About the author

Keith Barrow

Keith Barrow joined IRJ as News Editor in 2006 and was promoted to Associate Editor in 2008. He was previously editor of employee publications for the Welsh Assembly Government, G4S, and Thomsonfly, and has written for a range of other publications including the Derby Telegraph. He graduated from Lincoln University in 2002 with a degree in journalism.

March 21, 2017 | Main line

SJ to bid for Norwegian rail contracts

SWEDISH national train operator SJ has established a subsidiary in Norway to bid for public service obligation (PSO) contracts in the country’s newly-liberalised market for passenger rail services.

March 21, 2017 | Rolling stock

Stadler awards contract for Merseyrail depots

STADLER Rail Services UK has awarded BAM Nuttall a contract worth around £20m to construct a new depot at Kirkdale in Liverpool which will maintain the fleet of 52 four-car EMUs ordered last month by Merseytravel for the Merseyrail suburban network.

March 20, 2017 | Central/South America

EFE upgrades Santiago suburban services

A major revamp of suburban rail services in Santiago was officially completed on March 17, when Chilean president Mrs Michelle Bachalet and minister of transport and communications Mrs Paola Tapia made an inaugural trip on Chilean State Railways’ (EFE) new Metrotren Nos service between Alameda and Nos.

March 20, 2017 | Asia

Taiwan plans Taipei - Keelung tram-train link

THE president of Taiwan Mrs Tsai Ing-wen pledged support on March 18 for the construction of a tram-train link between Taipei and the neighbouring port city of Keelung.

March 20, 2017 | Light Rail

Siemens to upgrade San Jose LRT electrification

SANTA Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has awarded Siemens a $US 10m contract to modernise electrification systems on the oldest section of the 68km light rail network in San Jose and Silicon Valley.

March 20, 2017 | Metros

Moscow metro Line 8A reaches Ramenki

MOSCOW metro extended the western leg of the east -west Line 8 on March 16 with the start of passenger services on the 7.3km Park Pobedy - Ramenki stretch of Line 8A.

March 20, 2017 | Asia

New trains for Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line

JAPAN’s Tokyu Corporation announced on March 17 that it has ordered three 10-car commuter EMUs for the 31.5km Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line, which links Shibuya station in Tokyo with the city’s south western suburbs and Chuo-Rinkan in Kanagawa prefecture.

March 20, 2017 | Rolling stock

CAF rolls out first NS New Generation Sprinter

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) confirmed on March 16 that the first New Generation Sprinter (SNG) EMU has left CAF’s plant at Beasain in northern Spain.

March 14, 2017 | Rolling stock

EcoTrain explores new routes to sustainable traction

Finding a cost-effective solution for the conversion of existing diesel trains to hybrid traction could help to reduce emissions and fuel consumption on non-electrified secondary lines. Keith Barrow looks at the DB-led EcoTrain project, which is harnessing lithium-ion battery technology as an alternative to diesel operation.