologies and inno- another yet to open. The 8·9 km in the northeast from Automotive mak has been awarded a 20-year
vations are applied to Sydney eastern extension of the Aqua Line Square to Kanhan. The Aqua Line concession to develop and main-
Metro Western Sydney Airport. runs from the interchange between will be extended east by 5·5 km tain the 4·5 km, 10-stop link be-
We look forward to delivering the two lines at Sitabuldi to Praja- from Prajapati Nagar to Transport tween the Mistrzejowice terminus
such a city-changing project.’ pati Nagar via the railway station. Nagar, and west by 6·7 km from of routes 9, 14 and 16 and Tauron
This extension adds eight stations Lokmanya Nagar to Hingna. Arena Kraków Wieczysta stop on
routes 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, 44, 49 and 52.
This will be done through a special
M8 inaugurated purpose vehicle, PPP Solutions
Polska 2. The extension through a
TURKEY residential area will include a
940 m tunnel under the Polsad
The 14·3 km metro Line M8 linking Bostancı with roundabout with an underground
Dudullu on the Anatolian side of Istanbul was opened stop, road remodelling and pedes-
on January 6. Passing through four districts with trian and cycling facilities.
1·7 million inhabitants, the line has 13 stations. The project is one of several
The fully automated line is designed to operate at which the Polish government is us-
90 sec headways, giving a capacity of 44 400 ing to pilot PPP schemes in various
passengers/h per direction. Full-height platform Dudullu, and with M4 at Kozyatağı. Underground park sectors. EBRD has agreed a loan of
screen doors are installed at all stations. Hyundai and ride facilities have been built at Bostancı and 258·5m złoty, and a further 565·5m
Rotem has supplied 10 four-car driverless trainsets, Kozyatağı, providing spaces for 2 831 vehicles. złoty is to be co-financed by EIB
which can carry up to 1 080 passengers. End-to-end ★ The 2 km section of Line M7 from Mecidiyeköy to and a Polish commercial bank.
journey time is 21 min. Fulya and Yıldız was opened on January 2. This line is
Line M8 interchanges with the Marmaray subur- now 19·2 km long with 17 stations; a further extension
ban line and ferries at Bostancı, with M5 at IMES and from Yıldız to Kabataş is under construction. Read the latest news at
www.railwaygazette.com

10 February 2023 Railway Gazette International


Quito metro ready to go
ECUADOR
Quito metro Line 1 has been for-
mally inaugurated ahead of the
start of services, with official cere-
monies including a blessing by the
city’s archbishop on December 21.
The 22 km underground line
runs from Quitumbe in the south
to El Labrador in the north, serv-
ing 15 stations with a fleet of 18 six-
car trains. Built by a consortium
Jurong Region
Line started
SINGAPORE
Land Transport Authority officially
launched the construction of the
Jurong Region Line with a cere-
mony on January 13 at the site of
the future Tengah Town station.
The 24 km elevated line with 24
stations will be Singapore’s sev-
enth metro. The fully automated
line is intended to improve connec-
tivity in western Singapore and
support development in the Ju-
rong area. It will put more than
60 000 additional households
within a 10 min walk of a metro
station.
LTA said building the JRL
through a ‘mature and densely
developed’ corridor would be
challenging. Tight curves and lim-
ited clearances mean that the 62
three-car trains ordered from
Hyundai Rotem will have narrow-
er and shorter vehicles than
those used on other lines.
The 10-station first phase is ex-
pected to open in 2027, running
southwest from Choa Chu Kang to
Bahar Junction, where it will split
into two branches to serve Tawas
and Boon Lay. The second phase
in 2028 will add a seven-station
branch running south from Ten-
gah to Pandan Reservoir via an
interchange at Jurong East. The
final phase planned for comple-
tion by 2029 will add extensions
from Tawas to Peng Kwang Hill
and from Boon Lay to Jurong Pier.
Ridership is expected to aver-
age 200 000 passengers/day in
the early years, rising to more
than 500 000 when the area is
fully developed.
Railway Gazette International February 2023
including Acciona (civil engineer-
ing), CAF (rolling stock), Alstom
(signalling) and Siemens Mobility
(electrification), it is designed to
carry up to 400 000 passengers/day.
State-owned promoter Epmmq
has awarded the operating contract
to the Eommt 51:49 joint venture
of Transdev and Colombia’s Met-
ro de Medellín; this is valued at
US$186m over six years.
More than 50 000 people took
Dortmund tram delivered
GERMANY
The first of 90 energy-efficient high-floor light rail vehicles being supplied
to Dortmund was unveiled by operator DSW21, HeiterBlick and Kiepe
Electric at Dorstfeld depot in December.
Under the B-car project, the two firms
are supplying 26 new trams assembled
in Leipzig and rebuilding 64 B80C-6 and
B80C-8 vehicles from the current DSW21
fleet, recycling the existing bodyshells
and bogies.
The vehicles have thermal insulation
and double-glazed windows, allowing
the saloon heating to be reduced; this is
expected to cut the energy consumption
of the fleet by an estimated 12·5%.
Interborough Express
light rail plan
USA
New York Governor Kathy Hochul
has backed proposals from the Met-
ropolitan Transportation Authority
to introduce light rail services be-
tween Brooklyn and Queens.
Rapid population growth in
suburban New York City has
pushed the need for improved rail
links between the outer boroughs
up the agenda of local policy­
makers. Only one Subway line,
the G, links Brooklyn and Queens
without running into Manhattan.
Interborough Express services
would operate over a 22·5 km route
between Bay Ridge in Brooklyn
and Jackson Heights in Queens,
offering end-to-end journey times
of around 40 min. The line would
interchange with up to 17 Subway
and LIRR services. Daily weekday
ridership is estimated at 115 000.
part in familiarisation tours of the
stations following the inaugura-
tion. Preview services had been
scheduled to start on January 5,
ahead of full revenue operation
from the beginning of March.
However, Metro de Quito told
Railway Gazette International
that ‘dynamic induction has been
delayed, due to a problem in the
digital platform generating the QR
codes for the tickets’.
According to MTA, light rail
would use much of the existing rail
infrastructure, meaning the Inter-
borough Express ‘could be built
more quickly and efficiently’. Pro-
posals envisage an elevated align-
ment above the existing freight
line which links a train ferry dock
at 65th Street with New York &
Atlantic Railway’s yard at Fresh
Pond. The route between Bay
Ridge and Fresh Pond is owned
by MTA’s Long Island Rail Road,
while another 5 km forms part of
CSX’s Fremont Secondary.
According to MTA, ‘smaller,
more flexible’ light rail vehicles
would fit within the constraints of
the existing corridor, and could
be ‘procured off the shelf without
modification’. The project is cost-
ed at around $5·5bn, although
it is unclear how this would be
funded.
INTELLIGENCE
Briefing
Brussels operator STIB
launched the construction
of tram route 10 to serve
the northern Neder-Over-
Heembeek district with a
ceremony on January 18. The
5·5 km of new alignment from
Van Praet to Hôpital Militaire
is expected to open in 2024.
A 2·4 km one-station
extension of the Baku metro
Purple Line from Avtovağzal
to a station and depot at
Xocesen was inaugurated by
e e
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham
Aliyev on December 23.
Infrastructure Ontario and
Metrolinx have selected
the Aecon-led Scarborough
Transit Connect consortium as
development partner for the
7·8 km Scarborough Subway
Extension of Toronto’s Bloor-
Danforth Line, which is intended
to replace the Scarborough
Rapid Transit automated light
metro dating from 1985.
The Taiwan government
has approved plans for the
5·5 km Xizhi – Donghu metro
line in Taipei, setting an
initial budget of NT$27·9bn
for design and construction;
total cost is estimated at
NT$37·7bn, with construction
expected to take 9½ years.
The PHX Sky Train automated
peoplemover at Phoenix Sky
Harbor International Airport
has been extended by 4 km
from Terminal 3 to Rental Car
Center. Undertaken by Alstom,
which operates the line, the
project included the supply of
24 additional Innovia APM 200
vehicles.
West Midlands Combined
Authority has approved
£36·8m to fund a ‘real world
demonstration’ of technology
being developed under the
UK’s Very Light Rail project.
This will be used to build
around 1 km of track in
Coventry from 2024 to assess
the feasibility of construction
in a highway environment.
The regional government
has awarded a 20-year PPP
contract to Movista Regions for
modernisation of Yaroslavl’s
45·3 km tram network,
including the supply of 47
low-floor trams. The 19·7bn
rouble project will be partially
funded by Russia’s national
development agency VEB.RF.
11
 INTELLIGENCE

Briefing French companies

development, technology transfer
and encouraging local production
of parts under a Thai First policy.

In order to increase its
presence in the Baltic region,
VTG has rebranded its VTG
Project Logistics business
as VTG Rail Logistics
Baltics. The Klaipeda-based
subsidiary will act as a
full-service rail forwarder
offering ‘advanced tailor-
made solutions’ and an
international reach.
US track maintenance
equipment lessor Relam
has expanded in the
road-rail vehicle market
through the acquisition
of Wisconsin-based sales,
rental and support company
Wiskerchen.
UK-based lubricant supplier
RS Clare & Co has acquired
Switzerland-based wheel-
rail friction management
product manufacturer
Igralub Holding, along with
its subsidiaries in Germany
and Austria and its share in a
North American joint venture.
Following regulatory approval,
Kontron Transportation has
completed the acquisition
of Kapsch TrafficCom’s
ticket vending machine and
access control business Arce
Mobility Solutions for €7·6m.
The firm employs 115 people
at nine sites in Spain, and
generated revenues of €11m
in the year ending March
2022.
Keolis has issued its
inaugural sustainability-
linked Schuldschein, a private
placement with a margin
adjustment mechanism linked
target Thailand
‘The government’s plans to
develop the rail sector are prom-
ising, and it is in our interest to
work together with our counter-
region, particularly with Chinese parts’, explained Arezki Touat,
THAILAND
technologies’. Managing Director of Systra
The Rail Technology Research Minister of Transport Saksay- Asia. ‘Our common objective is
& Development Agency has am Chidchob and French Am- to ensure that the country mod-
signed a memorandum of un- bassador Thierry Mathou attend- ernises its rail network and relies
derstanding with four French ed the signing of the MoU with on French know-how, particular-
companies aiming to strengthen Egis, Alstom, Poma and Vossloh ly in the high speed sector, where
their links with Thai partners in Cogifer in Bangkok. The Minis- Systra is already active with the
what Systra said was ‘a context try of Foreign Affairs explained high speed line project linking
of increasing competition in the that the MoU would cover staff Bangkok to its three airports.’
Eco-friendly workshop Longwood
GERMANY exits wagon
Railpool has started construction of an ‘eco-friendly’ locomotive main-
tenance workshop at Hamburg Billbrook, which is due for completion
leasing
by the end of 2023. The building will have a total floor area of approxi- USA
mately 4 000 m2, of which around 800 m² will be used for office, training
and welfare facilities. The offices will be heated with waste heat from The Greenbrier Companies has
the workshop, while the roof will have photovoltaic panels. acquired Longwood Group’s 10%
‘By investing in a future-proof workshop, we are providing the main- interest in the GBX Leasing wag-
tenance capacity required for the growing volume of rolling stock’, ex- on leasing joint venture, which
plained CEO Torsten Lehnert. was established in February
Managing Director of Railpool Lokservice Christoph Engel said ‘when 2021 to provide ‘stable and tax-
planning the workshop, the focus was not only to allow space for a variety advantaged’ cash flows to com-
of maintenance options but also to maximise the efficiency of processes. plement more cyclical revenues
Increased storage capacity, easier delivery of materials, simplified logistics from Greenbrier’s manufactur-
and powerful overhead cranes will ensure faster throughput times.’ ing activities.
‘Greenbrier has enjoyed a pro-
ductive and beneficial relation-
ship with Longwood in the devel-
opment of our leasing business’,
Greenbrier President & CEO Lorie
Tekorius said on January 3,
thanking the company for pro-
viding strategic investment guid-
ance and market assistance. ‘The
formation of GBXL has plainly

Regulis changes hands

to environmental, diversity
and safety performance. The
€100m Schuldschein with
tenors of five and seven
years was arranged by Crédit
Agricole CIB, ING and Société
Générale and distributed with
investors from Europe and
Asia.
Rhino Doors has moved work
on its contract to supply 19
bespoke single-leaf cross-
passage sliding fire doors for
‘a major North American rail
tunnel’ to its Bamber Bridge
facility from its Port Talbot
plant, which is finalising a
project to design and install
20 bespoke oversized
90 min integrity stainless
steel fire doors at London
Underground’s Bank station.
INTERNATIONAL
Regulis, the registrar designate for
the Luxembourg Rail Protocol,
has been acquired from SITA by
Canadian company Information
Services Corp.
The 2007 Luxembourg Protocol
to the Cape Town Convention on
International Interests in Mobile
Equipment has been developed to
create a global legal regime for the
recognition of creditors’ interests in
railway equipment. OTIF has been
designated to act as secretariat for
the intergovernmental Supervisory
Authority, while Regulis was estab-
lished to develop and manage the
associated International Registry
for Railway Rolling Stock for an
initial 10 year period.
OTIF Secretary General Wolf-
gang Küpper said ISC would ‘fully
meet expectations in regard to the
operation of the International Reg-
istry’, thanks to its ‘extensive expe-
rience in establishing, operating
and enhancing registry systems’.
‘Developing and operating
public registries is the reason
ISC was created, and our focus
remains on building modern reg-
istries that meet the unique needs
of our clients and their custom-
ers’, added ISC President & CEO
Shawn Peters.
and demonstrably expanded
Greenbrier’s value proposition for
its customers and shareholders.’
Chicago-based Longwood was
formed in 2018 to support enti-
ties seeking to invest in leased
transport equipment. CEO Ste-
phen Menzies said GBXL had ‘cre-
ated tremendous value for
Greenbrier shareholders and
Longwood’s investors in its first
two years’, and had more than
doubled the expected investment
volume by capitalising on favour-
able market opportunities and
benefiting from lease rate infla-
tion and asset appreciation.
Read the latest news at
www.railwaygazette.com

12 February 2023 Railway Gazette International

 INTELLIGENCE

Gauging
specialist
acquired
UK
Quality and safety assurance group
TÜV Rheinland has acquired rail-
way gauging and clearance assess-
ment consultancy D/Gauge, which
will be integrated into its business
as a subsidiary of TÜV Rheinland
UK. The group said the acquisition
was an important foundation for
further growth in the rail technolo-
gy sector in the UK and ‘far beyond’.
‘D/Gauge’s services perfectly com-
plement our portfolio, which has al-
ready been confirmed in numerous
joint customer projects in the UK’,
said TÜV Rheinland’s Executive
Vice-President, Mobility, Matthias
Schubert on January 12. ‘We both
serve many common key accounts,
such as Network Rail, Hitachi, and
others. The merger will further
strengthen our customer offering.’
Founded by David Johnson in
2008, D/Gauge now has 28 staff.
There is growing demand for the
simulation tools it has developed,
which Schubert said ‘promise tre-
mendous scalability based on an
excellent customer network and
can also be easily scaled interna-
tionally through our well-estab-
lished sales channels’.
Heads of the month
Naveen Gulati has been appointed as Member
(Traction & Rolling Stock) of the Indian Railway Board.
He was previously General Manager of the Integral
Coach Factory, where he is succeeded by S Srinivas,
who was ICF’s Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer.
Aline Frantzen is to join Metro
Trains Melbourne in April as Chief
Operating Officer. She is currently
Chief Executive Officer of US Bus
at KeolisTransit America, having
previously served as Managing Director
of KeolisAmey Metrolink in Manchester and
Executive Director, Service Delivery, at Yarra Trams.
Thorsten Dieter has joined DB Netz with effect
from February 1. He was previously Head of Path
Management on the board of DB Cargo, where his
role has been taken over by CFO Martina Niemann.
José Solorza Estévez has been
appointed General Manager of
Chilean national railway EFE. A civil
engineer by training, he worked with
Ineco, ADIF and Renfe on the Haramain
High Speed Rail project in Saudi Arabia.
Jānis Vitenbergs has been appointed Minister
of Transport in the new government of Latvia. He
previously served as Minister of Economics for two
spells between April 2020 and May 2022.
Libuše Jurečková has joined Škoda Group as
Chief Financial Officer with effect from January 1,
working with CEO Didier Pfleger. She previously
worked for ABB, but was most recently CFO of ČEZ
Group in Romania.
Former Governor of Alagoas state and mayor of
Murici Renan Filho has been appointed Minister
of Transport in the Brazilian government that took
office on January 1.
Chris Gibb is to step down as CEO of government-
owned Scottish Rail Holdings when his fixed term
contract ends on March 31, although he remains a
Non-Executive Director of DfT OLR Holdings Ltd.
Mike Bagshaw has been appointed Managing
Director of London Crossrail operator MTR
Elizabeth Line, replacing Nigel Holness who
steps down this month to focus on business
development at MTR Corp.
Ilaria Gavuglio has been appointed
President of Genova public
transport operator AMT. She is
joined on the board of directors
by Enzo Sivori, Sabina Alzona,
Manuela Bruzzone and Alberto Balsi.
Peter Dannewitz has announced his intention to
step down as Head of Sales at German intermodal
operator Kombiverkehr from mid-2023; he is
expected to take up a similar role at Hupac.
Joel McNeil has been appointed Executive Vice
President at US streetcar manufacturer Brookville
Equipment Corp. He was previously Vice President
of Business Development.

