Tag: Italy (Page 6 of 7)

Alstom Digital Train Control System Enters Service on Wuppertal Suspension Railway

September 8, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

A new version of Alstom’s Atlas ETCS train control system has entered service on the Wuppertal Suspension Railway (Wuppertaler Schwebebahn), located in western Germany. Following a contract signed with WSW mobil GmbH, Alstom equipped the entire suspended route, including 31 new vehicles and the century-old imperial wagon (Kaiserwagen), with ETCS, the European standard for train control systems.

The entry into service marks the completion of Alstom’s first full train control and signalling contract in Germany. It comprises line-side equipment, such as interlocking, radio block centre (RBC) and necessary line elements via train control systems, as well as an interface to the computer-aided operation control system.

The Wuppertal project represents the very first application of ERTMS Level 3 in which track occupancy is solely realised using train localisation performed by the ETCS equipment onboard the train. Alstom replaced the traditional trackside train detection systems such as axle counters with a digital signalling system whereby the ETCS-equipped vehicles communicate their positions directly to the central computer (or RBC) via radio.

“With the successful implementation of this project, Wuppertal is the first city in Germany to use the European train control system in urban transport. ETCS does not only provide for safer and more efficient train operation, but also serves as a basis for many future technologies,” says Jörg Nikutta, Managing Director of Alstom in Germany and Austria.

Alstom’s ETCS system Atlas was developed in Charleroi (Belgium), while the system components were produced at Alstom’s sites in Villeurbanne (France) and Bologna (Italy). The systems are installed and commissioned in Wuppertal by Alstom staff from Charleroi, Salzgitter and Berlin.

Alstom is market leader for ETCS on-board equipment. Since 2006, Alstom has equipped 8,200 vehicles (3,200 of which are already in operation) and for 18,000 kilometres of line (7,000 in operation) with ETCS equipment. A large part of DB’s ICE fleet has also been running with Alstom’s ETCS technologies on the high-speed line between Berlin and Munich since 2017.

Check out the video about the Wuppertaler Schwebebahn

Alitalia Rescuers to Ask for Another Delay

September 5, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

MILAN, Sept 5 (Reuters) – Companies hoping to rescue Italian carrier Alitalia will ask for a deadline for presenting their plan to be extended as they are still negotiating key aspects, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Italian railway group Ferrovie dello Stato, which is leading an effort to take control of Alitalia, is expected to ask administrators running the carrier for a “substantial” delay to the Sept. 15 deadline, one of the sources said.

It would be the sixth delay since Ferrovie expressed its interest in investing in the carrier at the end of last year.

Ferrovie, infrastructure group Atlantia and U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines have been discussing a joint plan for Alitalia for nearly two months, but they are at odds over highly-profitable North American routes, three sources familiar with the matter said.

The Italian partners in the consortium want Alitalia to have more freedom to expand its North American routes compared to what Delta is currently offering under a new cooperation agreement dubbed Blue Skies that it has set up with Air France KLM and Britain’s Virgin Atlantic.

How Alitalia would share the revenue coming from North American routes with Delta and other partners in the Blue Skies alliance is also under negotiation.

“The role of Alitalia in the Blue Skies alliance is a point of contention,” one of the sources said.

Long-haul flights to the United States and Canada account for more than one third of Alitalia’s revenue and are considered key to reviving the Italian carrier, which was put under special administration in 2017 after workers rejected the latest in a long line of rescue plans.

Administrators appointed by Italy’s government have cut costs and renegotiated plane leasing contracts to make Alitalia more efficient, but the carrier still burns cash and had been kept afloat thanks to a 900 million-euro bridging loan granted by Italy’s treasury.

Alitalia had only 410 million euro left in its coffers in July and would need fresh funds by the end of the year when it is expected to post a loss, according to another source.

Delta and Ferrovie declined to comment. (Additional reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

Piaggio Aerospace awarded aircraft maintenance Contract

August 25, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

The Italian manufacturer will provide ENAV – the Italian air navigation service provider – with the maintenance of the four P.180s used for flight inspection activities at national airports.

