Munich, March 25, 2021 – McDermott Will & Emery advised GREENPEAK Partners GmbH on a acquiring a majority stake in St. Vinzenz Klinik Pfronten im Allgäu GmbH for the ACADEMIA Group The new partnership creates a succession arrangement within the group of shareholders the ACADEMIA Group now fulfills the legal prerequisite for implementing its strategy of offering tailor-made succession plans to quality leaders in the highly fragmented specialty laboratory market ACADEMIA is a platform to support quality leaders in the specialty laboratory sector on their succession planning ACADEMIA will establish Germany’s first specialty laboratory group focusing on the sub-segments of pathology GREENPEAK Partners is a company incubator with extensive expertise in founding developing and expanding market leaders in the DACH region GREENPEAK Partners has built seven platforms creating annual revenues of over €500 million Franziska Leubner and paralegal Maria Bretschneider McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective — and often unexpected — solutions that propel success we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve Attorney Advertising © 2025 McDermott Will & Emery It plans to show how CELOS completely integrates customers’ companies with the machine and links it to digitised production and automation solutions Smart Factory networking and digital manufacturing Three machine tool world premier ès include a new hybrid additive/subtractive machine DMU 50 3rd Generation universal milling machine and CLX 350 universal lathe a modification for DMC FD duoBLOCK machines that enables milling Other new cycles include adaptable tuning depending on table load (ATC 2.0 Application Tuning Cycle) and kinematic verification toolkit (3D quickSet 2.0) New software-based productivity tools for its Celos CNC machine operating system will be launched in April 2015 Although the recent share offer has been headline news the purpose of the annual DMG Mori event in Pfronten held in February 2015 is about machine tool technology and related developments And a record 7 000 visitors make the pilgrimage to the town in the south of Bavaria to view this Another benefit of the duoBLOCK® principle are the extensive building blocks for customized complete solutions in a wide range of applications from high-speed through to heavy duty machining – including the motor spindle powerMASTER® 1000 with 1,000 Nm torque at 9,000 rpm or the drive spindle available from quarter 4/2015 up to 1,300 Nm at 8,000 rpm Another innovation is the modular wheel magazine with up to 453 tool positions which can be loaded in parallel to main production and idle times and requires little space due to a footprint reduced by 41% 5.6 seconds and changeover times of 0.5 seconds also increase productivity of the duoBLOCK® machines the two world premieres in the duoBLOCK® area feature CELOS® from DMG MORI as a standard user interface Other features include a large work area for workpieces with diameters up to 3 000 by 1 600 mm and weights of up to 9,000 kg; 50 % higher dynamics thanks to new drive technology on NC rotary table; The new powerMASTER 1000® motorised spindle with 9,000 rpm a maximum of 77 kW and 1,000 Nm torque guarantees effective heavy-duty chip removal; Perfect roughing and finishing operations thanks to the moulding spindle with 15,000 rpm with 52 kW at 404 Nm in conjunction with HSK-A100 interface and Spindle Growth Sensor (SGS) and high precision with 12 μm by way of intelligent temperature management and 3-point support Celos® Apps provide the user with integrated management process and machine data on a large 21.5” multi-touch screen of the ERGOline® Control For further details contact Retecon Machine Tools on TEL: 011 976 8600 or visit www.retecon.co.za Be one of the first to try our new activity feed Bavarian traditions get a plant-based update at the Hündeleskopfhütte Beyer has found that many classic Bavarian dishes are vegetarian-friendly already and she regularly serves omnivorous and plant-based locals and visitors alike who simply want to enjoy a traditional Bavarian meal made with love and the bounty of fresh produce available in the Alps year round We spoke to Beyer to better understand how she decided to open such a restaurant in the Alps and what drove her to make plant-based dining more accessible in such a far off corner of Germany What exactly was your inspiration to create a vegetarian-friendly approach to classic German cuisine I’ve lived as a vegetarian since I was 12 years old It started when I realized what happened to our baby cows My grandmother from my mother’s side was vegetarian all her life Later I worked as a waitress around the mountains and I realized that people always asked about vegetarian meals I love cooking and I knew I had to start a complete vegetarian kitchen when I found my own place in 2015 The time was right and people are very happy to have a vegetarian location in the mountains — even with vegan dishes Here outside of the big cities there is not much offer What was the most challenging part of converting these recipes to plant-based and vegan so we have a lot of traditional Allgäu and Bavarian dishes that are vegetarian already but of course nobody called it like this in the former days And it’s so much fun to create and cook the vegan spreads for our vegan Brotzeit ourselves We don’t need anything more than fresh and healthy ingredients My own creation is the Hüttenwrap: a pancake with lots of herbs We finish it off with some of our homemade herbal oil on top There is no need to find alternative things that look like meat or sausage especially from families that visit with a vegan or vegetarian in the group They can come all together with no problem with the food or menu I’m grateful to be a part of a change that a lot of people all around the world are starting to see – in a rather unusual place We have to treat the animals and Mother Earth much better RELATED: Barrio Bread Is Helping to Revive Arizona’s Nearly-Forgotten ‘Grain Chain’ Get more of what you love from VT. 