Pointers
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James
Marape has announced that plans are being
drawn up by the Department of Transport
and Kumul Consolidated Holdings to build the
country’s first major railway, running from
Lae to Vanimo via Markham, Ramu and the
East Sepik plains. Intended to support plans
to increase agricultural production in the area,
the scheme could be implemented through a
public-private partnership..
The US Federal Railroad Administration has
invited project proposals for the development
of inter-city passenger services under the
Corridor Identification & Development
Program established in the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law. Administrator Amit Bose
said this was an opportunity to ‘develop a
national strategy to make rail transportation
more available and reliable, boosting
economies, growing jobs, and creating new
connections’.
VIA Rail has established a dedicated project
office for Canada’s High Frequency Rail
project. VIA HFR – VIA TGF Inc will develop
plans for dedicated tracks to carry 200 km/h
electric passenger trains in the corridor linking
Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Québec.
A team from China Railway First Survey &
Design Institute Group arrived in Nepal at
the end of December to undertake feasibility
studies for a proposed trans-Himalayan
railway linking Kathmandu with the Chinese
border town of Kerung.
Deutsche Bahn’s supervisory board has
tasked the railway’s management with
examining a potential sale of the DB
Schenker freight forwarding business.
Although Schenker generated €1·2bn in
operating profit in the first half of 2022, the
board said it would require larger financial
resources in the medium term to retain
its position in the ‘ever more competitive’
logistics sector. Divestment would sharpen
DB’s focus on its core rail activities, while the
proceeds from a sale could reduce the debts
of the DB group.
Taiwan’s President Su Zhenchang has
approved a preferred alignment for an
extension of the Thsrc high speed line from
Zuoying north of Kaohsiung to Pingtung,
which would parallel an existing motorway for
approximately 40 km.
Renfe has started test running in France with
a Series 100 trainset, with a view to obtaining
a safety case for operation over the entire
French high speed network. The Spanish
national operator has rights to run to Lyon
and Marseille, and is expected to launch its
own services from Barcelona this year, having
ended its co-operation agreement with SNCF
from the December 2022 timetable change.

Railway Gazette International February 2023 13

 MARKET
a $105m contract for track and

Record bridge slide infrastructure renewals on the

Blue Line between UIC-Halsted
and Illinois Medical District, as the
UK first phase of work on the Forest
Park branch.
HS2 Ltd and Balfour Beatty Vinci marked a milestone
in construction of the high speed line on Decem- Los Angeles County MTA has
ber 24-26, when the Marston box bridge was slid into appointed a joint venture of
position over the M42 motorway northeast of Arcadis and Mott MacDonald
Birmingham. as construction management
The 86 m long 12 600 tonne skew box bridge was support services consultant for
designed for BBV by a joint venture of Mott MacDon- the planned 10·7 km East San
ald and Systra. It was assembled next to the motor- Fernando Valley light rail line.
way in six months and then moved into position over
a distance of 165 m, which the contractor says is a
world record for this type of installation. ROLLING STOCK
The bridge was moved at a speed of 4 m/h over a
period of 40 h, during a 10-day closure of the motor- AUSTRALIA
way. The sliding mechanism was designed by civils
specialist Freyssinet to allow the bridge to be pushed Qube has ordered 12 EMD GT46
into place on a guiding raft. diesel locomotives from Progress
Rail for delivery from August
2023. The 4 500 hp six-axle
locomotives are intended to
IRELAND SPAIN support an expansion of Qube’s
INFRASTRUCTURE interstate service between
Iarnród Éireann has appointed ADIF Alta Velocidad has awarded Melbourne and Sydney, which
CHILE John Sisk & Son for work on Thales a €26·9m contract to was launched in November.
the €65m first phase of the maintain for four years signalling
Metro de Santiago has awarded rehabilitation of the 42 km and traffic management systems CANADA
two contracts to Thales for supply Limerick – Foynes line, restoring on the Lleida – Barcelona Sants –
of the operations control centre rail freight services to the Figueras section of its high speed The government of Ontario has
for east-west Line 7, which is due Shannon Foynes deep water network. ordered three diesel push-pull
to open at the beginning of 2027, port as part of the EU TEN-T trainsets from Siemens Mobility
and its maintenance for 10 years. core network. Completion is ADIF AV has awarded a €26·9m for C$139·5m to enable the
planned by late 2024. contract to Lantania for the reintroduction of the Northlander
ESTONIA construction of the junction at passenger service between
IÉ has appointed Atkins as Palencia between the existing Toronto and Cochrane in the
Eesti Raudtee has awarded AŽD multi-disciplinary consultant high speed line to León and mid-2020s.
Praha a four-year contract to for the development of a new the future line to Reinosa and
supply 800 point machines, which station at Moyross on the Santander, requiring 1·3 km of CHILE
the Czech supplier said offered Limerick – Galway line and new trackbed and a 457 m viaduct
‘an interesting alternative to works to increase capacity on over the existing tracks. EFE has ordered three two-car
existing Russian-made products the 35 km single-track route Prosper VLT DMUs from Brazilian
in the Baltic countries’. Valued at between Limerick and Limerick ADIF has awarded Alstom and manufacturer Marcopolo Rail to
€6·1m, the deal follows successful Junction. Técnicas Eléctricas Asturianas operate the rehabilitated 88 km
testing with an initial three a €25m, 13-month contract to metre-gauge Talca – Constitución
PointSWing EP-642 machines. ITALY upgrade the signalling and train line, with delivery expected in the
control systems on the 51 km first half of 2024.
GERMANY Campania regional transport metre gauge line between Gijón,
authority Ente Autonomo Volturno Aviés and Pravia. Thales has been CROATIA
DB Netz has awarded Stadler a has awarded a €292m contract awarded a 27-month contract
contract to retrofit eight of its to an Alstom-led consortium of worth €20·8m to supply ASFA HŽPP has awarded Končar KEV
Class 711.1 and 741.X maintenance Integra, Icop and Euroferroviaria, Digital ATP to replace telephone a contract to supply a prototype
vehicles with the Guardia ETCS with Systra Sotecni and SWS block working on the 101 km single two-car battery multiple-unit
Baseline 3.6.0 onboard equipment Engineering, for the resignalling track Ortigueira – Ribadeo line. and a three-car battery-electric
for use in Germany and of the 144 km 950 mm gauge unit with 25 kV 50 Hz capability,
Switzerland from 2024, with an Campania-Circumvesuviana UK along with six charging points
option for up to 72 more vehicles. network including the provision to be installed at Split, Osijek,
of centralised traffic control and Spencer Group has completed a Varaždin, Bjelovar, Virovitica and
INDIA ETCS. £1·8m refurbishment of the former Pula.
Eurostar Manchester International
Chennai Metro has signed a MONTENEGRO depot, which is to be used to The first three of 11 Class 6.112
Rs16·2bn contract with Hitachi stable and service Northern’s suburban EMUs being supplied
Rail STS and Hitachi Rail India Infrastructure manager ŽICG has expanding fleet of Class 323 EMUs. to HŽPP by Končar KEV entered
for signalling and train control signed an €11m loan agreement service on December 21; these
systems on 118·9 km of Phase 2 with EBRD to finance the USA are co-financed by the EU
routes; the CBTC is intended purchase of modern maintenance under a €171·7m contract which
to facilitate driverless GoA4 equipment to replace obsolete Chicago Transit Authority has includes 10 EMUs for regional
operation at 90 sec headways. machines by 2025. awarded Kiewit Infrastructure services.

14 February 2023 Railway Gazette International

 MARKET

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RUSSIA UK Warszawa Mayor Rafał

Santo Domingo metro operator
Opret has awarded Alstom a
contract to supply a further 10
three-car Metropolis trainsets to
increase capacity on the 14·5 km
north-south Line 1. The order
is being financed by French
development agency AFD.
Moscow Metro has extended its
contract with Transmashholding
for Moskva 2020 trainsets by a
further 500 vehicles for delivery
in 2024-25. This takes the total
fleet ordered since 2020 to more
than 1 800 cars, with 300 due to
be delivered this year.
GB Railfreight has signed a £25m
deal with Akiem to lease for 10
years 11 EMD Class 77 and 66
diesel locomotives transferred
from continental Europe; they will
be modified at EMD’s Doncaster
Roberts Road site for use on the
British network.
Trzaskowski and his Kyiv
counterpart Vitali Klitschko
have agreed the transfer of 60
Warzsawa metro cars to the
Ukrainian capital as humanitarian
aid. The Russian-built Type 81-
572/573 and 81-714/717 cars dating
from 1989-97 are similar to vehicles
operated by the Kyiv metro.

FINLAND SLOVAKIA Eversholt Rail has awarded Alstom USA

VR has awarded a €50m contract
to Škoda Transtech for a further
nine sleeping cars and eight
car-carrying vans to expand its
night train fleet from the end
of 2025, with options for up to
30 more sleeping cars and 30
car-carriers.
GERMANY
The first of 24 three-section
and 34 four-section T-series
trams based on the Citadis
SX05 platform being supplied
by Alstom to Frankfurt am Main
operator VGF entered service
on Route 17 in December.
ITALY
Roma operator ATAC has
awarded Hitachi Rail a
framework contract to supply
up to 30 metro trains at a total
cost of €264m, with a firm order
for 12 sets for Line B and two
for Line A for delivery from
December 2024.
SSFI has awarded a €59·4m
framework contract to Stadler
Bussnang for four four-car
EMUs to operate on the
Centovalli line between
Domodossola and Locarno,
with a firm order for two three-
car units valued at €26·3m.
JAPAN
JR Central ordered a further
13 Series N700S trainsets
from Nippon Sharyo on
December 21; the 16-car trains
are to be delivered over a
four-year period to March 31
2027.
ŽSSK has ordered a further five
RegioPanter EMUs from Škoda
Group and ŽOS Trnava, using
an option in a contract placed in
September 2021. The dual-system
four-car units for use in the Košice
and Prešov regions will be funded
from the national Recovery &
Resilience Plan.
SPAIN
Renfe has ordered a further 49
Coradia Stream partly double-deck
EMUs from Alstom for €370m and
a further 20 double-deck EMUs
from Stadler for €308m, exercising
options on its earlier contracts
placed in March 2021 (RG 4.21 p8).
SWITZERLAND
Aargau Verkehr has ordered five
ABe 4/8 ‘Saphir II’ low-floor EMUs
from Stadler, using an option on a
2019 contract. Due to enter service
on the Wynental und Suhrentalbahn
from December 2025, the 40 m
long two-car units will replace older
stock dating from 1979.
Bi-mode on test
CHILE
The first of six four-car electro-diesel multiple-units
that CRRC Sifang is building for EFE Central has
started test running in China.
Ordered in December 2020 under a US$70m con-
tract, which includes maintenance, the 1 676 mm
a £12m contract to overhaul 40
three-car Class 334 Juniper EMUs Houston MetroRail has put into
used by ScotRail on 25 kV 50 Hz service on its Red Line the first of
routes around Glasgow. 14 S700 light rail vehicles being
supplied by Siemens Mobility
Great Western Railway is to hand under a contract awarded in
back all 19 of its Class 769/9 2019. The operator’s fourth
multi-system ‘Flex’ multiple-units procurement since 2004, the H4
to Porterbrook at the end of cars will take the fleet to 104 LRVs.
their current lease in April. The
tri-mode units had been intended Caltrain has awarded Nomad
to work North Downs and Digital a $20·9m contract
Thames Valley services, but have to provide on-board wi-fi
never entered revenue service. connectivity for the 19 double-
deck EMUs being supplied by
UKRAINE Stadler and another worth $5·6m
covering four years of operation
Odesa municipal transport operator and maintenance support.
Odesmiskelektrotrans has ordered
13 Type K1T306 low-floor trams
from a consortium led by Tatra-Yug, CONTRACTS
to be financed by a credit from EIB.
SPAIN
Ukrzaliznytsia has completed its
first in-house refurbishment of FGC has awarded contracts for
an EPL9T eight-car EMU, which feasibility studies to estimate
has been fitted with wheelchair the construction costs,
ramps and spaces for passengers potential demand and operating
with reduced mobility, as well as characteristics for four proposed
an accessible toilet, USB Type C tram-train networks in Catalunya
charging ports and internal CCTV. totalling 280 km.
gauge units will operate inter-city services on the
398 km Santiago – Chillán route, which is partially
electrified. The first two sets are scheduled to enter
service by mid-2023, in conjunction with a route mod-
ernisation programme that includes station enhance-
ments and work to increase capacity.
The 160 km/h trainsets with 236 seats will operate
stopping services taking 4 h, and express services
calling only at Rancagua, Talca and Chillán which will
take 3 h 40 min.

NETHERLANDS

Den Haag transport operator

HTM has awarded Stadler a
contract to supply 56 three-
section TINA trams with an
option for more. The 36·5 m
long vehicles are expected to
enter service from 2026.

Railway Gazette International February 2023 15

 INNOVATIONS
Freight train ATO test
NETHERLANDS
Gent-based automation start-up
OTIV has announced plans to test
an autonomous train on the Betuwe
Route freight corridor within the
next two years.
The company is working with
Dutch firm Mobility42 and Rail
Systems Engineering of Malay-
sia as part of the Remoot con-
sortium to develop autonomous
driving technology, and told local
media that it had agreed a multi-
year contract with an unspecified
‘major European rail operator’ to
undertake trials on the Betuwe
Route. The company said it was
‘one of the first projects that aims
to develop and validate the speci-
fications for heavy freight auto-
mated and remote train operation
in the form of an operational trial’.
Founded in 2019, OTIV has
been developing AI-based driver
assistance and autonomous driving
DB Netz gets Robel MMS
GERMANY
Infrastructure operator DB Netz
has taken delivery of the country’s
first Robel-built Mobile Mainte-
nance System for use on specialist
track maintenance work.
Branded by DB Netz as FIZ
(Fahrbahninstandhaltungszug), the
three-vehicle MMS is formed of a
traction and supply unit with crew
accommodation, toilet facilities
and a workshop, an intermediate
car for the storage, loading and un-
loading of material and tools, and
an open-floor maintenance unit
with two high-performance cranes
and extending side walls where
track work can be undertaken un-
der cover and fully protected.
After the train has transported
the crew, tools and materials to
16
technologies for rail. The start-up
has been working with Arcelor-
Mittal to develop its OTIV.One
sensors for remote obstacle detec-
tion that can be fitted to the end of
trains which are being propelled.
These have been piloted on the
steel manufacturer’s internal rail
network, and the firm has also
undertaken tests with main line
the worksite, the open-floored
telescopic working module can be
deployed at the push of a button,
setting up a fully secured and illu-
minated worksite where all activi-
ties can take place inside the vehi-
cle in a single pass.
The machine is similar to the
MMS units which Robel has sup-
plied to Austria, Norway and the
Netherlands, as well as Network
Rail in the UK and JR East in
Japan.
DB Netz intends to trial the FIZ
in the Köln area, before extend-
ing the deployment to other parts
of the country. It will be used for
closure rail and switch inspection
and replacement on turnouts, as
well as build-up rail welding and
the inspection of track-mounted
antennae.
project announced last year.
The proposed OTIV.Three self-
driving capability would build on
these initial developments. The Re-
moot partners plan to use the Betu-
we Route to trial both autonomous
driving and remote control. The
fully segregated line connecting the
port of Rotterdam with the German
border near the Ruhr industrial re-
gion is equipped with ETCS Level 2,
and has already been used for test-
ing a variety of ATO technologies.
In December OTIV reported
that it had raised Series A fund-
ing to scale up its operations
and commercialise the technol-
ogy through a capital round led
by Amsterdam-based sustainable
mobility investor Shift Invest and
operators such as SNCF, Deutsche Vlaanderen industrial investment
Bahn, NS and ProRail. fund Finindus, which is backed
The company has also de- by ArcelorMittal and the regional
veloped and tested an obstacle government. This followed initial
detection and driver assistance seed funding from Pitchdrive and
system for trams and LRVs, des- local investors in Gent through the
ignated OTIV.Two. This is being imec.istart accelerator.
trialled in Spain through a part-
nership with CAF and Tranvia Read the latest news at
de Zaragoza under a six-month www.railwaygazette.com
Battery-electric loco conversion
NETHERLANDS
Contractor Strukton Rail and infrastructure manager ProRail dem-
onstrated a hybrid battery-electric locomotive in Utrecht on
January 11.
The Alstom-built Class 1700 Bo-Bo dating from the early 1990s
was used by passenger operator NS, but was withdrawn as surplus
to requirements following the replacement of push-pull trainsets by
new electric multiple-units. Locomotive 1756 has now been retrofit-
ted with onboard battery storage to facilitate operation away from
the 1·5 kV DC overhead electrification.
The battery pack developed by Strukton Rail and Strukton Power
is designed to allow modified electric locomotives to replace diesel
traction, primarily for use on infrastructure works trains or moving
freight on non-electrified ‘last mile’ routes.
The converted locomotive is able to run at full line speed when
taking power from the catenary, but only at a lower speed when us-
ing battery power. The battery is charged automatically when the
locomotive is operating on electrified tracks.
February 2023 Railway Gazette International

