Passenger rail news
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NewsFurther upgrading of Portuguese narrow-gauge line approved
Photos: André Pires PORTUGAL: The national government has given road and rail infrastructure manager Infraestruturas de Portugal final approval for the €4·9m project to begin rehabilitation work on the 30 km Oliveira de Azeméis – Sernada do Vouga section of the metre-gauge Vouga line. The ...
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NewsCross-border passenger services resume after eight years
EUROPE: Passenger services have restarted on the 45 km line linking Subotica in Serbia with Szeged in Hungary after an eight-year hiatus. An inauguration ceremony was held at Palić station in Serbia on November 28 and was attended by Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport & Infrastructure ...
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NewsMexican government seeks to revive passenger services on seven routes
MEXICO: On November 20 the national government published legislation to introduce passenger rail services on seven corridors totalling 8 000 km.
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NewsFirst Omneo Premium EMU to work Marseille – Nice service unveiled
Photo: Alstom / Samuel Dhote FRANCE: Alstom, Transdev and Région Sud have unveiled the first Omneo Premium electric multiple-unit to operate Marseille – Toulon – Nice services in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur area. Unveiled at Alstom’s Crespin plant on November 23, the first unit is expected to visit ...
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News‘New York metro’ concept in updated Northeast Corridor modernisation plan
USA: Amtrak and its local and federal partners are proposing a major uplift in commuter and inter-city services between New York and New Jersey to create a ‘metro-style’ service offering at peak hours, subject to capacity enahncements in the Northeast Corridor being fully funded.
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Rail Business UKFour options under consideration for Wisbech rail service
UK: There is a ‘strong strategic case’ for reinstating passenger services to Wisbech, but the ‘art of the possible’ will be key, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority has said following a meeting with Network Rail to discuss an ongoing study of options. The Combined ...
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In depthEastern Europe: Rebuilding Serbia’s cross-border links
The Subotica – Szeged line across the Serbian-Hungarian border was due to reopen for passenger traffic in October following suspension of services for upgrading. Attention is now focused on rebuilding the Serbian part of the Beograd – Budapest main line, writes Toma Bačić.
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NewsRail-replacement helicopter service takes off
SWITZERLAND: A rail-replacement helicopter service is being offered while a funicular serving a mountain village is closed for maintenance.
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NewsStart-up announces Amsterdam to London and Paris high speed train ambitions
Source: Nikolay/Pixabay EUROPE: A proposal to launch high speed train services from Amsterdam to London and from Groningen to Paris has been announced by Dutch start-up Heuro, while Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson is also reported to be looking at competing with Eurostar on cross-Channel routes. ...
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NewsCentre-Val-de-Loire fleet modernisation supports increase in train services
FRANCE: The Centre-Val-de-Loire région has funded a €145m firm order for a further seven Alstom Omneo Premium double-deck electric multiple-units.
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NewsFreiberg – Holzhau operating contract awarded
GERMANY: Mittelsachsen transport authority VMS has awarded incumbent Freiberger Eisenbahn a new contact to continue to operate passenger services RB82 from Freiberg to Holzhau. The contract with Transdev subsidiary FEG runs from June 2024 to December 2036 and will include efforts to increase tourist traffic ...
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NewsBicycle and ski van added to Bulgarian narrow gauge trains
BULGARIA: National railway BDZ now offers bicycle and ski vans on the 760 mm line between Septemvri and Dobrinishte. Two vans are available on weekends from November 4. They have been converted from parcels vans, and are fitted with racks for bicycles ...
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NewsVilnius – Riga passenger train to launch in December
EUROPE: Lithuanian passenger operator LTG Link expects to launch a through service from Vilnius to Riga in Latvia in December, filling a gap in the European passenger rail network. A track access agreement has been signed with the Latvian infrastructure manager, Latvian speaking drivers have been ...
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Rail Business UKProcess of appointing next Elizabeth Line operator gets underway
UK: Transport for London has begun the process of appointing a contractor to operate Elizabeth Line services after the current concession held by MTR Corp expires on May 25 2025. The next contract is expected to be for an initial period of seven years, with an ...
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Rail Business UKLNER orders CAF tri-mode inter-city trains
UK: London North Eastern Railway has awarded CAF a contract to supply a fleet of 10 tri-mode 200 km/h inter-city trainsets for use on East Coast Main Line passenger services. The trainsets will be financed and owned by leasing company Porterbrook. CAF said the order announced ...
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NewsČD orders 30 more RegioFox DMUs
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator České Dráhy exercised an option on November 7 for Pesa Bydgoszcz to supply 30 more two-car RegioFox diesel multiple-units at a cost of KC3bn. In February 2021 ČD and Pesa signed a KC14·5bn framework agreement for the supply of up to 160 ...
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NewsALSA and Eco Rail explore high speed rail possibilities
SPAIN: Bus operator ALSA is exploring opportunities to operate high speed passenger services in partnership with Andalucían company Eco Rail, one of the companies that missed out on ADIF’s first round of train path allocations in 2019. The two companies have spent the past three years ...
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NewsAir + High-Speed Rail project launched
INTERNATIONAL: An Air + HSR research project has been launched to analyse and improve the co-ordination of air and rail transport in Europe, the USA and China. The project aims to develop practical approaches improve services, enhance infrastructure and implement regulatory changes in order to maximise ...
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NewsAmtrak introduces revised fare structure
USA: National passenger operator Amtrak has introduced a simplified fare structure which President Roger Harris said would offer passengers ‘more affordable and flexible’ travel options. The operator has reduced the number of basic fare types from three to two, with the aim of providing a more ...
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NewsGotthard Base Tunnel repairs could take until September 2024
Source: SBB SWITZERLAND: The 57 km Gotthard Base Tunnel may not fully reopen until September 2024, 13 months after a derailed freight train badly damaged the track in the western bore. In an update on November 2 Swiss Federal Railways said the damage to the world’s ...