Passenger rail news – Page 11
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In depthTechnology: SBB extends automated passenger counting
Thanks to data available from automated passenger counting equipment, Swiss Federal Railways is improving occupancy and passenger distribution forecasts, writes Toma Bačić.
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Rail Business UKBattery trains could take Merseyrail to places it couldn’t previously reach
UK: Speaking to Rail Business UK at the opening of Headbolt Lane station in Kirkby, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram expressed enthusiasm for extending Merseyrail services to more destinations by using battery power to avoid the need for electrification. Merseyrail trains reach Headbolt Lane using ...
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News‘Botox’ programme to extend the life of SNCF’s TGV fleet
FRANCE: National operator SNCF has launched what it calls ‘Project Botox’ to extend the life of its oldest TGV trainsets by up to 10 years. This aims to help the operator meet passenger demand; its fleet of 363 high speed trainsets carried 24 million passengers this ...
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NewsMacron proposes German-style national rail pass
FRANCE: The French government is examining proposals for a national rail pass modelled on the Deutschland-Ticket introduced in Germany in May this year. The German pass gives one month’s unlimited travel on local and regional trains for a flat fare of €49, and the French government ...
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NewsMSC takes 50% stake in open access high speed train operator Italo-NTV
ITALY: Global Infrastructure Partners has entered into a binding agreement to sell an approximately 50% stake in open access high speed train operator Italo-Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori to Mediterranean Shipping Co. The other approximately 50% stake will continue to be owned by New York based investor GIP, ...
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NewsRetro-styled open-sided coaches developed for tourist trains
RUSSIA: Vagonremmash has developed a range of retro-styled open-sided coaches for use on tourist and cruise trains. They have a capacity of 80 passengers, with heated benches, power sockets and bicycle spaces. Over summer the coaches were used on the steam-hauled Ruskeala ...
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NewsWhoosh opens as the fastest railway in southeast Asia
INDONESIA: The 142·3 km Jakarta – Bandung high speed line, now branded as Whoosh, was officially inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on October 2. This follows the launch of a limited free trial service during September, which the President said would continue until the start of revenue ...
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NewsNightjet unveiled as the ‘flagship of European night train traffic‘
AUSTRIA: Austrian Federal Railways has unveiled the first of its next generation of Nightjet fixed-formation loco-hauled trainsets for overnight trains, calling it ‘the new flagship of the European night train traffic’. The unveiling took place in the former Wien Nordwest station on September 30 as part ...
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In depthCanada: PPP model underpins High Frequency Rail aspirations
Canada’s High Frequency Rail programme is now at the procurement stage as the government seeks a PPP partner to deliver mostly dedicated tracks for inter-city passenger trains in the 1 000 km corridor between Toronto and Québec City by the mid-2030s. Nick Kingsley reports.
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NewsGyumri – Vanadzor passenger service restarts after 13 years
ARMENIA: South Caucasus Railway has restarted local passenger services between Gyumri, Shirakamut and Vanadzor with the launch of a trial daily train each way. The Russian Railways subsidiary operates the Armenian network under a long-term concession agreement. The 65 km route forms ...
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NewsEFE extends Chillán – San Carlos service to Parral
CHILE: National railway EFE has extended its Chillán – San Carlos regional passenger service north to Parral, using part of the electrified main line that connects Chillán with Santiago. EFE launched the Chillán – San Carlos trains at the end of last year, and the four ...
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NewsTesla shuttle train launches
GERMANY: A free shuttle train has been launched to serve Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg site to the east of the capital. Giga Berlin now has its own train shuttle, capable of moving 400 people per ride 🚆 pic.twitter.com/gmvy80GFFn — Tesla Europe (@teslaeurope) September 4, 2023 ...
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NewsFirst ComfortJet on test
CZECH REPUBLIC: The first of the ComfortJet rakes of push-pull coaches which ČD has ordered from a consortium of Siemens Mobility and Škoda Group arrived at the Velim test centre on September 11 for an extensive testing and approval programme. In April 2021 the national operator ...
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NewsGrand Est invests in secondary routes
FRANCE: Rural railways and branch lines in the Grand Est région are to receive a funding injection worth more than €52m to ensure continuity of service over the next few years. The funds are destined for 14 routes where little or no maintenance has been carried out ...
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Metro Report InternationalTesting begins on Seoul GTX Line A
SOUTH KOREA: Test running has started on a 28 km section of Line A on the Great Train Express commuter rail network in Seoul. The first test run starting at Suseo station on September 21 was attended by Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure & ...
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Rail Business UKNorthern to trial British Sign Language announcements
UK: Train operator Northern is looking for charities, organisations or specialists who could help it to provide British Sign Language interpretation of its onboard announcements. A trial is planned on services between Manchester Victoria and Leeds by the end of the year. ‘We know that rail ...
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NewsBrightline opens West Palm Beach to Orlando extension
USA: Private sector inter-city train operator Brightline has extended its Miami – West Palm Beach service 270 km north to Orlando. The first service arrived at the station in Orlando airport on September 22, where it was met by more than 500 elected officials, business leaders ...
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NewsIndonesian high speed line to be branded Whoosh
INDONESIA: The Jakarta - Bandung high speed railway is to be branded as ‘Whoosh’. Announcing the brand on September 21, the Ministry of Transportation explained that Whoosh comes from the sound of fast trains, and means Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Handal (‘Time saving, optimal operation, ...
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NewsFerrotramviaria unveils Pop EMUs
ITALY: Bari to Barletta local train operator Ferrotramviaria has unveiled the first of 11 Pop electric multiple-units being supplied by Alstom. Ferrotramviaria has now taken delivery of five of the units, with the remaining six to be delivered a rate of two per year in 2024-26. ...
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NewsNewag and PKP Intercity unveil 200 km/h Griffin locomotive
POLAND: Newag unveiled the first 200 km/h version of its Griffin multi-system electric locomotive at the 15th Trako International Railway Fair in Gdańsk on September 20. National long-distance operator PKP Intercity placed a 258·6m złoty order for 10 Griffin E4MSP locomotives capable of 200 km/h operation ...