3/2009

ÖBB's first railjet express passenger trains, designed for high quality domestic and international operations across central Europe, entered service in December 2008 on the München - Wien - Budapest corridor (see R 1/09, pp. 22 - 37).

Spanish metre gauge operator FEVE is currently realising a 120 million EUR fleet modernisation programme, involving the acquisition of new EMUs and DMUs, and the refurbishment of older stock. 120 multi-purpose 20-tonne axle-weight platform wagons are also being acquired, the main line between Oviedo, Santander and Bilbao is being electrified throughout, and the San Esteban de Pravia to Collanzo line is to be extended from its current terminus in the latter village to Felechosa.

Most rail-served industrial complexes depend on two-axle diesel shunters for moving wagons around their sidings, and so do operators on national networks, mainly in marshalling yards and in station sidings. The first such diesel shunters took to the rails during the inter-war period, and huge numbers were built from the 1950s onwards. However, most of these early two-axle designs were low-powered machines, suitable only for shunting rakes of wagons at slow speeds and hauling trip freights on lines where there was little other traffic. Nowadays the role of the two-axle diesel shunter is expanding considerably ...

The twelfth edition of transport logistic, the world’s largest logistics, telematics and freight transport trade fair, took place at premises of Messe München International between 12 and 15 May 2009. Attracting around 48,000 trade visitors from 112 countries and 1,760 exhibitors from 55 countries, it surpassed all expectations, because in spite of the recession, the number of visitors was roughly the same as in 2007, which was when logistics was enjoying a boom year.

Pandrol has been manufacturing resilient rail fastenings since 1937, and is the global market leader in terms of both world-wide sales and product innovation. Over a number of years the company has developed an unrivalled range of products suitable for every type of track and traffic condition.

12 July 2004 saw the official start of construction of the new rail access to Praha hlavní nádraží, the Czech capital’s principal station, from the northeastern suburbs. Although most of the work was concluded on 12 December 2008, trains were able to start using the new route from 1 September that year.