Oxygène next-generation French inter-city train unveiled
FRANCE: National passenger operator SNCF Voyageurs and manufacturer CAF have unveiled the first of the Z26700 Oxygène inter-city trainsets which will replace Corail locomotive-hauled coaches on 200 km/h inter-city serves on conventional lines.
Modernised Port Harcourt – Aba railway reopens
NIGERIA: Minister of Transportation Sa’idu Alkali flagged off an inaugural train to mark the completion of work to modernise the 62 km Port Harcourt – Aba line on April 30, and has provided an update on progress with other ongoing rail projects.
Xi Jinping and Orbán agree to develop Hungarian rail projects
HUNGARY: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have reached an agreement to start ‘preparation works’ for the development of a rail freight bypass around Budapest and a rail-based link to the capital’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport.
British Steel rail ordered for Turkish project
TURKEY: British Steel has won a contract of disclosed ‘multi-million-pound’ value to supply ‘tens of thousands of tonnes’ of rail for the project to modernise and electrify the 286 km Mersin – Adana – Gaziantep line to for 200 km/h operation.
Scenic Plus coach refurbished for New Zealand tourist train service
NEW ZEALAND: National railway KiwiRail’s tourist train business Great Journeys New Zealand has unveiled a coach which has been refurbished to provide a premium ‘immersive travel experience’ on the 223 km TranzAlpine coast-to-coast service between Greymouth and Christchurch.
Capacity to be increased on Siberian main lines
RUSSIA: The government has given the go-ahead for the third stage of work to increase capacity on the Baikal – Amur and Trans-Siberian main lines.
RegioJet orders Škoda EMUs
CZECH REPUBLIC: RegioJet has awarded Škoda Group a KC3·5bn contract to supply 23 customised 160 km/h electric multiple-units.