Portugal: Circle Line leads Lisboa metro expansion project
Backed by EU funding, the expansion of the Lisboa metro and light rail networks is expected to deliver significant environmental benefits for the Portuguese capital, reports Andre Pires.
€1·7bn rail freight support scheme approved
GERMANY: A government scheme to provide grants to encourage modal shift of road freight to more sustainable rail transport has been approved by the European Commission under EU state aid rules.
Indonesian locomotive maintenance services agreement signed
INDONESIA: National railway PT KAI and Progress Rail have signed a six-year maintenance services agreement covering 35 EMD GT38AC diesel locomotives which were delivered in 2022 to haul coal trains in south Sumatra.
Shunting robot deployed at Finnish port
FINLAND: Vollert Anlagenbau has supplied a Tandem DER 150 radio-controlled shunting robot to move trains being loaded with iron sulphate at the port of Pori in Finland.
US announces federal rules on certification of dispatchers and signalling employees
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration has announced two final rules that will require railways to develop certification and training programmes for dispatchers and people who install and maintain signalling systems.
Tri-mode tunnel rescue train designed for the ‘worst-case scenario’
AUSTRIA: Stadler and Austrian Federal Railways have unveiled the first Servicejet multifunctional firefighting and rescue train, which the manufacturer says is tailor-made ‘for the worst-case scenario’ of a fire in a tunnel.
Locos modernised for African lease fleet
SOUTH AFRICA: Leasing company Traxtion has completed a major overhaul of five Class 39 diesel locomotives which it acquired from South Africa’s Transnet Freight Rail as part of a strategy of expanding its fleet to meet a growing demand for rail freight services in Sub-Saharan Africa.