Siemens Mobility agrees to acquire key MerMec signalling and diagnostics activities
ITALY: Siemens Mobility has signed an agreement to acquire key businesses of railway signalling and diagnostics technology specialist MerMec Group from Angelo Holding. The agreement announced on May 14 covers MerMec’s Italian signalling business, and its worldwide diagnostics and data analytics activities. These businesses employ around 1 700 people, with customers in more than 70 […]
Buenos Aires suburban network diesel trains ordered
ARGENTINA: Trenes Argentinos has awarded a consortium led by CRRC Tangshan a contract to supply 43 diesel multiple-units for use on the Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires suburban network. The winner was the sole bidder in the tendering process. The order is being financed through a loan from consortium member China Rainbow International Investment Corp. […]
Spain and Portugal’s railways stick with on-board ticket sales
EUROPE: Stopping the sale of tickets on-board a train is out of the question for the Spanish and Portuguese state railway operators. The topic arose after Belgium’s SNCB announced the end of this sales channel from July 1, 2026. For Renfe and CP, on-board ticket sales remain ‘a very important channel’ for their Spanish and […]
European Commission unveils passenger package to tackle fragmented rail booking systems
EUROPE – The European Commission proposed a comprehensive package of three regulations on May 13 designed to simplify the booking of multi-leg rail journeys across Europe. The new rules aim to establish a framework for single-ticket bookings across different operators and expand passenger rights during disruptions. The proposals to improve international rail ticketing were first […]
Santo Domingo monorail contract awarded
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Mass rapid transit project promoter Fitram has awarded the National Consortium for Integrated Mobility a 28.99bn pesos contract to design and construct civil works and railway systems on the first 10·5 km section of the Santo Domingo monorail. The CNMI consortium is made up in equal parts of Constructora Moyeda and Hércules Construcciones […]
Škoda revives Uzbekistan EMU project after 2023 financing failure
UZBEKISTAN: Czech manufacturer Škoda Group has signed an agreement worth more than €120m covering the delivery of 10 electric multiple-units to Uzbekistan, reopening its push into the Central Asian rail market after an earlier 30-train deal failed to proceed. The agreement, part of a wider package of bilateral deals agreed between the Czech Republic and […]
Paris’ first MI20 unveiled as long delayed RER B fleet finally enters testing
FRANCE: The first MI20 double-deck train for Paris’ RER Line B has been unveiled at Alstom’s Crespin plant, taking the fleet renewal programme for one of Europe’s busiest commuter lines into its test phase ahead of the much-delayed rollout. The Paris region’s public transport authority Île-de-France Mobilités has marked the first outing of an MI20 […]
Basalt to acquire track maintenance plant leasing company RELAM
USA: Mid-market utility, power and transport investor Basalt Infrastructure Partners has agreed to acquire track maintenance plant and road-rail vehicle leasing company RELAM from Paceline Equity Partners. RELAM operates a fleet of 1 500 specialised rail maintenance machines, with its customer base including railway infrastructure managers and contractors across the USA and Canada. ‘RELAM is […]
Opal 2.0 contracts awarded for major overhaul of Sydney’s transport ticketing
AUSTRALIA: Transport for New South Wales has awarded two contracts for the Opal 2.0 programme to undertake the biggest overhaul of Sydney’s public transport ticketing since the roll out of the smart card based Opal payment system 13 years ago. INIT will deliver an account-based ticketing system, with the card or device used to touch […]
Indian contractor picked for Croatia’s ‘largest railway project’ in European debut
CROATIA: Infrastructure manager HŽ Infrastruktura has selected Indian contractor Afcons for what it describes as Croatia’s largest ever railway project, a €677m upgrade of the Dugo Selo – Novska railway line. The selection of Afcons Infrastructure Ltd which was announced on May 11 marks the Indian company’s first move into the European rail market. The […]