Piaggio Aerospace has been awarded a contract for the maintenance of the P.180s owned by ENAV, the company that manages civil air traffic in Italy. The agreement, with an estimated duration of approximately 7 years, is worth 12.6 million euro and will guarantee integrated logistic support for ENAV’s fleet of four P.180 Avanti II.

“The agreement signed represents a further step forward in the turn-around process of Piaggio Aerospace”, commented Vincenzo Nicastro, Extraordinary Commissioner of Piaggio Aerospace. “While strengthening the backlog of the Genoa factory-owned service centre, it also confirms the unique expertise of the company in the airframe MRO domain, consolidated throughout decades of activities”.

The ENAV P.180s perform an average of 1,800 flight hours per year. Thanks to their special equipment, they carry out regular measurements and calibration of airport navaids (Radar, VOR, DME, VDF, ILS etc.) in order to guarantee their continuous operational accuracy, essential for the safety of air navigation.

A similarly equipped P.180 will be showcased at MAKS ’19, the international air show that will be held at Zhukovsky International Airport (Moscow) from August 27 to September 1. A delegation of Piaggio Aerospace will also be present at the air show.

Trump Meets With Airline CEO’s Over Qatar Subsidies

July 20, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump met on Thursday with the chief executives of major American airlines to discuss their accusations that subsidies by Qatar and United Arab Emirates are costing jobs in the United States.

The meeting between Trump and the CEOs of American Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways Corp, FedEx Corp, and Atlas Air included Vice President Mike Pence, the White House said.

The meeting also included the CEO of state-owned Qatar Airways, Akbar al-Baker, who was also at the White House last week to tout its decision in June to buy five new Boeing 777 freighters.

The White House did not immediately provide details of the meeting.

Since 2015 the largest U.S. carriers – Delta Air Lines, American and United Airlines – have argued their Gulf rivals are being unfairly subsidized by their governments, distorting competition and costing U.S. jobs – something the Gulf carriers deny.

The Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, a group representing Delta, American, United and aviation unions, said it had a “productive meeting” with Trump.

“The president shares our concerns and instructed us to keep working with the U.S. Department of Transportation, which we plan to do,” Scott Reed, the group’s managing partner, said in a statement.

The CEOs of JetBlue, FedEx and Atlas Air have warned that restricting the rights of Qatar Airways could lead to retaliation against U.S. carriers and added, in an April letter, it could lead to “a rapid unravelling of hard-fought aviation rights around the world when other governments take similar action to shield their state-owned airlines from competition.”

Last week, the CEOs of Delta, United and American wrote a joint USA Today op-ed urging the White House to act “decisively to hold Qatar and the UAE accountable.” They suggested that failing to respond would “signal to other countries that they too are free to exploit American workers.”

In April, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the administration was scrutinizing Qatar Airways’ acquisition of a 49% stake in Air Italy, which has been flying to U.S. destinations since 2018 in a move seen by U.S. lawmakers as flouting a deal not to add new flights to the domestic market.

Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have said they were concerned that the deal with the Italian carrier contravened an understanding Qatar Airways reached with the United States in early 2018.

Qatar Airways acquired the 49% of Italian airline Meridiana in 2017, rebranded it Air Italy and transformed it into a carrier with five announced nonstop U.S. destinations from Milan.

The Qatari government said in 2018 it was unaware of any plans to launch flights from Qatar to U.S. destinations via stops in Europe known as “Fifth Freedom” flights.

(Reporting by Steve Holland and David Shepardson; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason; editing by Marguerita Choy, Tom Brown and Richard Chang)

Alstom Delivers Last Jazz Train of the Trenitalia Contract

July 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Out of Alstom’s factory in Savigliano (CN) perfectly on time, the last “Jazz” train, the 136th for the Campania Region, will soon be in passenger service. To celebrate the end of the deliveries, Marco della Monica, Director of the Regional Passenger Division of Trenitalia Piemonte, Michele Viale, General Director of Alstom in Italy, Davide Viale, Site Managing Director of Alstom of Savigliano, who were joined by Jazz and Pop teams both of Alstom and Trenitalia.