‘The future is ours’
NETHERLANDS
A delegation of young rail ambas-
sadors has presented a report to
Environment & Water Manage-
ment Secretary Vivianne Heijnen
outlining their experience of being
part of the EU’s European Year of
Youth and making recommenda-
tions on how to inspire and attract
new talent to the rail industry.
The rail ambassadors were led
by Marleen van de Kerkhof, Inter-
national Affairs Manager at Dual
Inventive, on behalf of Railforum
and Jonge Veranderaars, and Os-
car Vermeij representing Rail Car-
go Information Netherlands.
They handed over a report en-
titled The future is ours!, in which
they shared their findings on the
image of the rail sector as well as
diversity, demographics, sustain-
ability and innovation.
The report says the rail sec-
tor has an unjustifiably outdated
Hydrogen distribution study
USA
The role of railways as consumers
and transporters of hydrogen is to
be studied by BNSF and Bakken
Energy, which is working on the
Heartland Hydrogen Hub proposal
to develop a facility to produce hy-
drogen from natural gas.
‘Railways could play a critical role
Railway Gazette International February 2023
image among young people, and
that rail’s ‘sustainable and innova-
tive nature’ should be prioritised
among young people in general,
and women in particular.
Partly thanks to digitalisation,
challenging and meaningful jobs
are available for everyone, the
authors add, but a structural staff
shortage limits the potential of
the European rail system to make
transport more sustainable.
Van de Kerkhof and Vermeij
called on the sector to actively
involve the younger generation in
the cross-border collaborations
and digital innovations that in-
crease available rail capacity.
‘It was great to get so many en-
thusiastic reactions from young
people when I told them about
sustainable innovations in rail’,
said Van de Kerkhof. ‘The train is
the mode of transport of the fu-
ture and youth is the future of rail.
So let’s continue to inspire young
in distributing our clean hydro­gen
production, and could also be con-
sumers as trains transition from die-
sel’, said Bakken Energy Founder and
Chairman Steve Lebow on January 4
after the signing on a memorandum
of understanding with BNSF. He
said BNSF was ‘the ideal partner to
work out the role of railways in our
Heartland Hydrogen Hub’.
RESEARCH & SKILLS
people with all the wonderful, dig-
ital innovations that improve in-
ternational rail transport, because
unknown means unloved.’
Vermeij commented that it was
incredibly important to present
the rail industry at its best to the
next generation. ‘This industry has
so much to offer: an international
working area, a lot of co-operation
and innovation. Show what you
have to offer!’
Welcoming the report at a cer-
emony on December 14, Heijnen
said ‘it is more important than
ever to get young people excited
about a job in the rail sector.
After all, the future of rail starts
with young people.’
The report marks the conclu-
sion of a year of promotional
activity in which the rail ambas-
sadors encouraged young people
to choose a job in the sector and
took steps to improve the indus-
try’s image.
The Heartland Hydrogen Hub
proposal is being developed by
the states of Minnesota, Montana,
North Dakota and Wisconsin, and
the partners are to bid for funding
from the federal Department of
Energy’s $7bn Regional Clean Hy-
drogen Hubs programme, which
was announced in September last
year.
What
passengers
want
UK
A report into what passengers
want from train interiors has
been produced to help inform
the proposed refurbishment of
Class 170 and 171 Turbostar die-
sel multiple-units.
Built by Bombardier Transpor-
tation in the 1990s, the DMUs are
widely deployed by various train
operators on regional services
across the British network.
The report was commissioned
from independent watchdog
Transport Focus by leasing com-
pany Porterbrook, with qualita-
tive research undertaken by
Define.
People who use East Midlands
Railway and CrossCountry
Turbo­stars for different types of
journey were questioned about
seating, interior decor, flooring,
lighting, ventilation, toilets, pas-
senger information, security,
charging points, space for bikes,
wheelchairs, pushchairs and lug-
gage, and how the pandemic has
changed expectations on clean-
ing and hygiene.
The responses varied by type
of journey, with themes including
that passengers would like more
control over lighting and ventila-
tion, and want to be able to store
luggage close to them.
Some passengers highlighted
hard seats on newer trains, and
were concerned that replacing ex-
isting Turbostar seats might lead
to something less comfortable.
Wheelchair users expressed a
strong desire for dedicated spac-
es with facilities such as charging
points and tables, to communi-
cate that they are not being
treated as an afterthought.
There was a strong expecta-
tion of access to charging and
power points. Most passengers
had low expectations of train toi-
lets, which they saw as a ‘neces-
sary evil’ that needed to be pre-
sent but were best avoided. Many
users did not trust the electronic
toilet door locking mechanisms,
and expressed a preference for a
traditional lock.
17
 FRANCE Policy
Start-ups energise the
passenger market
O
pening up of the domestic
passenger rail market is a
core tenet of the so-called
market pillar of the European
Union’s Fourth Railway Package.
In France, incumbent operator SNCF
has so far faced few competitors, but last
year Trenitalia secured a niche in the
high speed sector. More new entrants
are now eyeing the market or bidding to
run open access or tendered services.
Italian pioneer
Trenitalia’s first foray into the French
market dates back to 2011 when
it launched the Thello brand in
conjunction with Veolia, later Transdev,
by taking over the Artesia overnight
service between Paris and northern
Italy. It followed this with a Milano –
Nice – Marseille inter-city day service
in 2014. Two years later, Transdev sold
its share of the business to Trenitalia. In
2020 the Covid-19 pandemic arrived,
decimating rail traffic across Europe
and forcing the suspension of both
Thello services. Neither has returned.
18
Photo: Christophe Masse
Open access passenger operators have so far had limited
success in penetrating the French market, but a medley
of ambitious entrepreneurs is now tackling the task.
Jérémie Anne reports.
However, Trenitalia’s interest in the Trenitalia operates Part-Dieu are about 2 h, similar to
French market remained. On both domestic and SNCF’s TGV services.
December 18 2021 it launched two international high Summarising the initial results of
daily round trips between Paris and speed services on the venture, President & Director-
Milano via the Paris – Sud-Est high the Paris – Lyon – General of Trenitalia France Roberto
speed line. On April 5 2022 the Milano corridor, Rinaudo reported on December 14
operator added a daily train between where the advent of that average load factor on the
Paris Gare de Lyon and Lyon-Perrache, competition has Frecciarossa trains was 70%, with the
increasing the domestic service to three driven up ridership Paris – Milano services achieving 80%.
trips each way from June 1. and reduced the These were ‘incredible results’, he said,
To be able to use LGV Sud-Est, average fare. noting that demand was highest
Trenitalia had to modify a small fleet of between Paris and Torino, Lyon and
ETR1000 Frecciarossa trainsets, fitting Milano, and Lyon and Torino. Market
them with TVM 300 and TVM 430 cab surveys suggested that about 37% of
signalling, as well as ETCS onboard customers would not have travelled
equipment for Level 2 operation; they had the Frecciarossa service not
also have KVB train protection to run existed. They also found that 98% of
on conventional lines. Timings over the customers were satisfied and that 92%
427 km between Paris and Lyon were considering another Frecciarossa
February 2023 Railway Gazette International

trip. Onboard staff were rated 8∙4 to 9
out of a maximum of 10.
Buoyed by these figures, Trenitalia
France plans to consolidate its services.
It added a stop at Bardonecchia for one
of the two daily return Paris – Milano
workings from December 11 and is
now conducting a detailed market
study to determine its next moves.
Options include a Paris – Barcelona
– Madrid service, but firm decisions
must await the outcome of the study.
Rinaudo said the company would also
respond to tenders for TER services
that ‘could create synergies with our
high speed offering’.
Maintenance of the five Frecciarossa
trainsets is mainly done in Milano, but
cleaning and light maintenance during
turnrounds in Paris are contracted out
to SNCF Voyageurs at Technicentre
Sud-Est-Européen.
Railcoop co-operative
One of the most innovative initiatives
comes from Railcoop, a not-for-profit
‘pure player’ co-operative classified as a
Société Co-opérative d’Intérêt Collectif.
Established in 2019 with a view to
restoring services on routes abandoned
by SNCF, it envisages launching an
open access service between Lyon and
Bordeaux, where the last SNCF train
ran in 2014. Railcoop had hoped to
launch in June 2022, but problems with
path allocation by SNCF Réseau forced
a delay. This has since been resolved.
In April 2022 Railcoop announced
that it had acquired two X72500 diesel
railcars from SNCF. These were
dispatched for technical assessment by
ACC-M at Clermont-Ferrand, and in
November they were pronounced to be
in good condition. Railcoop is now
deciding how they will be refurbished.
Railcoop has 13 000 shareholders and
capital of €8m, but needs an estimated
€43m to launch the Lyon – Bordeaux
service. However, banks have so far
proved reluctant to lend the funds,
although several regions are prepared
to offer guarantees, according to
Railway Gazette International February 2023
Director General Nicolas Debaisieux.
The difficulties in raising finance mean
that Railcoop has had to postpone its
launch indefinitely.
Le Train picks Talgo
Based in Angoulême, open access
start-up Le Train views western France
as a viable market for a regional high
speed service, partly using LGV Sud-
Europe-Atlantique. It plans to run from
Arcachon and Bordeaux to Poitiers, La
Rochelle, Nantes and Rennes. About 10
trainsets would be needed to provide up
to 50 services a day.
‘Trenitalia is now
conducting a detailed
market study to determine
its next moves’
Le Train had originally envisaged
using second-hand TGVs, but SNCF
was not willing to sell its trains to a
would-be competitor, obliging the
company to seek alternatives.
Following an international tender, a
development agreement was signed with
Talgo in Bordeaux on January 23, which
envisages the supply of 10 Avril S106
trainsets with options for more. Subject
to the award of a €300m final contract,
the 330 km/h trains would be produced
at Talgo’s Rivabellosa factory in Spain
from early 2023 for delivery in 2025.
Directeur General Alain Gétraud told
Railway Gazette International that the
design was still to be finalised, but the
11-car TSI-compliant trains would
offer 350 seats in a single class, 40
spaces for bicycle or surfboards,
catering facilities and wi-fi.
The trains would be owned by a
dedicated subsidiary of Le Train and
maintained for 30 years by a grouping
Policy FRANCE
of the manufacturer, operator and
external partners. The work would be
undertaken in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine
région, although the location of the
depot has not been finalised.
Meanwhile, Gétraud said discussions
were continuing with ‘many European
operators’ for the lease or purchase of
second-hand rolling stock, with a view
to launching some initial services from
December 2023. The financing plan is
Railcoop is looking to understood not to be affected by the
refurbish the X72500 change in rolling stock strategy, and the
diesel railcars that it company continues to raise funds — it
has procured to is reported to have accumulated around
operate its planned €100m to date.
Lyon – Bordeaux
service. Kevin Speed
Another start-up targeting the French
market is Kevin Speed. Set up in 2021
by Laurent Fourtune, who previously
worked for RATP and Getlink, the
company envisages launching frequent
low-cost inter-city commuter services
on France’s high speed network.
Using dedicated high-capacity
trainsets running at up to 300 km/h,
Kevin Speed proposes to sign 30-year
Le Train has selected access agreements with infrastructure
Talgo to supply a manager SNCF Réseau to guarantee
fleet of 330 km/h path availability. However, no long-
Avril trainsets to term contracts of this nature have
operate open access ever been signed in France.
high speed services
in southwest France. Hotels on rails
Established by entrepreneur Adrien
Aumont and Romain Payet, Midnight
Trains is aiming at Europe’s overnight
market for journeys of up to 1 500 km.
The company has applied to regulatory
body Autorité de Régulation des
Transports to run daily trains from Paris
to Barcelona, Nice, Milano and Venezia.
The Barcelona and Nice services would
be combined as far as Avignon in the
low season but would run as separate
trains during the summer peak.
Aumont believes that, if overnight
trains are really to compete with air
travel, they must be redesigned to meet
the expectations of 21st century
19
 FRANCE Policy
passengers. A firm principle is that all
passengers would enjoy the privacy of
individual compartments or ‘social
bubbles’ as sharing night
accommodation with strangers is no
longer deemed acceptable. Cabin
design would vary according to the
number of passengers, but high-quality
bedding and good sound insulation
would be essential to ensure that
passengers could sleep for 6 h to 7 h. A
restaurant car with bar would be
included in the train formations.
Aumont considers that Europe’s
existing overnight services are poorly
commercialised and that it is difficult
for intending passengers to understand
what is on offer. Midnight Trains would
follow hotel practice in terms of sales
and operations, making extensive use
of digital services and setting out to
establish what he calls a ‘Midnight
Trains generation’.
Rolling stock would consist of leased
locomotive-hauled coaches. Aumont
concedes that rolling stock and finance
are the most difficult elements in the
plan, but he and his colleagues are
targeting late 2024 as a launch date. On
December 30 2022 the company
announced that it had identified a
supplier and ‘secured a production unit’.
It had also found a leasing business
willing to work with the project.
Inter-city tenders
The French state continues to subsidise
Trains d’Equilibre du Territoire on 10
conventional inter-city routes, and on
September 16 it called tenders to run
the Nantes – Bordeaux and Nantes –
Lyon services. A previous attempt to
tender these routes was abandoned in
2020 as SNCF was the only bidder.
At the moment there are three daily
trains each way on the Lyon route and
four between Nantes and Bordeaux.
The future operator is due to take over
in December 2026 using the existing
rolling stock, which consists of
dual-system Coradia Liner trainsets.
Bidders were also asked to quote for
20
a Nantes – Lille service via Angers,
Le Mans, Caen, Rouen and Amiens,
with two return trips a day.
At a later stage the government plans
a further round of tenders covering the
Paris – Clermont-Ferrand, Paris
– Toulouse and Bordeaux – Marseille
routes, as well as the recently reinstated
overnight services from Paris to Nice,
Port Bou, Latour de Carol, Briançon,
Albi and Lourdes.
Regional pioneer
Back in November 2016 the Sud-
Provence-Côte d’Azur région
announced plans to introduce
competition for its TER services
with a view to improving quality and
reliability, calling for expressions
of interest the following year. Vice
President for Transport & Mobility
Jean-Pierre Serrus explained that the
aim was to enhance rail services and
reduce costs by putting TER operations
out to tender. They accounted for the
biggest slice of the regional authority’s
budget absorbing €600m a year.
On October 29 2021, Région Sud
awarded operating contracts for two
groups of TER services. Transdev Rail
was allotted the Intermétropole route
from Marseille to Toulon and Nice, with
operations due to commence on June 25
2025. Transdev Rail is expected to run
16 trains each way per day for the same
Région Sud has
ordered 16 Omneo
part-double-deck
EMUs from Alstom to
work the enhanced
Marseille – Toulon
– Nice Intermétropole
service, which will
be operated by
Transdev Rail from
June 2025.
A map of the
French rail network
can be found
on p50 fee that the regional authority currently
pays SNCF to operate just seven.
Région Sud is investing €230m in 16
Omneo trainsets from Alstom. These
will be maintained at two depots
Ile-de-France purchased by the authority, one at
Mobilités is planning Marseille-Pautrier and the other at
to start competitive Nice-Ville. The Nice site is currently
tendering with being modernised at a cost of €40m.
its stand-alone The second contract, for the Azur
tram-train routes, service group, covers the route from
followed by further Grasse to Cannes, Nice and Ventimiglia,
batches of Transilien plus the Nice – Tende section of the line
services. to Cuneo in Italy. Awarded to SNCF
Voyageurs, this represents 23% of the
region’s TER operations and is due to
launch in December 2024. For the same
fee as currently paid, service levels will
be stepped up by 75% with Cannes
– Menton trains running at 15 min
intervals during peak periods. This will
be France’s busiest TER route, with 120
trains each way per day.
Azur services will be worked by AGC
diesel multiple-units, Regio 2N and
TER 2N NG double-deck EMUs, all of
which will be refurbished. They will be
maintained at depots at Cannes-
Marchandises and Nice-Saint-Roch,
where renovation is in progress at a
cost of €60m.
Preparations for transferring
operations are going well, according to
Serrus, with a start already made on
staff transfers. During the first quarter
of 2023 volunteers are being sought to
make the switch to the new operator.
Serrus notes that job descriptions need
to be very precise to ensure that
individuals make the best decisions for
their careers; by the end of this year,
planning teams will have a list of staff
for the various disciplines.
Ticket sales will be a key competitive
issue, and the regional authority plans to
take over management of the ticketing
process. One outstanding question is
February 2023 Railway Gazette International

