High speed rail industry news – Page 8
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NewsDB 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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NewsEgis 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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NewsCalifornia 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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NewsFrench 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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NewsEMU-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 depthViewpoint: 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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NewsKevin 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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NewsMore 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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NewsThree-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 UKRegulator 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 depthGermany: 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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NewsGlobalvia 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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NewsEurostar 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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NewsIsolated 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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NewsChangsha – 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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NewsFirst 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 ...
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NewsConstruction of Ankara – Izmir high speed line restarts
TURKEY: Construction has restarted on the 503 km high speed line which will reduce the rail distance between Ankara and Izmir from 824 km to 624 km, operating at a maximum speed of 250 km/h and reducing the end-to-end journey time from 14 h to 3½ ...
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NewsEurostar confirms end of Disneyland service
EUROPE: Eurostar has confirmed that it will not be running the direct service between London and Marne-la-Vallée, the station for Disneyland Paris, from June 5 2023. The operator said ’whilst we continue to recover financially from the pandemic, and monitor developments in the proposed EU Entry/Exit ...
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NewsVietnam revives high speed line vision
VIETNAM: The Ministry of Transport expects to submit proposals to the government in September for the construction of a 1 545 km high speed line between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Announcing the project on August 14, the ministry told local media that the first stage ...
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Rail Business UKNo Eurostar services to Ashford or Ebbsfleet in 2023
UK: Eurostar services will not stop at Ebbsfleet or Ashford International stations during 2023, and the cross-Channel high speed train operator told Rail Business UK ‘we cannot make any commitment for another two to three years’.