Passenger rail news – Page 125
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NewsINPP to take full control of BeNEX
GERMANY: UK-listed infrastructure investment group International Public Partnerships Ltd is to acquire joint venture partner Hamburger Hochbahn AG’s 51% stake in German rail and bus operator BeNEX GmbH. The signing of the purchase agreement was announced on April 1, and financial close is expected before the end of June 2019. ...
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NewsČD orders push-pull sets and EMUs
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD has awarded a consortium of Škoda Transportation and Škoda Vagonka a KC6bn eight-year framework contract for the supply of up to 50 RegioPanter electric multiple-units, with a KC3·6bn firm order for an initial 31, and a separate KC1bn firm order for five three-car sets of ...
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NewsKoleje Mazowieckie orders 12 more Stadler Flirt EMUs
POLAND: Koleje Mazowieckie signed a 405m złoty contract with Stadler Polska for the supply of 12 five-car Flirt electric multiple-units on March 28. The contract includes maintenance, repair kits and staff training. Stadler will supply the 160 km/h EMUs from its Siedlce factory, with the first due to enter ...
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NewsSotetsu – JR East link completed
JAPAN: Ceremonies were held in western Yokohama on March 28 to mark the completion of a new link between Sotetsu’s Sagami Railway and JR East tracks, which will allow the operation of through services from the Sagami Main Line and Izumino Line to Shinjuku station in Tokyo. Under the project, ...
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News€600m contracts awarded as Napoli – Bari rebuilding progresses
ITALY: Infrastructure manager RFI awarded design and construction contracts worth €608m on March 29 for rebuilding of the Apice – Hirpinia section of the Napoli – Bari line. A consortium of Salini Impregilo, Astaldi, Rocksoil, Net Engineering and Alpina will undertake civil works and install railway equipment, including new electrical ...
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NewsRussian double-deck EMU planned
RUSSIA: Ural Locomotives and Russian Railways have signed an agreement to develop plans for a double-deck electric multiple-unit designed for inter-regional services. A working group is to be established to produce a feasibility study and define the technical requirements, including the estimated costs of supply and maintenance under a lifecycle ...
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NewsRebuilt DMUs to operate Praha service
CZECH REPUBLIC: Last month Slovak rolling stock supplier ŽOS Zvolen delivered two Class 813/913.2 two-car diesel multiple-units which passenger operator KŽC Doprava ordered at a cost of €3m. They have been deployed since February 19 on Praha suburban line S34 from Praha-Masarykovo to Praha-Čakovice, replacing Class 810/010 railcars on the ...
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NewsDB to dispose of Arriva
EUROPE: The Deutsche Bahn AG supervisory board confirmed on March 27 its intention to dispose of the company’s international operating subsidiary Arriva, Railway Gazette’s sister publication Rail Business has reported. DB’s management team has been tasked with developing options for the transaction, which could either take the shape of a ...
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NewsCape Town seeks suburban rail devolution
SOUTH AFRICA: Plans to transfer the operation of commuter services from Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa to an organisation appointed by the city council were confirmed on March 26 when the city announced that four bids had been received for a tender to provide consultancy services. ...
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NewsČD awarded long-distance operating contracts
CZECH REPUBLIC: The Ministry of Transport has announced that, following a market consultation assessment, it would award all the remaining long-distance public service obligation operating contracts directly to state incumbent ČD. Other operators had not shown sufficient interest in the contracts, which cover six express and 13 fast services and ...
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Rail Business UKMayor calls for TfL to replace Network Rail as infrastructure manager
UK: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called for Transport for London to replace Network Rail as the infrastructure manager for routes which are used by suburban passenger services operated under concessions awarded by TfL. The proposal forms part of TfL’s submission of its views to a review of the ...
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NewsElbe-Spree EMU order confirmed
GERMANY: Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn has placed a €300m order for Siemens Mobility to supply 21 six-car and two four-car Desiro HC partly double-deck electric multiple-units. These are to be used on services which ODEG is to operate under Lots 1 and 4 of Elbe-Spree network operating contracts awarded by Berlin-Brandenburg transport ...
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NewsSalzburger Lokalbahn extension agreement signed
AUSTRIA: The federal government and the Land and city of Salzburg signed a letter of intent on March 25 to extend and upgrade the Salzburger Lokalbahn railway. The agreement was signed by federal Transport Ministger Norbert Hofer, Salzburg Land Governor Wilfried Haslauer, Land Transport Minister Stefan Schnöll and Mayor Harald ...
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NewsKrasnodar suburban network proposed
RUSSIA: A framework agreement for the development of a suburban rail network in Krasnodar was signed by Russian Railways Chief Executive Oleg Belozerov and regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev on March 12. The project has become feasible following the inauguration of a 69 km double-track freight bypass line in February, creating ...
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NewsMetra seeks commuter coach proposals
USA: Chicago commuter operator Metra has issued a request for proposals for the supply of at least 200 double-deck coaches, with options for up to 200 more if funding is available. The operator has said it will accept alternatives to the gallery cars that have been used on its routes ...
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Rail Business UKFive recommendations in Lewisham detrainment report
UK: The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has published its report into an incident on March 2 2018 when nine Southeastern trains became stranded near Lewisham in London during bad weather and passengers evacuated themselves onto third-rail electrified tracks. The report published on March 25 is separate from an action plan ...
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NewsMedvedev backs Russian high speed line
RUSSIA: Plans for the construction of a high speed line from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod were approved by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on March 13, having already been backed by Deputy Prime Minister Maxim Akimov who oversees transport. The project is estimated to cost 622bn roubles, of which 200bn roubles ...
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Rail Business UKRevised punctuality measure aims to improve performance
UK: The Rail Delivery Group has announced that passenger operators and Network Rail will publish new measures of train punctuality from the beginning of April, as part of an ongoing plan to improve performance and reduce delays. The approach will see services measured to the minute at all stops, replacing ...
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Rail Business UKTrains ordered for 2021 launch of ‘high-quality, low fare’ London – Edinburgh service
UK: FirstGroup has finalised an order for five Hitachi AT300 electric trainsets which it will use to launch a London – Edinburgh open access service in autumn 2021. The £100m deal completed on March 20 is being financed by Beacon Rail Leasing and includes 10 years of maintenance by ...
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NewsProRail and Arriva launch automation trials
NETHERLANDS: ProRail, Arriva and Stadler have started a week-long trial of automatic train operation on the Groningen – Zuidhorn line in the north of the country, with a modified GTW DMU successfully undertaking a first run on the evening of March 15. Operating in Grade of Automation 2, with a ...