“Jazz” is a successful project the one of with trains circulating in 11 Italian regions, from Trentino to Sicily, a fleet of 136 Alstom trains of the Coradia family, which will soon be joined by over 150 Coradia Stream “Pop”. They are the new single deck regional trains in Alstom’s Coradia family, part of the framework agreement signed in August 2016 with the Italian railway operator. The first three Pop, out of a total of 47 trains destined for Emilia Romagna, have already been in passenger service since 14 June. Deliveries of Pop will continue at a fast pace till 2020.

The “Jazz” and “Pop” trains are part of a plan to renew regional transport and are already revolutionizing commuter travel. The trains, are multiple electric units (EMU), can travel at a maximum speed of 160 km per hour and have an entrance to the carriages “flush” with the pavement, which facilitates the passenger climb. They meet environmental sustainability criteria and 95% Jazz and 97% POP are recyclable, which also guarantees 30% more energy savings than the previous generation. Many services on board: video surveillance system, internal screens visible from every point of the train for passenger’s information, sound system, braille messages, 220 V power sockets for mobile phones and laptops.

“Over the past 15 years, more than 400 regional trains have been designed, produced and put into commercial service by Alstom in Italy, including the 136 Jazz of which today we have completed the production. To these figures we will gradually add the 150 Pop: the first vehicles already in passenger service in the Emilia Romagna region last June. We are proud to support Trenitalia in the public transport rail revolution and to work for the Italian regions, for passengers, for citizens”, Michele Viale, General Manager of Alstom in Italy declared.

The “Jazz” and the “Pop” trains are designed and manufactured by Alstom in Italy. Project development, production and certification are managed by the Alstom site in Savigliano (CN), a center of excellence for regional trains, with the support of Sesto San Giovanni (MI) for traction systems and auxiliary converters, and Bologna for on-board train signaling systems.

Fiat Bets On Electric ‘500’ As It Moves On From Renault

July 11, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FILE PHOTO: A Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sign is seen at the U.S. headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan,

TURIN, Italy (Reuters) – Fiat Chrysler plans to invest 700 million euros ($788 million) in an electric makeover of its iconic Fiat 500, a top executive said on Thursday, as the automaker seeks to move on from its failed bid to merge with France’s Renault.

FCA’s chief operating officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Pietro Gorlier, announced the investment – the Italian-American company’s biggest single bet on an electric vehicle – at its Mirafiori plant in Turin, northern Italy.

“The plan is confirmed,” Gorlier told reporters, when asked if FCA’s investment in electric vehicle technology would remain unchanged after its $35 billion plan to merge with Renault, an electric car pioneer, collapsed last month.

He said FCA would invest the 700 million euros to build a new production line at Mirafiori to turn out 80,000 of the new 500 BEV, its first battery electric vehicle to be marketed in Europe after a smaller, initial foray in the United States.

Production will start in the second quarter of 2020, with capacity to be expanded later, Gorlier said.

The 500 compact car is one of the group’s most famous models, launched by then Fiat in the late 1950s and quickly becoming a symbol of Italian urban design.

The 700 million euros investment is part of a plan announced last year to invest 5 billion euros in Italy up to 2021.

In abandoning its merger offer for Renault, FCA blamed French politics for scuttling what would have been a landmark deal to create the world’s third-biggest automaker.

($1 = 0.8878 euros)

(By Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Mark Potter)

Italy’s Salvini Prefers Transportation Group as Alitalia Partner

June 14, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

MILAN, June 14 (Reuters) – Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Friday an infrastructure or transportation group would be his preferred partner for troubled carrier Alitalia.

He added that he had reservations about a possible involvement of Lazio soccer club Chairman Claudio Lotito, who submitted an expression of interest for the airline this week.