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HomeDestinationsInterestsTop Places to Travel by MonthSearchMenuBest time to go to Bavaria the locals greet them and celebrate their return the cattle are brought down to the villages from their summer alpine pastures This traditional event is called the Viehscheid Thousands of cows are treated like real celebrities on the way back home to their owners Happy locals dress up in traditional costumes and celebrate this event with ‘oompah’ music and Schöllang & Oberstdorf in the Allgäu region are all worth visiting for their Viehscheid celebrations Cows are herded to the mountain meadows (Alpe) at the beginning of summer when the vegetation is at its best They are looked after by a cowherd or team of cowherds and their dogs This tradition is still widespread in Eastern Europe and Germany; it includes about 50,000 cows People celebrate that there are no injuries or cattle losses A big party awaits all the locals and visitors with fresh cheese tasting and so much more so the dates should be checked depending on the area you are visiting Some of the best places to observe this unique colorful tradition are Wertach in the Oberallgäu district and Pfronten and Oberstdorf in the Allgäu region Schöllang's cowherds lead the cows down first on September 12th come down to the Viehscheidplatz for exciting Bavarian music kicks off its cow descent on September 13th at 9 am Almost a thousand cows are usually led to the Nordic Zentrum and given back to their owners to the cheers and bustle of spectators You can stay longer for the celebration to taste delectable local brews and enjoy traditional folk music The town of Mittenwald boasts picturesque mountainous landscapes due to its close proximity to the Alpine peaks The municipality fills with the sound of cowbells during the Almabtrieb The cows start coming down from the mountain at 11:30 am or noon and parade through the town center to the Riedboden fairgrounds This marks the start of a lively outdoor bash which brings together locals and visitors to celebrate the successful herding season Nestled in the luscious greenery of the German Alps the town of Wertach boasts one of the oldest cattle drive traditions in the region The event is always held on September 18th Viehscheid is rescheduled for the next day start coming down from the Alps at 8:30 am with the procession lasting up until 11 am Grüntenseestraße serves as the main road for the cattle drive The most beautiful cow is usually chosen as the head of the herd and is adorned with a flower wreath Viehscheid in Wetrach is known not only for its traditional cattle drive during which numerous local vendors sell fresh produce boasting charming Barmsee and Geroldsee lakes Bavarian costumes and music fill the streets of the village announcing the beginning of the cattle drive the cows descend from the Alps along Karwendelstraße and Schöttlkarspitzstraße greeted and cheered on by the residents along the way Local vendors use Viehscheid as an opportunity to offer culinary delights along the route This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page the sky getting dark.(Image credit: Trans Germany - Peter Musch)_V6O6692 - Before zero kilometer the sky getting dark.(Image credit: Trans Germany - Peter Musch)Elite men: Back-to-back wins for Sauser By bringing home his second consecutive stage victory at the 2012 Trans Germany Christoph Sauser (Specialized) is one step closer to earning the general classification title for the third straight year finished 13 seconds ahead of Matthias Leisling (Black Tusk Racing) while Markus Kaufmann (Team Centuiron Vaude) rounded out the top three at 28 seconds Sauser know leads the elite men's general classification by 1:56 on South Africa's David George (Nedbank Team 360life) who finished in seventh place today but was able to cement his lead in the best climber classification having earned 45 out of a maximum of 100 points so far Sauser was pleased with the outcome of the 73.4km stage from Pfronten Austria as the 36-year-old Swiss had to close the gap to several breakaways and wasn't able to launch an attack himself against his general classification rivals in the leading group until the very last descent "The level of riding is outstanding this year "Today it was a back and forth and also very tactical but I was able to break away when I attacked on the final downhill." On the descent into Lermoos Sauser took advantage of his technical abilities and his knowledge of the terrain: "It was right at the same spot where I attacked last year and I finally was able to gain some more seconds." Increasing his general classification lead has made Sauser feel more secure about his prospects of winning overall for the third straight year You can have a flat on the very last day and lose everything very quick," said Sauser won stage 2 of the 2012 edition with a 1:42 advantage over runner-up and overnight race leader Milena Landtwing (Team Centuiron Vaude) Silke Schmidt (Notebooksbilliger.de) placed third at 7:51 Landtwing continues to lead the women's general classification and holds a 8:10 lead Brandau with Schmidt in third overall at 10:10 Brandau had a very difficult opening stage "I didn't feel good at all," said Brandau of her result yesterday in stage 1 "I had some back problems and had to walk quite often I was able to outpace Milena [Landtwing] on the last climb after we had been head-to-head for the whole race." Defending Trans Germany champion Pia Sundstedt of Craft – Rocky Mountain has had a