Passenger rail news – Page 12
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NewsChilean suburban rail project supervision contract awarded
CHILE: National railway EFE has awarded an €18·6m project oversight package as part of the Santiago – Melipilla railway project.
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NewsEurostar plans direct trains from London to Frankfurt and Genève
EUROPE: Eurostar has announced plans to offer direct London – Frankfurt, London – Genève and Amsterdam – Brussels – Genève services once new trains are delivered in the early 2030s.
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Rail Business UKViewpoint: ‘Low-cost, high-impact fix’ could provide £500m rail revenue boost
Adopting a smarter, more open and consumer-first approach to data access could unlock an extra £500m in revenue for the rail industry, argues Raileasy CEO George Sikking.
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Rail Business UKRail-5G faster onboard wi-fi goes live
UK: South Western Railway passengers can now use Rail-5G wi-fi to obtain high speed internet connectivity on trains travelling between London and Basingstoke.
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup applies to run Hereford – London open access service
UK: FirstGroup has submitted the first phase of an application to launch an open access passenger service between Hereford, Bristol Parkway and London under its Lumo brand.
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In depthComment: Rail’s ‘green advantage’ is at risk
Amid signs of a political shift from climate mitigation to climate adaptation, the rail industry’s long-standing focus on its green credentials may be losing its effectiveness. Our Industry Editor Benjámin Zelki argues that it is time for rail to reassert its wider societal advantages.
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In depthCanada: VIA Rail issues rallying call as CN dispute drags on
Amid a fraught relationship with its principal host railroad Canadian National, passenger operator VIA Rail is looking for help from the government, regulators and its suppliers as it seeks to improve reliability and enhance its offering. Nick Kingsley reports from Toronto.
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Rail Business UKRegulator says reform of rail fare enforcement is urgently needed
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has called for urgent reforms to make the handling of train ticketing irregularities more consistent, fairer and effective.
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Rail Business UKTrain lease agreed as FirstGroup prepares to launch Stirling open access service
UK: FirstGroup has secured the rolling stock it needs to launch Lumo-branded open access passenger services between London Euston and Stirling in mid-2026.
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NewsXi’an to Almaty tourist train launched
ASIA: A tourist train has been launched between Xi’an in China and Almaty in Kazakhstan.
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NewsTransdev prepares to launch Marseille – Nice services
FRANCE: Transdev has unveiled the first of 16 Alstom Omneo Premium electric multiple-units it has ordered for use on Marseille – Nice services which it will operate from June 29 under a contract awarded by the Sud-Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur région.
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NewsFlix orders Talgo 230 trains to support European expansion ambitions
GERMANY: Rail and coach group Flix has ordered up to 65 Talgo 230 push-pull trainsets.
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News‘More and better trains’ to be provided under first Bourgogne-Franche-Comté operating contract
FRANCE: National operator SNCF Voyageurs has been awarded the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté région’s first tendered contract to operate regional passenger train services. The région began developing a strategy for tendering the Mobigo branded regional services in 2021. The first package covers Bourgogne Ouest Nivernais services, including Dijon – ...
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Rail Business UKFirst operator transfers to public sector under UK rail nationalisation programme
UK: South Western Railway becomes the first contracted passenger train operator to pass to the public sector under the government’s nationalisation programme in the early hours of May 26.
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NewsArriva awarded Plzeň train operating contract
CZECH REPUBLIC: Arriva Vlaky has been chosen to operate Plzeň - Domažlice regional passenger service P3.
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In depthUSA: Private sector can lead a passenger revival
Californian start-up Dreamstar Lines is seeking to launch a network of privately funded night trains across the USA. Co-founder & CEO Joshua Dominic issues a rallying call for private investment to fill the gaps in transport provision across North America.
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Rail Business UKElectrification, local branding and through trains in ambitious Network North Wales vision
UK: The Welsh goverment has announced a multi-year vision to create a Network North Wales integrated public transport system with frequent rail services at its heart. This would include ‘metro style’ train services and a through service between Wrexham and Liverpool.
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NewsItaly – Germany high speed train service to launch in December 2026
EUROPE: An agreement for the operation of direct Frecciarossa high speed train services linking Italy and Germany via Austria has been signed by national operators Trenitalia, DB and ÖBB.
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NewsTAZARA allocated funding as concession agreement awaited
TANZANIA: Minister of Transport Makame Mbarawa has announced a total allocation of TSh27·3bn from the 2025-26 national budget for Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority.
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NewsUber partners with Gemini for Channel Tunnel train plan
EUROPE: Ridesharing app company Uber has announced a co-branding partnership with Gemini Trains, which is developing plans to launch open access passenger services through the Channel Tunnel