HIGH-SPEED test running started on the German Rail (DB) network on September 25 of the first of a fleet of ICx trains being built by Siemens.
GERMAN Rail (DB) announced on September 21 that it was suspending all passenger trains between Germany and Austria on the busy Munich to Salzburg route due to the imposition of frontier controls by the German government.
AUSTRIAN Federal Railways (ÖBB) railfreight subsidiary Rail Cargo Austria (RCA) announced on September 23 that it has acquired German railfreight operator EBM Cargo as part of its strategy to expand its activities in Germany and the Benelux countries.
RHINELAND Local Transport has awarded Rurtalbahn a contract to continue operating passenger services on the 30km Düren - Linnich, line west of Cologne until 2020.
FOLLOWING a lengthy legal process, Bavaria's regional high court in Munich has ruled that Bavarian Railway Company (BEG) will not be allowed to finalise two contracts with National Express for the operation of the Nuremberg S-Bahn network without first establishing whether that the financial performance guarantees offered by the selected bidder meet the terms of the original tender.
FOLLOWING an international tender, Munich Transport (MVG) confirmed on September 15 that it has selected Siemens as preferred for a contract to supply 22 low-floor LRVs with options for up to 124 additional vehicles.
ROLLING stock leasing company Alpha Trains has awarded Stadler Pankow a contract to supply eight five-car Flirt 3 EMUs, which will be used by Keolis subsidiary Eurobahn on RB61 Wiehengebirgsbahn cross-border services from Bielefeld and Bad Bentheim in Germany to Hengelo in the Netherlands.
THE introduction of a national clockface timetable in Germany could significantly reduce journey times and increase ridership, according to a feasibility report published by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) on September 10.
GERMAN Rail (DB) says that it has used more than 100 trains to transport 22,000 refugees entering Germany from neighbouring countries to various accommodation facilities during the last few days.
CONSTRUCTION of the first light rail line in the Chinese city of Huai'an, in Jiangsu province, is nearing completion and the first LRVs are expected to be certified for operation by the end of the year.