miserable title defense in 2012 Sundstedt suffered from stomach ailments yesterday which didn't get better over night As a result the Finnish racer was finally forced to withdraw from the race today Laner wins masters 40+ stage – Strobel extends overall lead Andreas Laner (Team Scott) has secured his first Trans Germany stage win today with a narrow two-second victory over Andreas Strobel (Team Centurion Vaude) the 40+ masters general classification leader was in turn 2:25 ahead of today's third ranked rider Carsten Bresser (Craft-Rocky Mountain) who is still Strobel's closest rival overall After two stages Strobel leads Bresser by 2:26 while Heinz Zörweg (Team Factory Cube) holds third at 6:43 In the category for the oldest participants The Craft and Friends rider finished 4:46 ahead of Henrik Cohen (Team Geels) with Werner Hoepperger (Team Tiroler Zugspitz Arena) placing third at 8:03 Perkmann extended his overall lead to 14:14 over Cohen and 18:00 ahead of Hoepperger DMG Mori’s 2017 annual press conference in Pfronten set the course for the future of the Global One Company in what is expected to be a highly competitive year Machine tool orders for 2016 reached a record high of € 2,369.9 million up 4% compared with a global machine tool market that declined 1.7% detailed plans for new organisational sales and service structure and strengthening its additive manufacturing and digitisation capabilities about their recent visit to the DMG MORI Open House event that took place in February 2017 at the Deckel Maho facility in Pfronten improving customers’ manufacturing process efficiency requires a wide range of operational resources development of software to link these systems design of human-machine interface and collection During its annual open house at Deckel Maho in Pfronten which is located at the foothills of the Alps and where DMG MORI builds the largest of its machines the machine tool manufacturing company premiered three new models displayed a wide range of innovations and said that a new global manufacturing dynamic is beginning to take shape Pfronten is one of the leading tourist resorts in southern Bavaria a manufacturer of milling and boring machines exports milling machines and flexible manufacturing centers from Pfronten to over 100 countries Annually the DMG MORI Group holds an open house exhibition at the Deckel Maho facility in Pfronten The 9 000 international trade visitors were greeted by a display area of 8 500m² featuring more than 80 high-tech exhibits and major sector highlights from the fields of automation additive manufacturing and technology excellence A highlight for a South African visiting the exhibition was not only being able to see machines in various stages of assembly and being tested over and above all the machines and services in the exhibition area but also to pick out a DMU 210P universal milling center that was in the late stages of being assembled the machine is destined to be shipped to a South African client The 5-axis CNC machining center allows for easy and efficient machining of parts up to eight tons This is a large 5-axis machine that uses a stable bridge structure to achieve high accuracy and enables 5-axis machining in a single set The DMU 210 P is equipped with a NC rotary table and has XYZ working area of 2 100 x 2 100 x 1 250mm The XXL Center in Pfronten is dedicated to building 12 large machines per year and represents the company’s systems approach to improving its best sellers The machine that caught my eye (whose size alone gets your attention) was the DMU 600 Gantry linear which is quite impressive for mould machining the focus of the DMG MORI Open House event at Deckel Maho Pfronten was on the latest innovations and groundbreaking technologies It is reported that over 9 000 vistors attend the exhibition over five days The proven and successful portal series with more than 1000 installed machines is based on a FEM-optimised portal machine design The thermo-symmetrical construction with liquid-cooled ball screws linear guides and all rotary axes ensures maximum dynamics and long-term accuracy An optimised extended swivel range and interference contours of the newly developed DMG MORI milling head leading to the optimal usage of the cubic-working space In 1994 Gildmeister AG acquired Deckel Maho AG and was renamed Deckel Maho Gildmeister AG Friedrich Gildemeister had founded Gildemeister & Company in Bielefeld In 1906 the company started mass production of machine tools and in 1910 management decided to concentrate on its flagship products: turret lathes milling machines and vertical and horizontal milling machines Visitors were allowed to walk through the whole plant in Pfronten Here we see automatic tool changer carousels being tested In 1950 the first Maho milling machine was introduced the predecessor to all Maho universal milling machines the company produced compasses and precision drawing instruments milling machines accounted for three-quarters of the company’s sales Maho has concentrated on producing milling machines with contouring control and on machining centers over 950 people are employed in machine development and production Deckel Maho trains over 200 apprentice machinists These people are employed by Deckel Maho itself and by the numerous small companies in the area many of which are suppliers to Deckel Maho Deckel Maho milling machines and flexible manufacturing centers are exported from Pfronten to over 100 countries DMG MORI’s recent history dates back to 2009 when Japanese machine tool builder Mori Seiki and Deckel Maho Gildmeister AG (DMG) entered into a business collaboration The two companies changed the name to DMG Mori Seiki and eventually last year to DMG MORI During this period a number of share purchases took place between the two companies before