interoperability between the various
ticketing systems, but Serrus says the
operators have willingly addressed the
problems.
He adds that Région Sud expects to
call tenders for the remaining PACA
TER services in due course.
Ile-de-France
In December 2020 Ile de France
Mobilités announced the timescale
for tendering urban and suburban
services in the Paris region operated
by SNCF Voyageurs. The first group of
routes comprises tram-train service T4
from Bondy to Aulnay-sous-Bois and
Hôpital de Montfermeil and the T11
Express from Épinay-sur-Seine to Le
Bourget, together with the branch from
Esbly to Crécy, which forms part of
Transilien route P. Handover to a new
operator is envisaged for the end of
2024, although there are some doubts
about this date being met.
On February 18 2022 the transport
authority called bids to operate
tram-train routes T12 from Massy to
Evry-Courcouronnes and T13 from
Saint-Germain-en-Laye to Saint-Cyr-
l’École. And on December 7 tenders
were called for operation of Transilien
route L which links Paris St-Lazare with
Versailles-Rive-Droite, Saint-Nom-la-
Bretèche and Cergy-le-Haut via
Nanterre-Université. These lines total 86
route-km and are served by 730 daily
trains carrying 291 000 passengers per
day. They will be followed by Transilien
route J from Paris Saint-Lazare to
Mantes-la-Jolie, Pontoise and Gisors.
Integration in Grand Est
In 2020 the Grand Est région called
tenders to operate three groups of
services. The first lot covered the
Bruche-Piémont-Vosges group of rail
and related bus services on 217 km of
Railway Gazette International February 2023
route from Strasbourg to Épinal and
Sélestat via Molsheim. The second
covered the 89 km Nancy – Vittel
– Contrexéville Line 14, which had
been closed to traffic since 2016. The
third was the Nord-Alsace and Nord-
Mosellan group covering services
from Strasbourg to Karlsruhe and
Saarbrücken in Germany and the Metz
– Trèves route. With support from its
neighbours in Saarland, the région has
ordered a fleet of 30 Regiolis trains
suitable for cross-border operation
(p28).
In contrast to the tenders called
elsewhere, the bids required
management of infrastructure as well as
operation of train services. The région
has requested a transfer of responsibility
Right: Grand-Est
Mobilités wil have a
fleet of around 200
trainsets, including
these Alstom Regiolis
EMUs used on
Strasbourg TER
services.
for the lines from national to local
ownership under Article 172 of the Loi
d’Orientation des Mobilités which came
into force at the end of 2020.
For Grand Est, the need to invest
heavily in infrastructure renovation is
one of the main reasons for introducing
competition. Vice-President for
Transport & Mobility Thibaud Philips
believes that this can be achieved most
effectively by offering contractors
vertically integrated projects.
Tendering for the first two lots is
underway, and Philips says negotiations
are in hand for the Line 14 contract,
with final offers expected in mid-year.
30
The offers received show ‘serious’ intent
by the bidders who took time and
trouble to prepare them, he notes. The
provisional start date is 2028, leaving
year the period from mid-2025 to mid-2027
to return the railway to good condition
access at a cost of €70m.
Philips is pleased that SNCF Réseau
agreements has shown goodwill in sharing
with SNCF information about the infrastructure,
Réseau are although he adds that it does not
always have detailed knowledge of its
proposed by assets. This means that additional
Kevin Speed assessment will be needed.
The région is currently examining
Policy FRANCE
initial bids for the Bruche-Piémont-
Vosges contract, for which final offers
are due by the end of 2023. This should
pave the way for services to start with
the 2027 timetable change. A similar
timescale is envisaged for the cross-
border services.
Rolling stock consisting of around
200 trainsets of various types will be
owned by Grand Est Mobilités, a
Société Publique Locale set up in 2018
with the région holding the majority of
shares. This body will have its own
engineering resources.
The regional authority also intends
to manage the marketing of all the
services currently operating under the
Fluo Grand Est brand and to develop a
Mobility as a Service app.
Other regions
Several other regions are in the process
of contracting out operation of local rail
services. Most advanced is Hauts-de-
France, which has divided its network
into six lots. First to be awarded is the
Amiens group, for which two bidders
are currently in the running: SNCF
Voyageurs and Transdev. As with Grand
Est, a dedicated rolling stock company
will be set up to own and manage the
fleet and the maintenance depots.
Pays de la Loire has called tenders for
an initial lot consisting of two groups of
services. The first comprises the Nantes
– Châteaubriant and Nantes – Clisson
lines, both of which are operated by
Citadis-Dualis tram-trains. The second
consists of the routes from Nantes to
Croix-de-Vie-Saint-Gilles, Pornic and
Les Sables d’Olonne as well as
La Roche-sur-Yon – Angers.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine plans to call
tenders for some services within the
next few months, and as with Hauts-
de-France, proposes to acquire its own
TER rolling stock. However, tendering
in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté was
halted during December because of the
surge in the high cost of power to
operate trains.
21
 FRANCE Passenger Services
Developing concepts
to revive rural lines
France’s policy of abandoning rural lines has been halted and the stage is set for a
revival of lightly used or closed routes. Driven partly by efforts to decarbonise the
economy, several low-cost operating and maintenance concepts are being developed
with state support, reports Reinhard Christeller.
F
or decades, secondary lines in
parts of Europe were closed or
abandoned, but the drive to cut
CO2 emissions has led to a
rethink. Numerous initiatives have
been launched to make railways more
energy-efficient than they already are.
There is also a drive to persuade
travellers to switch from private cars to
trains and other forms of public
transport.
Tackling the challenging task of
making regional railways an attractive
and preferred mode of transport is part
of the Horizon Europe Initiative that
runs to 2027. A workstream entitled
‘Regional rail services/innovative rail
services to revitalise capillary lines’
forms Flagship Area 6 of the Europe’s
Rail research programme, the successor
to Shift2Rail.
The objective is to secure the
long-term viability of regional
railways by reducing investment and
operating costs, at the same time
achieving high standards of service,
safety and customer satisfaction.
Automation, digitalisation, signalling
systems, infrastructure components,
rolling stock and passenger
information all need redefining to
achieve these goals.
‘Vehicle capacity ranges
from 16 to 80 seated
passengers and the different
proposals allow for virtually
or physically coupled trains
of up to three vehicles’
22
The X73500 diesel-
hydraulic railcar,
built from 1999
onwards, offers 64
seats and weighs
54∙5 tonnes when
loaded. Potential
replacements under
Photo: Reinhard Christeller
development would
have axleloads of
less than 10 tonnes
in a bid to reduce
track maintenance.
1∙7
Europe’s stringent interoperability
requirements make no allowance for
cost-effective operation of lightly used
lines. However, directive 2016/797 on
€bn interoperability within the European
Union excludes local, urban or suburban
annual cost of passenger routes that are separate from
maintaining the international network. This allows
member states to exclude infrastructure
minor routes and vehicles that are intended strictly
that carry for local use.
2% of rail
Legislation
travellers, In 2019 the French government passed
according to legislation permitting deviations
2018 report from European interoperability rules
for local railways (RG 4.21 p38), and
these have now taken effect in Decree
2022-664. This paves the way for novel
technologies to be developed as part
of a strategy to accelerate digitalisation
and decarbonisation of transport.
The decree only provides a framework,
leaving considerable freedom for
technical development. Nevertheless, any
technology must demonstrate a level of
overall safety conforming to the principle
of globalement au moins équivalent
Photo: Chris Bushell
(GAME).
In February 2018, Jean-Cyril Spinetta’s
report on the future of the rail sector in
France (RG 3.18 p25) caused something
February 2023 Railway Gazette International

of an uproar. It advocated a review of
minor routes and a transfer of
responsibility from central government to
the regions, asking if it was worth paying
€1∙7bn a year to maintain them when
they carried just 2% of rail travellers.
This forced the government to
re-examine its policy, and a decree
issued in late 2021 implemented the
Passenger Services FRANCE
proposals allow for virtually or
physically coupled trains of up to three
vehicles, with some also being
designed to carry small quantities of
freight in pallet-sized containers. The
proposed environmentally friendly
trains may eventually replace the
existing X72500 and X73500 diesel
railcars now used on rural routes

2019 Mobility Law that prioritised public
transport improvements with a focus on
rail. Closure of lightly used rural lines
was not part of the legislation, and the
government now envisages revitalising
them under a €6∙5bn action plan over
10 years. Restoration or renovation is
now under discussion at regional level.
Project development tenders
Earlier, the Agency for Environmental
Transition (Ademe) invited tenders
for projects to develop small, light
and low-cost rail vehicles as part of
its decarbonisation strategy. Ademe
is funding seven projects, with more
in the pipeline. Four of them, Taxirail,
Ecotrain, Draisy and Train Léger
Innovant, aspire to a whole systems
approach as the developers appreciated
that achieving the anticipated cost
savings would not be possible simply
by concentrating on rolling stock.
Vehicle capacity ranges from 16 to
80 seated passengers and the different
— these are deemed too heavy and too
large for such light duties. All the
proposed vehicles are ultimately
intended to operate in GoA4 mode
without a driver. Other concepts
include road-rail vehicles that would
use tyred wheels to serve areas close to
stations and then switch to rail wheels
for the main part of the journey.
Analysis of the proposals
demonstrates how the different
elements of rural railways are
interdependent — changes to
infrastructure, energy supply, signalling,
vehicles, operations or maintenance
inevitably require or enable changes to
the other system components. The ideal
combination is obtained by balancing
the different elements with each other.
Taxirail
First proposed in 2017, Taxirail is the
system with the lowest capacity. It is
based on a 6 m long vehicle, 2∙9 m wide
and 3∙25 m high. Weighing 12 tonnes
Image: Taxirail
Taxirail vehicles when loaded, this would offer 16 seats
would use virtual and accommodate 40 passengers; a
couplings. Here a freight version with a 25 m3 capacity
passenger vehicle could carry up to 2∙5 tonnes. Traction
is paired with two relies on hybrid battery and fuel cell
freight cars. energy storage which offers a full day’s
operation without recharging.
To reduce wheel and track
maintenance, the two driven axles are
actively controlled. Up to three units
Rural railcar. A would run in platoon mode at up to
heavily graffitied 100 km/h, and on-demand service
X73500 diesel railcar would be possible. GoA4 operation
forming the 12.10 would eliminate the need for lineside
departure from signalling, and Taxirail vehicles would
Bedous to Pau be able to detect obstacles on the track
crosses the Escot at a distance of up to 200 m. They
viaduct near would communicate directly with each
Sarrance on other using technology similar to the
December 29 2022. Train Collision Avoidance System from

Railway Gazette International February 2023 23

 FRANCE Passenger Services
the Intelligence on Wheels company
founded in 2012 as a spin-off from the
German aerospace research centre
DLR.
Taxirail is expected to enter
commercial service in 2025 or soon
after. Partners and subcontractors
include Exid-CD, Geismar, Texelis,
IRT Railenium, Akiem, Actimage,
Extia, Faar Industry, YoGoKo,
Multiplast, H2X Ecosytems and the
IMT engineering school.
Draisy
The Draisy project aims to cut capital
and operating costs and is targeted
at poorly served lines or routes
earmarked for reopening. Its promoters
envisage that up to 20 services a day
could be offered at the same cost to
regional authorities as today’s less
frequent services. They also envisage
that level crossings would no longer
need barriers, which are expensive to
maintain, with Draisy vehicles being
driven on sight. In the longer term
driverless operation of up to three
coupled vehicles is proposed, with
automated equipment ensuring safe
passage at level crossings.
Draisy vehicles would have a 10 tonne
axleload when loaded, and the
suspension would be designed to cope
with mediocre track while still offering
acceptable comfort. The low axleload
would help reduce track maintenance,
and the vehicles would incorporate track
inspection devices, so eliminating
separate track inspection trips.
Vehicles would be manufactured
using mass-produced elements from
the automotive industry instead of
more expensive railway-specific
components. Traction would rely on
batteries that would be recharged at
termini or intermediate stations on
longer routes, hydrogen having been
discarded as too expensive.
24
Studies suggest that the average
number of passengers per train on
rural lines in UIC categories 7 to 9 is
30. The 13 m long Draisy units would
accordingly offer 30 seats plus space for
a further 50 passengers. Some seats
could be removed if so-called
microfreight is to be carried.
The Draisy consortium is led by SNCF,
with Lohr Industrie developing the
rolling stock. Other partners are GCK
Image: Amarenco Solar Ltd
Battery, Stations-e and Railenium. An
initial application is envisaged in 2027.
Ecotrain
Ecotrain is intended as an integrated
transport and logistics system with rail
vehicles forming the backbone of the
Top: Draisy vehicles concept and road vehicles providing
would proceed over last mile links to locations off the
level crossings at low rail network. At times of low traffic,
speed so that the services would run on demand.
driver — or at a later Battery-powered lightweight vehicles
stage automated offering 30 seats in a length of 13 m
control equipment would be designed for comfort with no
— could stop the standing passengers. Weighing just over
vehicle when the one tonne per metre of length, they
crossing is occupied. would have optimised traction control
up to a speed of 70 km/h. Short door
Above: The Ecotrain opening times would minimise energy
system includes consumption and help achieve a Life
energy production Cycle Assessment value of 2 to 3 g of
and management, CO2 per passenger-km, significantly less
with solar panels than for conventional trains. Batteries
installed along the would be recharged using power
route to provide a generated by lineside solar panels.
power supply. All equipment would be mounted
under the chassis, with a flat loading
area suitable to carry freight or mount a
lightweight flax fibre-reinforced passenger
module. Up to three vehicles would
operate in platoons, and the use of
standard industrial components instead
of railway-specific equipment is proposed.
Ecotrain’s technical focus is on the
use of data to minimise costs and
February 2023 Railway Gazette International
Image: SNCF
environmental impact. Data will be
processed from odometric and GNSS
positioning and a combination of
onboard and stationary obstacle
detection equipment enabling the train
to 'see' around curves and determine in
advance whether or not level crossings
are occupied. Ecotrain would
eventually operate in GoA4 mode on
lines that are fully segregated from
other rail traffic. According to the
promoters, driverless operation could
deliver significant savings — they note
that drivers typically account for 40%
to 60% of operating costs.
Ecotrain is being developed by rolling
stock manufacturer Socofer, fibre
composite producer Stratiforme
Compreforme and safety software
company Clearsy, with satellite
technology from Syntony and input
from the IMT engineering school, as
well as several other specialists. Contacts
have been established with the technical
university at Aachen and scientists who
developed the automated RailCab
system at the University of Paderborn.
The first commercial application is
planned for 2027 on the 68 km line
between Agen and Auch in Occitanie.
Train Léger Innovant
Train Léger Innovant is intended to
make services on busier secondary
lines more attractive and cheaper to
operate. About 100 routes in different
parts of France fall into this category,
and this is seen as the project with the
best market potential.
SNCF currently operates almost 600
diesel-powered TER regional trains,
many of which will need replacing
shortly. With Train Léger Innovant,
calculations suggest that service levels
could be doubled while trimming
overall operating costs by 30%.

Weighing no more than 30 tonnes,
the trains would consist of articulated
TSI-compliant two-car units with 60 or
80 seats operating at a maximum speed
of 100 km/h to 120 km/h.
Each car body mounted on four
individually controlled wheels would
use a hybrid structure with fibre-
reinforced materials forming the roof
and some other components. The
vehicles would be fully accessible with
a low-floor section and a modular
interior that could be adapted to carry
freight.
To maximise capacity there would
be a single driving cab in an elevated
position in the centre of the car,
reminiscent of SNCF’s former ‘Picasso’
railcars dating from the 1950s.
Driverless operation is not envisaged
initially.
Underfloor batteries or overhead
wires would provide traction power,
but hydrogen fuel cells are under
investigation for longer unelectrified
routes.
An SNCF-led consortium with 11
partners has been established for the
project which forms part of SNCF’s
Tech4Rail programme. Partners
include Thales, CAF, Wabtec, Alstom
and Capgemini, Texelis and Ektacom as
well as Railenium, Ferrocampus and
Cerema. Commercial operation is
anticipated in 2029.
Automated signalling transition
While Taxirail and Ecotrain would
rely on specially developed signalling
and traffic control for operations in
GoA3 or GoA4 mode from the start,
both Draisy and Train Léger Innovant
offer a more cautious approach.
Services would be manually driven
before switching later to autonomous
operation. This forms part of SNCF’s
R&D autonomous train development
programme, launched in 2016, which
foresees initial applications in 2024 and
wider deployment from 2030 onwards.
Under the Ademe programme,
Alstom is developing Sig4LDFT, a
form of automated signalling for rural
lines that allows for interoperable main
Image: SNCF
Railway Gazette International February 2023
Passenger Services FRANCE
line trains to use the same tracks.
Capital investment would be halved
and operating and maintenance costs
cut by at least one third compared to
conventional signalling.
These gains are expected in the first
place from driverless operation, but
further savings will derive from
replacement of mechanical signalling.
Compared with main lines, the number
of trackside devices such as balises and
train detection equipment would also
be halved, and simplified onboard
equipment would offer further cost
savings. Existing public telecoms
networks would be used instead of
railway-specific GSM-R and optic fibre
networks.
Right: An X3800 ‘Picasso’ diesel railcar, one
of 251 built for French secondary lines in the
1950s. The elevated driver’s cab that saved
passenger space inspired the design of Train
Léger Innovant.
Below: Train Léger Innovant is aimed at
busier regional lines and would replace the
X72500/73500 diesel fleet. It would be fully
integrated with the main line network, as
suggested in this impression of Bordeaux
Saint Jean station.
Image: SNCF
Road-rail vehicles like Road-rail concepts
Flexy are designed Some French secondary lines have
to switch easily such poor traffic potential that even
between road and the smallest Taxirail concept would
rail. They could run in provide too much capacity and be too
opposite directions expensive to operate. SNCF is therefore
on single-track lines, contemplating alternatives such as
passing each other road-rail vehicles.
in road mode at One of these is an ultra-light 14-seat
designated sites. electric minibus called Flexy. Aimed
primarily at branch lines 10 to 30 km
long that are now mothballed, the
concept envisages vehicles picking up
passengers in residential areas near the
railway and then driving on to the
track. Trials are planned in 2024.
Under the Pioma project SNCF is
considering conversion of selected rail
Photo: Jacques Poré
lines for exclusive use by automated
road vehicles, and a short route near
Nantes has been under test since
November 2020. Another scheme
tested by SNCF in 2021-22 offers a
chauffeur-driven on-demand shared
taxi service named Ma Course SNCF.
A similar concept of small shared
on-demand road-rail vehicles is
Flexmove, promoted by Sicef with
Systra, Akka, Alstom, Entropy and
Gustave Eiffel University.
25
 FRANCE Policy
SNCF Réseau is looking to increase capacity for freight trains through a variety of timetabling and engineering initiatives.
Turning round the decline in France’s rail freight business has become an enormous
challenge because of the unprecedented rise in energy costs. Murray Hughes reports.
Fostering freight
across the network
C
oncerted efforts by rail
operators and freight
forwarders succeeded in lifting
rail freight’s market share in
France from a nadir of 9∙6% in 2020 to
10∙7% in 2021, arresting a steady
decline that began in 2015. But this
was nonetheless far below the
European average of 17∙3%.
In terms of volume, freight carried
on French metals in 2021 amounted to
35∙9 billion tonne-km, up from an
average of around 33 billion in 2010-19.
Whether the trend continued
throughout 2022 remains to be seen.
The increase was viewed as the fruit
of a campaign to revive a business
undergoing inexorable decline, and it
was also considered to be the first step
towards the objective of reaching a
market share of 18% by 2030 and 25%
26
by 2050, as envisaged in climate
legislation dating from August 2021.
The positive trend continued
through the early part of 2022, but the
rail freight industry soon found itself
facing another threat. The explosion in
the cost of energy during the second
half of 2022 led to infrastructure
18% manager SNCF Réseau proposing an
increase in the cost of traction power to
€473·51/MWh in 2023, meaning that
charges would multiply by 8∙5
by 2030 and compared with the
25% by 2050 €56/MWh payable in 2021.
President of the Freight Committee
are France’s at the Association Française du Rail
market share and President of Europorte Raphaël
targets for Doutrebente warned that the rise in
energy costs would be ‘unsustainable
rail freight for all players’ in the railway sector.
‘With energy already representing 20%
February 2023 Railway Gazette International
Photo: Christophe Masse
of costs, operators will be strangled.
Abandoning the sector now is the
definitive renunciation of the target to
double rail freight’s modal share by
2030’, he warned.
A request to Transport Minister
Clément Beaune on November 16 by
the 4F Alliance lobby group for
mitigation measures to help with the
huge cost of energy received no response,
prompting an urgent follow-up from the
alliance on December 15, still apparently
without response by mid-January.
Outlook
In a presentation at the specialist freight
event Journée Fret Ferroviaire du Futur
et OFP in November, SNCF Réseau
President Matthieu Chabanel asserted
that ‘we love rail freight’ and talked
about a new ‘dynamism’ in the sector.

