Brief overview of key events and news in the rail rolling stock markets.
The US passenger operators received more than $777 mln in grants to upgrade their rolling stock. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $317 mln to the South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) for 200 metro cars for Philadelphia, some $214 mln to the Maryland Transportation Administration (MDOT MTA) for 52 trams, and $100 mln to Chicago’s Metra for 50 double-decker passenger cars. The South Coast Air Quality Management District approved up to $146.7 mln to the Los Angeles commuter operator Metrolink for two trains and 12 diesel locomotives with Tier 4 compliant engines.
India has approved the manufacture of 50 Vande Sadharan push-pull trains, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said after the successful route testing of the first two trains. The vehicles will be built at three Indian Railways plants: ICF in Chennai, RCF in Kapurthala and CLW in Chittaranjan.
The push-pull Vande Sadharan train. Source: IndianTechGuide
Alstom, as part of a consortium, has won a tender to build and operate the 41 km Haifa–Nazareth tram line and to supply rolling stock. The value of the contract has not been disclosed. Alstom will supply up to 30 trams with a design speed of up to 100 km/h. The line is scheduled for completion in 2029.
The Brazilian transport and logistics company MRS Logística has placed an order with Wabtec for 30 ES44ACi diesel locomotives worth almost BRL 500 mln ($101.3 mln). The first vehicles will be delivered later this year.
The ES44ACi mainline locomotive for MRS Logistica. Source: Wabtec
Stadler has signed a contract to supply nine mainline diesel locomotives and 24 hybrid diesel or battery-powered shunting locomotives to the national operator KiwiRail. The rolling stock will be designed for a track gauge of 1,067 mm. The manufacturer is now building 57 diesel locomotives under a 2021 contract with the operator.
The national operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) has ordered ten more eight-car ICNG EMUs from Alstom. The trains, worth €150 mln, will be prepared for operation in Germany. Alstom is already executing a contract for the delivery of 99 such trains in five- and eight-car trainsets, and the pilot operation of the first train began last spring.
