Railway policy news
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In depthSpain: Plan de Cercanías promises an end to inaction
Over the past three decades, much of Spain’s rail investment has been channelled into its expanding high speed network. Government plans now envisage a substantial boost for suburban services which account for 90% of all ridership. Mike Bent investigates.
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NewsAs elections loom, rail advocates press for EU funding boost
EUROPE: Amid pressure on member states’ budgets and ongoing geopolitical instability, the rail sector used the Connecting Europe Days event in Brussels to urge EU policymakers to ensure investment is maintained in the next legislative period.
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NewsČD and RegioJet competition dispute settled
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD and Open access company RegioJet have agreed to end all legal proceedings relating to a dispute about competition on the Praha – Ostrava line Under the so-called Falcon Case, RegioJet had sought damages of up to KC717m, alleging that ČD had ...
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NewsMoldova applies to join OTIF
MOLDOVA: An application for accession to the Convention Concerning International Carriage by Rail has been submitted by Moldova. Unless five Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail member states object, the application will be deemed to be accepted three months after notification, which will be on ...
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In depthComment: Multilateral initiatives still matter
Globalisation is facing a challenge in the railway industry as countries prioritise domestic production of trains. Nick Kingsley explores the drawbacks of this approach and the continued importance of international co-operation.
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NewsAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes operating contract includes rolling stock renewals
FRANCE: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes région has signed a contract with SNCF Voyageurs to operate local passenger services from 2024 to 2033.
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NewsCRRC drops Bulgarian train bid following EU investigation
BULGARIA: CRRC Qingdao Sifang Locomotive has withdrawn its bid for a contract to supply 20 push-pull trainsets, after the European Commission launched an investigation into whether the Chinese state-owned company might have benefited from an unfair subsidy. The tender from the Ministry of Transport & Communications ...
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NewsSwiss parliament agrees more long-term rail projects
SWITZERLAND: Parliament has approved a number of key changes to the national railway long-term investment programmes known as Ausbauschritte 2025 and 2035. The changes add around SFr3bn to the cost, taking the total to SFr23bn.
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NewsAccess to EU funding unlocks major investment in Polish rolling stock
Koleje Dolnośląskie has received 333·7m złoty in co-financing from the European Union’s Recovery & Resilience Fund which it is using to refinance its Pesa Elf2 EMUs now being delivered. POLAND: The national government’s Centre for EU Transport Projects agency has allocated co-financing from the European Union’s ...
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NewsTurkish elections bring rail plan announcements
TURKEY: Plans to develop inter-city and suburban rail lines have been announced by the government ahead of municipal elections on March 31. Speaking in the Black Sea port of Samsun on February 28, Minister of Transport & Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said the government would push ahead ...
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NewsFurther concerns raised about Dutch train operating contract
Source: NS NETHERLANDS: The European Commission has sent a further letter of formal notice to the Netherlands, expressing concerns about the direct award of a contract for state-owned incumbent Nederlandse Spoorwegen to operate services on the designated core passenger network between January 1 2025 and December ...
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NewsCheaper rolling stock financing predicted as Luxembourg protocol comes into force
INTERNATIONAL: A global treaty designed to make it easier and cheaper for the private sector to finance railway rolling stock came into force on March 8. The Luxembourg Rail Protocol to the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment is a treaty under the ...
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NewsRail sector welcomes step towards emissions calculation standardisation
EUROPE: The European Parliament’s Environment and Transport committees have jointly adopted a draft report on a proposed EU Regulation which would establish a common methodology to enable fair comparisons of the greenhouse gas emissions from different modes of transport. This was welcomed by the Community of ...
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NewsMexican passenger rail reform plans unveiled
MEXICO: A package of 20 proposals for legislative reforms intended to support the restoration and development of passenger services on the existing rail network has been presented to the Chamber of Deputies. The proposals announced in February would give the government the power to grant concessions to ...
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Rail Business UKTransport Committee invites feedback on draft rail reform bill
Source: Mary R Smith/Pixabay UK: The House of Commons Transport Select Committee has launched its pre-legislative scrutiny of the government’s draft Rail Reform Bill, inviting experts to share their views. The Committee will examine the draft bill’s proposals and make recommendations to the government on how ...
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NewsEuropean Commission investigates whether CRRC received market-distorting subsidy
BULGARIA: The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation into whether a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned rolling stock group CRRC received unfair subsidy enabling it to submit a low bid for a contract. The investigation announced on February 16 is the first under the Foreign Subsidies ...
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Rail Business UKUK government publishes Draft Rail Reform Bill
UK: The government has published its Draft Rail Reform Bill, to give parliamentarians and the industry an opportunity to provide feedback. Legislation is needed to implement the government’s rail reform proposals, including the creation of Great British Railways. However, a bill is unlikely to pass before ...
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In depthMiddle East: Visions of an inter-continental corridor
Proposals for the development of an India – Middle East – Europe ‘economic corridor’ were announced at the G20 summit in September 2023, but many questions remain about how the project might be implemented. Raghu Dayal investigates.
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NewsFour-pronged strategy to develop Pakistan Railways
PAKISTAN: A four-pronged strategy for financial autonomy, governance and growth, private sector participation and leveraging technology at Pakistan Railways has been set out by Railways Board Chairman Syed Mazhar Ali Shah. Financial Autonomy Shah said Pakistan Railways’ statutory position as a government ...
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NewsIndian government boosts rail spending again ahead of elections
INDIA: Presenting the Indian government’s Interim Budget on February 1 for 2024-25 ahead of elections due in April and May, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that a further increase in capital expenditure of 11·1% to reach Rs111tr or 3·4% of GDP. This in turn will boost ...