Encouraging though this may appear
to be, the financial picture is less rosy. In
2021, SNCF Réseau received €122m in
access fees for freight trains, together with
€99m in state compensation payments
and a further €54m of ‘exceptional’ state
aid. While marginal costs were paid
thanks to the state’s intervention, SNCF
Réseau points out that less than 30% of
total costs were covered.
Chabanel highlighted several
constraints that hinder the development
of rail freight. TER traffic in the regions
and suburban passenger services in the
greater Paris area increased by 52%
between 2000 and 2019, while the
network is fully occupied during peak
hours at key nodes such as Lyon and in
Ile de France. Many freight arteries pass
through built-up areas, while available
intermodal terminals are often at the
limits of capacity. Further, the need to
carry out maintenance and renewals
over long periods at night inevitably
conflicts with the availability of paths
for freight trains.
Chabanel’s presentation noted that
other factors restricting the growth of
rail freight included the existence of a
good quality and relatively quiet national
road network, and a fuel tax regime that
benefits lorry operators. Nor were there
any government incentives to encourage
use of rail, such as those available for
trans-Alpine routes in Switzerland.
Nevertheless, SNCF Réseau is
seeking to increase capacity for freight
services by achieving a better balance
between freight, passenger traffic and
engineering work in its five-year
operating plans. Freight needs to be
protected from the impact of line
closures caused by engineering work,
and specific efforts during 2022 helped
to ensure the preservation of 1 912
freight paths, engendering additional
costs of around €35m. In a related
move, a new timetable compilation tool
is being developed.
Better punctuality is among SNCF
Réseau’s key objectives. In the first nine
months of 2022, 85% of freight trains
reached their destinations within
30 min of their scheduled arrival,
slightly worse than in 2021. On the
other hand, over the same period,
punctual departure of 25 specified
long-distance freight services from 10
designated origination points improved
by three points to 45%.
State-funded projects
In terms of funding, around €700m of
the €1bn state-funded 2021-25 freight
relaunch plan announced by former
Prime Minister Jean Castex in 2021 is
available to SNCF Réseau. This is being
channelled towards the improvement
Railway Gazette International February 2023
State aid
investigation
The European Commission has begun a detailed in-
vestigation into measures taken by the French gov-
ernment in 2007-19 to provide financial support to
Fret SNCF, the rail freight subsidiary of Rail Logistics
Europe, itself a subsidiary of national operator SNCF.
The objective is to determine whether or not the
measures gave Fret SNCF an economic advantage
over its competitors, and specifically if the meas-
ures met the requirements set out in the European
Union’s regulations on state aid.
Throughout the period under investigation, Fret
SNCF made a loss. This was covered by payments
from parent company SNCF SA by means of intra-
group cash advances that constituted public re-
sources because of state ownership and control.
Announced on January 18, the investigation will
examine three specific measures taken by the
French government to determine if they were com-
patible with the applicable rules.
First were cash payments totalling €4bn to €4∙3bn
made by the French government to Fret SNCF from
early 2007 at least until its conversion into a com-
mercial business with effect from January 1 2020.
Second was the cancellation in 2019 of Fret
SNCF’s debts amounting to €5∙3bn, including the
state-funded cash payments, when the company
was converted to a commercial business.
of existing freight infrastructure such The French
as feeder lines, intermodal terminals government is
and marshalling yards, with some investing significant
funds used to progress projects offering sums in transport
strong development potential such infrastructure in
as autoroutes ferroviaires and other order to improve
intermodal schemes. the share of
Specifically, €100m was allocated freight carried
for improvements to feeder routes in by rail.
2021-22 compared with just €33m a
year in 2015-20; around €170m was
due to be spent during 2022 on
renovating about 500 km of track on
20 different feeder routes.
Another €38m was allocated to
improving sidings and servicing tracks
at 35 locations during 2022. Earlier, in
March 2021, completion of a project to
modernise the Gisors – Serqueux route
to handle up to 25 freight trains a day
allowed a significant increase in
capacity on the busy route between
Paris, Rouen and the port of Le Havre.
Work put in hand during 2022 to
permit the launch of a 970 km
Cherbourg-Octeville – Bayonne-
Mouguerre autoroute ferroviaire in
2024 included access improvements
in Cherbourg. Renovation work was
carried out at intermodal terminals in
Avignon, Gravanche, Lyon-Vénissieux
and Valenton.
Policy FRANCE
Third was an injection of €170m of capital when
Fret SNCF was converted to a commercial business.
The European Commission said that ‘interven-
tions by public authorities in favour of companies
may be considered as not constituting state aid if
they are made under conditions that a market-
oriented private business would have accepted’. If
this principle is not respected, such interventions
constitute a form of state aid as specified in Article
107 of the Treaty on Functioning of the European
Union as they provide the beneficiary with an eco-
nomic advantage over its competitors.
In response, the French government said that it
was ‘fully mobilised to provide all the relevant ele-
ments to the European Commission within the
framework of this procedure, which it is approach-
ing in a co-operative and determined spirit’. It noted
that SNCF Group helped to maintain rail freight in
France at a time when it was facing more
competition.
The government also drew attention to its rail
freight recovery plan that was designed to support
rail as an environmentally friendly means of trans-
port. This support, it noted, ‘is part of the European
Commission’s Green Deal, with the ambition of dou-
bling rail freight’s market share by 2030’.
French Transport Minister Clément Beaune said
that ‘given the reforms and efforts undertaken, the
government is approaching this procedure with
confidence. We are more than ever determined to
guarantee and develop the position of rail freight in
France.’
Another rolling motorway service
was launched by SNCF subsidiary
VIIA between Sète and Valenton last
November, with three return workings a
week. Plans envisaged stepping that up to
six a week from January this year. And the
number of lorry trailers handled at VIIA’s
Calais terminal in 2022 was up by 60% at
41 000, compared with 26 000 in 2021.
Photo: SNCF / Sébastien Godefroy
27
 FRANCE Suburban Rail

A fleet of Régiolis trainsets is being procured to support the expansion of the suburban network around Strasbourg; these will be equipped to operate across the
border to destinations in Germany.

Grand Est launch

foreshadows
RER expansion
An enhanced suburban service has been introduced in the
region around Strasbourg. Despite a difficult start, the launch
of REME is expected to act as a catalyst for the development
of more RER networks outside Paris, as Jérémie Anne and
Murray Hughes explain.

P
assengers travelling in the
Strasbourg area were offered an
enhanced network of local rail
services with effect from
December 11, when the Réseau Express
Métropolitain Européen was launched
by local authorities and national
operator SNCF.
Driven by a partnership of the
Eurométropole Strasbourg and the
Grand Est région, the REME project is two bodies in 2021, which was based
billed as the first true RER service on policies proposed as part of the
outside the Paris area. At the heart of Grenelle des Mobilités in 2018.
the scheme is a substantial increase in Speaking at an event in Paris on
the number of local rail services November 7 attended by SNCF
operating at regular intervals and the President Jean-Pierre Farandou and
introduction of express buses using Transport Minister Clément Beaune,
reserved bus lanes as well as improved Grand Est President Jean Rottner
interchanges. These improvements are promised that the REME project
the fruit of an agreement signed by the would change travel habits. He also

28 February 2023 Railway Gazette International


underlined the European aspect of the
scheme which offers enhanced
cross-border services to and from the
German towns of Karlsruhe, Offenburg
and Baden Baden.
President of the Eurométropole de
Strasbourg Pia Imbs outlined the
environmental rationale behind the
scheme, which aims to achieve a
significant reduction in carbon
emissions and to limit the use of fossil
fuels. Rail and other public transport
services to and from the surrounding
region are intended to be ‘credible
alternatives’ to the private car, she
explained, warning that it was essential
to reduce the impact of private cars on
health and the environment.
Beaune described the REME project
as ‘exemplary for intermodality with an
exceptional service offer’. Noting that the
network had been established in record
time, he suggested that similar RER
operations ‘adapted to local realities’
could be introduced in other city
regions across France. On November 27,
President Emmanuel Macron suggested
that up to 10 cities could benefit; the
national Conseil d’Orientation des
Suburban Rail FRANCE
The REME initiative including the introduction of through
is part of efforts to trains between Saverne and Sélestat.
enhance the wider Half-hourly interval services will in due
public transport course be implemented on all REME
proposition to offer routes, with some services overlapping
Grand Est residents to provide 15 min interval departures
a ‘viable alternative’ at 13 principal stations. Additional
to the private car. trains will operate from 05.00 on
weekday mornings and until 23.00 in
the evenings. Weekend services will
also be stepped up to give an overall
increase of 43% in the number of trains
operated on REME routes, equivalent
to an extra 800 local services per week.
Planning for the scheme has been
underway for the last four years.
Physical works needed to implement
the enhanced timetable included laying
a fourth track over the 10 km between
Strasbourg and Vendenheim at a cost
of €120m. A further €1bn is to be spent
on raising capacity and improving
frequency and reliability on REME
routes as the concept is developed over
the next five years.
The Grand Est regional authority is
procuring a batch of 30 Régiolis
battery-electric multiple-units to
operate the enhanced services; thanks
to financial support from neighbouring
Saarland these are being equipped for
operation in Germany.
★ Local reports in early January
suggested that the planned increase
in services from December 12 was
marred by numerous delays and
cancellations. A temporary timetable
with fewer services was introduced
and SNCF was understood to be
analysing the situation before making
further timetable changes from the
end of January.

Left: France’s
commitment to
expanding the RER
concept beyond Paris
was highlighted at an
event in the capital
last November,
attended by SNCF
President Jean-Pierre
Farandou and
Transport Minister
Clément Beaune.

Infrastructures is expected to offer

formal advice during the first quarter of
the year as to how and where the
expanded RER programme could be
taken forward.
The REME rail
Cross-city links network is
The first stage of the Grand Est complemented by
project sees the operation of up to 120 a range of express
additional trains per day on weekdays, bus links.

Railway Gazette International February 2023 29

 FLEET MANAGEMENT Germany

DB invests to keep
ICE fleet in trim
O
n December 20 2022
Deutsche Bahn opened
an expanded five-track
workshop for ICE trainsets at
its Berlin-Rummelsburg maintenance
centre. DB has rebuilt the facility to
increase capacity by 30% at a cost of
€200m, and it plans to invest a further
€200m at the same site over the next
few years to raise its throughput yet
further. This will entail the modernisation
of another maintenance hall and the
construction of additional sidings.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the
commissioning of the rebuilt

Photo: DB AG / Volker Emersleben

Rummelsburg shop, DB’s Board Member
for Passenger Traffic Dr Michael Peterson
explained that ‘we are investing record
sums in new trains … the expanded
vehicle hall at the Berlin ICE maintenance
centre creates urgently needed workshop
capacity for our growing long-distance
fleet. Fast and efficient maintenance is All-round access. An ICE4 trainset receives attention in the extended maintenance hall at Berlin-Rummelsburg.
essential for our customers to travel
reliably and comfortably by the
climate-friendly rail mode.’ By 2030 Deutsche Bahn plans to spend around €2bn on new and
Peterson was effectively summarising
DB’s strategic decision to invest heavily
expanded maintenance workshops to keep pace with its steadily
in rolling stock maintenance as part of expanding fleet of ICE trainsets. Murray Hughes investigates.

a plan to improve reliability and service

quality, both of which have suffered
badly in recent years. If Germany’s
ambitious Deutschlandtakt programme
to introduce nationwide regular-interval
passenger services is to succeed, it will
place huge demands on the DB
Fernverkehr long-distance fleet
— 30 min interval services are planned
on the busiest inter-city routes.
At the same time, DB is facing a
massive challenge to turn its performance
around, something that will be essential
if it is to meet the government’s
aspirations for rail to win more
customers from road in the national
Photo: DB AG / Oliver Lang

drive to combat climate change.

Deutschlandtakt is one reason why
DB is investing in a massive expansion
of its ICE fleet, with delivery of more
units expected to take the total fleet size
Bird’s eye view. The extended workshop at DB’s Berlin-Rummelsburg maintenance centre is clearly evident. to 600 trainsets in the medium to long

30 February 2023 Railway Gazette International

Photo: DB AG / Volker Emersleben
Germany FLEET MANAGEMENT

Photo: DB AG / Volker Emersleben

DB Board Member Significantly, the maintenance
for Passenger Traffic centre at Rummelsburg makes use of
Dr Michael Peterson environmentally friendly technologies
and Mayor of Berlin such as solar power — and the roof of
Franziska Giffey cut the rebuilt hall includes a wild flower
a ribbon to mark meadow as well as nesting sites for
the opening of birds and roosts for bats. This is part
the extended ICE of a policy that DB first introduced
workshop at Berlin- with construction of an ICE
Rummelsburg on maintenance centre in Köln that
Photo: DB AG / Volker Emersleben

December 20 2022. opened in February 2018.

Köln-Nippes milestone

30% Completion of the €220m workshop and

depot at Köln-Nippes was something
of a milestone for DB, as it was the
capacity forerunner of a new generation of ICE
workshops designed from the outset to
increase minimise environmental impact.
term. Delivery of the 137 sets in the Taking the example of ICE3 trainsets, achieved Billed by DB as its first CO2-neutral
ICE4 programme is well advanced, daily depot visits are needed for at Berlin- maintenance workshop, the facility
with the 100th trainset formally handed cleaning, emptying toilet tanks and Rummelsburg built on the site of a former marshalling
over in July 2022. Assembly of the refilling water tanks, DB says. Brakes yard quadrupled the operator’s fleet
13-car versions is now in progress and and running gear must be inspected
three new trains are being every four to five days, and a deep clean
commissioned every month. The last is needed once a week. Brakes, bogies
ICE4 is due to be delivered by 2026, but and bodyshells are given a more detailed Table I. Investment in DB’s ICE
in the meantime DB is taking delivery check at intervals of seven to eight days, maintenance workshops and depots
of 30 ICE3neo trainsets from Siemens, and every 45 to 50 days each train Start Completion Cost €m
with 43 more to follow by 2029. undergoes a full maintenance check. Basel 2018 2020 14
Beyond that DB is planning to The increase in capacity at Berlin- Berlin-Rummelsburg
introduce a fleet of fifth-generation Rummelsburg will enable DB to clean, Stage I 2019 2023 189
ICEs, currently in the early stages inspect and repair up to 75 trains a day Stage II 2023 2026 77
of development under the at the site, of which an average of 24 Cottbus
Stage I 2021 2024
Hochgeschwindigkeitsverkehr in will be ICE trainsets. All variants of the Stage II 2025 2026
} 400
Deutschland 3·0 programme. In due ICE family can be handled there, Dortmund-Hafen 2025 2027 400
course these will form the backbone of including the 13-car ICE4 sets. Frankfurt-am-Main 2023 2024 43
the ICE fleet, allowing progressive Provision has also been made to
Hamburg-Eidelstedt
withdrawal of earlier builds, including maintain the future ICE-L Talgo Stage I 2019 2021 41
some of the current ICE3 trainsets. trainsets. Stage II 2020 2025 55
The ongoing expansion of the front The latest workshop expansion has Hamburg-Langenfelde
rank inter-city fleet demands a generated 120 jobs, in addition to the Stage I 2018 2019 45
Stage II 2019 2025 29
commensurate increase in workshop 850 staff already employed at the depot.
Hannover 2021 2022 4
capacity, and DB has put in hand a The 625 000 m2 site has 35 km of track,
Köln-Nippes 2015 2018 220
programme to enhance maintenance serving two train washing plants, one
Nürnberg 2023 2028 400
capabilities at 11 strategic nodes across wheelset inspection unit and an
Total 1 917
its network. underfloor wheel lathe.

