AUSTRIAN Federal Railways (ÖBB) has placed an initial €375m order for eight day trains and 13 night trains as part of a €1.5bn framework agreement it has signed with Siemens Mobility for a new fleet of long-distance trains, which includes the delivery of up to 700 passenger coaches over the next five years.

AUSTRIAN Federal Railways (ÖBB) confirmed on July 20 that Siemens has submitted the best offer for a framework contract to supply a new fleet of long-distance trains, which includes new vehicles for Nightjet overnight services.

The contract will include an initial order for 21 trains worth around €375m.

BOMBARDIER confirmed on July 3 that Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has exercised a €188m option for 25 six-car Talent 3 EMUs for regional services in the province of Tyrol.

THE government of the Austrian province of Styria has announced plans to modernise the 65km narrow-gauge Mur Valley Railway from Unzmarkt to Tamsweg after proposals to convert the line to standard gauge were rejected on cost grounds.

A report from the European Court of Auditors says the €23.7bn of co-funding that the European Union (EU) has provided to support high-speed rail infrastructure investments since 2000 has created only a “patchwork” of national high-speed lines across the European Union, and failed to create a cohesive European high-speed rail network.