Passenger rail news – Page 178
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NewsStockholm Citybanan to open in July 2017
SWEDEN: The 6 km Citybanan cross-city tunnel under Stockholm is to open for revenue service at 05.00 on July 10 2017, national infrastructure manager Trafikverket announced on November 3. Under construction since 2009, the north-south link is intended to carry the capital’s suburban services, doubling rail capacity through the ...
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NewsPlayRenfe wi-fi offers live TV on the move
SPAIN: Prior to its launch on high speed services between Madrid and Sevilla on December 5, national operator RENFE is testing from November 4 a beta version of PlayRenfe, its new on-train wi-fi platform which combines satellite and 4G. As well as internet connectivity, passengers will be able to enjoy ...
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NewsEurostar 'confident' as Amsterdam plans gather pace
EUROPE: Eurostar said it was seeing ‘signs of recovery in the trading environment’ when it announced its Quarter 3 results on November 4, with passenger numbers in the previous eight weeks increasing year-on-year. This followed a ‘challenging period’ when demand had been dampened by the Nice terrorist attack in July. ...
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NewsWest Coast Partnership franchise to include HS2 launch
UK: ‘I want to be very clear that this is a new type of franchise requiring a new kind of approach to bidding’, said Transport Minister Paul Maynard said on November 4, confirming that the franchise which is to replace the current InterCity West Coast franchise from April 2019 would ...
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NewsAir travel portal to offer Amtrak bookings
USA: Fareportal is to use SilverRail's API to sell Amtrak tickets through its CheapOAir travel portal. Fareportal ‘will be amongst the first leisure online booking platform to offer Amtrak tickets alongside airfare results', said SilverRail Chief Commercial Officer Cameron Jones on October 26. 'This partnership helps raise the profile of ...
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Metro Report InternationalLast-mile app integrates Amtrak, Uber and buses
USA: North Carolina Department of Transportation and technology company TransLoc have launched a three-month pilot of a door-to-door journey planning app which highlights options to use Uber and local public transport services to access nine stations on Amtrak’s Piedmont and Carolinian routes. Users enter their preferred station into the Rider ...
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News£60m Hull Trains electro-diesel train deal signed
UK: Contracts worth £60m for Hitachi Rail Europe to supply and maintain five AT300 five-car electro-diesel multiple-units for use by open access company Hull Trains were finalised by the operator’s parent company FirstGroup and leasing company Angel Trains on November 2. This follows the granting of a ...
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NewsNSB assets transferred to standalone businesses
NORWAY: National operator NSB’s rolling stock fleet and ticketing activities and the associated staff were transferred to two standalone subsidiary companies with effect from October 15. The rolling stock is now owned by Materiellselskapet AS and the sales and ticketing activities by Entur AS (formerly known as Salg og Billettering ...
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NewsMoscow – Berlin Talgo starts on December 17
EUROPE: Russian Railways is to launch its Moscow – Minsk – Warszawa – Berlin Talgo train service in December, the national railway confirmed on October 28. The first trains will depart from Moscow’s Kursk station on December 17 and from Berlin Ostbahnhof the following day, RZD said. Tickets are now ...
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NewsFinnish firm wins TGV lighting contract
FRANCE: SNCF has selected Finnish company Teknoware to supply LED interior lighting for the refurbishment of its Alstom-built TGV Duplex double-deck high speed train fleet. The contract covers the supply of main lighting elements housed in opening ceiling frames on both sides of the aisles, as well as indirect mood ...
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NewsHigh speed rail hub opens in Ankara
TURKEY: National railway TCDD opened a dedicated high speed station in Ankara on October 29, with the inauguration celebrations attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, a former transport minister.Comprising three island platforms with six running lines, the station has been built adjacent to the capital’s ...
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NewsTransPennine Express coach production begins
UK: Production of 66 push-pull coaches for use by TransPennine Express began at rolling stock manufacturer CAF’s factory at Beasain in Spain on October 27. CAF is to deliver 13 five-car push-pull trainsets from 2018, plus one spare driving vehicle. Designated Mark 5A, the coaches will initially be used between ...
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NewsAlstom awarded Breisgau EMU contract
GERMANY: DB Regio has awarded Alstom a contract worth more than €130m for the supply of 24 Coradia Continental regional electric multiple-units. These are to be used from December 2019 on Breisgau-Ost-West services around Freiburg. DB Regio is to operate these services under a contract awarded by the Land of ...
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NewsKTZ launches train wi-fi pilot project
KAZAKHSTAN: InfiNet Wireless has provided national railway KTZ with a wireless broadband network as part of a pilot project covering passenger trains, maintenance vehicles and stations on the 226 km route from Astana to Shchuchinsk. Low cost and robustness were priorities, and the network uses small wireless devices fitted to ...
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NewsNational Express pulls out of Nürnberg S-Bahn bidding
GERMANY: National Express Group announced on October 25 that it had withdrawn its winning bids for two parallel 12-year contracts to operate Nürnberg S-Bahn services from December 2018. The UK-based transport group said it had informed Bayern railway agency BEG that ‘it is no longer in the interest of ...
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NewsNorth-South passenger services to start next year
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Railway Co is on course to launch regular passenger services on the North-South line at the beginning of 2017, the Governor of Riyadh Prince Faisal Bin Bandar confirmed following a test run from the capital on October 20. Speaking after the trial run with a CAF-built trainset ...
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NewsEMUs to boost Kuala Lumpur airport rail link capacity
MALAYSIA: The first of six electric multiple-units which are being supplied by CRRC Changchun to increase capacity on the Kuala Lumpur International Airport rail link was unveiled by Minister of Transport, Liow Tiong Lai at Express Rail Link’s Salak Tinggi depot on October 20. ERL signed the order for the ...
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NewsKenyan President launches SGR Phase 2A construction
KENYA: Construction works for the second phase of the Standard Gauge Railway project were officially launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta with a ceremony at the Embulbul work site in Ngong Town on October 19. Phase 2A covers the 120 km Nairobi – Naivasha section of the 2 937 km MoKaKi ...
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NewsGaudí interior for FGC train
SPAIN: Catalunya regional operator FGC has decorated the interior of one of its trainsets in the style of the crypt at the church in the Colònia Güell designed by Antoni Gaudí. The train’s ceiling, doors, walls and seat backs are decorated with 3M Envision vinyl incorporating details from ...
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NewsFlood-damaged DMU returns to service
UK: A diesel multiple-unit which had been seriously damaged by floodwater has returned to service with ScotRail after being bought and repaired by Brodie Engineering. The company has set up its own leasing business with funding from Clydesdale Bank. Two-car unit 156 478 suffered underframe and internal damage when the ...