Salvini’s comments put pressure on Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio, who is also the leader of the 5-Star Movement and has been handling the Alitalia crisis since the coalition government took office last year.

Di Maio has already had to postpone the deadline for the rescue of the carrier three times and the latest extension is due to expire on Saturday with every expectation it will have to be prolonged yet again as the search for a solution continues.

Italy’s state-owned railway group Ferrovie dello Stato is spearheading an effort to set up a consortium of investors to buy loss-making Alitalia, which is managed by administrators.

So far Ferrovie has secured the commitment of Delta Air Lines but it is struggling to find another partner who is willing to invest more than 300 million euros ($336 million) in Alitalia, which has a long history of financial woe.

Salvini, who is the head of coalition party League, said caution was needed in picking the right partners.

“We are talking about a company (Alitalia) with 11,000 employees, which has a potential U.S. partner (Delta) with dozens of billions in sales, that deals with infrastructure and airplanes,” Salvini told reporters in Milan.

“As far as I know, Lotito, at present, just lets lads play soccer,” he added.

One source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Ferrovie had recently had talks with infrastructure group Atlantia over Alitalia, but added that its involvement in any accord still lacked the necessary political green-light.

Di Maio and other 5-Star officials strongly criticised Atlantia over the deadly collapse of a motorway bridge managed by the group, which killed 43 people last August.

After the disaster the government said it would revoke Atlantia’s motorway concession, accusing the company of poor maintenance of its road network.

Atlantia has denied any wrongdoing and could join the Alitalia consortium as a way to mend its relationship with the government, sources had told Reuters. The company, which is controlled by the Benetton group, denied on Wednesday that it had reached a deal to join the rescue.

($1 = 0.8923 euros)

(Reporting by Francesca Piscioneri, Writing by Francesca Landini; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

Fiat Chrysler Signs EV Charge Point Deals with Enel, Engie

June 14, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FILE PHOTO: A Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) sign is seen at its U.S. headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan

MILAN (Reuters) – Carmaker Fiat Chrysler (FCA) has signed an agreement with European utilities Enel and Engie to help offer its customers charging points for electric vehicles (EV) it is planning to roll out.

FCA, which is lagging rivals in developing electrified vehicles, said last June it would invest 9 billion euros ($10 billion) over the next five years to introduce hybrid and electric cars across all regions.

Last month, the Italian-American carmaker proposed a merger with French rival Renault in part to share the costs of developing a new series of electric cars. Merger talks collapsed earlier this month.

In a statement, FCA said the main aim of its partnerships with Enel and Engie was to be able to offer private and public charging stations to support the sales of its soon-to-be-launched fully electric Fiat 500 BEV and plug-in hybrid Jeep Renegade PHEV.

“We are assembling an eco-system of partners, products and services across multiple markets to meet and exceed the rapidly evolving expectations of our customers for electrified vehicles,” FCA Chief Executive Mike Manley said.

The deal also includes developing services such as apps to allow clients to locate public charging points.

Enel, through its Enel X unit, will work with FCA in Italy, Spain and Portugal, while Engie will work with the carmaker in 14 other European markets.

(Reporting by Stephen Jewkes; Editing by Mark Potter)

Hitachi & Bombardier to Supply Very High-Speed Trains to Italy

June 4, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Partnership between Bombardier and Hitachi to manufacture and deliver additional new trains for Trenitalia’s high-speed train fleet
The contract includes delivery of 14 Frecciarossa 1000 very high-speed trains and maintenance services

Hitachi Rail SpA and Bombardier Transportation, in a partnership expected to involve company participation of 60% and 40% respectively, will supply 14 Frecciarossa 1000 (also known as ETR 1000) very high-speed trains to Trenitalia (Italian Railways), as well as a ten years maintenance service agreement for the new trains. The contract overall value is around 575 million euros ($ 643 million US) with the Bombardier share valued at 233 million euros ($261 million US) and the Hitachi share valued at 342 million euros ($382 million US).

