High speed rail industry news
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NewsCalifornia high speed rail programme management contract awarded
USA: California High-Speed Rail Authority has selected an AECOM-Fluor joint venture to provide programme management support for its planned Los Angeles – San Francisco corridor, where construction of the initial 270 km section between Merced and Bakersfield is already underway in California’s Central Valley. The Program ...
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News
Warszawa – Łódź high speed line planning contracts awarded
POLAND: Three contracts totalling 300m złoty have been awarded to support the development of a 350 km/h high speed line from Warszawa to Łódź. The three contracts announced on November 23 form part of the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny programme to build a major airport, 2 000 ...
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News
Iryo brings Italian style to Spanish high speed rail services
With Iryo preparing to launch its first high speed rail services this week, Mike Bent reports from a preview service between Madrid and València
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News
DB commissions HGV 3·0 high speed train design concepts
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn has commissioned two companies to develop design concepts for its next generation of high speed trains. The Hochgeschwindigkeitsverkehrs in Deutschland 3·0 fleet would enter service from the early 2030s, replacing DB Fernverkehr’s ICE3 trainsets and expanding its fleet to accommodate ridership growth. Following ...
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News
DB IO signs Egyptian high speed operating contract
EGYPT: A consortium led by Deutsche Bahn International Operations has been selected to operate and maintain the first phase of the country’s future high speed rail network, dubbed the ‘Suez Canal on Rails’.
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News
Egis to design Kénitra – Marrakech high speed line
MOROCCO: ONCF has appointed Egis Group to act as general consultant for design work on the long-planned extension of the country’s high speed line from Kénitra to Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech.
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News
California high speed rail station design contract awarded
USA: The California High-Speed Rail Authority has awarded Foster+Partners and Arup a $35m contract to provide design services for Merced, Fresno, Kings/Tulare and Bakersfield stations on the initial 275 route-km segment of the line. The 30-month contract includes identifying right-of-way and utility relocation requirements. A separately ...
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News
French open access passenger service postponed
FRANCE: Three factors have led Le Train to postpone the launch of its planned open access high speed services in southwest France from mid-2023 until early 2024.
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News
EMU-320 high speed train unveiled
SOUTH KOREA: The first of two pre-series EMU-320 high speed trains being built for Korail by Hyundai Rotem has been unveiled at the manufacturer’s Changwon factory.
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In depth
Viewpoint: California’s high speed programme is back on track
After years of twists and turns, the most ambitious and controversial high speed rail project in America is moving purposefully towards fruition. Andy Kunz, President & CEO of the US High Speed Rail Association, and Ezra Silk, Co-Founder of the US High Speed Rail Coalition, explain how the programme has reached this point.
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News
Kevin Speed sets out ambitions to provide high speed trains ‘for everyone, every day’
FRANCE: Proposals to launch high capacity commuter services on high speed lines into major cities have been announced by open access start-up Kevin Speed. The company was founded last year by Laurent Fourtune, who worked at Paris transport operator RATP in 2009-18 and was then Chief ...
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News
More ICE services in next DB timetable
GERMANY: Opening of the Ulm – Wendlingen Neubaustrecke with the European timetable change on December 11 is set to trigger a series of alterations to Deutsche Bahn’s Inter-City Express network.
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News
Three-phase Portuguese high speed line plan announced
PORTUGAL: Plans to launch the development of a €4·5bn Lisboa – Porto high speed line as part of the PNI 2030 national investment plan have been announced.
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Rail Business UK
Regulator asks for views on next periodic review of HS1 Ltd
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has launched a consultation asking stakeholders to provide views on the processes and approach to the next periodic review of high speed line concessionaire HS1 Ltd. ORR is required by law to approve HS1 Ltd’s plans and charges for ...
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In depth
Germany: Wendlingen - Ulm poised to open as Stuttgart21 costs rise again
Deutsche Bahn will open the Wendlingen – Ulm high speed line in December with the controversial Stuttgart 21 project following in stages from 2025 onwards. Toma Bačić reports.
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News
Globalvia takes stake in Iryo ahead of November launch
SPAIN: Globalvia has formally completed its acquisition of a 24% stake in Iryo owner ILSA. The open access high speed operator expects to launch services between Madrid and Barcelona in late November.
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News
Eurostar cannot grow amid pandemic, Brexit and cost crises, CEO warns
EUROPE: Problems faced by Eurostar as a result of the pandemic, Brexit and rising costs have been set out in detail in a letter from outgoing CEO Jacques Damas to the Chair of the UK’s House of Commons Transport Select Committee. Chair Huw Merriman MP had ...
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News
Isolated Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen extends Japan’s high speed network to Nagasaki
JAPAN: JR Kyushu has opened the 66 route-km Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen between Takeo Onsen and Nagasaki.
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News
Changsha – Yiyang high speed line opened
CHINA: The 64·2 km Changsha – Yiyang section of the Chongqing – Xiamen high speed line opened on September 6. Construction began in December 2017. Known as the Changyi section, the 350 km/h alignment includes three stations at Changsha Xi, Ningxiang Xi and Yiyang Nan. The ...
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News
First TGV M unveiled by Alstom and SNCF
FRANCE: The first of 115 double-deck high speed trainsets branded Avelia Horizon by manufacturer Alstom and TGV M by SNCF Voyageurs has been unveiled ahead of dynamic testing at Velim in the Czech Republic from October. Speaking at the unveiling at Alstom’s La Rochelle test centre ...
