Passenger rail news – Page 4
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NewsBulgarian Talgo 230 push-pull train proposal revealed
BULGARIA: Spanish manufacturer Talgo has announced details of the trainsets it has proposed in response to a call for tenders to supply and maintain 20 push-pull inter-city trainsets. CRRC Qingdao Sifang Locomotive submitted a much lower bid for the tender called by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport ...
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Metro Report InternationalIstanbul’s Sirkeci – Kazlıçeşme ‘light rail’ line opens
TURKEY: A ‘light rail’ line on the alignment of the former railway to the historic Sirkeci station on the European side of Istanbul was opened by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan February 26. The Halkalı – Sirkeci section of line closed in August 2013 as part of ...
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NewsMTR agrees early hand-back of Mälartåg operating contract
SWEDEN: MTR Corp is to hand back its remaining operating contract with effect from June 16, reporting ‘challenges’ to achieving a financially sustainable business. Local transport authority Mälardalstrafik awarded MTR a contract to run regional services to the west and northwest of Stockholm until December 2029 ...
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NewsEuropean day and overnight train expansion outlined in green travel collaboration
EUROPE: Open access night train co-operative European Sleeper and tour operator Flywise’s rail brand GreenCityTrip are to collaborate to offer travel from the Netherlands and Belgium to Berlin, Dresden and Praha. European Sleeper’s Brussels – Amsterdam – Berlin overnight service is to be extended to Dresden ...
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NewsSNCB unveils independently accessible coach
BELGIUM: National operator SNCB has unveiled the first of 130 double-deck coaches to facilitate wheelchair users travelling without assistance.
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NewsFootbath train launched to serve hot springs resort
JAPAN: Private train operator Kintetsu has modified one of its electric multiple-units to operate luxury tourist services between Nagoya and Yunoyama-Onsen, a hot springs resort in the Suzuka area of outstanding natural beauty.
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Rail Business UKTokyo Metro amongst bidders for Elizabeth Line operating contract
UK: Transport for London has shortlisted four bidders for the next concession to operate services on the cross-city Elizabeth Line. They are: Arriva UK Trains; First Keolis Elizabeth Line, a joint venture of FirstGroup and Keolis; GTS Rail Operations, a joint venture of Go-Ahead Group, ...
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NewsCalifornia orders more hydrogen trainsets
USA: California’s Department of Transportation has ordered six more Stadler Flirt H2 hydrogen fuel cell multiple-units. The $127m order announced on February 15 has been placed using an October 2023 framework contract which included an $80m firm order for four trains with options for up to ...
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Rail Business UKTransPennine Express confirms plans to ‘build back’ its timetable
UK: TransPennine Express has confirmed that it expects to begin reinstating services to meet commitments it made when it announced temporary timetable reductions in December 2023. Good progress has been made with crew training which will allow the operator to begin to restore services from June ...
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NewsSwiss railway collaboration to continue
SWITZERLAND: Collaboration between Swiss Federal Railways and the independent BLS is set to continue with the introduction of an additional longer distance service in December 2025. Taking advantage of the doubling of the 4 km Grellingen – Duggingen section in late 2025, BLS will introduce service ...
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Rail Business UKTransPennine Express refreshes ‘diluted and confused’ onboard catering
UK: TransPennine Express is to relaunch its onboard catering proposition from February 26 after a review concluded that its existing offering had become ‘diluted and confused’. The operator told stakeholders that this is partly the result of timetable enhancements which have not been matched by budget ...
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NewsProcurement of Portugal’s broad gauge high speed line begins
PORTUGAL: Tenders have been called for the starter section of the proposed high speed corridor between Lisboa and Porto. The first tenders covers Stage 1 between Porto and Oiã near Aveiro. Infrastructure manager Infraestruturas de Portugal held a ceremony at its headquarters at Almada on January ...
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NewsFour-pronged strategy to develop Pakistan Railways
PAKISTAN: A four-pronged strategy for financial autonomy, governance and growth, private sector participation and leveraging technology at Pakistan Railways has been set out by Railways Board Chairman Syed Mazhar Ali Shah. Financial Autonomy Shah said Pakistan Railways’ statutory position as a government ...
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NewsTrainline targets airport users during Super Bowl
USA: Ticket retailer Trainline is to show an advertisement for European rail travel on TV screens at US international airport terminals during Super Bowl LVIII commercial breaks, while on-screen adverts will appear during the game. ‘The Super Bowl has a near-mythical status in US culture and ...
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NewsCRRC electro-diesel multiple-units enter service in Chile
CHILE: The six four-car electro-diesel multiple-units that CRRC Sifang supplied for regional operator EFE Central have entered revenue services on the Santiago Estación Central – Curicó route. A ceremony on January 19 has been attended by Minister Secretary General of the Government, Camila Vallejo, Minister of ...
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NewsFinland’s VR to acquire Swedish open access operator
SWEDEN: Finnish national train operator VR Group has agreed to acquire MTR Nordic’s Swedish open access passenger business MTR Express. MTRX launched open access services between Stockholm and Göteborg in 2015. It now runs 18 services a day using six Stadler Flirt X74 EMUs and with ...
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Rail Business UKClass 730 EMU arrives in the West Midlands
UK: ‘Customers will have their breath taken away’ said West Midlands Mayor Andy Street when West Midlands Railway presented its Alstom Aventra Class 730 EMUs in Wolverhampton on February 8. As part of a £700m investment in new rolling stock, operator West Midlands Trains is introducing ...
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NewsMetronom to hand back operating contract
Source: Metronom/Jan Sieg GERMANY: Metronom is negotiating with Niedersachsen transport authority LNVG to terminate its contract to operate Hansenetz regional passenger services in June 2026 rather than in December 2033. In recent months Metronom has faced a series of problems including rising costs and a shortage ...
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NewsOurense station remodelling contract awarded
SPAIN: High speed infrastructure manager ADIF Alta Velocidad announced on February 1 that it had awarded Copasa, Constructora San José and Syneox Rail a €112m contract to remodel Ourense station as a hub for rail and bus transport in northwestern Spain. The ...
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NewsTransdev awarded Swedish train operating contract
SWEDEN: Östergötland transport authority Östgötatrafiken has selected Transdev for the next contract to operate Östgötapendeln passenger services. The regional services between Norrköping, Motala and Tranås are currently operated by Finland’s VR, which acquired Arriva’s Swedish activities. They use 18 Alstom Coradia Nordic X61 electric multiple-units, and carry ...