Railway Gazette International February 2023 31

 FLEET MANAGEMENT Germany
‘DB proposes to invest
€400m in the Nürnberg
ICE workshop which,
when complete, will employ
more than 450 staff’
maintenance capacity in the Köln area.
It also pioneered several ‘green’ design
features.
The main structure’s side walls feature
translucent panels as part of an energy-
saving lighting concept. Solar power is
used for heating and warm water, and a
2 100 m2 bank of photovoltaic cells offers
an installed capacity of 300 kWh. Some of
the power is used to operate heat pumps,
with geothermal energy powering
air-conditioning using groundwater
extracted at a temperature of 12∙5 °C. In
the summer this cools the main hall and
adjacent buildings, while in winter the
heat pumps raise the groundwater
temperature to heat the buildings. Used
water is recycled on the site.
Like Berlin-Rummelsburg, Nippes
has been designed to maintain all types
Photo: DB AG / Hartmut-Joachim Sigrist
32
of ICE. The main shop houses four
410 m long tracks that can each
accommodate pairs of eight-car ICE2
or ICE3 or seven-car ICE4 trainsets.
Three adjacent tracks are available for
minor maintenance tasks, and another
building houses a wheel lathe and
wheelset diagnosis facility.
Nürnberg site chosen
The Köln-Nippes workshop was used as
a blueprint for a similar facility planned
at Feucht near Nürnberg, one of three
Right: Rooftop more ICE workshop and maintenance
energy. The facilities at the planning stage or under
four-track ICE construction. This is also intended to
maintenance shop be CO2 neutral.
at Köln-Nippes has The site chosen for the Nürnberg
solar panels and workshop once housed an army
photovoltaic cells ammunition facility and includes
mounted on the roof. an area of woodland, the proposed
destruction of which has led to
protesters calling for DB to investigate
different sites that would be less
damaging to the environment. In
fact, the site was chosen as the most
Photo: DB AG / Daniel Saarbourg
suitable of three picked for detailed
investigation after an initial survey of
Green symbol. The nine locations. During December DB
maintenance was employing specialist staff to check
facilities at Cottbus that no munitions remained on the site.
will be used primarily DB proposes to invest €400m in the
by DB’s ICE4 fleet. Nürnberg ICE workshop which, when
February 2023 Railway Gazette International

complete, will employ more than 450
staff. Planning procedures are in
progress with a view to opening the
workshop and depot in 2028 — the
Nürnberg area is already home to other
DB maintenance facilities, one of which
is currently being used to give ICE1
trainsets a makeover. Another €20m is
being spent on increasing siding
capacity here.
The main ICE workshop building at
Feucht will be 450 m long and will have
six tracks, allowing the depot to handle
up to 25 ICE sets every day.
‘Good news’ in Cottbus
In May last year Federal Chancellor
Olaf Scholz took part in a symbolic
sod-turning ceremony at Cottbus,
where another ICE depot and
workshop is under construction. This
is destined mainly for use by ICE4
sets. The Chancellor emphasised
that persuading people to switch to
rail would only work with ‘a modern
and efficient railway’, noting that
the workshop would help ensure
that the area retained its industrial
heritage, ‘even in the 21st century’.
Its construction was ‘good news for
Cottbus and the whole of the Lausitz
region’, he said, as ‘it signals a fresh start
for the whole of east Germany’.
Railway Gazette International February 2023
Germany FLEET MANAGEMENT
Scholz’s participation in the event
highlighted the importance that the
German government accords to
industrial development in the eastern
Länder, which have been hit by the
phasing out of coal production.
Funding amounting to around €1bn is
to be raised under the provisions of the
Coal Regions Investment Act, destined
to support projects in Brandenburg,
Sachsen and Sachsen-Anhalt to the east
and Nordrhein-Westfalen to the west.
‘Here in Cottbus the railway is being
made fit and put back on track’, Scholz
explained, adding that DB was setting
the pace along the path towards a
climate-neutral Germany by 2045.
The Cottbus ICE maintenance centre
is being built on the site of an old
railway works dating back to the 1870s.
By November 2022 the erection of a
445 m long two-track workshop was
nearly complete, with work on the
facades due to be undertaken during
December. Tracklaying for the access
roads followed; the first rails were
expected to be laid before the end of the
year with the pointwork and catenary
masts to be in position by May 2023.
Topping out and commissioning is
due in 2024, after which a second
workshop will be built for completion
by 2026. This shop will be 570 m long
with four tracks. Construction and
operation of the two workshops in
Cottbus is ultimately predicted to lead
to the creation of up to 1 200 jobs and
100 positions for apprentices.
For the first time DB is using
so-called green concrete which is
manufactured using a method that
generates 30% less CO2 than
conventional production. Developed by
Cottbus start-up company Sonocrete,
the technique entails premixing cement
and water for a short period before
treatment with high power ultrasound,
a process which ensures that the
concrete hardens quickly. Energy
consumption is reduced by an
estimated 30% and the quantity of
cement is reduced. This material is
Federal Chancellor being used for support structures and
Olaf Scholz and part of the roof of the first workshop,
DB CEO Dr Richard and will also be used to build the
Lutz marked the second workshop.
formal start of
construction for the Partnership
ICE maintenance In Cottbus, DB is breaking fresh
centre at Cottbus in ground in more than one sense. The
May 2022. depot project is being developed
Photo: DB AG / Oliver Lang
33
 FLEET MANAGEMENT Germany
Photo: DB AG / Oliver Lang
with industry partners under a novel
alliance designed to ensure that all
players work towards the common
goals of keeping down costs and
finishing the job on time. A key
element has been to involve all the
contractors at the planning and project
management stage.
DB’s Group Representative for
Brandenburg Alexander Kaczmarek
explained in March 2022 that DB was
using a multi-party contract with
integrated project management for the
first time in a construction project.
‘The construction companies are
involved in the planning phase in
order to start the planning and later
construction phase together. The aim is
to stay on schedule and within budget,
to work co-operatively and to make the
project a success.’
To symbolise the co-operative
nature of the scheme, the documents
Image: DB AG / Vectorvision
Green credentials. DB’s two-road maintenance hall built at Cottbus using ‘green’ concrete is due to open in 2024.
34
Construction of the committing the alliance to these
structure for the objectives were signed in a coworking
main hall at the ICE space in the city. The contractors
maintenance centre involved are Rhomberg Sersa Rail
at Cottbus was well Group, Arcadis Germany GmbH,
advanced by mid- Logsol GmbH and Wayss & Freytag
December with the Ingenieurbau AG, with the Technical
sidewalls and roof University of Berlin providing
nearing completion. scientific support.
Efforts were also made to involve
local companies, an example being
February 2023 Railway Gazette International
prefabricated concrete components
supplier Hentschke Bau GmbH of
Bautzen.
Dortmund design in progress
Construction of another ICE
maintenance centre in Dortmund is due
to start in 2025, with opening proposed
for 2027. This will be the second ICE
maintenance centre in the city, adding
to the facilities already in operation at
Spähenfelde. Dortmund is an important
hub for ICE services, with numerous
Photo: DB AG / Frank Kniestedt
trains terminating or passing through on
both north-south and east-west routes.
Former DB Board Member for
Infrastructure Ronald Pofalla said in
October 2021 that the city was an ideal
location as it was possible to re-use old
railway land, which helped to minimise
any planning and construction
constraints. The facility is to be built on
the 28 ha site of a derelict freight yard
west of the harbour area, and will be
known as Dortmund-Hafen.
Planning procedures for the new
depot were put in train in 2021 and
public consultation followed in the first
half of 2022. Design is being handled
by DB Engineering & Consulting,
along with architect Miriam Kiesel who
also worked on the design of the ICE
facility in Cottbus. Final design is due
to be complete by spring 2023, with the
construction drawings all prepared by
the end of 2024 ready for work to start
in the following year. Around 500 jobs
will be created at the new facility.
DB expects to invest another €400m in
the Dortmund-Hafen depot, which like
its sister workshops will be CO2 neutral;
a number of maintenance processes will
be automated. The main 480 m long
building will house four tracks and will
handle up to 17 ICE trains a day.
 FLEET MANAGEMENT USA
Hurricane-resistant
workshop inaugurated
N
ew York’s Metropolitan
Transportation Authority
unveiled its new Clifton Car
Maintenance Shop on
December 7. The rebuilt facility has been
designed to serve as the headquarters for
operations on the standalone Staten
Island Railway, which runs for 22·5 km
across the north of the island between
St George and Tottenville.
The ‘storm-resilient’ depot replaces
an older facility that suffered extensive
damage during Hurricane Sandy in
2012, which led to months of
disruption. The shop has been built to
withstand a Category 2 hurricane,
including water and wind pressures up
to 175 km/h, sustained winds, and a
900 mm high water surge.
The depot will be the main base for
the dedicated fleet of 75 R211 subway
cars being built for SIR by Kawasaki.
These form part of New York City
Transit’s framework contract for the
supply of up to 1 614 vehicles, of which
1 175 have now been ordered. They are
expected to replace the current fleet of
R44 trainsets by the end of 2025. The
depot will also house and service the
diesel locomotives and other equipment
used to operate maintenance trains on
the line.
36
In addition to administrative offices
and support buildings, the main
workshop has four tracks for rolling
stock inspection and repairs, as well as
interior cleaning. Overhead cranes are
provided for changing roof-mounted
air conditioning units and lifting car
bodies to facilitate bogie maintenance.
According to MTA, the depot will be
able to undertake vehicle modification
programmes when necessary.
‘This state-of-the-art facility will be
the home base of Staten Island Railway
operations and is key to delivering
more reliable and resilient transit’,
explained MTA Chair & CEO Janno
Photos: MTA / Marc Hermann
A ‘storm-resilient’ depot has opened
to serve New York City Transit’s
Staten Island Railway.
Above: The rebuilt Lieber at the opening ceremony. New
depot offices also York City Transit President Richard
house the operational Davey added that the new workshop
headquarters of the would allow SIR cars to be maintained
isolated SIR. and repaired onsite, instead of being
transferred to Brooklyn by boat.
Left: NYCT President
Richard Davey Workshops reconfigured
addresses the Lieber acknowledged the support of
opening ceremony the US Department of Transportation
on December 7 and the Federal Transit Administration,
attended by state adding that ‘we couldn’t have completed
and federal this project without our partners’. The
representatives. five-year design-build project costed
at $165m has been funded from FTA’s
Hurricane Sandy recovery programme.
As well as reconstruction of the
workshop buildings, the track layout
has been reconfigured and the traction
Facing page: The power supplies enhanced. Environmental
four-track workshop work included the clearance of asbestos
maintains both the and lead from the site, as well as the
passenger and removal of underground fuel storage
works fleets, and will tanks. New communications, and
be home to SIR’s new security systems including CCTV have
Kawasaki-built R211 been installed, as well as public address,
trainsets. fire alarms and sprinklers.
February 2023 Railway Gazette International
 USA FLEET MANAGEMENT
Anticipating that the ‘state-of-the-
art, resilient facility’ would serve the
railway ‘for decades to come’, MTA
Construction & Development
President Jamie Torres-Springer said
‘redesigning the shop to prevent water
intrusion and withstand a Category 2
hurricane storm represents the
forward-thinking approach MTA
C&D is bringing to projects across
the system’.
‘It’s been 10 years since Hurricane
Sandy struck the New York
metropolitan area, significantly
damaging the region’s transit
infrastructure, including this shop, the
only maintenance facility for Staten
Island Railway’, said FTA Regional
Administrator Stephen Goodman.
‘The culmination of our work
demonstrates how we are investing in
transit infrastructure and advancing
key priorities. This project will reap
enormous benefits for the riders of
Staten Island and help them get where
they need to go.’
‘When Hurricane Sandy tried to
knock out Staten Island and New York
City, we fought back, and we have the
resiliency to stand here today, and say,
we’re not going to let a storm knock
us down again’, said Staten Island
Borough President Vito Fossella.
‘We’re very pleased that the MTA and
their partners have chosen to invest in
Staten Island. This project is essential
to keep the system going strong and
continue to be vibrant in the decades
ahead.’

Railway Gazette International February 2023 37

 FLEET MANAGEMENT Technology

Expanding the
scope of condition
monitoring tools
Swedish company Railway Metrics & Dynamics has developed a low-power monitoring
unit initially aimed at addressing rolling stock faults such as wheel flats. Now, as CEO
Jan Lindqvist explains, the company is exploring how infrastructure can be monitored
more effectively as well.

C
ondition monitoring technology
may not be glamorous, but it
has undoubtedly brought huge
amounts of hype to the rail
sector over the past decade and more,
because the potential benefits of fully
exploiting the ‘Internet of Things’
revolution are very significant indeed.
The rail freight community in
particular could be a big winner. There
have been long-standing aspirations
from across the sector for advanced
sensors and battery units to address a
slew of commercial challenges, from
trimming overheads to mitigating safety
risks and finally matching the customer
service provision offered by road
haulage. Yet it is equally fair to argue
that for all the hope of the past 15 to 20
years, widespread adoption of IoT has
remained stubbornly elusive, and the
‘system level’ improvement in railway
performance which advocates are
pushing for has yet to come to fruition. The RMD serious accidents, but even wheelflats kind of technology much cheaper and
Reflecting on his two decades in the Performance cause delays and add huge costs to your more effective’, he explains. ‘The cost of
freight business, Railway Metrics & Monitoring Unit operation. We wanted to find technology an accelerometer has declined
Dynamics CEO Jan Lindqvist mounted on an to help the address the issues.’ dramatically over the past 15 years.’
acknowledges that ‘back in 2010, intermodal wagon. Specifically, Lindqvist wanted a sensor
batteries were too expensive and lacking that could help track the rolling Deploying PMU
in performance’, which made it hard to dynamics of wheels and monitor specific RMD spent five years honing the
fit monitoring sensors to rolling stock in vibration wavelengths. This search led PMU sensor, registering patents for
a commercially viable way. At that time, him to join entrepreneur Howard the design in 2018 covering France,
Lindqvist was leading Rush Rail, a small McCall, Jack Long and Helmuth Kristen Germany, the UK, Sweden, Australia
open access operator in Sweden named in setting up RMD in Sweden in 2011. and the USA. The same year, the sensor
after his favourite prog rock band. The following year it launched its core went into series production and has
‘Wheelsets were a constant problem’, he product, a sensor which the company subsequently been deployed by the
recalls. ‘Clearly a serious wheel or brake terms a Performance Monitoring Unit. Swedish business unit of Mercitalia
defect can cause derailments and other ‘The next two to three years made this subsidiary TX Logistik.

38 February 2023 Railway Gazette International


Key to the sensor’s design is a ‘fit and
forget’ approach to deployment. The unit
can sit in various positions on a wagon
or bogie frame for wheelset monitoring,
or be mounted on a pantograph. In each
case, strong magnets are used to fix it in
place. Each PMU has two accelerometers
and one GPS tracker, plus a battery. The
battery life is two years, but in practice
Lindqvist says that this can equate to up
to six years of operation. RMD is now
offering optional solar power as well.
Key to the long life of the device is its
‘sleep mode’, where a bare minimum of
vibration data is recorded in the
background until an anomaly is
detected. PMUs have microcontrollers
installed which feature a CPU with
integrated working memory and
program memory, all mounted on a
single silicon chip. At that point, the
PMU ‘wakes up’ to record a wider series
of variables. Similarly, data transfer to
and from the cloud is carefully managed
to ensure that as far as possible, only
datasets requiring action or investigation
are transmitted. ‘The PMU is designed to
optimise the power consumption while
also making sure that it is in a position to
notice anything that could be wrong.’
Lindqvist explains that the sensors pick
up accelerations in three dimensions with
help from a gyroscope. Every vibration
pattern is unique, reflecting parameters
such as the distance between bogies and
the number of wagons in a train. Extensive
data collection can thus be undertaken
from each individual vehicle, and the
acceleration data is correlated using GPS.
Data transfer is undertaken via a 2G
to 5G telecoms network, while a
wagon-mounted PMU can be equipped
with long range radio. In total,
Lindqvist estimates that there are
currently around 200 PMUs in use
supporting live operations.
Towards a platform approach
Since 2016, RMD has been working
to develop what the company
terms a ‘platform’, offering a suite of
Railway Gazette International February 2023
Technology FLEET MANAGEMENT
complementary services based around
the PMU technology. However,
Lindqvist is quick to assert that this
development work is ongoing and
‘we don’t have a whole system yet’.
Nevertheless, RMD is targeting a range
of potential end users from across the
sector, from fleet owners to railway
undertakings, Entities in Charge of
Maintenance and, in its most recent
work, infrastructure managers.
A suite of tools has been developed
to augment the capability of the PMU.
These cover pantograph monitoring, a
rear view camera, and sensors for wheel
condition, weight and kingpin locks
— these last two are still in the testing
phase, Lindqvist says, and are being
developed in response to market
demand for better tracking of wagon
condition as trains are on the move. A
particular focus in Scandinavia is on
the stability of intermodal shipments in
the wake of the fatal January 2019
accident on the Storebælt fixed link in
Denmark, when a passenger train hit a
semitrailer dislodged from a passing
freight service.
Together, these devices are able to
send data to a range of destinations,
including RMD’s own cloud computers
for analysis, to the train driver via an
app branded MyTrain, and to a
dashboard which can be accessed by an
ECM or infrastructure manager. RMD’s
early deployment of PMUs with
TX Logistik has led to the platform
being used to automate visual checks
on pre-departure train formation and
wagon load status, which has reduced
the resources required for these
activities significantly, Lindqvist
reports.
Commercial model
RMD’s main revenue stream is the
daily fees it levies for the capture and
transmission of sensor data, plus an
initial installation cost. From its current
Bridging the skills small installed base largely in the
gap: RMD Chief Nordic region, Lindqvist is eyeing a
Executive Jan major expansion drive lasting between
Lindqvist believes 18 months and three years that would
his company has a see PMUs and the related telematics
responsibility to platform rolled out across a number
ensure railway of regions and market segments. To
domain knowledge support these growth ambitions, the
is passed down to company floated via an IPO on the
the next generation Spotlight Stock Market in August last
of engineers, many year.
of whom have A key driver of growth, Lindqvist
grown up familiar says, is likely to be the heavy haul
with software-led freight market. RMD has already begun
business processes. early stage trials of using PMUs to
provide basic operational data for
operators in Mozambique and
Botswana. ‘Railways in these regions
need just the most basic running
information that they don’t have today’,
he explains. ‘Where is the train? Are
there any problems with the wheelsets?
If there is a timetable, is the train
keeping to it? This kind of thing.’ He
suggests that better data and analytics
could enable heavy haul operators to
shave days from a mine-to-port cycle.
Monitoring infrastructure too
The next step for RMD is to assess
RMD is working on whether its technology can straddle
sensors designed to the divide between the wayside
enhance the and onboard. In October 2022,
monitoring of freight the company won an Innovation
shipments in transit, Procurement tender issued by
including the stability Trafikverket covering what the
of intermodal infrastructure manager called ‘the
containers. further development, validation and
39
 FLEET MANAGEMENT Technology
delivery of new information services
for automated measurement of the
railway infrastructure’; the resulting ‘The key point about what our
contract, which runs until June 2024, is
worth SKr7·3m. company does is that we are not
As part of the ensuing research
programme, researchers at the KTH just fitting sensors and harvesting huge
technology institute in Stockholm are
to equip a passenger train on the amounts of data — we have people
Botniabanan with RMD sensors to
augment those already fitted to a fully around us that truly understand
instrumented bridge on the route.
This approach mirrors research being
wheel-rail dynamics’
undertaken by MIT in the USA to use
mobile phones belonging to car Jan Lindqvist, CEO, Railway Metrics & Dynamics
passengers to monitor the structural
condition of highway bridges.
‘The sensor on the bridge will know drain’ was arguably catalysed by the wheel-rail dynamics and can see an
when a train is approaching because gradual dismantling of former state anomaly and understand the possible
that train will have a PMU too’, railway SJ’s research activities as the causes. That’s railway domain
Lindqvist says, enabling the interaction country’s rail sector was liberalised knowledge. We’ve tried to collect it
between the structure and the train to over the past 30 years, but he sees an within our business.’
be captured. This work builds on opportunity now for smaller bespoke The problem in the Swedish rail
RMD’s existing work using onboard players to fill the gap, at least partially. sector, as elsewhere, is that much of this
sensors to monitor infrastructure, such ‘The key point about what our understanding sits with older
the interaction between pantograph company does is that we are not just technicians and academic specialists,
and contact wire. fitting sensors and harvesting huge who struggle to marry their own
Asked how RMD’s proposition amounts of data — we have people knowledge and experience with
differs from other condition around us that truly understand modern digital and data analytics
monitoring technologies in the market,
Lindqvist says that he ‘doesn’t know of
anyone else who can see the whole
railway system’ including the
infrastructure and individual vehicle
behaviour from a single measuring
device.

