3/2005

After a long period during which SNCF concentrated its investment into developing and upgrading its long-distance routes, including the still-evolving TGV network, the company is now turning its attention to developing the potential of its extensive secondary network and renewing the fleets of trains used on the latter. This is the responsibility of the TER (Train Express Regional) division of SNCF, which is in the process of acquiring a batch of 500 part low-floor AGC EMUs, EDMUs, and DMUs from Bombardier.

Since 1996, when the first two Regio-Shuttles were delivered to WEG and ZVS, no fewer than 354 of these versatile bogie railcars have been ordered for use both by other open access operators right across Germany and by DB, representing yet another success for Stadler’s Pankow factory, near Berlin.

Two important characteristics of the new ES64U4 quadruple-voltage electric locomotive built by Siemens will soon become household terms within the railway industry - „COP“ and „cup“. Characteristics which ensure that the ES64U4 is one of the most cost-effective and flexible solutions available for hauling express freight and passenger trains on international routes. The first representatives of this design to take to the rails are ÖBB's triple-voltage Class 1216 locomotives.

Exacting requirements are placed on modern light rail vehicles. A boarding height along the entire length of the vehicle, for instance, means that the floor height must also be low, leaving only a restricted space for installing the gear unit and traction motor drive system. VEM Sachsenwerk GmbH has successfully faced up to these challenges with its development of a new series of traction motors for low-floor vehicles.

Traditionally, the fitting-out of passenger rolling stock involved a massive, time-consuming, and complex assembly process using a huge number of components from countless different suppliers. In fact, it could be said that the average carriage interior was a made-to-measure product. Original, yes. Cost-effective, certainly not. That is where TEMOINSA stepped in with its concept of a range of standardised, modular interior designs.

In mid-February 2005 Voith Turbo unveiled its ambitious plan to enter into the field of locomotive manufacture. The company has already started to develop its own locomotive, with construction of the prototype probably commencing this year in readiness for presentation at InnoTrans 2006.

Although SNCF regards the LGV Est as a less profitable venture than its earlier high speed lines, the new railway being built between Paris and Strasbourg offers the potential for substantial journey time reductions between a number of major urban centres both within France and further east.