Tag: Cross (Page 2 of 2)

Alstom Delivers First Coradia Polyvalent Regional Train

August 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

27 August 2019 – Alstom has delivered the first five Coradia Polyvalent Léman Express trains for the cross-border CEVA[1] line to the SNCF Technicentre in Annemasse. Five trains will now be delivered each month until the end of November, with entry into commercial service scheduled for 15 December 2019. Since mid-August, Alstom’s teams have been supporting SNCF in training drivers for these new trains.

A total of 17 trains from Alstom’s Coradia Polyvalent range have been ordered[2] by SNCF, financed entirely by the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, to run on the Léman Express, Europe’s largest cross-border rail network (45 stations, 230 km). The Coradia Polyvalent Léman Express trains contribute to providing a sustainable alternative to the car for the daily commutes of Greater Geneva’s residents, as well as a better service to the economic and tourist hubs of the entire region. Today, just 16% of the 550,000 daily cross-border trips are made on public transport.

The Coradia Polyvalent Léman Express trains belong to Alstom’s Coradia range, of which 348 trains have been sold to 9 French regions[3] as part of the contract awarded to Alstom by SNCF in October 2009. The fleet has already covered more than 50 million kilometres in commercial service.

The trains have been adapted to the specific characteristics of the Franco-Swiss cross-border CEVA line: configured in their suburban version, each 72-metre train can carry up to 204 seated passengers at speeds of up to 140 km/h, in accordance with Swiss certification. Designed to ensure cross-border connections with ERTMS technology[4], Coradia Polyvalent Léman Express trains can run on several types of network voltages[5].

To optimise the fluidity of passenger exchanges and reduce stopping time in stations, the Coradia Polyvalent Léman Express trains are equipped with a full low floor, seven doors on each side, all with bridge plates, and a large reception area on the platforms. Coradia Polyvalent is the first train to comply with the PRM-TSI standard^[6]. The interior offers increased comfort thanks to the seats equipped with individual reading lights and electrical sockets and the spaces dedicated to bicycles and luggage. Large windows and reduced noise levels also improve the quality of the journey.

The manufacturing of Coradia Polyvalent involves more than 4,000 jobs in France at Alstom and its suppliers. Six of Alstom’s 13 sites in France are involved in the project: Reichshoffen for the design and assembly, Ornans for the engines, Le Creusot for the bogies, Tarbes for the traction chains, Villeurbanne for the on-board computerised systems and signalling products, and Saint-Ouen for the design.

[1] Cornavin – Eaux-Vives – Annemasse line

[2] Option exercised in July 2015 for the sum of 160 million euros

[3] Including 10 additional Léman Express trains for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in July 2019 (approximately 70 million euros)

[4] European rail interoperability standard

[5] 25 kV, 1500 V and 15kV for Germany and Switzerland

[6] Technical specifications for interoperability relating to persons with reduced mobility

Amtrak Investing in the Auto Train Customer Experience

July 16, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Changes to debut by January 2020

WASHINGTON – Amtrak will introduce a series of enhancements on the Auto Train during the next six months. This train offers daily, non-stop service from Lorton, Va. (near Washington, D.C.), and Sanford, Fla. (near Orlando). Customers can skip I-95 and travel with their vehicles, including cars, vans, SUVs, motorcycles, and even small boats or jet-skis.

Customers in the Sleeping Car will notice enhancements such as upgraded towels and bed linens and other pleasantries in each room. The dining car will feature a new menu and the addition of complimentary wine to the dinner service. This complimentary dinner service will become an exclusive amenity to Sleeping Car customers beginning on Jan. 15, 2020.

Amtrak will also expand the availability of every Sleeping Car accommodation — Roomette, Bedroom, Family Bedroom and Accessible Bedroom — to meet the demand for this class of service.

Coach customers will continue to take advantage of low fares and can choose from new dining options with the debut of the Cross-Country Café. Beginning on Jan. 15, 2020, the new menu will offer more meals, snacks and beverages for sale. At that time, Coach class tickets will no longer include complimentary dinner service. Coach customers will receive a complimentary continental breakfast prior to arrival at the Amtrak stations in Lorton, Va., or Sanford, Fla.

