Quintus Vosman

THE first Stadler RABe 501 Giruno inter-city EMU for Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) began dynamic testing at the VUZ Velim test centre in the Czech Republic on July 24.

THE conversion of the Schiedam - Hook of Holland line from heavy rail to a light rail line connected to the Rotterdam metro network is suffering delays which are likely to push the reopening date into next year.

THE Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen, in association with Germany’s Lower Saxony Transport Authority (LNVG), have awarded 15-year concessions worth €1.6bn to operate regional passenger services to Arriva Nederland, the incumbent operator.

AN investigation by the Dutch Environmental and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) into the selection, training and education of Arriva train drivers supplied by staffing agencies has found that the operator has shortcomings in its practices.

THE Dutch anti-monopoly office, ACM, has issued a €41m fine to Netherlands Railways (NS) for abusing its economic position in the public transport market in a tender for regional operations in the Province of Limburg.

BAVARIAN Railway Company (BEG) has published a tender notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (EU) for a contract to the operate the Munich S-Bahn network from December 2019.

A test train transporting beer from a brewery in Jupille near Liège to a distribution centre at Ninove near Brussels arrived at its destination on June 13.

CZECH Railways (ČD) has confirmed it will lease 10 multi-system Siemens Vectron locomotives to modernise motive power on Prague - Berlin - Hamburg services.

LEASING company Mitsui Rail Capital Europe (MRCE) has sold 32 Vossloh diesel locomotives to Dublin-based RIVE for an undisclosed sum.