High speed rail industry news – Page 13
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NewsCross-border high speed corridor proposed in northern Portugal
PORTUGAL: As part of the work feeding into the country’s upcoming National Railway Plan, the Vale d’Ouro Association has put forward proposals for a new line through the Trás-os-Montes region to link Porto with Zamora in Spain.
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NewsEurostar brand to remain after Thalys merger
EUROPE: European high speed operators Eurostar and Thalys confirmed on October 4 that their planned merger announced in September 2019 is on course to be completed ‘within two to three years’, with a formal submission to the European Commission’s competition authority expected in 2022. Being taken ...
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NewsTest train carries first passengers over Pajares cut-off
SPAIN: Under construction since 2004, the 50 km Pajares high speed cut-off through the Cordillera Cantábrica mountain range in the north of the country moved a step closer to opening on September 20 when ADIF Alta Velocidad ran the first passenger-carrying test train between La Robla and Campomanes.
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NewsShorter high speed trains to fit Sicilian train ferries
ITALY: Trenitalia is assessing the possibility of ordering a shorter variant of its Frecciarossa ETR1000 high speed train which could use the train ferries between the mainland and the island of Sicily. The Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport envisages ordering a fleet of 12 four-car mini ...
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NewsMacron puts high speed projects back on track in ‘decade of the TGV’
FRANCE: In a speech at Paris Gare de Lyon during an event held on September 17 to mark 40 years since the launch of TGV services, President Emmanuel Macron announced the revival of plans to expand the high speed network, describing the 2020s as ‘the decade of the TGV’.
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NewsJR Central targets Shinkansen business travellers with work-oriented offering
JAPAN: Central Japan Railway Company is to revamp its offering for business travellers using Tokaido Shinkansen services, in response to changing travel patterns and working practices driven by the coronavirus pandemic.
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NewsADIF AV calls tenders to complete Almería – Murcia high speed corridor
SPAIN: Following approval by the infrastructure ministry at the end of August, ADIF Alta Velocidad is to call tenders for construction of 31 km of high speed line between Lorca and Pulpí, one of the final stretches of the high speed corridor between Almería and Murcia. The budgeted cost is €197∙5m, and the resulting contract would run for 34 months.
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NewsFirst ILSA ETR1000 high speed train starts trials
SPAIN: Open access operator ILSA announced on September 6 that the first of its 23 ETR1000 high speed trainsets had arrived in Spain from Italy and would commence running trials this week on the 44∙4 km Figueres – Perpignan cross-border route through the Pyrenees. Testing will ...
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NewsPrivate sector executive to head Turkish rail infrastructure manager
TURKEY: The head of a major rail contractor and equipment supplier which is also the country’s first private passenger service operator has been appointed as the head of infrastructure manager TCDD. Abdülkerim Murat Atik was appointed as Chairman & CEO of TCDD on September 3, by ...
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Rail Business UKThree shortlisted for HS2 Interchange station construction contract
UK: HS2 Ltd has shortlisted three bidders for the £370m contract for the detailed design and construction of the High Speed 2 Interchange station to the east of Birmingham. Invitations to tender have been issued to: Laing O’Rourke Construction; Skanska Construction UK; Unity Joint Venture ...
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NewsDelta offers air passengers through travel by Thalys
EUROPE: Delta Air Lines and Thalys have launched an Air+Rail programme enabling air passengers to make a through booking including high speed rail travel from Amsterdam Schiphol airport to Brussels or Antwerpen. ‘This Air+Rail programme with Thalys is just the beginning, as we look to offer ...
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In depthHigh Speed: Sapporo in sight as tunnellers tackle Hokkaido’s hills
Construction of the 212 km second phase of the Hokkaido Shinkansen from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo offers the prospect of a 5 h journey time from Tokyo once the line is completed in 2030-31. Mike Bent investigates.
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Rail Business UKViewpoint: Help needed to restore HS1 as the UK’s ‘green gateway’
Britain’s sole high speed railway and its link to continental Europe, High Speed 1 can lead the transport decarbonisation charge, but it needs support to bounce back from Covid-19 first, argues HS1 Ltd Chief Executive Dyan Crowther.
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In depthHigh Speed: Competition enlivens the European market
Instead of our regular World Speed Survey, we offer a snapshot of high speed rail developments at a time when the world is still grappling with the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Murray Hughes investigates.
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In depthIndia: Building towards a high speed network
With construction of the Mumbai – Ahmedabad high speed line starting to ramp up, National HSR Corp is finalising detailed project plans for another seven corridors, as outgoing Managing Director Achal Khare* explains to Chris Jackson.
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NewsADIF AV lets contract to build first section of Cantabrian high speed line
SPAIN: ADIF Alta Velocidad has awarded Sacyr Construcciones a 36-month contract worth €77∙3m to for civil works on a 20∙8 km section of high speed line between Palencia Norte and Amusco.
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NewsCRRC rolls out completed 600 km/h maglev trainset
CHINA: The first complete five-car maglev trainset designed for 600 km/h operation was formally rolled out by CRRC Qingdao Sifang on July 20. Described by the manufacturer as ‘another important milestone’ in the five-year research and development programme backed by the Chinese government, the ...
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NewsRed snow crabs by high speed train
JAPAN: Red snow crabs and turban shells harvested along the coasts of Akita, Aomori and Iwate Prefectures have been transported to Tokyo by high speed train as part of a campaign to promote domestic tourism in northern Tohoku. East Japan Railway’s Akita Shinkansen Komachi 16 high ...
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News$117bn Northeast Corridor route modernisation plan unveiled
USA: A vision for modernising the 735 km main line linking Washington DC with Boston via Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York was outlined by the Northeast Corridor Commission on July 14.
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NewsTexas Central appoints RENFE as ‘early operator’
USA: Spanish national operator RENFE has signed a contract to act as early operator of the Texas Central high speed line between Dallas and Houston. RENFE was already acting as shadow operator for project promoter Texas Central. Under the early operator agreement, it will provide expertise ...