Passenger rail news – Page 38
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NewsCompetition and investment promised in Grand Est 10-year TER contract
FRANCE: National operator SNCF and the Grand Est région have signed an ‘ambitious and innovative’ 10-year agreement covering the development of local and regional rail services in and around Strasbourg.
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NewsNS signs contract to operate core passenger train services to 2033
NETHERLANDS: The Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management and national incumbent operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen have signed a public service operating contract covering the designated core passenger rail network, ahead of the EU deadline for direct awards. The Hoofdrailnet concession agreement runs from January 1 2025 to ...
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NewsFirst section of Mexico’s Trans-Isthmus Railway opens
MEXICO: The newly rebuilt ‘Line Z’ of the Interoceanic Railway of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec was inaugurated on December 22.
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Metro Report International‘Truly unique’ history-inspired tramway to be built in Saudi Arabia
SAUDI ARABIA: The Royal Commission for AlUla has awarded Alstom a €500m contract to supply a ‘truly unique’ tramway inspired by heritage including the historic Hedjaz Railway. Alstom said the 22·4 km line would be the world’s longest catenary-free tramway, and will ‘encapsulate richness, history and ...
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NewsAmtrak begins procurement to renew Long Distance train fleet
USA: Amtrak has issued a request for proposals for a ‘once-in-a-generation, multi-billion-dollar’ procurement of double-deck rolling stock to replace its Long Distance fleet. The RFP was informed by the responses to a request for information issued in December 2022. Amtrak is soliciting offers from established companies ...
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NewsAlstom wins Victoria fleet maintenance contract
AUSTRALIA: Alstom has won a €900m contract to maintain the VLocity and Classic regional train fleets in Victoria. The VLocity diesel multiple-units which were built at Alstom’s Dandenong plant will be maintained alongside the Classic fleet at sites in West Melbourne, South Dynon and Ballarat East. ...
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Rail Business UKConverting passenger information into sign language
UK: Signapse is aiming to improve access to real-time passenger information by using AI to translate messages at stations and on trains into British Sign Language. The specialist technology company is working with Network Rail, South Western Railway and Whoosh Media on the project, which has ...
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NewsSoftware expands ticket vending machine capabilities
ITALY: Trenord is the first customer to deploy a ticket machine software platform which Conduent Transportation has developed to provide a user experience similar to a web app and to enable the future sale of new products. The ticket machines accept payment by digital payment apps, ...
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NewsChinese task force to draw-up TAZARA revitalisation plan
AFRICA: China Civil & Engineering and Construction Corp has sent a task force to undertake a comprehensive business and technical inspection of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, having being appointed to negotiate a potential deal for a Chinese operator to revitalise the line which was built with Chinese ...
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NewsCórdoba regional train service expanded
ARGENTINA: Tren de las Sierras regional services in the northern city of Córdoba have been expanded to serve Capilla del Monte, following the completion of renovation work on a 34 km section of the metre-gauge line from Valle Hermoso. Work to rebuild the single-track route included ...
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NewsCoaches enter service in Indonesia
INDONESIA: Argo Dwipangga locomotive-hauled coaches manufactured by local company PT Inka entered service between Gambir station in Jakarta and Solo Balapan in central Java on December 13. The trainset is formed of seven executive class and three luxury class coaches, one dining car and one generator ...
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NewsPrasa resumes long-distance services after two years
SOUTH AFRICA: Prasa restarted Shosholoza Meyl long-distance passenger services on the Johannesburg – Durban and Johannesburg – Cape Town routes on December 7.
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NewsMore high speed sets in ONCF rolling stock order
MOROCCO: National operator ONCF has called tenders for a fleet of 168 trainsets worth a total of 16bn dirhams. Expressions of interest had been sought in September 2022, generating 10 responses. The contract which is due to be signed by July 31 2024 is in three ...
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NewsVilnius – Riga passenger train launch date confirmed
EUROPE: Lithuanian passenger operator LTG Link has opened ticket sales for its Vilnius – Riga service, which is set to launch on December 27. The daily service will leave Vilnius at 06.30 and arrive in the Latvian capital at 10.43. The return ...
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NewsNairobi suburban railway construction launched
KENYA: President William Ruto has officially launched construction of the Riruta – Ngong commuter rail line, which is being built to relieve road congestion and lower transport costs in Nairobi. The metre-gauge line is being built by China Road & Bridge Corp under a contract awarded ...
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NewsPresident inaugurates first phase of Tren Maya
MEXICO: Revenue services have started running on the 473 km first phase of the ambitious Tren Maya project between Campeche and Cancún, following a formal inauguration by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Unveiling a commemorative plaque at San Francisco station in Campeche ...
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NewsLatvian operator rebrands as Škoda EMUs enter service
LATVIA: Passenger operator Pasažieru Vilcien, now rebranding as Vivi, has put its first Škoda Class 16EV electric multiple-units into passenger service. ‘We are taking a big step forward in the development of train travel and we continue to work to ensure that more and more passengers ...
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NewsDeutsche Bahn calls tenders for next generation of ICE high speed trains
GERMANY: Deutsche Bahn has called tenders for the development and supply of its next generation of InterCity Express high speed trainsets, with entry into service planned for the early 2030s. DB said the fifth generation ICE trainsets would set new standards for energy efficiency, reliability and ...
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Rail Business UKPlan to welcome open access back to Wrexham
UK: Plans have been drawn up to revive open access services between London, Shrewsbury and Wrexham under the WSMR brand, 13 years after a previous initiative ended. Tony Miles reports.
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Rail Business UKPlans for centralised Great British Railways ticket sales scrapped
UK: The government has dropped plans to create a centralised Great British Railways online rail ticket retailer, the Department for Transport has confirmed. The proposals were originally outlined by the in May 2021 as part of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail white paper. However, on December ...