Modern Railways – April 2019

78 April 2019Modern Railways http://www.modern-railways.com

Europe View Keith Fender

EUROPE

THREE-MONTH ‘NO DEAL’

BREXIT EXEMPTION FOR

CHANNEL TUNNEL

The European Commission published draft

legislation in mid-February that will allow existing

passenger and freight operations through the

Channel Tunnel to continue in the event of the

UK leaving the EU without an agreement on

29 March (the so-called ‘no deal’ situation).

The temporary waiver involving mutual

recognition of pre-existing operator and train

driver licences will apply for three months

and only if the UK does nothing in that time

to change rules concerning international rail

operations. Similar arrangements have been

proposed by the European Union to deal with

road and air transport in the event of a ‘no

deal’ exit by the UK. The proposed EU rules

will also enable the continued uninterrupted

operation of the Belfast to Dublin ‘Enterprise’

service if a ‘no deal’ Brexit situation transpires.

The UK government has already said it

would seek urgent new bi-lateral agreements

with France, Ireland and other countries to

maintain international rail services and that

it will accept all EU-issued licences for at least

two years in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit;

the EU proposal is of much shorter duration

and is designed to cover the period whilst new

longer-term arrangements are quickly agreed.

Whilst railway operations may be relatively

unhindered by the immediate impact of a

‘no deal’ Brexit, it is not clear that passenger

movements will be as simple, with The

Times revealing a leaked UK government

report in late February suggesting queues at

St Pancras could be over a mile long as French

immigration officials would have to question

all passengers rather than, as now, simply

record passport details for the majority.

CZECH REPUBLIC

PLZEŇ ORDERS ŠKODA

AS DOES OSTRAVA

Tram operator PMDP in the western Czech

city of Plzeň, home to Škoda Transportation,

has awarded a contract worth CZK1.2 billion

(£41 million) to Škoda for up to 22 three-section

100% low-floor trams based on the ForCity

Smart platform. This design of light rail

vehicle (LRV) was added to the Škoda range

when it acquired Finnish manufacturer

Transtech (which formerly marketed the

vehicle as the ‘Arctic’). The Plzeň vehicles will

be delivered between 2020 and 2023.

Škoda Transportation also offered the only

compliant bid for 40 new two-car trams for the

eastern Czech city of Ostrava in September 2018,

again with the ForCity Smart. The contract

to build the new trams, which will be fitted

with Wi-Fi, USB sockets and air conditioning,

is worth CZK1.9 billion (£64 million). The first

of the new vehicles should enter service in

2022. Ostrava tram operator DPO is currently
      introducing a fleet of 30 new Stadler-built
      ‘Tango NF2’ two-car LRVs ordered in 2017
      at a cost of CZK1.4 billion (£47 million).

NEW LIFE FOR BELGIAN

ELECTRIC LOCOS

Czech loco rebuild specialist CZ Loko bought all

12 former Belgian Railways (SNCB) Class 12

electric locos after they were withdrawn in

2013. The dual-voltage (3kV DC/25kV AC)
      locos, dating from 1986, had been used by
      SNCB for cross-border services into France.
      CZ Loko and partner ČMŽO Přerov are now
      rebuilding them at the Přerov site, which specialises
      in overhauling electric locos and EMUs. The
      combination of 3kV DC and 25kV AC makes
      them suitable for use in most central European
      countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland,
      Hungary, Romania and much of the Balkans).
      The rebuilt locos are designed for freight use,
      with a maximum speed of 120km/h instead of the
      original 160km/h. New traction equipment is fitted,
      although the original traction motors are retained.
      Four locos have been rebuilt so far and are in use
      with Czech private operator IDS and CER Slovakia.
      CZ Loko is offering the locos to potential operators
      at a significant discount compared to the cost of
      buying or leasing a modern multi-system loco.

GERMANY

FEDERAL AUDITOR CALLS

FOR CHANGE AT DB

In mid-January the German federal

Bundesrechnungshof (independent National

Audit Office) presented its review of national rail

operator Deutsche Bahn and government railway

policy to the German Parliament, calling for DB to

sell subsidiaries Arriva and DB Schenker (logistics)

Operation unhindered? A Eurostar Class 373 set headed by power car No 3215 leaves the Channel Tunnel

in France on 23 June 2010 working the 08.27 London St Pancras – Brussels Midi service. Keith Fender

078-081_MR_Apr 2019_europe.indd 78 11/03/2019 17:28