in April 2016 DMG Mori Co of Japan acquired additional shares in DMG MORI AG to take it up to 76.03% ownership As a global manufacturer of CNC-controlled lathes and milling machines DMG MORI plans to significantly expand its capabilities with the integration of Realizer’s selective laser melting (SLM) technology Realizer has more than 20 years of experience in the industry developing its SLM systems that will now continue to be assembled at both Realizer’s location in Borchen Germany and at the DMG MORI site in Bielefeld “DMG MORI is focusing on strengthening its future technologies,” said Christian Thönes Chairman of the Executive Board of DMG MORI AG at the press conference held during the exhibition “With selective laser melting DMG MORI is bundling the most important generative production processes for metallic materials under one roof DMG MORI already has extensive know-how in the field of laser deposit welding with powder nozzles through Sauer GmbH.” Peter Visser of South Africa with Franz Studer of Retecon Machine Tools Rudi Britz of South Africa with Hans-Peter Neth DMG MORI has already shown an active interest in the impact of additive manufacturing on the industry with the introduction of its Lasertec 65 3D system a hybrid AM and 5-axis milling machine that combines the flexibility of AM with the precision of metal cutting The two leading production technologies enable complex metallic components to be produced from powder For this purpose a wide variety of weldable materials up to and including multi-material applications can be made use of The Realizer deal shows that the company is looking to accelerate this further as the demand from manufacturers for both traditional and AM solutions continues to grow With a footprint of just 8m² the Lasertec 75 Shape is ideally suited for the tightest of production environments but nevertheless offers a work area that can handle workpieces with diameters of 650mm and heights of 500mm The NC swivel-rotary table is designed for components weighing up to 600kg The Lasertec 75 Shape masters fast texturing with no problem at all thanks to contour-parallel laser shaping which in turn does away with the need for any expensive The modern control philosophy based on the Siemens 840 D solutionline plus user-friendly Lasersoft software features round off the offer of the new model a company that is developing digital production projects DMG MORI is strengthening its position in the additive manufacturing industry with a 50.1% acquisition of the shares in German AM leader At the exhibition DMG MORI showed off this tie up with the launch of a powder bed technology machine – the Lasertec 30 SLM “This is the perfect complement to our high-tech machines in the field of Advanced Technologies Selective laser melting in the powder bed opens up completely new areas of application for our customers,” said Thönes With a speed of 5 000 rpm the highly dynamic spindle can machine complex high-quality components and guarantees maximum precision and accuracy of the workpiece The labyrinth structure and air-cooling prevent the penetration of coolant thus promising a high level of productivity and a long life cycle The replacement cartridge means the spindle can be changed quickly and simply also plays a key role where precision and outstanding surface quality are concerned The compact and stable design of the machine ensures maximum rigidity Thanks to its 19” multi-touch control from Siemens the CLX 350 also offers the user fast and simple operation combined with perfect ergonomics and compact dimensions With its Lasertec 75 Shape DMG MORI expands its portfolio in laser texturing of defined technical surface structures by means of layer-by-layer material removal using a 3D laser The new DMU 50 3rd Generation from DMG MORI combines more than 20 years of experience in 5-axis milling with unique future technologies and sets new standards in 5-sided to simultaneous 5-axis machining A travel path of 650 x 520 x 475mm and workpiece weights of up to 300kg mean the new 3rd Generation DMU 50 covers a wide range of components Its new NC swivel-rotary table with an enlarged swivel range of -35°/+110° boosts this versatility A rapid traverse of 42m/min and 30 rpm in the swivel-rotary axis ensure the dynamics for 5-sided to simultaneous 5-axis machining The user has the choice of motor spindles with speeds up to 20 000 rpm in addition to the 12 000 rpm inline spindle Also available as an option is an expanded tool magazine with up to 120 pockets There are 30 tool pockets in the standard version The 3rd Generation DMU 50 achieves a degree of precision that is unbeatable in this segment thanks to its one-piece machine bed on the one hand and on the other its innovative cooling of the guides and drives “With ISTOS we have successfully managed to attract and gain a complete team of 15 experienced IoT experts By establishing ISTOS we are speeding up our digital innovation process I am convinced that ISTOS will support us and our customers with innovative solutions for digitisation,” said Thönes DMG MORI is purposefully creating an open structure for further partners or strategic investment and is therefore creating room for digital alliances – even across sectors ISTOS will develop individual customer solutions across the group and together with DMG MORI Software Solutions GmbH will realise the digital production world Initial results will be presented at the EMO in Hannover The trend towards the networking of machines products and services to form digital process chains is unbroken sensors and software are gaining in importance – even in the machine-tool industry DMG MORI is continuing to massively expand its software solutions The overriding objective is to generate added value for customers right in the early stages