Passenger rail news – Page 155
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NewsKoleje Śląskie operating contract extended
POLAND: Śląskie voivodship has awarded in-house train operator Koleje Śląskie a five-year extension to its contract to provide local passenger services. In 2015 the voivodship awarded KŚ a contract running for 10 years from January 1 2016, with the five-year extension to December 2030 being subject to investment in new ...
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NewsFerrovia Circumetnea orders more Vulcano DMUs
ITALY: Ferrovia Circumetnea has ordered an additional two-car Vulcano diesel multiple-unit from Newag, and expects to place a firm order for three more once financing is secured. The four 950 mm gauge DMUs would cost a total of €14·9m. In Decemer 2013 FCE and Newag finalised a €14·8m contract for ...
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NewsIran orders Hyundai Rotem diesel multiple-units
IRAN: A €720m contract for Hyundai Rotem and Iran Rail Industries Development Co to supply 150 three-car diesel multiple-units to national railway RAI was signed on December 2. Hyundai Rotem will produce 150 cars at its plant at Changwon in South Korea, with the remaining 300 to be assembled locally ...
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NewsNTV confirms Italo Evo debut
ITALY: High speed open access operator Nuovo Transporto Viaggiatori announced on November 29 that the first four of its fleet of 17 italo Evo trainsets will officially enter service on December 7, just before the start of the winter timetable three days later. The announcement was made at a presentation ...
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NewsBorder link to open in January
EUROPE: The much-delayed cross-border link between Stabio in Switzerland and Varese in Italy forming part of the Ferrovia Mendrisio – Varese project will open for public services on January 7. In an initial step on December 10 cross-border operator for Ticino and Lombardia TILO will extend Route S40 between ...
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NewsFirst Flirt3 for GySEV presented
HUNGARY: On November 30 Stadler presented the first of 10 Flirt3 electric multiple-units that it is supplying to GySEV under a contact awarded in September 2016. Two EMUs are currently undergoing acceptance trials in Hungary. Built by Stadler factories in Switzerland and Poland, the first Flirt3 EMUs are due to ...
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NewsRoute numbers to identify SBB’s long-distance services
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways will introduce route numbers for its long-distance services from the start of the winter timetable on December 10. Intended to offer passengers ‘simple and reliable’ identification of their services, the numbering is based on that used for the national road network. The main east-west route ...
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NewsTwindexx fleet to enter service in 2018
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways confirmed on November 30 that it will launch the first Twindexx double-deck electric multiple-units in commercial service during 2018. The decision follows an interim ruling by the Federal Office for Transport authorising the trains to carry passengers after supplier Bombardier Transportation provided all the necessary safety ...
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NewsStrategic vision to bring infrastructure and operations closer
UK: On November 29 Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling published the government’s ‘strategic vision’ for rail, containing what it says are ‘sweeping proposals’ to bring infrastructure and train operations closer together. In what is described as ‘an evolution’ of the franchising system, single management teams are to be ...
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NewsSNCF to assist PRASA with renewal programme
SOUTH AFRICA: Under a tripartite agreement signed on November 27, SNCF and French government development agency AFD have agreed to provide technical and financial assistance worth R6·2m to suburban passenger operator Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. Commencing from the start of December, the 12-month partnership will provide technical expertise, ...
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NewsToshkent plant produces coaches for export
UZBEKISTAN: Toshkent Plant for the Construction & Repair of Passenger Cars is to deliver the first batch of coaches built to its own design for export. National railway UTY said the plant was improving its capabilities every year, and its ‘Made in Uzbekistan’ Type 61-911 open and Type 61-907 ...
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NewsPPF Group buys Škoda Transportation
CZECH REPUBLIC: Investment company PPF Group has acquired rolling stock manufacturer Škoda Transportation under an agreement finalised overnight on November 24-25. Although the purchase price has not been formally announced, it is understood to be in excess of KC10bn. In 2016 Škoda Transportation reported consolidated sales of KC15·7bn, down by ...
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NewsHigh Capacity Metro Train mock-up supports design process
AUSTRALIA: The Evolution Rail consortium of Downer, CRRC and Plenary has produced a full-scale mock up of the 65 electric multiple-units for Melbourne suburban services which it is to supply and maintain under the Victorian government’s High Capacity Metro Trains PPP contract. As part of the design process, the 39 ...
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NewsThameslink Programme completion deferred by a year
UK: The Department for Transport has agreed to a proposal from Network Rail and train operator Govia Thameslink Railway which would see introduction of the full 24 trains/h timetable on the Thameslink route through central London deferred by a year to December 2019. With a total value of £7bn, of ...
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NewsVectrons to be used on Praha – Germany services from December
CZECH REPUBLIC: One of 10 Siemens Vectron electric locomotives which are being leased from European Locomotive Leasing for use on passenger services to Germany was unveiled by national operator ČD on November 22. From the December 10 timetable change, ČD will use the Vectrons to haul the Praha – Dresden ...
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NewsKVSZ sleeping car to be deployed on Kyiv – Wien services
EUROPE: A sleeping car designed by Ukrainian manufacturer KVSZ for use on international services running from 1 520 to 1 435 mm gauge networks is expected to enter service on the Kyiv – Wien route from the December 10 timetable change. Representatives of the national passenger operators of Ukraine, Hungary ...
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NewsStadler launches Wink multiple-unit offering a range of traction options
STADLER: A recent order from Arriva marked the launch of Stadler’s latest multiple-unit family, which it has named Wink, meaning Wandelbarer Innovativer Nahverkehrs-Kurzzug (‘convertible, innovative short train for local transport’). The Wink platform is intended for less busy secondary routes, and Stadler believes it could find applications in western and ...
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NewsWay forward seen as Hudson Bay Railway dispute escalates
CANADA: Investment group Fairfax Financial Holdings has expressed interest in partnering with the Missinippi Rail and One North first nations consortia to acquire the flood-damaged Hudson Bay Railway, the Port of Churchill and associated assets from short line group OmniTRAX, the federal government announced on November 16. Minister of Natural ...
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NewsARA emphasises the Value of Rail
AUSRAIL: Australia’s rail industry contributed around A$26bn to the national economy in 2016, according to the Value of Rail report launched by the Australasian Railway Association at AusRail Plus on November 21. Prepared for ARA by Deloitte Access Economics, the report is intended to highlight the many ways that rail ...
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NewsTrainline launches Google Assistant app
TICKETS: Independent ticket retailer Trainline has launched a voice-activated Google Assistant rail app, which customers in the UK can use to access advance or real-time information on journey times and details, prices, delays and disruption. Trainline said the app can handle ‘deep conversational complexity’, including requests such as ‘I’d like ...