Rail freight transport in Germany continues to be plagued by the dismantling of numerous lines that could be crucial for logistics. At the opening of InnoTrans, the leading trade fair for the rail industry in Berlin (September 24-27), rolling stock manufacturers presented an action plan.

At the InnoTrans trade fair for rail and transport technology in Berlin, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will be providing insights into rail transport research projects from September 24 to 27. These include an "NGT taxi ," a high-tech railbus offering potential for disused railway lines.

Cucamonga, final destination

Siemens Mobility is investing $60 million in a high-speed train factory near New York. The 28,000 m² facility is expected to create 300 jobs. The "American Pioneer 220" will be built there for a new line between Las Vegas and Cucamonga in Southern California – and the company is seeking close cooperation with the unions.

Wagner, the fire protection specialists, reported significant company growth of twelve percent to €138 million in revenue for 2023/2024. The division specializing in fire alarm systems, extinguishing systems, and water mist systems for rail transport, in particular, performed exceptionally well.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel is 57.1 km long, while the cross-border TELT (Tunnel Euralpin Lyon Turin) between France and Italy is planned to be 57.5 km long. Cable car and conveyor technology provider Doppelmayr will be involved with its RopeCon system for the excavation work.

Following the derailment of a freight train last August, operations through the world's longest railway tunnel (57 km), one of the most important links between Northern and Southern Europe, have now fully resumed. Freight traffic once again has increased its capacity.

Swiss rail technology remains in high demand worldwide. Stadler reported order intake exceeding CHF 2.5 billion in the first half of 2024, while some contract signings were postponed to the second half of the year. Flooding caused problems for supplier Constellium in Valais.

No "oomph" in Germany: According to the initiative "Every Meter Counts," at least 30 740-meter rail sidings usable for commerce and industry are lacking in and around Munich to keep Bavaria's capital city competitive as a production location in the future. Too much has been dismantled in the last 25 years.

According to Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), the western tube of the Gotthard Base Tunnel will be fully operational again from September 2nd. Test operations and trial runs are currently underway. SBB estimates the damage caused by the freight train derailment on August 10, 2023, at 150 million Swiss francs. Of this, approximately 140 million francs are insured.

Stadler announces the delivery of the first trimodal rescue train with innovative drive and safety technology in St. Pölten, Austria. Eighteen of the low-emission firefighting and rescue units are to be delivered to the infrastructure subsidiary of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and stationed at various tunnel portals.

The final sleeper was laid last autumn on the new Grütschalp-Mürren "adhesion railway" line. This marked the completion of the multi-year construction project, which cost 63 million Swiss francs. Part of the new rolling stock is currently being delivered in a spectacular operation and is expected to be operational in June.

Since last week, the first four Siemens Mireo Plus B battery-powered trains have been in operation in the Ortenau region near Offenburg. The official launch was marked by an exclusive inaugural run from Offenburg to Oberkirch and back.

Photo: SBB

To enable trains to operate across borders, the existing GSM-R railway radio technology is to be replaced EU-wide by FRMCS (Future Railway Mobile Communication System, via 5G) from the mid-2030s onwards. SBB is testing cooperation with regular mobile network operators between Bern and Thun.

The freight train, which was sent on a cross-border journey in Europe and equipped with a digitally configured automatic coupler for testing purposes, has been given the green light for series production, announced Deutsche Bahn board member Sigrid Nikutta. Currently, half a million freight wagons are still coupled manually across the EU.

In the first two days alone, the open construction site around Stuttgart's main train station – the future "Stuttgart 21" – attracted over 60,000 visitors. For a total of three days, the striking chalice-shaped columns, the skylights, and the first platforms below ground were open for viewing.