of their digitalisation by means of specific digital solutions this is demonstrated in 26 exclusive DMG MORI technology cycles (Apps) for quick and easy shop floor programming Other world premieres included the launch of the CLX 350 turning center The new DMG MORI Powertools for the automatic creation of programmes in production engineering are a second example DMG MORI is vehemently reinforcing its app-based control and operating system CELOS® with the continuous addition of new targeted applications and solution packages Technology Library enables hole sequences and tool technologies to be saved and retrieved at the press of a button The new “Adaptive Process” CAM module allows you to keep control of quality In conjunction with measuring probes and CNC this enables components to be automatically aligned in the process from the programme in order to machine without errors and to record the results The CAM Agent is the new CAM module from DMG MORI for the Based Manufacturing feature Once component families have been learned in the CAD software the appropriate NC programmes are then automatically created while maintaining all previously defined sequences and technologies Programmes are automatically matched to existing tools and technologies even when changing machines The Virtual Machine ensures trouble-free machining and minimum setup times in practice DMG MORI’s unique 1:1 simulation has now been further improved with numerous new functions the simple transfer to the simulation software of clamping devices zero points and table positions as well as tools and NC programmes have been improved thanks to new DMG-MORI-specific interfaces This now enables both efficient multi-machine operation and unmanned production to be carried out with maximum process safety a core element of DMG MORI‘s future product strategy is pre-configured CELOS® app solutions they fulfil clearly defined core tasks in digitisation and thus make the introduction to digitalisation easier for the customer An example of this is the new CELOS® Performance Package for determining and visualising machine states and parameters This includes the CELOS® Condition Analyser for analysing machines and process signals and the CELOS® Performance Monitor for maximum transparency and monitoring of manufacturing parameters On the automation side the LPP 24 system provides a total of 24 pallet spaces on two levels Its core elements are the horizontal machining centers NHX 5000 and DMC 60 H linear DMG MORI supports the grinding process of the FDS models in the duoBLOCK® series with DMG MORI technology cycles for internal Truing cycles expand the range of functions Emission) that guarantees maximum reliability and accuracy by detecting the first contact between the grinding wheel and the truing unit The first contact between the grinding wheel and the component is also determined via the spindle load factor DMG MORI has equipped the 1 300 litre coolant unit of the FDS machines with a centrifugal filter that catches even the finest particles (> 10 µm) from the grinding process The gantry machine is designed as standard for a component weight of 150 000kg The table measures 5 000 x 3 000mm in a work area of 6 000 x 3 500 x 1 500mm in the standard configuration The plunger with optimised interference contour enables travel of optionally up to 2 000mm in the Z-direction the Y-axis crossbeam of 4 500mm and the X-axis can be lengthened as desired For more information contact Retecon Machine Tools on TEL: 011 976 8600 or visit www.retecon.co.za From the December 2019 timetable change direct Eurocity services between Copenhagen and Hamburg will be diverted to run via the Danish mainland route (via Jutland) using the Padborg / Flensburg border crossing instead of the Femer Bælt / Fehmarnbelt ferry thus ending 147 years of Danish train ferry operations Three or four trains a day will operate in each direction taking just over 4.5 hours The trains will continue to be DSB IC3 DMUs for the foreseeable future although replacement by dual-voltage (15kV / 25kV AC) EMUs may occur before the opening of the new Fehmarnbelt tunnel Due to engineering work on the Danish side of the crossing this summer the only remaining operating period for through trains via the train ferry is 1 October to 14 December the only remaining daily passenger train ferries in Europe will be between Villa San Giovanni and Messina on Sicily The Trelleborg (Sweden) to Sassnitz-Mukran (Germany) route has seasonal trains running from Malmö to Berlin The change was expected at some point in the next decade as the new 18.2km under-sea Fehmarnbelt (Femer Bælt) submerged tunnel link is designed to replace the Puttgarden (Germany) to Rødby (Denmark) train ferry But the end of train ferry operation has been brought forward due to long-term engineering work in Germany preparing for the new tunnel route Approvals for the Fehmarnbelt tunnel have been granted in Germany for the work there to complement those already granted in Denmark Preliminary construction work is now underway in Denmark to build the factory that will produce the 89 concrete ‘elements’ which will form the new tunnel in a trench excavated on the sea bed In Germany the existing non-electrified line north of Neustadt (Holstein) will be shut from December for several years for rebuilding and electrification for 200km/h operation This work will include 55km of new alignments and electrification of the Burg Fehmarn branch No exact date for completion of the electrification and rebuilding work has been given but local media reports suggest no earlier than 2025 Once the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel has opened it is expected that 80 freight and 20 ICE (or equivalent) trains will use the rebuilt electrified line daily by the early 2030s A local