High speed rail industry news – Page 2
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NewsEU wants to see Madrid – Lisboa high speed rail link completed by 2034
EUROPE: The European Commission has announced a timeline for the completion of a high speed mixed-traffic railway linking Madrid and Lisboa.
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NewsGemini Trains still hopes to exploit Channel Tunnel capacity
EUROPE: Gemini Trains still has ambitions to launch train services between the UK and continental Europe, despite the rejection of its application for depot access rights needed to enable it to launch services from London to Paris, Brussels and eventually Köln.
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NewsBranson promises ‘Virgin magic’ to shake-up cross-Channel train services ‘for good’
EUROPE: Virgin Group has set out more details of its planned Channel Tunnel high speed train services and its funding partners, with founder Sir Richard Branson saying ’it’s time to end this 30-year monopoly and bring some Virgin magic to the cross-Channel route’.
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Rail Business UKVirgin Trains granted depot access paving the way for launch of Channel Tunnel high speed services
UK: The rail regulator has approved Virgin Trains’ application for depot access which it needs under its plans to launch high speed passenger train services from London through the Channel Tunnel to Paris and Brussels from 2030.
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NewsEurostar orders Celestia double-deck high speed trains
EUROPE: Eurostar has announced a €1·4bn order for 30 Alstom Avelia Horizon double-deck high speed trainsets, with options for 20 more.
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NewsHigh speed line concessionaire appoints Mott MacDonald as asset management and climate adaptation partner
UK: London to the Channel Tunnel high speed line concessionaire London St Pancras Highspeed has appointed Mott MacDonald as sole strategic partner under a three-year Sustainable Asset Management Framework.
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NewsLow floors meet high speeds as DB unveils ICE L fleet
GERMANY: DB and manufacturer Talgo has unveiled an ICE L inter-city trainset at Berlin Ostbahnhof, saying the fleet would set standards for accessibility and family friendliness.
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NewsDB to expand half-hourly network with December 2025 timetable change
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn’s December timetable change will bring a near-doubling of destinations served by half-hourly ICE services.
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NewsFrecciarossa 1000 high speed train launched as FS Group ramps up its internationalisation strategy
ITALY: National railway FS Group emphasised its ambitions for international expansion, including the launch of Paris – London services, in a panel discussion at the Expo Ferroviaria trade fair.
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NewsGemini selects high speed train supplier for planned Uber-branded Eurostar competitor
EUROPE: Aspiring Channel Tunnel high speed train operator Gemini Trains has selected Siemens Mobility Velaro Novo trainsets for its proposed services from London to Paris, Brussels and Köln.
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NewsCalifornia secures $1bn annual funding for high speed programme
USA: California governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation securing $1bn of annual funding until 2045 for the state’s high speed rail project, resolving funding gaps for the Central Valley section of the route.
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NewsQiddiya High Speed Rail Project to be developed through PPP contract
SAUDI ARABIA: The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has invited expressions of interest in bidding for a public-private partnership contract to build the Qiddiya High Speed Rail Project.
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NewsIndian high speed line track contract awarded
INDIA: National High Speed Rail Corp Ltd has awarded Larsen & Toubro’s Transportation Infrastructure business a contract to supply and install ballastless track for the Mumbai – Ahmedabad high speed line.
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NewsCanada aims to start Alto high speed rail construction in four years
CANADA: The Alto high speed rail project is to benefit from a Major Projects Office which the government has established to identify projects that are in the national interest and streamline their assessment and approval to accelerate development.
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NewsCalifornia hurries to progress embattled high speed rail programme
USA: The California High Speed Rail Authority has presented three scenarios for completing its high speed rail network, while initiating procurement for track materials on the Central Valley section.
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NewsKRRI develops a high speed train bogie 30% lighter and with lower air resistance
KRRI is developing a lightweight bogie concept aimed at increasing the operating speed of high speed trains, reducing the bogie weight by 30% and improving air resistance to cut energy consumption.
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NewsIndia’s prototype high speed trains to be equipped with Knorr-Bremse subsystems
INDIA: Knorr-Bremse ais to supply braking, door, air-conditioning and sanitary systems for the two prototype 1 435 mm gauge trainsets being developed by BEML to operate at up to 280 km/h on the future Mumbai – Ahmedabad high speed line.
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NewsRENFE to replace Madrid – Barcelona Avlo service with more AVEs
SPAIN: RENFE has announced that its Avlo-branded low-cost services between Madrid and Barcelona are to be withdrawn indefinitely from September 8, as result of high speed trainsets experiencing rough riding on the route.
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NewsMaximum speed of fastest Czech trains raised to 200 km/h
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD has raised the maximum speed of its fastest passenger trains from 160 km/h to 200 km/h with effect from August 31.
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Book reviewQuest for Speed – A History of Trains from Rocket to Bullet and Beyond
BOOK REVIEW: This 256 page book by Derek Hayes provides a wide-ranging review of the advances in speed across the rail mode from the earliest rail-mounted vehicles to the present day.