Passenger rail news – Page 254
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NewsElektriraudtee opts for Stadler Flirt trains
ESTONIA: Tallinn area passenger operator Elektriraudtee announced on April 9 that Stadler Rail had been selected to supply 18 electric and 10 diesel multiple-units. The EU Cohesion Fund is covering 85% of the 1·25bn kroon cost of the 3·3 kV DC Flirt electric units, with the government providing the remainder. ...
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NewsCD reveals rolling stock requirements
CZECH REPUBLIC: National passenger operator CD published its 2010-14 rolling stock modernisation strategy on March 16, setting out plans to spend up to KC16bn rejuvenating one of the oldest fleets in the EU; at present just 6% of CD's 2 199 coaches are air-conditioned cars suitable for 160 km/h operation. ...
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NewsRZD restructures long-distance passenger business
RUSSIA: A further step in the reform of Russian Railways has been taken with the establishment of the Federal Passenger Company as a stand-alone subsidiary responsible for long-distance passenger transport activities. The creation of FPC was proposed by the RZD board in 2008 and received government approval last year. The ...
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NewsRZD launches Moscow - St Petersburg high speed line project
RUSSIA: Proposals for the construction of a 660 km high speed line linking Moscow and St Petersburg were unveiled by Russian Railways at a high-level conference in St Petersburg on April 1. The event was attended by representatives from various state bodies, the Russian scientific and business sectors. According to ...
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NewsAmtrak returns to Metrolink in June
USA: Amtrak is to succeed Veolia as the operator of Metrolink commuter services in Los Angeles from June 26 2010. The contract finalised with Southern California Regional Rail Authority on March 26 runs for four years with options for two three-year extensions. Amtrak was the original operator of the network ...
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NewsWestern reopening to encourage regional development
IRELAND: Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey formally launched Ireland's first revival of an inter-city route on March 29. The following day a regular service of five daily return trains ran between Limerick and Galway for the first time since 1976. The €106·5m Phase 1 of the project to reopen the ...
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NewsBLS buys double-deckers for Bern S-Bahn
SWITZERLAND: BLS has placed its largest ever rolling stock order, awarding Stadler Rail a SFr493·7m contract to supply 28 four-car double-deck electric multiple-units to increase capacity on Bern S-Bahn services. The 160 km/h units will be delivered from Stadler's Bussnang plant between autumn 2012 and the end of 2014. They ...
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NewsRFF selects Vinci to build Tours – Bordeaux LGV
FRANCE: Infrastructure manager RFF has announced its intention to start exclusive negotiations with a Vinci-led consortium to build and maintain the 340 km Tours – Bordeaux high speed line under a PPP concession. The consortium, led by Vinci and including Caisse des Dépôts and Axa, was selected from a shortlist ...
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NewsYakunin sets out investment plan
RUSSIA: Russian Railways President Vladimir Yakunin set out details of RZD’s 555bn rouble 2010-11 investment budget at a meeting on implementation and financing sources which was chaired by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on February 27. RZD’s projects total 435·5bn roubles, and 120bn will be used for road and rail links ...
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NewsAmtrak launches high speed rail department
USA: National inter-city passenger operator Amtrak has created a dedicated department to pursue opportunities for the development of high speed rail corridors. Announced on March 22, the department will begin with a programme to improve the existing Northeast Corridor between Washington, New York and Boston. Priorities include reducing journey times ...
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NewsDB looking at Arriva bid
EUROPE: Deutsche Bahn confirmed on March 18 that it had approached Arriva about a possible takeover bid, adding that 'discussions are ongoing and there is no certainty that any offer will be made'. As required under the UK's takeover regulations, the international bus and rail operator had issued a ...
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NewsSNCF takes up regional train options
FRANCE: SNCF has signed further firm orders for regional multiple-units within its large-scale framework agreements with Alstom and Bombardier. SNCF is placing the orders on behalf of the regions which are funding the trains. On March 24 Alstom announced a €135m order to supply a further 23 Régiolis single-deck units ...
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NewsAGV reaches 300 km/h on Italian tracks
ITALY: Alstom's AGV demonstrator trainset has reached 300 km/h during trials on the Roma - Napoli high speed line, the planned maximum running speed of the production trains currently being built for the launch of services by open access operator Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori in 2011. Alstom has now completed dynamic ...
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NewsLGV Est contract awarded
FRANCE: The first contract for civil engineering work on the second phase of the Ligne à Grande Vitesse Est européenne was approved by the board of Réseau Ferré de France on March 18. Under a package valued at €78·9m, a consortium of Guintoli, Maia Sonnier and NGE GC has been ...
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NewsChannel Tunnel working group investigates shorter trains
EUROPE: Eurotunnel is in discussions with the Intergovernmental Commission over amendments to the safety regulations which restrict the types of train permitted to use the tunnel, notably the requirement that trains should be capable of being split in an emergency and driven out separately. The company has now set up ...
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NewsStadler wins Belarus train contract
BELARUS: Stadler Rail signed its first contract in the former USSR on March 19, with a €60m deal to supply 10 Flirt electric multiple-units to Belarus Railways. Six units are intended for used on local services in Minsk, while four will have a more comfortable interior for longer-distance routes. The ...
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NewsAll systems go as Gautrain prepares for World Cup opening
SOUTH AFRICA: Test running has started in earnest on the 20 km first phase of the Gautrain line between Sandton and OR Tambo International Airport. Opening has been set for June 8, subject to a final technical 'go/no-go' decision in April. The original timescale would have seen the Bombela consortium ...
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NewsSuburban growth in Spain
SPAIN: As it assumes greater responsibility for the management of suburban services in Barcelona, the Catalunya regional government has signed an agreement with ADIF and the Ministry of Development guaranteeing train paths over the next five years. Targets for network availability, reliability and incident management will be set in a ...
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NewsLondon - Birmingham starts high speed railway to the north
UK: Transport Secretary Lord Adonis published the government's high speed rail strategy on March 11, setting out details of a planned 400 km/h high speed railway between London and Birmingham which could open by 2026 as the first part of a Y-shaped network serving Leeds and Manchester. The route developed ...
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NewsIsrael Railways orders second batch of Siemens coaches
ISRAEL: On March 9 Siemens Mobility signed a €47m contract to supply Israel Railways with a further 31 Viaggio Light coaches, as a follow-on to the initial 2006 order for 87 cars which included options for a further 585. The latest cars will delivered from Wien in ...