SIEMENS has handed over the first Vectron electric locomotive to German leasing company Railpool, which ordered a batch of six units in December 2010.

TESTING of Edinburgh's much-maligned inaugural light rail line is due to commence from November 26 when overhead 750kV dc powerlines on the initial 2.8km section between the depot at Gogar Castle Road and Edinburgh Airport go live.

THE managing director of Siemens Rail, Britain, Mr Steve Scrimshaw, says he is confident that Siemens and its consortium partner will achieve closure by late December of a deal to supply a fleet of 1200 emu cars and build two depots for the cross-London Thameslink network.

PAULISTA Metropolitan Trains Company (CPTM) has awarded three contracts to upgrade the traction power supply system covering the six-line 284km São Paulo commuter rail network.

IRJ at InnoTrans 2012: GERMAN Rail (DB) and MTU are displaying a hybrid variant of the Siemens Class 642 dmu at the InnoTrans outside track area which is described by DB as its first converted hybrid rail vehicle for public operations.

IRJ at InnoTrans 2012: SIEMENS Inspiro metro train has made its public debut at InnoTrans, where vehicles from the first train for Warsaw Metro are on display.

SIEMENS and Stadler Pankow have formed a consortium to bid for the contract to supply trains for the forthcoming Berlin S-Bahn Ring Line concession, which is currently being tendered by Berlin Brandenburg Transport Authority (VBB).

THE Algerian Railway Agency (Anserif) has awarded Estel, a joint venture of Algerian National Railways (SNTF) and Siemens, a contract to supply ERTMS equipment for the new line between Ajelfa and Laghouat.

GERMAN Rail (DB) has awarded a consortium of Siemens and Kapsch CarrierCom a €93m contract to equip 230km of the under construction high-speed line from Halle and Leipzig to Ebensfed via Erfurt with ERTMS Level 2.

In July Siemens celebrated the signing of a landmark contract that will take its next-generation low-floor LRV to the Middle East. Keith Barrow uncovers the innovations behind the Avenio.