PROPOSALS to significantly reduce the use of diesel traction on regional services in southern Germany were presented to the Bavarian cabinet by the state’s transport minister Mr Joachim Herrmann on January 23.

THE mayor of Leipzig, Mr Burkhard Jung, says the city may have to build either a new tram tunnel or a second S-Bahn tunnel if it is to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population.

GERMAN Rail has awarded a €1m four-year framework to Powerlines Products, Germany, to supply conductor rail aluminium supports and insulators for use on the Hamburg S-Bahn.

Rolf Härdi, chief technology officer of German Rail (DB), talks to Kevin Smith.

GERMANY’s Ruhrbahn is planning to launch tenders later this year for 77 new LRVs to replace the entire Essen Stadtbahn fleet and complete the conversion of the city’s tram network to low-floor operation.

GERMAN infrastructure manager DB Network has awarded a joint venture of Rhomberg Bahntechnik and Swietelsky Baugesellschaft a contract worth around €250m to install trackwork and infrastructure equipment on the 59.6km Wendlingen - Ulm high-speed line in Baden-Württemberg.

LEIPZIG City Transport (LVB) has confirmed to IRJ that it has exercised a second option from its 2015 order for Solaris Tramino LRVs, adding a further nine vehicles to the fleet.

DB CARGO has launched an international project to equip 1200 of its locomotives with ETCS by 2026, with the aid of grants from the European Union (EU).

BIELEFELD public transport operator MoBiel has placed a €90m order with a consortium of Heiterblick and Kiepe Electric for 24 additional GTZ8-B Vamos high-floor LRVs.

GERMAN Rail (DB) has received planning approval from the German Rail Authority (EBA) to close and relocate Hamburg Altona terminus station, which is located west of the city centre, to a site at Diebsteich, roughly 1km further north.