Maurizio Manfellotto, CEO at Hitachi Rail SpA and Group COO Service and Maintenance Hitachi Rail said: “We worked closely with Trenitalia to deliver a train which has dramatically enhanced the performance and customer experience of the Italian high-speed rail network. The Frecciarossa 1000 is a perfect example of how suppliers and customers working together towards a common goal can deliver for passengers. This order for 14 new trains and the related maintenance services are proof of the success we have achieved.”

Luigi Corradi, Managing Director, Italy, Bombardier Transportation, said: “As a full solution provider, Bombardier is looking forward to demonstrating continued excellence in the Italian rail market, supporting Italian customers in the realization of their long-term mobility plans, across a range of speeds and vehicle sectors, strengthened by our partnership approach.”

Giuseppe Marino, Corporate Officer Hitachi Ltd and Group COO Rolling Stock Hitachi Rail said: “Expanding the Italian high-speed train fleet is an achievement we are proud of. Developing new and innovative rolling stock is a challenge but this order for 14 new Frecciarossa 1000s shows we have realised a highly successful and competitive train. We are pleased to also be working on a new generation of modern regional trains for Italy and on our ground-breaking trams.”

Marco Biffoni, Head of Sales Italy for Bombardier Transportation, said, “With this order for 14 high-speed trains deriving from the V300ZEFIRO platform plus maintenance services, we are delighted that Trenitalia has put its confidence in Bombardier and Hitachi once again, a proven partnership now also bidding for projects in the United Kingdom. These high-comfort, high-technology and high-speed trains have already proven to be very popular with Italian passengers and this order highlights our continuing leadership in the exciting high-speed market segment.”

As with the current Frecciarossa 1000 fleet, all 14 of the new very high-speed trains will be built in Italy. The Frecciarossa 1000 has set new standards in performance, operating efficiency and passenger comfort.

Each train has a total length of around 200 meters, capacity for around 460 passengers and is capable of commercial speeds of up to 360 km/h. State-of-the-art aerodynamics and energy saving technologies give the train unmatched operating efficiency. There is WiFi onboard a meeting room and bistro area.

Not only is the Frecciarossa 1000 the fastest ever service high speed train in Europe, but it is also the quietest, with minimal vibration. The trains are designed and built in Italy, and operable on high-speed rail networks equipped with multi-voltage technology fulfilling all TSI requirements.

All 14 of the new very high-speed trains will be built in Italy.

Bell 429 Builds Momentum With Corporate Customers

May 23, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

21 May 2019, EBACE – Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, is showcasing its corporate Bell 429 outfitted with Mecaer Aviation’s MAGnificent interior at EBACE. The aircraft is building momentum in the region with 7 recent sales to corporate customers in Germany, Greece, the Ukraine and Russia.

“The Bell 429 continues to increase its footprint in Europe with about a quarter of the global fleet being operated right here on this continent,” said Duncan Van de Velde, Bell Managing Director for Europe. “The aircraft strikes the right balance of comfort, power and operational efficiency which is why it continues to be desirable in the corporate segment. Our customers appreciate the smoothness of the ride paired with the bespoke finishes which takes the experience of flight to the highest level of comfort.”

The MAGnificent luxury interior available for the Bell 429 was created by Italy-based Mecaer Aviation Group (MAG), and was configured with four passenger seats and two center consoles. In addition, MAG’s signature sound canceling system (SILENS), In-Flight Entertainment (IFEEL) and electro-chromic passenger windows are available as part of this interior package. Passengers control the audio/video and moving map functions along with the electro-chromic windows through their own smart devices, which connect to the internal Wi-Fi in the aircraft.

The Bell 429 continues to be a global success with 330 aircraft currently in operation in 44 countries. As an advanced single pilot IFR aircraft with the ability to adapt to diverse demands without compromising safety and unrivaled service support, the Bell 429 is truly unsurpassed in its class.

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