rail service connecting Germany with Denmark via the tunnel is also under discussion The recently awarded ‘Elektronetz Ost’ contract for the regional network in eastern Schleswig-Holstein includes high quality double deck buses offering wheelchair access power sockets and bicycle racks to operate from Puttgarden to Lübeck via Neustadt (Holstein) in place of both regional and seasonal inter-city trains during the multi-year closure In Denmark the newly opened Copenhagen to Ringsted high-speed line (p72 plus electrification and rebuilding south of Ringsted will enable 200-250km/h operation between Copenhagen and the new tunnel In early May it was announced Czech company EP Logistics (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prague-based energy company Energeticky a Prumyslovy Holding EPH) has agreed to buy German Rail freight company Locon Logistik und Consulting was founded in 2002 and expanded from initial contracts operating civil engineering trains for several major German rail infrastructure projects In 2010 Locon established a Benelux operating subsidiary but this ceased trading following insolvency in 2017 In addition to continuing to support major civil engineering projects Locon now operates intermodal services linking the main German North Sea ports with Austria EPH already owns or is majority owner of several German companies including brown coal mining and power station operators in Sachsen (MIBRAG) and Brandenburg (LEAG formerly Vattenfall) in eastern Germany both of which operate their own electrified industrial railways Locon has a fleet of 30 mostly diesel locomotives but owns two Class 189 Siemens-built Eurosprinter multi-system locos and also leases Traxx electric locos plus over 250 wagons used for intermodal services German Railways (DB) has announced that from 9 November it will no longer be able to sell its popular ‘London Spezial/Special’ through fares from London to and from German destinations following a change of booking computer systems by Eurostar offer fares starting from €49 from London to almost all German stations using Eurostar services from London to Brussels and DB’s own ICE services via Cologne from Brussels DB told Modern Railways the change was ‘due to a system change-over at Eurostar resulting in a missing interface meaning we will not be able to sell through tickets from 9 November’ The company added: ‘We are currently working together with Eurostar to reinstall a customer-friendly solution’ DB was however unable to say when this might happen DB will continue to offer both Eurostar and DB tickets together on its website – although the fares will be separate (plus in most cases more expensive) and thus passengers will not have the convenience with a through ticket (for example changes to reservations due to delays overnight accommodation if connections in Brussels are missed etc) It appears the removal of the through tickets with their sometimes short 20-minute connections in Brussels will lead to longer overall journeys as passengers heading to the UK will need to allow 45 minutes for check-in procedures in Brussels Modern Railways understands that when introduced the DB ‘London Spezial’ ticket was initially expected to be a low-volume product as it was only sold in Germany (where you can currently get them from on-platform ticket machines as well as the remaining staffed ticket offices) But the switch to internet sales – of which DB was an early adopter – made the ticket much more accessible and popular When originally conceived fares as low as €39 were available and once the fixed per-passenger toll paid by Eurostar to Eurotunnel was taken out it left little in the way of contribution for either DB or Eurostar for DB it helped create a customer base for UK to Germany journeys using ICE services from Brussels and for Eurostar it helped fill seats some of which might otherwise have been empty on Brussels trains Eurostar is now filling more of those seats with through passengers between London and Amsterdam/ Rotterdam – with the operator announcing over 250,000 passengers in the first year of operation in April and starting a third daily train on 11 June HS1 concessionaire HS1 Ltd published its draft five-year asset management statement in May setting out its plans for investment and renewals in the period 2020-24 plus the longer-term view of renewals and maintenance needs HS1 has conducted a detailed analysis of future track and infrastructure renewals for the period to 2060 (although the current concession contract expires in 2040) and has concluded these will cost £1.54 billion at current prices To fund renewals planned in the line’s CP3 (2020-24) HS1 is proposing substantial increases in track access charges: 43% for international passenger services (in practice only Eurostar) and 25% for domestic passenger services (South Eastern) heavier and faster international trains are responsible for more track wear than the Class 395 fleet HS1 is also proposing huge increases in freight train access charges Eurostar and freight operators have objected to the proposed increases Eurostar has highlighted that the proposed charges are more than double the cost per train kilometre between Lille and Paris and four times those between Lille and Brussels It appears the increase in charges as currently proposed would make it highly unlikely that new services such as London to Bordeaux would be viable – notwithstanding the fact that HS1 itself is promoting such services Previously (as long ago as 2010) senior managers from DB told Modern Railways that high access charges for HS1 were one of the barriers to introducing regular ICE services to London; increasing already high charges by over 40% is unlikely to attract new operators to the line The proposed freight charges seem likely to reduce