Passenger rail news – Page 184
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In depth$3bn Penn Station PPP to create Empire Complex by 2019
USA: Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State, lent renewed impetus to the redevelopment of Penn Station in New York City on January 6 by suggesting the $3bn project could be completed within three years. Overall space for passengers to circulate would be increased by 50%, creating a ‘holistic and ...
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News€300m loan to finance Italian regional trains
ITALY: A €300m corporate bond subscription agreement which will finance the acquisition of new passenger rolling stock for regional routes was signed by the European Investment Bank and national railway FS on December 23. The bond is guaranteed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments, and according to EIB is ...
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NewsBoomerang delivery service trialled on Eurostar
EUROPE: High speed train operator Eurostar is running a three-month trial with Boomerang, an online platform which puts people in Paris and London in touch with each other to deliver products from across the Channel. Eurostar says users can connect to request ‘small but much-loved things they can’t get ...
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NewsHakodate Liner is ready to roll
JAPAN: JR Hokkaido has unveiled the first of its Series 733-1000 EMUs for the Hakodate Liner shuttle service, which will be introduced on March 26 to coincide with the opening of the first phase of the Hokkaido Shinkansen. Four three-car sets are being built to operate the shuttle which will ...
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NewsCentral Suburban Passenger Co orders GTW+ DMU
RUSSIA: Central Suburban Passenger Co announced on December 28 that it had ordered a Type DP-M diesel multiple-unit from Transmashholding subsidiary Metrowagonmash for use on the Golutvin – Ozyory line south of Moscow. This follows the granting of approval for series production of the DP-M design, which has a separate ...
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NewsHigh speed station opens in Shenzhen
CHINA: A further 15 km section of the Guangzhou – Shenzhen – Hong Kong high speed line was opened for revenue service on December 29, when China Railway Corp extended its high speed services from Shenzhen North to Futian, close to Shenzhen’s central business district and the border with the ...
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NewsDetroit connection to speed passenger services
USA: Amtrak’s Wolverine passenger trains between Chicago and Detroit have begun using a new curve at West Detroit Junction, which has been built in conjunction with the upgrading and double-tracking of the former NS route now owned by Michigan Department of Transportation. Completed in late December, the US$15·8m curve was ...
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NewsTransmashholding presents EP2D electric multiple-unit
RUSSIA: Transmashholding’s Demikhovo plant has unveiled the EP2D electric multiple-unit, developed to the specification of Moscow commuter operator Central Suburban Passenger Co which is DMZ’s largest customer. The first unit is to undergo trials at the Shcherbinka test circuit with certification expected in 2016. Central Suburban Passenger Co said ...
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NewsPolish passenger information consolidated
POLAND: In an effort to integrate, standardise and simplify the provision of passenger information across the country, with effect from the December timetable change more than 300 staff from seven companies have been transferred to PKP Utrzymanie, a dedicated company which is independent from the train operators and infrastructure manager. ...
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NewsRobot station attendants introduced
ROBOT: Keikyu Railway has deployed a 1200 mm high humanoid robot attendant to greet passengers at Tokyo Haneda Airport station, while SNCF has deployed similar robots at three stations in the Pays-de-la-Loire region under a pilot programme running until March. The robots are from the Pepper range developed by ...
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NewsThailand – Malaysia DMU service launched
ASIA: A twice-daily cross-border passenger service between Hat Yai in Thailand and Padang Besar in Malaysia was inaugurated by officials from State Railway of Thailand and KTMB with a ceremony at Hat Yai on December 21. Regular services began the following day. The services on the 60 km route are ...
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NewsSouth Tirol operating contract signed
ITALY: The South Tirol government and Trenitalia signed a new contract for the operation of local passenger services on December 21, saying the new deal focused on quality, reliability and lower costs. The decision to retain Trenitalia as the operator of the four routes when the previous contract expired was ...
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NewsGreat Western AT300 trainsets to be built in Italy
UK: Hitachi announced on December 22 that the AT300 trainsets ordered for Great Western Railway are to be manufactured at Hitachi Rail Italy’s plant at Pistoia in Italy. GWR and leasing company Eversholt Rail signed the £361m contract for the trainsets in July, before Hitachi’s acquisition of AnsaldoBreda was completed ...
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NewsSiemens selected to supply Moorgate suburban EMU fleet
UK: Passenger franchisee Govia Thameslink Railway announced on December 22 that it had selected Siemens as preferred bidder for a contract to supply 25 six-car electric multiple-units for use on Great Northern suburban services from Welwyn Garden City, Hertford, Stevenage and Letchworth into London's Moorgate station from 2018. The ...
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NewsNew curve to speed up journeys to Zakopane
POLAND: Infrastructure manager PKP PLK announced on December 21 that it is to build a curve between Kraków Zabłocie and Kraków Krzemionki stations. According to PKP PLK, this will enable faster journeys between Kraków Główny and Zakopane, Skawina and Oświęcim. The work is to be carried out for 258m ...
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NewsChina orders more high speed sleeper trainsets
CHINA: A €152m contract to supply China Railway Corp with a further five 250 km/h CRH1E-250 sleeper trainsets was announced by the Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation joint venture on December 18. This is the second order for the 16-car sleeper train design, after a 2007 contract for 20 sets which ...
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NewsSNCB signs €3·3bn framework for 1362 M7 cars
BELGIUM: National operator SNCB signed a €1·3bn firm order for 445 Type M7 double-deck passenger vehicles with a consortium of Bombardier and Alstom on December 18. There are options for up to 917 more vehicles which would take the total value to €3·3bn. The M7 cars would be able to ...
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NewsGold Coast double-tracking contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: The Queensland government announced on December 16 that it had awarded Golding Contractors a contract for civils works related to double-tracking of part of the Gold Coast – Brisbane line. Due to begin in March, the A$163m project would double 8·2 km of the 1 067 mm gauge ...
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NewsFaster to Salamanca and Zamora
SPAIN: On December 17 national operator RENFE introduced Alvia services from Madrid to Salamanca and Zamora, following the completion of high speed infrastructure between Olmedo near Medina del Campo and Zamora, as well as upgrading and electrification of the conventional route between Medina del Campo and Salamanca. The fastest journey ...
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NewsNTV unveils ‘futuristic’ Pendolino styling
ITALY: Open access operator NTV has revealed the appearance of the eight 250 km/h Pendolino trainsets which it ordered from Alstom in October. Deliveries are scheduled for late 2017 and entry into service for early 2018. The design was created by Alstom's Design & Styling Centre, which was responsible ...