Passenger rail news – Page 16
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Metro Report InternationalTransport ticketing news round-up
Following the Transport Ticketing Global exhibition, Railway Gazette International takes a look at some of the latest developments in the world of fare payment.
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NewsCoaster double-deck coaches unveiled
USA: California’s North County Transit District unveiled new Alstom double-deck push-pull coaches as part of celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of its Coaster passenger service between Oceanside and San Diego.
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NewsSJ awards night train maintenance contract
SWEDEN: SJ has awarded Alstom a further two-year contract for the maintenance of night trains at depots in Luleå and Stockholm. The contract announced on March 14 covers 75 coaches and 12 Rc6 electric locomotives used on Stockholm – Umeå – Luleå – Narvik services. Alstom ...
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NewsVirgin seeks partners to launch cross-Channel train service
EUROPE: Virgin Group is seeking partners to invest in its planned launch of international high speed train services through the Channel Tunnel. On March 9, the Financial Times reported that Virgin Group is seeking to raise £300m in equity and £400m in debt. A Virgin Group ...
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Metro Report InternationalSwedish region to test ticketing app
SWEDEN: The Halland region is to trial Fairtiq’s pay-as-you-go ticketing system based on swiping in and out on a mobile app. The trial will assess the app’s capacity to accurately identify trips across all modes of public transport. This assessment will cover routes, departure times and ...
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NewsSwiss Federal Railways targets London as it seeks more cross-border high speed trains
EUROPE: Swiss Federal Railways is looking at ordering up to 40 high speed trainsets for use on international services to Italy and France, and ’potentially for other destinations such as Barcelona and London’. To meet growing demand for international travel, SBB is planning to expand the ...
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NewsGo with the flow: SNCF and Alstom unveil design of next TGV fleet
FRANCE: SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom have unveiled the interior design of the TGV M high speed trainsets which are to enter service from 2026. Jérémie Anne reports from Paris.
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NewsRevenue protection, accessibility and safety focus for next-generation ticket gate
TICKETING: Cubic Transportation Systems launched its FEnX station ticket gate at the Transport Ticketing Global trade fair in London, saying it had combined the latest technology with user-centric design to reduce fare evasion, enhance the passenger experience and optimise efficiency. An overhead camera and the Fare ...
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NewsWestbahn orders 250 km/h Smile trains
AUSTRIA: Open access operator Westbahn has awarded Stadler a contract to supply three Smile high speed trainsets to enable it to introduce Wien – Graz – Klagenfurt – Villach services from March 2026.
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NewsNorwegian ERTMS programme makes steady progress
NORWAY: Infrastructure manager Bane Nor has successfully completed ‘the first 100 days of operation of ERTMS in Norway’, following the commissioning of the first series installation on the Roa – Gjøvik line in November 2024. No less than 80% of the Norwegian systems are relay based, ...
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NewsCzech long-distance passenger train operating contracts awarded
CZECH REPUBLIC: The Ministry of Transport has awarded Arriva Vlaky a KC3·03bn contract to operate long-distance passenger services on the Praha – Plzeň – Cheb and Praha – Plzeň – Klatovy/Železná Ruda routes for 15 years from the December 2028 timetable change. The bids to operate ...
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Rail Business UKGPS ticketing trial planned for this year
UK: The Department for Transport is seeking suppliers to take part in trials of GPS-based pay-as-you-go ticketing in Yorkshire and the East Midlands later this year, The successful bidders would work alongside train operators Northern and East Midlands Railways to deliver the government-funded trials, which will ...
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In depthTurkey: Ankara keeps rail funds flowing
Analysis of the national budget for 2025 underscores Turkey’s commitment to expanding its rail network, which is expected to grow by 8500 route-km in the next 30 years. David O’Byrne investigates.
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Metro Report InternationalHard challenges for Easier ticket gate
TICKETING: Easier has developed a ticket gate with an overhead camera which counts passengers and identifies fare evasion attempts, with AI training to help it improve accuracy. Demonstrating the prototype at the Transport Ticketing Global trade fair in London, the company told Railway Gazette International that ...
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Rail Business UKPay-as-you-go rail ticketing technology contract awarded
UK: The Rail Delivery Group has awarded Tracsis a multi-year contract to provide a Tap Converter system which will support the roll-out of pay-as-you-go National Rail travel in urban areas across the country. Tracsis said this will be a major step towards modernising rail ticketing. Tap ...
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NewsNS unveils mock-up of future double-deck trains
NETHERLANDS: National passenger operator NS has unveiled a mock-up of its future Dubbeldekker Nieuwe Generatie electric multiple-units. In December 2022 NS awarded CAF a €600m contract to supply 30 four-car and 30 six-car DDNG trainsets. It was the operator’s second order for ...
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NewsPreferred bidder chosen to renew SNCB’s DC fleet
BELGIUM: National passenger train operator SNCB has selected CAF as preferred bidder to supply the future AM30 electric and battery-electric multiple-units. At the end of 2022 SNCB called tenders for a 12-year framework agreement covering the supply of 160 km/h 3 k V DC units offering ...
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NewsAllegro trainsets to return to service as Pendolino Plus
FINLAND: National operator VR is to return to traffic four Alstom Sm6 trainsets that were used on the Helsinki – St Petersburg Allegro service until it ceased operating following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The seven-car dual-voltage trainsets were operated by the Karelian Trains 50:50 joint ...
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NewsPassenger trains return to Porto freight line
PORTUGAL: Suburban services in the Matosinhos district of Porto has been enhanced with the partial reopening of the Leixões line to passengers after a hiatus of 14 years.
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Rail Business UKImproving disability awareness training for rail staff
UK: The effectiveness of the disability training received by rail staff and new models of raising awareness are to be studied by the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the Community Rail Network, backed by funding from the Motability Foundation. The two-year ‘On track for ...