scope for additional freight at a time when post-Brexit demand for inland customs clearance of imported goods is likely to grow Using HS1 would provide the opportunity for European loading gauge intermodal traffic to access the London area by rail avoiding potentially-congested ports and motorways in Kent – but this could be scuppered by high access charges on the route The Graz Köflacher Bahn (GKB) regional network south west of Graz is to be electrified will be electrified at 15kV AC at a cost of €120 million by 2025 which is the end of GKB’s current operating contract plus on weekdays double-deck push-pull peak hour trains operated by unique Jenbacher Werke-built B-B GKB Class DH1500 (numbered as Austrian Class 2015) diesel-hydraulic locos dating from 1975 From 2025 services will be doubled in frequency across the network with the aim of doubling the six million passengers currently carried annually Kempten to Garmisch-Partenkirchen line that runs partly through Austria is also to be electrified at 15kV AC this year enabling replacement of diesel trains on the Austrian part of the route The 14·4km section of line between Reutte and Schönbichl in Austria plus (in 2020) the short 1.8km section to the German border station of Pfronten-Steinach will be electrified; this is the only section of non-electrified standard gauge railway in the Austrian state of Tyrol The section from Reutte to Garmisch-Partenkirchen is already electrified hourly electric trains are planned between Pfronten-Steinach and Garmisch-Partenkirchen doubling the service frequency on the Austrian section DB (German Rail) withdrew all the Pesa-built three-car Class 633 ‘Link’ DMUs based in Dortmund for ‘Sauerlandnetze’ services east of Dortmund (routes RE17 Hagen – Kassel and RE57 Dortmund – Brilon Wald / Winterberg) Despite having only entered service (over two years late) in early 2019 by March the trains had suffered so many failures in service that DB decided they were not sufficiently reliable for continued use The problems appear to be software driven and in particular affect the units’ auto couplers DB has given Pesa until September to resolve all the problems and the affected trains have been moved back to Poland DB Regio has replaced the new trains in the interim with a mixture of older DMUs DB has ordered 18x4-car double deck ‘Kiss’ EMUs from Stadler in a contract worth €220 million which will be assembled in Stadler’s Berlin area factories will be used to operate the ‘Elektronetz Ost’ network in eastern Schleswig-Holstein in the north of Germany The new trains replace air-conditioned double-deck push-pull trains powered mainly by early 1990s-vintage Class 112 electric locos operated by DB Regio DB Regio was awarded the contract by regional transport authority nah.sh in late March It was later revealed that DB had in the end been the only bidder although four operators had initially expressed interest DB will operate the following routes from December 2022 to December 2035: • RB85 Lübeck Hbf – Puttgarden/Burg (Fehmarn) Due to the closure of the Neustadt (Holstein) to Puttgarden / Burg (Fehmarn) line for rebuilding from December (see ‘Europe’ above) the contract requires 1.4 million of the total 4.2 million ‘train’ kilometres to be operated by high-specification buses until the rebuilt line reopens The fleet of 18 Kiss EMUs will be equipped with Stadler’s new ‘Gaurdia’ version of the European Rail Traffic Management System ready for operation on the route connecting to the new Fehmarnbelt Tunnel in the late 2020s This is the first time Gaurdia has been sold in Germany Go-Ahead began services on schedule in Baden-Württemberg on 9 June 2019 The operator has received all the initial 28 Flirt EMUs ordered from Stadler needed to start services Safety case approval for the new trains was received in late May In total 45 trains are being supplied (11x3-car The new Go-Ahead Flirts have replaced DB Regio loco-hauled push-pull trains on the routes from Stuttgart to Crailsheim / Ulm / Aalen In December the Stuttgart to Nürnberg Regional Express services will switch to Go-Ahead 27 Alstom-built ‘iLint’ hydrogen fuel cell powered trains have been ordered for services north of Frankfurt am Main The leasing company subsidiary of area regional transport authority RMV Class 654 iLint hydrogen fuel cell powered multiple units to replace a mixture of DMUs operating routes from December 2022: • RB15: Frankfurt Hbf – Bad Homburg – Brandoberndorf • RB16: Friedrichsdorf – Friedberg (Hessen) The contract is worth around €360 million to Alstom The German federal government is funding 40% of the cost A further contract worth €140 million will cover maintenance and the supply of hydrogen for 25 years Alstom is offering this in co-operation with Infraserv GmbH & Co Höchst which operates the Industriepark Höchst chemical industrial estate in the western suburbs of Frankfurt where a hydrogen train refuelling depot will be built The first of Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail’s InterCity Railcar (ICR) DMUs returned to service on 24 April following an extensive interior refurbishment The 234 vehicles manufactured by Hyundai Rotem were delivered between 2007 and 2011 and are currently formed into 28x3-car 25x4-car and 10x5-car sets; they work on both inter-city and commuter services across the Irish network The refurbishment project involves the replacement of 15,500 seat covers along with new double and single arm rests replacement of 8,379m of catering and carriage area lower panel material with a durable hard plastic covering and the fitment of 7,750 USB power sockets.The work is being carried out in-house at Connolly depot with the eight-strong refurbishment team expecting to complete each unit in two weeks Government approval is expected shortly for an order