Passenger rail news – Page 18
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NewsTrenitalia France sets sights on Marseille in year of expansion
FRANCE: This will be one of the most important years for the Italian national train operator’s French open access business, according to Trenitalia France CEO Marco Caposciutti. From February 14, it will be able to double capacity on its busiest services by operating its Frecciarossa trainsets ...
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NewsArenaways restarts passenger services in Piemonte
ITALY: Arenaways launched revenue services under a public service obligation contract on the 49 km Cuneo – Savigliano line south of Torino on January 25. The inaugural journey was attended by Alberto Cirio, President of the Piemonte region, along with other local dignitaries, the regional management ...
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NewsSNCF Voyageurs wins France’s first tendered inter-city operating contract
FRANCE: Incumbent SNCF Voyageurs has beaten Spain’s RENFE and high speed start-up Le Train to win the government’s first tendered contract for the operation of Intercités services on the conventional rail network. The contract announced on January 28 runs for 10 years from December 2026. It ...
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NewsBasque region looks to growth as it takes control of suburban rail services
SPAIN: Responsibility for RENFE suburban rail services around Bilbao and San Sebastián was transferred from the national government to the Euzkadi autonomous region at the start of January. RENFE Viajeros will remain as the operator under a contract running to December 31 2027. It has committed ...
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Rail Business UKPhased integration of Manchester rail services into Bee Network confirmed
UK: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has set out a phased approach to bring rail into the Bee Network of public transport services which is now being rolled out across the conurbation. Burnham said on January 21 that he expected eight commuter rail lines covering ...
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Rail Business UKLondon St Pancras International expansion planning advances
UK: Almost 40 companies have so far expressed interest in a contract to further develop plans for the expansion of facilities for handling international passengers at London St Pancras station. An initial study which infrastructure concessionaire HS1 Ltd commissioned from customer experience design agency Active Thinking ...
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Rail Business UKHull Trains eyes Worksop and Sheffield launch
UK: Hull Trains’ proposed London King’s Cross – Worksop – Sheffield open access service would ‘give people more choice’, offer more flexibility in train fares and make the area better known, according to Labour Member of Parliament for Bassetlaw Jo White. Speaking at the launch of ...
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NewsEurostar drops biometric check-in as it prepares for EU Entry/Exit System
EUROPE: Eurostar is to cease offering the SmartCheck biometric check-in service at London St Pancras International station in February, but says it has boosted capacity in preparation for the introduction of the EU Entry-Exit System. Following an initial trial, SmartCheck using technology from iProov was opened ...
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Rail Business UKGreat British Railways and private sector to compete for ticket sales
UK: The Department for Transport has announced that the future Great British Railways will sell tickets online, while retaining a ‘thriving’ private sector market where third party ticket retailers can compete in an ‘open and fair’ manner. Plans to create a centralised GBR online ticket retailer ...
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NewsMÁV group to take on GySEV staff and rolling stock as Hungarian restructuring advances
HUNGARY: Minister of Construction & Transport János Lázár announced a series of structural changes and improvements to railway services in Hungary at a press conference held in Budapest on January 8. Lázár said that ‘in line with the Hungarian government’s conscious strategy’ to increase cross-border railway ...
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NewsRefurbished Stuttgart S-Bahn trains ready to return to service
GERMANY: The first three Stuttgart S-Bahn electric multiple-units to be refurbished have been unveiled by operator DB Regio and transport authority VRS ahead of their return to passenger service in February. The €200m programme to refurbish 215 Class 423 and 430 EMUs is being undertaken at ...
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Metro Report InternationalDedicated suburban services planned in three Moroccan cities
MOROCCO: ONCF is working on the development of RER-branded suburban rail networks around Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech for launch by the end of the decade. Forming part of a series of rail investments due for completion before the start of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which ...
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Rail Business UKTransport Secretary sets out five priorities for Shadow Great British Railways in 2025
UK: Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander set out five priorities for Shadow Great British Railways in her first major rail-focused speech in the role. Speaking to staff from the government’s in-house operator DfT Operator Ltd in Manchester on January 20, Alexander confirmed that an industry-wide Rail Plan ...
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup makes its case for open access alongside Great British Railways
UK: FirstGroup has set out its case for retaining a ‘thriving’ open access sector as part of the restructured railway, arguing that privately-funded services without government contracts can drive growth across all operators including those to be controlled by Great British Railways.
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NewsKorean network grows as second Seoul – Busan route completed
SOUTH KOREA: The national network has expanded with the opening of two strategic links in recent weeks. The final 145·1 km section of the upgraded Central main line and the handover of a 166·3 km missing link on the country’s eastern coast has enabled national operator ...
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NewsTitagarh Firema unveils EMUs for the Lazio region
ITALY: The first of 38 electric multiple-units ordered by the Lazio region have been unveiled at Titagarh Firema’s Caserta factory. The €282m framework agreement signed in January 2021 covers the supply and 10 years of maintenance of 38 trainsets of three types for use by operator ...
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NewsFunding finalised for first phase of Côte d’Azur railway enhancement programme
FRANCE: Funding has been finalised for the first phase of the Ligne Nouvelle Provence d’Azur project to upgrade the busy Marseille - Nice corridor to support a 66% increase in the number of daily services. The planned launch of Services Express Régionaux Métropolitains operations around Marseille, ...
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In depthTechnology: HS1 explores potential of digital twins
High speed line concessionaire HS1 Ltd has been working with partners to assess an AI-supported digital twin model that can help integrate multiple aspects of its business.
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Rail Business UKFive manufacturers invited to bid for Northern Trains fleet renewal contracts
UK: Northern Trains has invited five manufacturers to negotiate for framework contracts to supply up to 450 new electric and electro-diesel bi-mode multiple-units. The manufacturers named on January 17 are Alstom, CAF, Hitachi, Siemens Mobility and Stadler. Northern is seeking both 25 kV 50 Hz electric-only ...
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NewsGO Transit coach refurbishment contract awarded
CANADA: Greater Toronto area transport agency Metrolinx has awarded Alstom a C$500m framework agreement for the mid-life overhaul and modernisation of 181 BiLevel Series VIII coaches used on GO Transit services. This will include new seating, doors, flooring, walls and ceilings, upgraded toilets, updated electrical outlets ...