All News articles – Page 10
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NewsIP targets Algarve electrification by 2020
PORTUGAL: National infrastructure manager Infraestruturas de Portugal has proposed electrification at 25 kV 50 Hz of the railway along the country’s south coast under the auspices of the Algarve Regional Co-ordination & Development Commission. The €57·9m project would cover electrification of the 45 km between Tunes and Lagos, and the ...
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NewsCambodia reinstates Sisophon – Battambang railway
CAMBODIA: The reopening of a further 69 km of main line railway was celebrated on April 29 when an inaugural train ran from Sisophon to Battambang carrying Transport Minister Sun Chanthol. The reopening of this section of the country’s northern main line between Phnom Penh and the Thai border marks ...
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NewsAmtrak should focus on medium-distance corridors, says Anderson
USA: Amtrak should focus on its medium-distance operations and prioritise investment in a network of corridors across the country of between 200 km and 1 000 km, where the greatest ridership can be achieved, believes its new Chief Executive Richard Anderson. Outlining his vision for the future of the ...
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NewsUK railway news round-up
FirstGroup and joint venture partner Trenitalia have decided to withdraw from the East Midlands franchise competition, in order to focus on bidding for the West Coast Partnership franchise. ‘This is an exciting opportunity to be the first operator of High Speed 2, as well as to run conventional West Coast ...
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NewsEuskotren planning high speed commuter services
SPAIN: Basque regional operator Euskotren is planning to launch high speed commuter trains over the 1 435 mm gauge ‘Basque Y’ high speed network linking San Sebastián, Gasteiz-Vitoría and Bilbao. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Metro & Light Rail Congress in Bilbao on April 19, Euskotren Chief Executive ...
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NewsWorld rail market - March 2018
Europe: Cross Rail, BLS Cargo, Rotterdam Rail Feeding, InRail and Captrain are using Hit Rail‘s Hermes VPN for the exchange of train composition messages in ‘soft compliance’ with Telematics Applications for Freight TSI requirements. Netherlands: Amsterdam transport authority GVB has awarded Indra a contract to supply 130 ticket vending ...
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NewsHopes rise on Gateway tunnel funding despite Trump opposition
USA: Hopes of progress in the Gateway Programme to build new tunnels between New York and New Jersey were raised on March 22 when $650m of federal funding was directed to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. The Gateway Programme covers a series of enhancements worth approximately $30bn to the busiest section ...
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NewsFrench government to order 100 ‘TGVs of the future’
FRANCE: Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has said that the government is to place a firm order with Alstom ‘by the end of June’ for 100 TGV trainsets. He was addressing a press conference on March 22 to update progress on the merger of Siemens Mobility and Alstom. These would ...
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NewsNS studies Lelystad depot plan
NETHERLANDS: National passenger operator NS is studying the feasibility of constructing a new workshop in Lelystad, where there is currently a servicing point and train washing plant. The new workshop employing around 200 people would supplement the existing maintenance workshops at Maastricht, Leidschendam, Amsterdam Watergraafsmeer and Onnen near Groningen. ...
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NewsTransdev receives safety approval for French passenger market
FRANCE: Transdev announced on March 12 that its train operating subsidiary CFTA had received a certificate of railway safety. This is a prerequisite for Transdev to enter the main line passenger market as a competitor to national railway SNCF. CFTA already operates two rural passenger services in Bretagne, through a ...
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NewsGovernment spares rural railways but backs Spinetta reforms
FRANCE: In announcing on February 26 his response to the Spinetta review of the state of France’s national railway, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe rejected a proposal to close up to 9 000 route-km of secondary railway. Former Air France-KLM Chief Executive Jean-Cyril Spinetta had issued his wide-ranging report into the ...
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NewsDB Rail Academy starts Brazilian training programme
BRAZIL: Working with local sector organisations, DB Engineering & Consulting has launched the country’s first internationally certified training programme for rail and logistics managers. Under the DB Rail Academy programme, an initial tranche of 35 managers from rail freight and passenger operators began an 18-month course in Brasilia on February ...
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NewsUK railway research network established
UK: A parliamentary reception on February 20 marked the formal launch of the UK Rail Research & Innovation Network, bringing together railway industry bodies and eight universities. Through a £92m funding package, these partners are to work together to establish four ‘world class’ centres of excellence focused on rolling stock, ...
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NewsSpinetta report urges SNCF to prepare for competition
FRANCE: The national railway must refocus on ‘the areas where it has greatest relevance’: transporting large numbers of passengers within urban areas, and providing high speed connectivity between France’s principal cities. This mission statement is at the heart of a landmark report handed to Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on February ...
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NewsTrump budget plans to halve federal subsidy to Amtrak
USA: The formal 2019 financial year budget issued by President Donald Trump on February 12 includes plans to cut federal subsidy to Amtrak by almost half. The proposed budget, which would take effect from October 1, would see federal support payments for Amtrak reduced from $1·5bn to $738m. The savings ...
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NewsFlytoget’s first CAF Oaris trainset nears completion
NORWAY: Dynamic testing with the first of eight four-car Oaris trainsets that CAF is building for Norwegian operator Flytoget is due to begin in April. One set will travel to Velim in the Czech Republic for trials before the trains enter service on Flytoget’s Airport Express service between Gardermoen Airport ...
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NewsONCF orders 30 Alstom electric locomotives
MOROCCO: Alstom is to supply 30 electric locomotives to ONCF for €130m. Announcing the contract on February 8, the national railway said this was the first order to be placed under a planned wider rolling stock acquisition programme which would include locomotives, multiple-units and wagons. The 3 kV DC Prima ...
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NewsCapacity enhancement at hubs is spending priority, says infrastructure council
FRANCE: Enhancing capacity at key rail hubs is one of several priority measures outlined by the Conseil d’Orientation des Infrastructures on February 1. The council was established in September 2017 by Transport Secretary Elisabeth Borne, and its work builds on the conclusions of the Mobilité 21 commission issued in 2014. ...
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NewsUK railway news round-up
On January 30 the House of Commons voted 295 to 12 to approve the Second Reading of the High Speed Rail (West Midlands – Crewe) Bill, giving approval in principle to Phase 2A of the High Speed 2 project that would see the railway extended by 58 km from Fradley ...
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NewsFeature articles in the February 2018 issue of Railway Gazette International
Feature articles in the latest issue of Railway Gazette International, the leading business journal for railway operators and suppliers, read in 140 countries. Subscribe to Railway Gazette International today. Comment Reaping the benefits of C-DAS News Main Line Urban Rail Market Industry Innovations Pointers Analysis ...