Latest news with #IESS
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Firm secures £50m contract for new Scotland train route
The contract comprises two key components which includes a Train Services Agreement (TSA) with FirstGroup – valued at approximately £40m – to be delivered at Alstom's Central Rivers facility. From here, Alstom will maintain, overhaul, service and clean the five trains over the next five years. In addition, the contract includes a fleet modernisation programme with Eversholt Rail – worth around £10m – which will be carried out at Alstom's Widnes site. The refresh involves installation of new, ergonomically designed seating, upgraded passenger Wi-Fi for improved onboard connectivity and a full exterior repaint to align with Lumo's branding. READ MORE: New Stirling to London train service expected to begin in 2026 FirstGroup hails success of Lumo Edinburgh London rail link New train service between London and Glasgow proposed The modernisation also includes new CCTV systems and Intelligent Engine Start-Stop (IESS) technology, which automatically shuts down and restarts the train's engine when stationary – improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. Peter Broadley, Commercial Director UK and Ireland at Alstom, said: 'This partnership marks a significant milestone in our commitment to delivering high-performance, customer-focused rail services across the UK. "By combining Alstom's deep technical expertise with the operational excellence of FirstGroup and Eversholt Rail, we're ensuring that fare-paying passengers benefit from a modern, reliable and comfortable travel experience between Stirling and London. "The investment in both refurbishment and long-term support reflects our shared ambition to drive innovation and sustainability in rail transport." Alstom's Central Rivers depot in Burton upon Trent is a purpose-built train maintenance facility, which includes a state-of-the-art double-head lathe, nine maintenance roads and two lifting roads. New rail services between London and central Scotland are expected to launch in 2026 Meanwhile, the Alstom Transport Technology Centre in Widnes is the UK's largest and most sophisticated centre for train modernisation. The contract with FirstGroup and Eversholt will support 50 roles across the two sites, alongside many more through Alstom's UK supply chain. Built by Alstom and previously operated by East Midlands Railway, the five Meridian units are scheduled to re-enter service with Lumo next year, serving passengers between central and southern Scotland and London Euston. Graham Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer at FirstGroup, said: 'We are pleased to work with Eversholt Rail and Alstom on the rolling stock element of our new service between London and Stirling. This new route is another important step towards rolling out Lumo as a nationwide operator and growing our open access capacity, a key priority for FirstGroup. "Our investment and capabilities in open access rail have delivered reliable, value for money services, grown rail demand and helped to spur economic growth and connect communities. We look forward to doing the same on our new services." Stations served will include Stirling, Larbert, Greenfaulds (serving Cumbernauld) Whifflet (serving Coatbridge) Motherwell, Lockerbie, Carlisle, Preston, Crewe, Nuneaton, Milton Keynes and London Euston. Of these stations, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert will have their first direct services to London. Paul Sutherland, Client Services Director at Eversholt Rail, said: 'Eversholt Rail are pleased to be part of this tri-partite collaborative project with FirstGroup and Alstom and we are looking forward to seeing what potential opportunities this new open access service can bring. "Alstom's ongoing involvement with the Class 222 fleet as the original equipment manufacturer will cement it's pedigree as a high-quality intercity train. The upgraded features will enhance the passenger experience for the journey between London and Stirling."
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Government releases draft framework of India's Climate Finance Taxonomy, aims to mobilize capital for climate actions
AI generated image NEW DELHI: Acting on the government's 2024-25 budget announcement, the finance ministry on Wednesday released a draft framework of India's Climate Finance Taxonomy which aims for enhancing the availability of capital for climate adaptation and mitigation . It'll serve as a tool to identify activities consistent with a country's climate action commitments and green transition pathway in sync with the long-term goal to become 'net zero' by broad objective of the framework is to facilitate greater resource flow to climate-friendly technologies and activities, enabling achievement of the 'net zero' through various mitigation (emission reduction) actions while also ensuring long-term access to reliable and affordable ministry has sought stakeholders' views/suggestions on the framework. It will be finalised after examining those views and suggestions.'The Taxonomy shall be consistent with the developmental goal of 'Viksit Bharat' to be achieved by 2047,' said the 32-page draft. It also underlined the requirement of billions of dollars annually in India for adaptation and energy for adaptation action is vital for addressing climate change impacts, building resilience and achieving India's development goals. Preliminary estimates indicated that about $206 billion (at 2014-15 prices) would be required from 2015 to 2030 to implement adaptation actions in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, infrastructure, water resources and per NITI Aayog's India Energy Security Scenarios (IESS) 2047, the total investment required for energy transition is estimated at $250 billion per year till 2047.'The framework will deal with how to mobilise that much of resources for the country's mitigation and adaptation targets, and also for supporting transition of hard-to-abate sectors such as cement, steel, and aluminium,' said an official, explaining the need to have such a policy document to guide it towards meeting both short-term (2030) and long-term goal ( net zero by 2070 ).The Taxonomy, which will also work on preventing 'greenwashing', is based on eight guiding principles including focus on pathways in the country's context, support to transition activities and promoting the use of indigenous technologies.'It has been formulated on the basis of consultations on the concept note and a review of existing taxonomies (globally). Further refinements will be based on public consultations on the draft framework,' said the document.