Understanding rolling dynamics

Reflecting more broadly on market Below and right:
trends however, Lindqvist feels that The RMD dashboard
the rail sector — at least in Sweden is designed to deliver
— remains constrained by a gradual actionable
loss of corporate knowledge in specific information to
fields. ‘There are really only about operators,
five people left in Sweden who truly infrastructure
understand wheel-rail dynamics. The managers and
knowledge is gone’, he suggests, calling maintenance
the situation ‘a scandal’. This ‘brain companies.

capabilities. For Lindqvist, companies

like RMD have a duty to help transfer
this knowledge to a younger generation
through the product development
process.
To this end, last year RMD opened a
Machine Learning Lab in Stockholm to
support the further development of its
algorithms and software. Looking
further ahead, Lindqvist is keen for
RMD to explore the adaptation of its
platform to make it more well suited
for the passenger market, while the
company also says that its experiences
to date in the rail industry also give it
the potential to deploy the IoT
platform in other vertical markets in
the coming years.

40 February 2023 Railway Gazette International

 IN FOCUS Europe
Growing Westbahn
looks east and west
As private operator Westbahn
launches a Wien – Innsbruck route,
CEO Thomas Posch sets out the
company’s priorities for the post-
pandemic period to Toma Bačić.
42
O
pen-access operator
Westbahn commenced
Wien – Innsbruck services
from the December 11
timetable change, with the first
service leaving Wien Westbahnhof
at 07.08.
The route forms an extension of the
open access operator’s existing Wien
– Salzburg service. There are three
return trains per day departing from
Wien at 07.08, 11.08 and 17.08, and
from Innsbruck at 06.31, 12.31 and
16.31. The end to end journey time is
4 h 21 min for the 506 km trip, 1 min
faster than national operator ÖBB’s
Railjet Xpress service to and from
Wien Hauptbahnhof; Westbahn’s
trains run through Germany between
Freilassing and Kufstein, bypassing
Rosenheim.
Westbahn offers three classes of
accommodation; Standard, Comfort,
which is essentially a standard
premium offering with more legroom,
and First Class, which features 2+1
February 2023 Railway Gazette International
Above: The first Westbahn from Wien
Westbahnhof arrived at Innsbruck Hbf on
December 11 at 11:29.
Left: Westbahn CEO Thomas Posch in
conversation with Railway Gazette.
seating, complementary reservations
and an at-seat catering option.
Speaking to Railway Gazette during
the launch ceremony in Innsbruck,
Westbahn Chief Executive Thomas
Posch dismissed suggestions that the
lower top speed of Westbahn’s 200 km/h
EMUs would be an issue; ÖBB’s Railjets
can run at up to 230 km/h.
‘Our Stadler trainsets have much
better acceleration than ÖBB’s Railjets,
so the company’s timetable and journey
times are adjusted to short stops and
good acceleration rather than running
at speeds over 200 km/h. We even try
to run at 180 km/h if operations are
stable and services are on time, to save
energy’, Posch explained.

‘Quality has its own price’
The operator offers a lowest price of
€18·99 for a one-way ticket from Wien
to Innsbruck, ‘but the majority of the
tickets are more expensive. We are not
very aggressive on pricing competition
but we consider quality has its own
price, and we see our customers
like quality. So we want to convince
customers with quality and reliability,
rather than with low prices.’
The launch of a route to Innsbruck
follows on from the München
– Salzburg – Wien service that the
company started in April. ‘The
München service is a great success in
terms of revenues, we had a break-even
after only six months, and that is why
our revenues are even higher now than
before the pandemic. We have reached
pre-Covid passenger numbers by
mid-2022’, Posch explained.
Aiming for Budapest
Talking about possible future growth,
Posch explained that Westbahn is
Railway Gazette International February 2023
Europe IN FOCUS
Westbahn is running could then unlock further expansion,
three return trips per Posch believed. ‘When we receive the
day between Wien four CRRC trainsets, Budapest would
and Innsbruck be a strategic option’, he added. ‘Of
offering three classes course, we are monitoring the
of accommodation: Innsbruck extension’s performance. If
Standard, Comfort this service brings a lot of passengers
and First. we will increase the number of trains,
but for now we are happy with three
pairs of services per day.’
In the longer term, he said the
operator would consider running from
the Austrian capital to Graz and
Westbahn Klagenfurt, but only after completion
limited in terms of rolling stock for the shareholders, of the Semmering Base Tunnel and the
2022-23 timetable by its current fleet of management and Koralmbahn reconstruction. Further
15 Stadler Kiss EMUs. In the short term local politicians growth in Germany was not on the
therefore, he does not see any further celebrated the start agenda; ‘Beyond München there is
route extensions as economically of the service to already strong competition’, he
viable, and ‘we don’t want to reduce Innsbruck. suggested.
existing services’.
Westbahn currently operates 15
third-generation six-car Kiss double-
deck EMUs, ordered in October 2019;
these are leased to Westbahn by
Austrian Train Finance, a wholly
owned subsidiary of PCS Holding, the
investment vehicle led by Stadler
Chairman Peter Spuhler.
However, Westbahn is also leasing
four double-deck trainsets from CRRC
Zhuzhou under an agreement signed in
December 2019, the terms of which
Posch insisted ‘posed no risk to
Westbahn’. The first of these arrived at
the Velim test track in the Czech
Republic in May, and he said testing
and certification was still scheduled to
be completed by mid-2023.
The addition of these four trainsets
43
 IN FOCUS China
Urban expansion
continues apace
More than 300 km of new urban rail lines and extensions were inaugurated in 11
Chinese cities on December 26-31, as part of the country’s annual end-of-year
metro opening bonanza, reports Toma Bačić.
Automation on the Yangtze
NANJING
The first phase of Nanjing metro Line 7
opened on December 28, along with a
northern extension of Line 1.
Running from Xianxinlu in the
northeast to Mufuxilu, the initial
13·8 km section of Line 7 serves 10
stations, including interchanges with
Line 1 at Xiaozhuang and Line 3 at
Wutangguangchang. Subsequent phases
will see the route extended south
through the city centre to Jianning, relieving the
busiest parts of lines 1 and 2.
Under construction since March 14 2018, Line 7
has been designed for fully automated operation to
GoA4. It is operated by 53 six-car Type B trainsets
supplied by CRRC Nanjing Puzhen, which have
Alstom Optonix traction equipment. The trains are
based at an elevated depot at Majiayuan, which is
described as the first fully automated metro depot
in Nanjing.
The same day saw the opening of a 6·5 km
northern extension of Line 1 from Maigaoqiao to
Baguazhoudaqiaonan. This adds another five
44
stations, including the interchange with Line 7 at
Xiaozhuang. Including 5·8 km in tunnel and 700 m
of elevated route, the extension takes Line 1 to a
total length of 45·4 km with 32 stations.
Line 1 has been opened in stages since 2005.
Another nine trains have been procured for the
latest extension, bringing the fleet to 67 six-car sets.
The Type A trainsets manufactured by CRRC
Nanjing Puzhen are based on the Alstom
Metropolis platform.
Opening of the latest extensions have increased
the Nanjing metro network to 449 km, with six urban
and six suburban lines serving 191 stations.
February 2023 Railway Gazette International
Line 4
opens early
QINGDAO
Qingdao Metro’s east-west Line 4 was
opened for revenue service on De-
cember 26, four months ahead of
schedule. It takes the city’s urban rail
network to 315 km, making it the 10th
longest in China.
The 30·7 km Line 4 linking Renmin
Huitang in the old city with Dahedong
to the east serves 25 stations, al-
though the interchange with Line 1 at
Guanxiangshan has not yet opened.
Six other stations provide interchange
with lines 1, 2, 3 and 11. The city’s sev-
enth metro line is expected to carry
200 000 passengers per day.
Line 4 formed part of the original
Qingdao 2013-18 transport plan ap-
proved by the National Development &
Reform Commission in November 2013.
Construction began in June 2017, with
tunnelling progressing at 900 m/month;
at one stage it was the biggest infra-
structure project in Shandong province.
Test running started in September 2022.
The line is operated by a fleet of 37
six-car Type B1 trainsets, which can run
at up to 80 km/h and have capacity for
1 896 passengers. End-to-end journey
time between Renmin Huitang and
Dahedong is 54 min.
 China IN FOCUS

Extending north and south

WUHAN
China’s seventh oldest metro network has
expanded further, with the opening of two
extensions in Wuhan totalling 25·3 km.
Longer of the two is a northern extension of
Line 7 from Garden Expo North to Hengdian,
which opened on December 30. This adds
21·1 km and seven stations, taking the line to a
total length of 69 km with 33 stations. The
northernmost 5·9 km serving three stations is
elevated, and laid out for 120 km/h operation in
the future. A further 15·4 km section from
Hengdian to Huangpi Square with four stations
is currently under construction; this is also
being designed for 120 km/h.
Line 7 is currently worked by six-car Type A
trainsets with a maximum speed
of 100 km/h. The first 40 sets
were delivered by CRRC
Changchun in 2016-18, followed
by 15 from CRRC Zhuzhou in
2018-20. CRRC Changchun is
now supplying another 30 for
the latest round of extensions.
All the stations on the line have
been built to accommodate
eight-car trains, except on the
section north of Tianyang Boulevard, which is first phase of this line, which is branded as the
set to be hived off as a separate Line 28, also Hannan suburban line, was opened in
known as the Qianchuan suburban line. December 2021. The extension takes the route
The other extension adds 4·2 km to the to a total length of 35·9 km with 14 stations. The
southern end of Line 16, from Zhoujiahe to 120 km/h line is worked by a fleet of 25 four-car
Hannan General Airport with two stations. The trainsets supplied by CRRC Zhuzhou.

Third line Chinese metro openings in December 2021

Date City Line From – To Length km Stations

opens Dec 26
Dec 26
Dec 28
Qingdao
Hefei
Shenzhen
4
5
16
Renmin Huitang – Dahedong
Wanghucheng Xi – Jiqiaolu
Universiade – Tianxin
30·7
15·5
29·2
24*
13
24
New line
Extension
Extension
Dec 28 Nanjing 7 Xianxinlu – Mufuxilu 13·8 10 New line
Dec 28 Nanjing 1 Maigaoqiao – Baguazhoudaqiaonan 6·5 5 Extension
Dec 28 Foshan 3 Zhen’an – Shunde College Railway Station 42·9 22 New line
Dec 28 Taizhou S1 Taizhou Central Station – Chengnan 52·4 15 New line
Dec 28 Jinhua Yidong Lingyun – Sports Center 27·2 11 New line
Dec 28 Huangshi T1 Huangshi Avenue – Garden Expo 26·9 29 Tram line
Dec 28 Shenzhen Yunba 1 Pingshan Dong – BYD North 8·5 11 Peoplemover
Dec 29 Xi’an 6 Xibeigongyedaxue – Fangzhicheng 19·5 17 Extension
Dec 30 Wuhan 7 Garden Expo North – Hengdian 21·1 7 Extension
Dec 30 Wuhan 16 Zhoujiahe – Hannan General Airport 4·2 2 Extension
Dec 31 Beijing 16 Yuyuantan Park East Gate – Yushuzhuang 14·2 9 Extension
FOSHAN Total 312·6 199

Foshan metro Line 3 was opened for *Plus one intermediate station yet to open

revenue service on December 28.

The 42·9 km line with 22 stations runs
from Zhen’an in the north to Shunde
College railway station in the southeast.
Two stations and 5·6 km of the line are
elevated, and the rest underground.
Construction began in August 2016, and
test running started in mid-2022.
Interchange with Guangzhou metro
Line 7 is provided at Beijiao Park, while
Dongping provides a connection with
the Guangfo ‘inter-city metro’ line,
which links Foshan and Guangzhou.
Line 3 is operated by a fleet of 51 six-
car Type B trains with permanent
magnet traction motors, which are able
to run at a maximum speed of 100 km/h.
Services run at 5 min 40 sec intervals
during the peaks and every 8 min 30 sec
off peak, offering an end-to-end journey
time of 55 min.
A 2·6 km extension to the southeast
with one station is under construction,
along with a 24 km northwestern
extension with 15 stations, which will
serve Foshan and Foshan Xi railway
stations.
Line 5 extended
HEFEI
A 15·5 km northern extension of Hefei metro Line 5
was inaugurated on December 26, exactly two
years after the first section from Guiyanglu to
Wanghucheng Xi opened on December 26 2020.
The extension from Wanghucheng Xi to
Jiqiaolu adds another 13 stations, of which two
are interchanges. It brings the line to a total
length of 40·7 km with 33 stations. Test running
with passengers had been undertaken between
December 19 and 21.
Line 5 is operated by 46 six-car Type B trainsets,
which can operate at up to 80 km/h and carry up
to 2 054 passengers. The line’s average commercial
speed is around 37 km/h.
The latest extension takes the Hefei Rail Transit
network to 171 route-km, serving 133 stations. The
network is expected to reach eight lines with a
total length of 285 km by 2026, at which point the
average daily ridership is predicted to exceed
2 million passengers. The city is looking to increase
the metro’s share of urban public transport usage
from the current 48% to at least 60%.

Railway Gazette International February 2023 45

 IN FOCUS China

Automated Line 16 serves

the eastern suburbs
SHENZHEN
Shenzhen Metro’s fully automated Line 16 was
opened on December 28, serving Pingshan,
Tianzin and Shenzhen Technical University to
the east of the expanding conurbation.
Also known as the Longping Line, the
29·2 km route with 24 stations starts from an
interchange with lines 3 and 14 at Universiade
in the centre of Longgang, northeast of central
Shenzhen. It initially loops north through
Huanggekeng before meeting Line 3
again at Shuanglong. It then heads east
to Tianzin, interchanging with the
Shenzhen – Xiamen high speed line at
Pingshan (formerly Shenzhen Dong).
Line 16 has been built by China
Railway Construction Corp, and was
reportedly completed in 1 814 days.
According to the operator, it is the first
GoA4 line in China to use only
domestically developed technology. It is
also the first line to run entirely outside
the original Shenzhen Special Economic
Zone.
The line is operated by a fleet of 32 six-car,
Type A trainsets supplied by CRRC Zhuzhou,
which are equipped for driverless operation at
up to 80 km/h. Services operate at a minimum
headway of 5½ min in the morning and
evening peaks and every 6½ min off-peak.
Two extensions of Line 16 are envisaged in
the Shenzhen Urban Rail Transit Phase IV
Construction Plan, which was approved by the
National Development & Reform Commission
in March 2020. Construction has already
started on a 9·5 km western extension from
Universiade to Xikeng with eight stations,
which is expected to open in September 2025.
A 6 km eastern extension from Tianxin, which
would add another three stations, has not yet
been authorised.
Simultaneously with the opening of Line 16,
an 8·5 km rubber-tyred peoplemover line was
opened to serve central Pingshan. Known as
Pingshan Yunba Line 1, the elevated route runs
east from the Line 16-PDL interchange at
Pingshan and then turns south to
terminate at BYD North. Vehicles for
the peoplemover have been supplied by
local bus manufacturer BYD. These can
run at up to 70 km/h, climbing 8%
gradients and negotiating a minimum
curve radius of just 15 m.
Opening of the two lines has
increased the Shenzhen urban network
to 559 km. The city inaugurated five
new metro lines or extensions during
2022, as well as the peoplemover, and
anticipates that the total network will
reach 650 route-km by 2025.

Line 6 goes east Catenary-free tram

XI’AN
December 29 saw the inauguration of
the second phase of Xi’an metro Line 6
running through the city centre from
Xibeigongyedaxue (NW Polytechnical
University) and then east to
Fangzhicheng.
The 15·6 km first phase of Line 6, run-
ning southwest from Xibeigongyeda­
xue to Xi’an International Medical Cen-
tre with 13 stations, had been
inaugurated on December 26 2020.
Under construction since January
2017, the eastern extension adds a fur-
ther 19·5 km and 17 stations. It includes
five interchanges with other routes,
including connections to lines 1 and 9 at
Fangzhicheng.
A two-station southern extension of
Line 6 from Xi’anguojiyixuezhongxin to
Xi’an Nan Railway Station is due to be
opened during 2023; the timing is to be
co-ordinated with the modernisation of
the China Railways station. This will
bring the line to a total length of 35·1 km
with 30 stations.
Line 6 is operated by a fleet of six-car
Type B trainsets supplied by CRRC Da-
lian, which are designed for 80 km/h
operation. The first 25 trains were sup-
plied for the first phase, with another
28 being delivered for the opening of
the second phase.
HUANGSHI
The first phase of the Huangshi tram network in Hubei
province was formally inaugurated with a ceremony at
Huangshi Bei station on the morning of December 28. Public
services began at 12.30, with free travel being offered until
January 31.
The 26·9 km route with 29 stops serves the western and
southern part of the city. Starting from Shenjiaying Avenue in
the old town, the line heads west along the shore of Ci Lake to
Huangshi Bei railway station, before turning south and east to
reach Huangshi Xi. The route then runs south through a
1·5 km tunnel under Huangjing Mountain to terminate with a
long single track loop around the Olympic Sports Centre and
Garden Expo on the banks of Daye Lake.
Located on the south bank of the River Yangtze, midway
between Wuhan and Jiujiang, the city has been planning to
develop a tram network since September 2013. The 4·6bn yuan
project was formally approved by the National Development
& Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance in
February 2019, and a loan financing package enabled
construction to begin in September 2020.
CRRC has supplied a fleet of 32 four-section low-floor
trams with an entrance height of 320 mm above rail. The
vehicles are 36·6 m long and 2 650 mm wide, with capacity for
340 standing and 68 seated passengers. Each tram has six
double-leaf and two single-leaf doors per side to facilitate
rapid boarding and alighting.
Designed to run at up to 70 km/h, the trams are equipped
with batteries and supercapacitor energy storage for catenary-
free operation, recharging from a short section of rigid
overhead rail at each stop.

