German railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB) has awarded Alstom a contract to arm 17 ICE3 high-speed trains with its Atlas ETCS on-board system.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has secured a contract from the Spanish train builder Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) for the supply of high-tech traction equipment for 88 Sprinter New Generation (SNG) electric multiple unit trains.

German state-owned rail company Deutsche Bahn has set up a company for the digitalisation of the railway network. Called Digitale Schiene Deutschland GmbH, it will start overseeing projects from January 2020.

Alstom has secured a contract from Danish railway company Nordjyske Jernbane for the delivery of an additional four Coradia Lint trains.

China is home to the largest and most extensively used network of high-speed trains in the world. Based in Beijing, the Chinese Academy of Railway Sciences (CARS) is the leading research and development institute, supporting this important industry with its specialised subsidiary, the Beijing Zongheng Electro-Mechanical Technology Development Co. Stäubli Electrical Connectors helped to develop a traction converter for the latest generation of Chinese high-speed trains, while building up a partnership.

Poland’s accession to the EU in 2004 triggered massive economic investment, including in the country’s railway infrastructure and rolling stock.

The Goldenpass Express, panoramic train of the MOB railway, becomes reality in Switzerland.

Deutsche Bahn (DB) have renewed their commitment to green energy across the network by signing a Power Purchase Agreement, with the Nordsee Ost wind farm, for the next five years. DB currently draws of 900 million kilowatt hours of green energy from innogy hydropower plants with the company’s annual requirement around ten terawatt hours, an equivalent to the energy consumption of a city the size of Hamburg.

The high-speed railway linking London, Birmingham and Leeds which was due to open in 2026 will witness a delay by five years, UK Transport Minister Grant Shapps has said.

CRRC is developing a permanent magnet direct drive (as opposed to gearbox) electric locomotive. Its employees at the CARS National Railway Track Test Center have been putting this new locomotive through its paces.