CRRC 'H'

The EU Commission has excluded the Portuguese subsidiary of the Chinese group CRRC from the tender for construction of the new light rail line Linha Violeta in Lisbon. Brussels cites distorting foreign subsidies that allegedly gave the supplier an unfair advantage. A consortium has now replaced CRRC with a Polish manufacturer, allowing the award procedure to continue. It is unclear whether the project’s originally planned completion date can be met. » More on finanzen.net

Westbahn has ordered four multiple‑unit trains from the Chinese manufacturer CRRC; the first train was presented in Vienna. Trade unions, the Arbeiterkammer, the SPÖ and the Association of the Railway Industry have criticized the procurement because of a possible outflow of European value creation and the endangerment of know‑how and jobs. Westbahn majority shareholder Hans Peter Haselsteiner justified the decision with faster delivery times and favorable leasing conditions compared with European manufacturers. » More on kurier.at

Westbahn has leased four new double-deck multiple units called "Panda" from Chinese manufacturer CRRC for ten years; a purchase option would cost around €70 million. The trains offer 536 seats, were built in a former Siemens plant in China and have already completed test runs totaling over 300,000 kilometers. EU approval is expected in November; many safety-critical components come from Europe. Westbahn plans network-wide deployment and a seamless half-hourly service from Westbahnhof if proven advantageous. » More on kurier.at