46 February 2023 Railway Gazette International

 China IN FOCUS

Capital growth
BEIJING
The southern section of Beijing metro Line 16 from Yuyuan-
tan Park East Gate to Yushuzhuang was opened for revenue
service on December 31.
The 14·2 km extension serving the southwest of the capital
adds a further nine stations, taking the line to 46·2 km with 25
stations. It brings the total network to 777 route-km serving
360 stations.
The 19·6 km northern section of the western tangent line
between Bei’anhe and Xiyuan was opened in December 2016.
The 10·9 km central section from Xiyuan to Ganjiakou was

Jinyidong
Line at Qintang. A short northern completed in December 2020, while a short 1 km extension
extension now under construction will from Ganjiakou to Yuyuantan Park East Gate followed in De-
take the line from Lingyun to Yiwu cember 2021.

network railway station, while an eastern branch

will continue the route from Sports
Center to the Ming & Qing Dynasty
Line 16 is operated by the Beijing MTR Corp Ltd joint ven-
ture between Hong Kong’s MTR Corp, Beijing Capital Group
and Beijing Infrastructure Investment Corp. The company

takes shape Palaces via Hengdian railway station.

JINHUA
The suburban rail network in the city of
Jinhua expanded on December 28 with
the opening of the first section of the
Yidong Line in Yiwu.
The 48·4 km line is intended to
complement the Jinyi Line, which
opened on August 30 2022, as part of
the Jinyidong Line network connecting
the neighbouring towns of Jinhua and
Yiwu with the Ming & Qing Dynasty
Palaces at Hengdian.
The initial 27·2 km section of the
Yidong Line runs through central Yiwu,
from Lingyun to Sports Center; it serves
11 stations and connects with the Jinyi
When completed, the T-shaped
Jinyidong Line network will total
107·2 km, serving 12 underground and
19 elevated stations. CRRC Changchun
is supplying a fleet of 50 Type B trainsets,
which were ordered in two batches.
Taking power at 1·5 kV DC from a third
rail, these 120 km/h trainsets are formed
of four powered and two trailer cars with
interiors designed for suburban travel
giving a capacity of 1 488 passengers.
All stations on the Jinyidong Line are
equipped with facial recognition gates.
Maps of the principal Chinese
metro networks can be found
in the Knowledge Hub at
www.railwaygazette.com
also operates metro lines 4 and 14, the southern section of
Line 17 and the Daxing Line serving the capital’s new interna-
tional airport.
According to MTR, the north-south Line 16 is ‘a backbone
line’, linking high-technology clusters in northern Beijing with
the Lize financial district, Beijing Fengtai station and the
Zhongguancun Fengtai Science Park.
‘With Phase III of Line 16 commencing service, the total op-
erational length of our network in the mainland of China now
exceeds 300 km’, noted Adi Lau, Managing Director of MTR’s
Mainland China Business. ‘Beijing was the city where the cor-
poration launched railway services in the mainland of China
for the first time.’
‘Beijing MTR is committed to enhancing passengers’ travel-
ling experience’, added Beijing MTR General Manager Wilson
Shao. ‘We will continue to empower our services by introduc-
ing more intelligent and human-centred initiatives. We also
care for passengers with special needs and strive to build
more caring, inclusive and sustainable communities.’

PPP-funded suburban metro

TAIZHOU
The east coast city of Taizhou in Zhejiang prov-
ince joined the Chinese metro club on Decem-
ber 28 with the opening of a north-south inter-
urban metro line connecting the city with the
neighbouring town of Chengnan on Aiwan Bay.
Designed for 140 km/h operation, the 52·4 km
Line S1 runs in tunnel for 17·5 km, while the
remainder is elevated. Seven of the 15 stations
are underground.
Starting from Taizhou Zhongxin, the line runs
south to Luqiao and an interchange at with the
Ningbo – Taizhou – Wenzhou high speed line at
Wenling, before turning southeast to reach
Chengnan.
The line has been developed and is being op-
erated by the Taizhou Rail Transit Construction
& Development Co as the first
suburban railway in China to be
promoted using a PPP model.
Approved by the National Devel- of 31 four-car Type D trainsets manufactured
opment & Reform Commission in by CRRC Tangshan, which can carry up to 1 045
December 2014, the project was passengers.
authorised by the Zhejiang Pro- East-west Line S2 is under construction for
vincial Development & Reform opening in 2025. Running for 25·8 km from Bei-
Commission in September 2016, yang in the west to Wurenji Xiaozhen in the
allowing construction to start in east, this will serve 19 stations including Taizhou
November that year. railway station and an interchange with Line S1
The line is operated by a fleet at Taizhou Zhongxin.

Railway Gazette International February 2023 47

 SIDETRACK & CONTACT

DIETER
Photo: Christophe Masse

Up and away
FRANCE
The last of four metre-gauge EMUs supplied by Stadler to
re-equip the Tramway du Mont-Blanc entered service on
December 21. ‘Marguerite’ joins ‘Jeanne’, ‘Anne’ and ‘Marie’,
named after the daughters of the mountain railway’s founder.
The two-car EMUs with capacity for 120 seated and 80
standing passengers have a maximum speed of 20 km/h,
up from 15 km/h for previous rolling stock. They also JR Central and JR West are planning to allow selected passengers to ride their
have regenerative braking to cut energy consumption. Doctor Yellow high speed inspection trains on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen
Funding for the €30m procurement has been provided between Tokyo and Hakata during 2023, reportedly attracting more than 10 million
by the Haute-Savoie département, which owns the rail- registrations of interest from potential participants. Dieter wonders whether the
trains might be slightly modified to enable the visitors to assist with track and
way. In June 2020 the local council signed a new 15-year
catenary monitoring, reducing the need for expensive sensors and cameras.
contract with operator Compagnie du Mont-Blanc, which
provided €70m for an upgrading package including track
and signal modernisation and €15m to support operations.
Running for 12·5 km from Fayet in Saint-Gervais-les- CONTACT & SUBSCRIPTIONS
Bains, 580 m above sea level, to the 2 372 m high summit
station at Nid d’Aigle, the line is equipped with the Strub EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING CORRESPONDENTS
Argentina Enrique Garibotto
rack system and electrified at 11 kV 50 Hz. Executive Editor

Railway Gazette
Nicholas Kingsley 5204 Australia John Kirk
Senior Editor Belgium Harry Hondius

Stand with Ukraine

Chris Jackson FCILT 5201 Brazil Julio Baptista
Head of News & Online China M K Ba
Andrew Grantham 5203
Croatia Toma Bačić

INTERNATIONAL
Industry Editor
Czech Republic Michal Málek
Benjámin Zelki 5207
JAPAN Consultant Editor
Finland John Pagni
Murray Hughes 5206 France Jean-Paul Masse
‘Deeply disturbed’ by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Head of Sales, Rail Greece Artemis Klonos
February 2022, Japanese railway photographer Tatsuya India Raghu Dayal

Akiyama has self-published a photo album to express

Railway Gazette Amy Weston
Media Sales Executive
5218
Israel Aharon Gazit
INTERNATIONAL Anya Beri Japan Akihiro Nakamura
solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and in particular Marketing Manager Netherlands Hans Scherpenhuizen
the workers at national railway Ukrzaliznytsia. DVV Media International Ash Robins Norway Tørris Rasmussen
The book focuses on a two-car EMU operated by Taka- 1st Floor, Chancery House Group Production Manager Pakistan A Naim Kurayeshi
Isabel Burton 5205 Portugal Andre Pires
matsu Kotohira Electric Railway in Shikoku’s Kagawa St Nicholas Way Conference Editor Romania Mihai Tudosa
prefecture, which was repainted in April with the blue Sutton, SM1 1JB Felicity Parsons
Russia Vladimir Waldin
and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag, and emblazoned Great Britain Head of Awards
Singapore Haziq Hamidon
Heather Austin-Olsen 5211
‘We stand with you’. Phone: +44 20 8652 xxxx using Office Manager Spain Mike Bent
The former associate professor of child development at extension as shown right Linda Gruosso 5200 Switzerland Lorenz Degen
E-mail: firstname.lastname@ Thailand Peter Janssen
Takamatsu University has captured the Kodoten EMU op- Divisional Director, Rail
Turkey David O’Byrne
railwaygazette.com Andrew Walker 5214
erating on the Kotohira line over seven months. The 130 im- Managing Director United States Dave Lustig
ages feature a variety of Japanese landscapes ranging from www.railwaygazette.com Andy Salter Uruguay Marcelo Benoit
fields and flowers to townscapes, castles, stations and depots. Chief Executive Officer Vietnam Lê Huy An
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48 February 2023 Railway Gazette International

 MAP OF THE MONTH France
Inset B: © Railway Gazette 2023 North Sea
Gisors Cartography by Andy Hellawell
Creil Île de France Inset A: Granville
(at 200% scale) UK elec: Bretagne Roscoff Lannion Paimpol
750V DC 0 50 100 km (at same
Persan- 3rd rail scale)
Saint-Malo
See Paris city Beaumont Guingamp
map for Luzarches Morlaix
further
detail Cergy- UNITED Antwerpen Dol-de-
le-Haut KINGDOM Brest Landerneau Saint-
Mantes- Aéroport Breuc Bretagne
la-Jolie Cernay CDG Dunkerque
Gent Carhaix Lamballe
London Calais
St-Denis Meaux
English
B R E TA G N E Loudéac
La Défense
PARIS MLV Channel Kortrijk Brussels Rennes

Continues on main map

Plaise Chessy
Grignon Quimper Pontivy
Versailles- Coulommiers Boulogne
Hazebrouck Tournai
Chantiers
Massy- Villeneuve Lille
Palaiseau St-Georges Étaples Béthune BELGIUM Lorient Redon
Auray Vannes
Corbeil- Douai Mons
Brétigny Essonnes
St-Pol-sur- Valenciennes Charleroi Quiberon
Ternoise Arras
Melun Maubeuge
Dourdan Givet
Abbeville Cambrai Aulnoye- Le Croisic
Le Tréport «S Aymeries
Étampes om Saint-Nazaire
me Nantes
0 50 km
Dieppe HAUTS- Hirson Pornic
Amiens DE-FRANCE 0 50 km
Fécamp
Charleville- Sedan
Cherbourg Motteville Serqueux Abancourt Tergnier Mézières LUXEM- St-Gilles-
Bréauté-Beuzeville BOURG Croix-de-Vie
Buchy ise Longwy Luxembourg
Le Havre «O Laon Rethel La Roche-sur-Yon
Gravenchon Beauvais Les Sables-
Rouen Longuyon
Trouville-sur-Mer Compiègne d’Olonne
Bayeux Bouzonville
Carentan Thionville
Caen Gisors Creil La Ferté-Milon Reims Verdun Saarbrücken
Lison «
Serquigny Se Jarny Metz
i Sarreguemines
Saint-Lô Évreux ne Mantes-
la-Jolie Onville
Béning
Wissembourg
See inset A Épernay
(top right) Niederbronn-
NORMANDIE

«M
Meaux Châlons-en- les-Bains
PARIS Champagne Bar-le- Baudrecourt

arn
Granville Argentan Dreux Coulommiers Duc Sarrebourg

e
ILE-DE- See inset B Toul Nancy
Saint-Malo Flers (top left) Vitry-le-
François Lunéville Strasbourg
FRANCE Provins Saint- Pont-St-Vincent
Dourdan Dizier

«S
Dol-de- Nogent- Offenburg
Alençon

GERMANY
Bretagne Chartres

ein
Étampes
Montereau
sur-Seine G R A N D E S T

e
Voves Malesherbes Troyes Vittel St Dié
Sens
Épinal Colmar
Rennes Chaumont
Laval Châteaudun Montargis Remiremont
Le Mans Orléans Laroche- Freiburg
Migennes Langres Kruth
Vendôme Auxerre Culmont-
Lure Mulhouse
PAY S D E L A Gien
Montbard
Chalindrey
Châteaubriant CENTRE- Belfort
LOIRE Vesoul EuroAirport
(proposed)
e
Angers VA L D E L O I R E Avallon ôn Delle Basel
Tours Salbris Clamecy Sa
« Olten
« Loire
Saumur Vierzon Dijon
Gièvres BOURGOGNE- Besançon
Nantes Chinon Bourges Dole
Cholet
Loches Valençay
Nevers
FRANCHE-COMTÉ
Beaune
Le Locle
Mouchard Neuchâtel Bern
Cercy- Autun
Thouars la-Tour Chagny Seurre Pontarlier
St-Gilles- Châteauroux Chalon-
Croix- Frasne
de-Vie Le Creusot sur-Saône
«L

Saint-
Amand-
Vallorbe SWITZERLAND
oir

La Roche-sur-Yon Poitiers Louhans

Montrond Moulins
e

Saint- Lausanne
Les Sables- Paray-le- Claude
d’Olonne Monial Bourg-en- Évian
Niort Montluçon St-Germain- Mâcon Bresse
La Souterraine des-Fosses
Guéret Genève
Annemasse Martigny
La Rochelle Gannat Vichy Bellegarde
« Rhône

800V
Roanne DC 850V
Rochefort Riom Culoz Annecy DC
Felletin Thiers L’Arbresle
Saintes Limoges Clermont-
Lyon St Gervais 11kV 50 Hz
Cognac Lyon St-Exupéry
Albertville
Royan AUVERGNE-
Ferrand Brignais
TGV
Bourg-
Ussel Chambery
Pointe de Grave
Angoulême RHÔNE-ALPES Saint-
Maurice
Jonzac NOUVELLE Issoire
Firminy St-André- I TA LY
Thiviers le-Gaz Mont d'Ambin
Arvant Saint- Moirans (Mont Cenis)
Bay A Q U I TA I N E Tulle Etienne Base Tunnel
Rhône

Pauillac Neussargues e Susa

Périgueux Brive-la- èr Modane
of Gaillarde Is Grenoble
« Fréjus Torino
Tunnel
»

Biscay Coutras
Bergerac Sarlat
Le Puy-
Valence
Valence TGV N
en-Velay Briançon
Bordeaux Libourne Aurillac
« Dordogne Le Buisson St-Chély- Die
d’Apcher Langogne
Arcachon Crest Gap
Capdenac Marvejols
« Marmande Figeac Le Teil
Langon G
ar Montélimar
on Mende Veynes
ne Cahors Cuneo
Villefranche- Rodez Séverac Bessèges Pont-St- Orange Savona,
de-Rouergue Esprit Digne- Genova
Agen Sisteron Limone
les-Bains
Millau Alès Carpentras Breil
Morcenx Avignon Annot
Montauban sur Roya
Gaillac Albi Angles PROVENCE-ALPES-
Mont-de-Marsan Monaco Ventimiglia
Nîmes C Ô T E D ’ A Z U R Monte-Carlo
Dax O C C I TA N I E Tarascon Nice
Pertuis
Auch Castres
Bédarieux Montpellier Grasse MONACO
Bayonne Puyoô Toulouse Miramas Aix-en-Provence
Muret Mazamet
Le-Grau- Cannes Bastia
Irun Orthez du-Roi
Béziers Sète Saint-
Hendaye Oloron- Pau Aubagne Raphaël- Casamozza
Tarbes Carcassonne Agde Marseille Valescure
San Ste-Marie
Sebastiàn, St-Jean- Lannemezan Narbonne Calvi
Bilbao, Pamiers Mediterranean Sea Hyères Ponte-
Pied-de-Port Toulon
Burgos, Lourdes Montréjeau Limoux Leccia
Madrid Bedous Foix Corte
FRANCE
Luchon Ax-les-
Canfranc Thermes Perpignan Ajaccio
1435 mm gauge tram-train routes
ANDORRA 850V DC electrified (25kV AC/1·5kV DC) freight only (elec)
S PA I N Urban railway (metro, tram) Latour-
Villefranche Cerbère electrified (15kV AC / 3kV DC) out of use CORSE
under construction de-Carol Portbou under electrification (planned) 1000 mm gauge
city map available high speed line (station) electrified 0 50 km
Huesca,
Zaragoza Airport station (on h/s line) Figueres under construction 1668 mm gauge
planned electrified (3kV DC) CORSICA
Barcelona

Liberalisation of the French domestic passenger rail market has seen a number More maps in the Railway Gazette Knowledge Hub
of potential new entrants propose services that would make use of what the Our Premium subscription package offers full access to
promoters see as underutilised sections of the national network (p18). Examples our online Knowledge Hub, which includes more than 300
put forward to date include Railcoop’s Lyon – Bordeaux service running via country and city network maps, as well as comprehensive
Limoges, and an Arcachon – Angoulême – Nantes/La Rochelle/Rennes high speed network, regulatory authority and operator listings.
connection, planned by Le Train. Find out more at www.railwaygazette.com

50 February 2023 Railway Gazette International