Railways take over grain exports from Ukraine

Brown waffle-sided covered hopper

Ukrainian Railways (UZ or Ukrzaliznytsia) and rail operators in neighboring European countries are stepping up efforts to move thousands of tons of grain from Ukraine to ports in Poland, Romania, and Germany for export around the world. The increase in rail transport has followed Russia’s decision to end a deal, previously brokered by the United […]

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Plan to close English ticket offices brings controversy

Ticket office at train station in England

LONDON — British government proposals to potentially close ticket counters at all railway stations in England have led to widespread opposition, with a nationwide consultation exercise extended to Sept. 1 following protests and threats of legal action. The opposition has come from most politicians, trades unions, and — unusually — almost the entire news media, […]

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Spaces open up on 2023 Trains Magazine tour of Switzerland

Train with red passenger cars on curving stone bridge leading to tunnel

WAUKESHA, Wis. — Late cancellations mean a few spaces have opened up on Trains Magazine’s Majestic Switzerland 2023 tour, set for Sept. 14-25, and limited to a maximum of 30 participants. The 2024 edition of the tour, organized by Trains’ partners at Special Interest Tours, is also now available. Join one of Trains’ staff members […]

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Wabtec to build three FLXdrive locomotives for Brazil’s Vale

Rendering of red and gray locomotive

RIO DE JANEIRO — Wabtec has landed the first South American order for FLXdrive battery locomotives, with Brazilian-based, multinational mining and logistics firm Vale placing an order for three of the locomotives. The companies will also collaborate on a study of ammonia as an alternative locomotive fuel. The three locomotives, to be built at Wabtec’s […]

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Three rail employees arrested in India rail disaster

Aerial view of collision site in India.

NEW DELHI — Three employees of Indian Railways have been arrested over the three-train collision in June that killed almost 300 people, Agence France-Presse reports. The country’s Central Bureau of Investigation said the men — two signal engineers and one technician — have charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and destruction of evidence. […]

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Highway truck tolls to fund rail investment in Germany

Blue and white passenger train pulled by electric locomotive

Trucks in Germany are now paying higher tolls to use main highways, with the extra money to be invested in the country’s government-owned rail network. The new tolls were effective July 1. The new funds will address a rail system that is suffering in places from a high level of use by both passenger and […]

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Australian agricultural cooperative orders 17 locomotives from Wabtec

Aerial view of grain train with two blue double-ended locomotives

PERTH, Australia — Australian agricultural cooperative CBH Group will purchase 17 narrow gauge locomotives from Wabtec, CBH has announced. Wabtec will build 17 dual-cab, diesel-electric CM20ACi locomotives, with the first group of five set for delivery in the March quarter of 2026 and the remainder in the following quarter. The order, which follows a December […]

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Investigation begins after autonomous ore train derails in Australia

Image of derailed ore hoppers

KARRATHA, Australia — Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has begun an investigation after 30 cars of one of its autonomous iron ore trains derailed Saturday. National broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corp. reports the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator had been notified. The ONRSR told the Australian Associated Press that initial indications were that onboard […]

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Swiss gauge-changing GPX trains back in service

Black passenger train pushed by bright green locomotive in mountain community

INTERLAKEN, Switzerland — The innovative Golden Pass Express gauge-changing train is back in service after through operations were suspended in February. The train offers one-seat rides from Montreaux, on the shores of Lake Geneva, to Interlaken in the heart of the Swiss Alps. It runs on the mountainous meter-gauge Montreux Berner Oberland Bahn (abbreviated MOB) […]

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Eurostar to be blocked from Amsterdam for a year

Blue, yellow, and white high speed train outside large station trainshed

AMSTERDAM — Despite objections from international high speed rail operator Eurostar and passenger groups, the Dutch government has agreed to a plan by state-owned infrastructure operator ProRail to suspend all Eurostar services in the Netherlands for up to a year beginning next summer. Separately, Eurostar has also dropped its service between London and Disneyland Paris. […]

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