For all customers, food trucks will be on-site in Lorton, Va., and Sanford, Fla., to offer a variety of dining options before their journey begins.

“These upgrades represent an investment in improving the travel experience on this one-of-a-kind train,” Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson said. “Our continued success depends on increasing customer satisfaction by upgrading sleeping accommodations, keeping Coach as an affordable option and providing more choice in food options in the station and onboard.”

By the start of 2020, customers can take advantage of additional offers to travel on the Auto Train:

Share Fares will be available for travel with up to three companions. The discount will be up to 70% for a group of four and apply to select departures
The Oversized Vehicles fare will be available for minivans, full-size pick-up trucks and SUVs with three or more rows. This option will allow customers to pack more into their vehicle.
Amtrak Guest Rewards Select Executive members will receive a complimentary priority offload coupon as part of their tier member benefits.

Southbound Auto Train heading over Neabsco Creek in Woodbridge, VA.

Strong SUV, Truck Demand Drive U.S. June Auto Sales Higher

July 2, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

July 2 (Reuters) – Automakers including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Hyundai Motor Co on Tuesday reported a rise in U.S. sales for June, lifted by strong demand for sport utility vehicles and trucks.

Automakers have focused on selling the more profitable larger SUVs and trucks and had offered heavy discounts of up to 30% or more on their most popular models in June amid a slowdown in the broader market.

U.S. auto sales are slowing after a long bull-run that has satiated replacement demand.

Fiat Chrysler said its sales rose 1.9% to 206,083 vehicles in June, driven by a 45% surge in sales of its Ram trucks.

Hyundai said its sales rose 1.5% to 64,202 vehicles in the month, boosted by a 36% increase in sales of its Santa Fe sport utility vehicles.

GM and Ford are yet to report their sales numbers.

Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc said its June sales rose 10.5% to 12,317 vehicles due to an increase in sales of its seven-seater Outlander and Eclipse Cross SUV’s.

(Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and James Emmanuel)

Dassault Falcon 8X Sets New Cross Country Speed Record

May 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Demonstrating unmatched airport performance, Dassault’s Falcon 8X recently set a new coast-to-coast speed record, flying from Santa Monica and its notoriously short 3,500 foot runway to Teterboro, New Jersey. The flight took just 4 hours and 28 minutes with overall poor tailwinds, averaging just five knots, over the trip.

“Business aviation is about flying precisely where you need to be. Today’s flight on the Falcon 8X embodies everything that advanced design can accomplish: unparalleled airport performance, a quiet noise footprint and extended capability, all in a large cabin business jet,” said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “This is not possible in any other business jet in the ultra-long range class.”

The mission, with four passengers and 200 pounds of payload, beat a previous speed set when Santa Monica’s runway measured 5,000 feet, by 24 minutes. Santa Monica represents a specific challenge because of the length of its 3,500 foot runway and its strict noise abatement departure procedure. The airplane needed less than 2,000 feet of runway upon landing and a balanced field length only of 3,200 feet when it departed at 8:08 a.m. local time. Incredibly, the departure procedure and climb-out measured significantly below the 95 dBA SEL sound limit. The 8X landed in Teterboro at 3:36 p.m. local time.

The record is pending official ratification by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) in Washington, DC.

The new speed record follows a series of records set in 2018, including a challenging mission from London City that crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Beverly, Massachusetts, an immediate suburb of Boston, in 6 hours and 44 minutes. London City’s stringent noise rules, short runway and steep glide scope limit the airport to very few aircraft types. All production Falcon aircraft are certified to operate at London City.

Since its entry into service in late 2016, the Falcon 8X has been widely recognized not only for its superior performance—including its ability to land at airports like Aspen, Lugano and Gstaad, Switzerland whose challenging approaches typically limit access to very few ultra-long range business jets—but also for its unrivaled comfort and ultra-silent cabin, the quietest in the industry.

Alstom Delivers First Coradia Polyvalent Regional Train

Amtrak Investing in the Auto Train Customer Experience

Strong SUV, Truck Demand Drive U.S. June Auto Sales Higher

Dassault Falcon 8X Sets New Cross Country Speed Record

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