Main line rail industry news – Page 247
-
NewsSeikan tunnel Shinkansen speed-up saves 3 min
JAPAN: Selected Shinkansen services through the twin-track 53∙9 km Seikan Tunnel between Honshu and Hokkaido will be permitted to run at 210 km/h during the May 3-6 ‘Golden Week’ holiday period, saving 3 min on the trip between Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto.
-
NewsMalaysia reimburses Singapore for cancelled high speed rail project
ASIA: The government of Malaysia has paid S$102·8m to reimburse the government of Singapore for costs it incurred in developing plans for a 350 km high speed railway between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia decided last year not to go ahead with the project, explaining it ...
-
NewsVirginia finalises 10-year passenger rail investment programme
USA: Plans to deliver a significant expansion of passenger rail services in the Commonwealth of Virginia took a step forward on March 30 with confirmation that agreement had been reached between the state government, CSX Corp, Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express.
-
NewsRENFE sees Covid-19 recovery
SPAIN: Passenger traffic on the national rail network has recovered to around 50% of pre-pandemic levels, RENFE Present Isaías Táboas has reported, adding that RENFE is anticipating that the figure would reach 70% by the end of 2021. Citing operations in Andalucía as an example, on ...
-
NewsBentheimer Eisenbahn awarded 15-year contract to operate revived passenger service
GERMANY: Following a European tender, Niedersachsen transport authority LNVG has awarded incumbent and sole bidder Bentheimer Eisenbahn a contract to contiune operating the RB56 Regiopa Express service on the Bad Bentheim – Nordhorn – Neuenhaus route for 15 years from December 12 2021. ‘We are very ...
-
NewsWatco to acquire Algoma Central and upper Midwest lines from CN
NORTH AMERICA: Canadian National has agreed terms for the sale of around 1 400 km of secondary routes in Canada and the USA to short line and regional group Watco Companies Inc.
-
NewsMRS Logística promotes early concession renewal
BRAZIL: MRS Logística has unveiled the first of three locomotives being liveried to promote the early renewal of its concession. The SD70-ACe supplied by Progress Rail Brasil carries a new livery designed by Cecilia Guiomar dos Santos which was chosen by staff in a poll during 2020. ...
-
NewsInternational rail travel revival endorsed by European stakeholders
EUROPE: Stakeholders from across the rail sector have endorsed political proposals for the revitalisation and expansion of international passenger services, and committed to assist with future development to make rail ‘the preferred mode’ for international travel.
-
NewsSpanish fruit and vegetables reach Denmark by rail
EUROPE: Transfesa Logistics and Euro Pool System have expanded the CoolRail network of refrigerated services to Denmark, with the first trial delivery of a container of fresh fruit and vegetables. This travelled from Almussafes near Valencia in Spain to Denmark via Köln, with a transit time ...
-
NewsYear of Rail must focus on modal shift
EUROPE: ‘We need to have a medium and long-term vision for rail’, emphasised Portugal’s Minister for Infrastructure & Housing Pedro Nuno Santos on March 29, officially launching the European Union Year of Rail with a virtual conference hosted from Lisboa.
-
NewsGrowth is essential, says wagon leasing company
GERMANY: Wascosa has handed over 45 Eamnos open wagons to Havelländische Eisenbahn, which will use them primarily for transporting building materials The wagons were manufactured by Greenbrier in Poland. ‘As the fourth largest lessor of freight wagons, Wascosa will continue its vigorous ...
-
NewsŠkoda Transportation owner Petr Kellner dies in helicopter accident
CZECH REPUBLIC: Petr Kellner, the 99% owner of investment company PPF which has stakes in companies including Škoda Transportation, was amongst five people killed in a helicopter crash in Alaska on March 27. Kellner was reported to be the richest person in the Czech Republic, owning ...
-
NewsNSAR to support Malaysian skills development
MALAYSIA: National railway operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with the UK’s National Skills Academy for Rail in order to support workforce training activities through the National Rail Centre of Excellence.
-
NewsItalian support packages approved
ITALY: Two packages of Italian government support provided to the rail sector during the coronavirus crisis have been approved by the European Commission under EU state aid rules. One was a €270m measure to reduce track access costs for freight and commercial passenger operators between March ...
-
NewsFamily trust to provide continuity at Knorr-Bremse and Vossloh
GERMANY: The stakes in Knorr-Bremse and Vossloh which were held by the late Heinz Hermann Thiele are to be transferred to a family trust under the terms of his will. ‘Thiele’s wish was to secure his life’s work for the future’, said his executor and long-time ...
-
NewsWabtec acquires Nordco
USA: Wabtec Corp has signed a definitive agreement to acquire North American track maintenance and inspection equipment and wagon mover supplier Nordco. The business will be acquired from Greenbriar Equity Group for $400m in cash, to be financed through cash on hand and a revolving credit ...
-
-
NewsBack-up batteries for Serbian signalling
SERBIA: Colas Rail has awarded Saft and local distributor Goltech a contract to provide almost 800 batteries to provide backup power for trackside signalling, safety and communication equipment along a 58 km section of Corridor X. Colas Rail is modernising the route in partnership with local ...
-
NewsBrenner southern access contract awarded
ITALY: Infrastructure manager RFI has selected a 51:49 consortium of Webuild and Implenia as low bidder for a €1·07bn contract to design and build the southern access route to the Brenner Base Tunnel. Running mostly underground, the 22·5 km double-track alignment will diverge from the existing ...
-
NewsCatania airport station opens
ITALY: RFI inaugurated a new station to serve Fontanarossa airport in Catania on March 13, built as part of its ongoing programme to modernise the main line between Messina and Palermo in Sicily.