Passenger rail news – Page 194
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News33 Kisses in Stockholm
SWEDEN: Leasing company AB Transitio announced on June 17 that it has ordered a build of 33 Kiss double-deck EMUs from Stadler at a cost of SKr3·5bn to operate regional services around Stockholm from 2018. The order has been placed by Transitio on behalf of the MÄLAB joint venture bringing ...
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NewsSyntus wins Zwolle operating contract
NETHERLANDS: The province of Overijssel announced on June 16 that Syntus had been selected for a €17·5m/year contract to operate regional services from Zwolle to Enschede and Kampen for 15 years from December 2017. The services are currently operated by NS Reizigers. VolkerRail was recently awarded a contract to electrify ...
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NewsNetinera orders Lint DMUs
GERMANY: Netinera Deutschland’s Länderbahn subsidiary has formally awarded Alstom a contract to supply 12 Coradia Lint 41 diesel multiple-units by June 2016, for use on Regentalbahn’s Oberpfalzbahn services in Bayern and the Czech Republic. The order announced on June 16 replaces a contract awarded in December 2011 but subsequently cancelled ...
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NewsNational Express and Abellio win Rhein-Ruhr-Express contracts
GERMANY: National Express and Abellio were named as preferred bidders for three contracts to operate Rhein-Ruhr Express passenger services on June 16. Totalling 14·6 million train-km/year, the operating contracts start in 2018-20 and run until December 2033, with options for termination up to two years early. They are being ...
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NewsRegional Rail Link inaugurated
AUSTRALIA: The A$3·65bn Regional Rail Link project in Melbourne was formally inaugurated on June 14, when Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure & Regional Development Warren Truss joined the Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews and the state’s Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan on a special train to mark ...
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NewsMixed fleet for cross-border RER
EUROPE: The Rhône-Alpes region of France has announced that it is to order a fleet of 17 Régiolis EMUs for the RER Franco-Valdo-Genevois network that will connect Evian, Saint-Gervais, Annecy and Bellegarde with Genève and Lausanne in Switzerland. Worth €220m, the order is to be placed under the framework agreement ...
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NewsSouth West Trains–Network Rail 'deep alliance' to end
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail and passenger operator South West Trains announced on June 12 that their ‘deep alliance’ is to end in August. The SWT-NR deep alliance was formed in April 2012, putting in place a single joint management team responsible for infrastructure and train operations on NR's 1 ...
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NewsTEX Rail orders Stadler Flirt DMUs
USA: Fort Worth Transportation Authority signed a $100m contract on June 9 for Stadler Bussnang to supply eight Flirt 3 diesel multiple-units for the future TEX Rail commuter line, with options for more. This follows Federal Transit Administration approval for the engineering phase of the TEX Rail project. A ...
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NewsSBB approves pre-series Twindexx EMU
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has confirmed that two Bombardier Transportation pre-series Twinindexx Express double-deck long-distance electric multiple-units meet its quality standards and technical requirements, ahead of the start of test running in Switzerland. SBB announced the approval on June 8, when it formally unveiled one of the pre-series EMUs and ...
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NewsBenin passenger service to launch this year
BENIN: President Thomas Bony Yayi joined Vincent Bolloré, CEO of railway concessionaire Bolloré Group, to officially launch the rehabilitation of the 25 km metre gauge Cotonou – Pahou line on June 2. The project includes complete replacement of the track and the rehabilitation of the stations at Cadjèhoun Saint-Jean, Godomey, ...
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NewsTransdev selected for Elektronetz Mittelsachsen contract
GERMANY: A group of transport authorities led by Mittelsachsen authority ZVMS named Transdev’s Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn as preferred bidder for a contract to operate the Elektronetz Mittelsachsen package of regional passenger services on June 8. The contract is to be formally awarded following the 10-day regulatory standstill period. It covers ...
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NewsMumbai network switches from DC to AC
INDIA: Central Railway has announced that ‘a historic milestone was achieved’ at 05.37 on June 8, with completion of the conversion of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus – Mumbra slow lines and CST – Thane fast lines from 1·5 kV DC to 25 kV AC electrification. The Mumbai CST – Kalyan ...
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NewsToronto airport rail link opens
CANADA: The UP Express service between Toronto’s Union Station and Pearson International Airport was launched on June 6. ‘This is a great day to see UP Express service open and Toronto join the ranks of other global cities’, said Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, Steven Del Duca. ‘It will give people ...
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NewsGO Transit driving cars unveiled
CANADA: Ontario’s Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca visited GO Transit's Willowbrook depot on June 2 to unveil the first of 67 double-deck driving cars ordered by regional transport authority Metrolinx to increase capacity around on Toronto commuter services. Metrolinx has ordered a total of 127 coaches to an updated ...
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NewsNS CEO resigns in wake of Qbuzz bidding scandal
NETHERLANDS: Timo Huges resigned as Chief Executive Officer of national passenger operator NS with immediate effect on June 5, after the supervisory board withdrew its confidence as further details emerged about the irregularities in the Qbuzz subsidiary’s bid for the Limburg operating contract. No severance payment will be made. ...
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NewsTalgo trains enter service in Russia
RUSSIA: The first of Federal Passenger Co’s seven Talgo trainsets was inaugurated by Russian Railways President Vladimir Yakunin and Talgo Chairman Carlio de Palacio with a ceremony at Moscow’s Kurskaya station on June 1. The first service operated by the Talgo stock was the 14.00 from Moscow to Nizhny ...
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NewsArriva wins re-awarded Limburg operating contract
NETHERLANDS: The province of Limburg announced on June 2 that second-ranked bidder Arriva would be awarded a €55·5m/year contract to operate rail and bus services for 15 years from December 11 2016. The Abellio Limburg business of NS subsidiary Qbuzz had been named as the winner of the contract on ...
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NewsClass 321 EMUs to be born again
UK: Leasing company Eversholt Rail has awarded Wabtec a £60m contract to refurbish its fleet of Class 321 outer-suburban electric multiple-units, under a programme which is designed to provide ‘maintainability, cost effectiveness and the look and feel of a new train’. The contract signed on May 28 covers engineering ...
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NewsEast Anglia franchise shortlist announced
UK: Three current or former incumbents have been shortlisted to bid for the next East Anglia franchise, which is due to take over from Abellio Greater Anglia in October 2016. Abellio had been awarded a 29-month contract to operate the franchise from February 5 2012, and a further direct award ...
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NewsTrains return to outskirts of Tiranë
ALBANIA: A revived passenger service between Durrës and a modernised station at Kashar, 7·6 km from central Tiranë, were inaugurated by parliamentary Speaker Ilir Meta and Minister of Transport & Infrastructure Edmond Haxhinasto on May 26. Two coaches and a T669 diesel locomotive have been modernised for the service of ...