Passenger rail news – Page 106
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NewsLying not flying, as Nightjet sleeper train reaches Brussels
EUROPE: Under the slogan ‘lying not flying’, Austrian Federal Railways launched its twice-weekly Wien – Brussels Nightjet overnight train on January 19. The ceremony at Wien Hbf was attended by Austria’s Minister of Climate Protection, Environment, Mobility, Innovation & Technology Leonore Gewessler as well as members of ...
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NewsMetrolink marks $32m modernisation of Van Nuys station
USA: California commuter operator Metrolink has held a ceremony to mark the $32m rebuilding of Van Nuys station in Los Angeles under a two-year project which is nearing completion. The station is on Metrolink’s Ventura Line, a Union Pacific route which is also served by Amtrak passenger ...
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NewsFarandou reshapes SNCF leadership team
FRANCE: A new management structure for the ‘unified’ SNCF group was unveiled by President & CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou on January 16, following the first board meeting of the national railway group since the 2018 reforms came into effect on January 1.
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NewsMalmö – Köln suggested as first route for a network of night trains
EUROPE: Swedish transport agency Trafikverket has suggested that Malmö – Köln could be the first route to be launched as part of a proposed network of overnight trains connecting Sweden with other European countries, and that a start data as early as 2022-23 could be possible. ...
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Rail Business UKGreater Anglia’s first Class 720 commuter EMU delivered for testing
UK: The first of the Class 720 Aventra electric multiple-units which Bombardier Transportation’s Derby factory is supplying for Greater Anglia’s London commuter services has been delivered to Ilford depot ahead of testing. Entry into passenger service is planned for spring this year, with the entire fleet expected ...
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NewsBarcelona – Valencia trains accelerated as Vandellòs cut-off opens
SPAIN: Commercial services began using a 46·5 km cut-off between Camp de Tarragona and Vandellòs on January 13, when ADIF completed a further section of upgrading on the Barcelona – Valencia Mediterranean Corridor.
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NewsCzech region orders its own EMU fleet
CZECH REPUBLIC: Jihomoravský has become the first regional authority to order its own rolling stock, placing a contract for Škoda Transportation to supply 37 RegioPanter low-floor 160 km/h electric multiple-units between spring 2021 and the end of 2022. Škoda Transportation was the only bidder to remain in ...
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News‘The wow effect is coming’ as German government signs €86bn rail programme
GERMANY: The €86bn LuFV III railway operating and financing agreement running to 2030 was signed by Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer, Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz and Board Member for Infrastructure Ronald Pofalla on January 14, at a ceremony attended by Federal Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz.
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NewsNarrow gauge operator orders EMUs
SWITZERLAND: Chemin de Fer Nyon-Saint-Cergue-Morez has awarded Stadler a contract to supply six two-car electric multiple-units. Deliveries are scheduled between late 2021 and early 2022. The 1·5 kV DC EMUs will be similar to four Abe4/8 units which Stadler supplied to the 27 km long metre-gauge line ...
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Rail Business UKNorthern franchise is no longer viable, says Shapps
UK: The current Northern rail franchise is no longer financially viable and will have to be replaced by some form of management contract, Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps confirmed in a written statement to the House of Commons on January 9.
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Rail Business UKGreater Anglia’s first Stadler inter-city trainset enters service
UK: The first of the Class 745/0 Flirt inter-city trainsets which Stadler is supplying for Greater Anglia’s Norwich – London Liverpool Street main line route entered service on January 8. All 10 are expected to be in traffic by mid-April. The 12-car 25 kV 50 Hz ...
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NewsHigh speed rail wins market share
ITALY: Evidence that high speed rail competes effectively against air was presented to Terrapinn’s World Rail Festival in Amsterdam by Serafino Lo Piano, Head of Sales, Long-Distance Rail, at Trenitalia. Since the launch of the Frecciarossa brand 10 years ago, he said, rail’s share of the market ...
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Rail Business UKAvanti West Coast Pendolino refurbishment and maintenance contract awarded
UK: Operator Avanti West Coast and leasing company Angel Trains have awarded Alstom a £642m, seven-year contract to overhaul and maintain the 56 Class 390 Pendolino tilting trainsets which entered service on the West Coast Main Line from 2003. Alstom said the £127m refurbishment element of the ...
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Metro Report InternationalOpen standards launched to provide transport account interoperability
UK: The Open Transport Initiative has launched Open Transport API specifications designed to support the development of Mobility-as-a-Service initiatives by enabling customers to access data held in separate accounts with multiple transport operators and agencies. The standards, which were formally launched on January 3, have been developed ...
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NewsMade in Ukraine DMU enters service on Kyiv airport route
UKRAINE: The first DPKr-3 diesel multiple-unit built by KVSZ has entered passenger service on the route linking Kyiv’s main station with Boryspil International Airport. This follows testing undertaken between Ternopil, Kyiv and Kremenchug to obtain type approval for the domestically-developed trainset. The ...
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NewsJoint venture awarded Chinese high speed train contract
CHINA: The Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation joint venture has been awarded a 2·97bn yuan contract to supply China State Railway Group with a further 10 16-car CR400AF 350 km/h trainsets by mid-2020. The contract announced on January 1 is the third order for the CR400AF to be ...
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Metro Report InternationalPayPal travel payment now available in the Rhein-Main region
GERMANY: Public transport users in Rhein-Main transport authority RMV’s ticketing region can now pay for travel using PayPal, which has been integrated into the RMV app and back office system supplied by Cubic Transportation Systems. Weekly and monthly passes can also now be purchased through a smartphone. ...
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NewsBeijing – Zhangjiakou PDL inaugurated with national timetable change
CHINA: The 174 km Passenger-Dedicated Line running northwest from Beijing to Zhangjiakou was opened for revenue service on December 30, along with the 53 km branch from Xiahuayuan Bei to Taizicheng which has been built to serve the Chongli Olympic Village and venues for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
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Metro Report InternationalFree Lyft rides from train to plane at Ontario International Airport
USA: As part of a programme to increase public transport’s share of surface access to Ontario International Airport near Los Angeles, passengers can now claim free travel with app-based taxi service Lyft between the airport and four Metrolink commuter rail stations. The $396 000 pilot programme is ...
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NewsPutin inaugurates Kerch Strait rail link
EUROPE: The 18·1 km railway bridge across the Kerch Strait connecting Russia and Crimea was formally inaugurated by President Vladimir Putin on December 23.