Following talks in Frankfurt, German Railway Chairman Heinz Dürr and Italian State Railways Managing Director Giancarlo Cimoli have announced plans to upgrade services between the two countries. Improved overnight trains could be joined by Frankfurt - Milano and München - Roma high-speed services before 2000.
ScotRail has installed a touch-screen Traveller’s Information Point (Trip) at Glasgow Central, able to print out selected journey details. Users can choose displays in English, French, German or Italian.
SNCF’sTGV Duplex double-deck trainsets are to be fitted with a semi-enclosed ’Point Accueil’ where passengers can find the head conductor should they require assistance. The prototype is located on the upper deck of the car next to the bar/buffet vehicle.
German Railway has signed an agreement with banking group Reisebank AG for the installation of automated cash machines on four Intercity trainsets, working the Kiel - Hamburg - Stuttgart - Basel corridor. The machines will accept any Eurocheque-approved servicecard, and a range of international credit cards.
Portuguese Railways has cut 60min off the timings of the Irún - Lisboa/Porto Sud Express and domestic trains following electrification of the Pampilhosa - Villar Formoso route as far as Guarda.
Italian State Railways is to run Treno di Sole holiday charter trains from Torino, Milano, Verona, Bologna, Firenze and Roma to resorts in Calabria every Saturday from May 17 to October 11, except in August. The Palinuro Express (PP 11.96 p6) will leave Milano, Piacenza, Bologna and Firenze for Campania every Friday from May 30 to September 20.
Iarnród éireann and Northern Ireland Railways will put their new push-pull inter-city trainsets into revenue service with the timetable change on June 1. Manufactured by De Dietrich (RG 6.96 p321), the four seven-car trains are part of an EU-funded upgrading of the Dublin - Belfast main line.
