BAVARIAN Railway (BEG) has awarded Transdev Group’s subsidiary Bavarian Regional Rail (BRB) a contract to continue operating the Augsburg II Diesel Network concession from 2019 until 2021, with an option for a one-year extension.

ABELLIO Germany announced on July 12 that it will become sole shareholder in German regional operator Westfalenbahn after reaching an agreement with its partners in the business, MoBiel, Mindener Kriesbahnen, and Extertal Transport, to acquire their respective stakes.

BADEN-Württemberg Ministry of Transport announced on July 12 that it has selected Southwest German Transport (Sweg) for a contract to operate regional network 9a around Freiburg-im-Breisgau.

SIEMENS presented the first prototype Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX) EMU at its Wegberg-Wildenrath test centre on July 12, where testing will now begin.

HANS-Martin Schabert has joined Transmashholding to implement an export strategy for the Russian train builder.

A German federal court in Leipzig has ended a long-running dispute over the reinstatement of rail link in southern Berlin which will cut journey times to the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport, when it eventually opens, and Dresden.

STADLER’s EC250 Giruno high-speed train travelled through the Gotthard Base Tunnel for the first time on July 2, and the Giruno steps up its high-speed testingon the Velim test circuit in the Czech Republic.

BOMBARDIER has announced plans to cut 2200 jobs, 700 of which are temporary in Germany, as part of its reorientation and safeguarding strategy for its German sites.

GERMAN operator Bremer Straßenbahn (BSAG) has awarded a contract to Siemens for 67 Avenio trams, with an option for up to 17 more.

RAIL freight operators in Germany will be charged less for using infrastructure under a new rail freight master plan announced by Mr Alexander Dobrint, Germany’s federal minister for transport and digital infrastructure.