of 41 additional ICR vehicles which will be used to lengthen the existing fleet to create 22x6-car An option for up to 60 additional vehicles is expected to be included in the deal Irish Rail will not be proceeding with a project to repower the Class 201 locomotives as the bids received were all non-compliant ‘The quotes that came in were almost the same cost as a new locomotive’ the company said The project had asked bidders to propose the use of two or more smaller engines in order to reduce fuel consumption Instead IÉ is proposing an in-house solution involving a new control system Class 201s are used on the ‘Enterprise’ service between Dublin and Belfast and the project will be carried out in conjunction with Northern Ireland Railways IÉ has also formally abandoned plans to reinstate most of the Class 2700 DMUs which were stored in 2012 due to poor reliability It is understood that tenders for the work to reinstate 10x2-car sets were in the region of €33 million – too high compared with the cost of new trains In April Spanish national infrastructure manager ADIF announced plans to offer packages of high-speed train paths to existing and potential new operators from December 2020 Currently Spanish national rail operator RENFE is the only domestic high-speed train operator; RENFE also operates the international services to France in conjunction with French state operator SNCF The announcement from ADIF makes packages of paths available on three routes south and east of Madrid (routes north of Madrid are excluded): • Madrid – Barcelona – French Border plus Valencia – Barcelona; ADIF has given potential operators until late July to bid for the paths they want The package contracts planned by ADIF will give 10-year access rights and cover 70% of the possible paths on the high-speed network; the remaining 30% will be awarded annually SNCF has been planning to enter the Spanish domestic high-speed market for some time (p68 In February it was reported that SNCF has established a Spanish operating entity named Rielsfera registering the name and applying for safety / operator certificates RENFE had proposed the creation of a low-cost high-speed operator to be called ‘Eva’ operating initially on the Madrid to Barcelona route and reports in 2018 suggested SNCF might even be involved as the project is clearly based on the French ‘Ouigo’ low-cost high-speed offer it appears SNCF intends to enter the market with other Spanish partners and compete with RENFE discussions between SNCF and ILSA (owned by civil engineering firm Acciona and Air Nostrum) have been underway for months has applied to operate Montpellier (France) to Madrid via Barcelona services and originally announced an October 2019 start – this has been pushed back to 2020 due to delays in obtaining suitable rolling stock plus slow progress in obtaining operating rights Local media report other groups looking to enter the domestic rail market include the Globalia holding company that owns airline Air Europa plus hotel and travel businesses which has also reportedly been talking with SNCF UK-based National Express group could take an interest via its Spanish ALSA bus and rail business Basque operator Euskotren has previously said it will run regional high-speed services connecting Madrid to northern Spain while DB subsidiary Arriva is planning open access services from La Coruña in northern Spain serving Porto in neighbouring Portugal Unco-operative tactics on the part of RENFE may have delayed ILSA in particular from starting operation in 2019 RENFE moved all the suitable ex-RENFE Class 100 TGV clones out of the state-owned rolling stock leasing company RENFE Alquiler that was established to supply trains to new entrants In the longer term the delaying tactics may backfire badly Initially ILSA was seeking a fleet of just three trains and whilst RENFE is the only Spanish operator with them SNCF has a fleet of 10 TGV Euroduplex 500+ seat trains equipped for use in Spain and used there daily Some of the trains in this sub-fleet are currently used for services that don’t serve Spain and in addition there are continuing deliveries of new TGV Euroduplex for domestic French use thus SNCF has a ready-made fleet of TGVs that could be used by ILSA ILSA had created its business plan using the pre-existing open access rights that exist across the European Union for international services Whilst it had to demonstrate it would not prejudice the economics of publicly-funded services its services can compete with RENFE’s high-speed services run on a commercial basis ILSA obtained approval for its planned Madrid – Montpellier route from the Spanish national competition authority in September 2018 Subscribe to Key Modern Railways now to access the wealth of information on offer completely ad free Subscribe now Key Publishing Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with Company Number 2713662 “The goal of “Global One“ is to combine DMG MORI Company Limited and DMG MORI Aktiengesellschaft into a globally integrated machine tool company More than 12,000 associates in our production facilities around the world and our 164 international Technology Centers and service locations are currently working hard at making us number 1 in the world for our customers,” says Dr President of DMG MORI Company Limited in a statement on the company’s website “We guarantee you stability and continuity in our partnership with you Our goal is to refocus our efforts in new areas together with you: “global one“ stands for forward-looking innovations in machines from production to customer-oriented total solutions and for a new dimension in technologies and processes right up to automation and digitisation in the age of Industry 4.0.” “Our objective is to 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