British rail companies are on track for potential Australian export boom thanks to the trade deal that will be signed later this year. Australia is already the highest priority country for UK rail exporters, with more than £82 billion ($155billion AUD) being invested by Australia into its networks over the next decade, including new cross-country lines and modernised metros in cities including Melbourne. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rail-industry-on-track-to-win-big-in-uk-australia-trade-deal?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=282e5d2d-add8-425f-bd70-8cbebb86ca9a&utm_content=daily Read more

A major new body of research argues a lack of urgency and vision on delivery of transport infrastructure across the North and Midlands is undermining “levelling up”. It warns that without greater connectivity within and between cities, as well as into HS2 and the rest of the national rail network, city regions will continue to lag behind. Jointly commissioned by not-for-profit trade bodies Sheffield Property Association and London Property Alliance, which together represent over 500 leading property companies across South Yorkshire and London, ... Read more

Burton-on-Trent locomotive manufacturer, Clayton Equipment, has secured an eight-figure underwriting facility from HSBC UK to help with the build of 14 hybrid locomotives for Beacon Rail Leasing. The new contract will see Clayton Equipment produce hybrid machines, the first of their kind for the UK rail industry. The green locomotives are set to lower emissions by 90% per tonne haul, compared to their diesel counterparts, using large rechargeable traction batteries. https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/eastmidlands/news/2047557-maufacturer-steams-ahead-with-eight-figure-support-from-bank Read more

Toyota Motor Europe has secured a contract to supply fuel cell modules for a train project as a member of the Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Pack for Rail Applications (FCH2RAIL) consortium. The consortium partners, including Belgium, Germany, Spain and Portugal, are developing and testing a new zero-emission train prototype. Toyota Motor will be responsible for the supply and integration of fuel cell modules into the prototype as part of the FCH2RAIL project. The core part of the FCH2RAIL project features a hybrid, bi-modal drive ... Read more

A TRAIN builder's investment at its County Durham factory – which now totals £110million – sees new facilities completed, allowing welding and painting to start on brand new UK passenger trains. New welding and painting facilities will be used to build the next generation of intercity trains for East Midlands Railway and Avanti West Coast at Hitachi, in Newton Aycliffe. Around 40 staff and newly graduated welders and painters will be completing the high-tech aluminium carriage shells, which are a signature of Hitachi’s ... Read more

Bombardier Transportation, which has a major base in Derby, has been sold to Alstom in a deal which will net the train maker around £2.6bn, including approximately £440m in Alstom shares. The long-running saga of the sale has been finally brought to a close after rumbling on for most of last year. https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/eastmidlands/news/2045103-bombardier-closes-sale-of-transportation-business-after-disagreements-over-deal?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EastMidlands_1st_Feb_2021_Daily Read more

High speed rail has an "essential part to play" in the delivery of the UK’s net zero carbon target, according to a report from train manufacturer Alstom. The report - The UK’s New Green Age: A Step Change in Transport Decarbonisation – describes High Speed 2 (HS2) as "central to modal shift, including providing an alternative to planes". It adds: "It is not going to be possible to achieve the modal shift needed unless there is sufficient capacity, and a reliable, quick service. ... Read more

Improving rail links between cities in the North and Midlands should be the first priority of a new approach to end stop-start investments and help level up the UK as part of a wider economic strategy, according to a major new report by the National Infrastructure Commission. The Commission was asked by the Prime Minister in February this year to undertake an assessment of proposed major rail schemes to help inform the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan. The Commission’s report, published mid-December, highlights the ... Read more

Over the last 12 months and with the recent lockdown we have seen a decline in business in both the automotive and aerospace sectors, however, the rail industry remains buoyant.  Over 60 GTMA members have now registered to join the Rail Cluster Group and we will be working closely with these companies over the coming months. Click here to read the full article in MEM Magazine October 2020   Read more