Passenger rail news – Page 80
-
NewsGrand Est cross-border fleet unveiled
FRANCE: The first of 30 electro-diesel trainsets for cross-border services between the French region of Grand Est and the German Länder of Baden-Württemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland was demonstrated to local politicians and officials in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse on July 10. An identical trainset is meanwhile ...
-
NewsFreight operators concerned by ‘misguided’ competition Executive Order
USA: Freight railroads have expressed concern about the implications of an Executive Order issued by President Biden on July 9 aimed at ‘promoting competition in the American economy’. The order calls on regulatory bodies to facilitate ‘robust’ competition and reduce monopoly power in various sectors ranging from ...
-
NewsToronto – Québec High Frequency Rail procurement to get underway this year
CANADA: The government has announced the start of procurement for the High Frequency Rail programme to build dedicated tracks for 200 km/h electric passenger trains on the Corridor route linking Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Québec. On July 6 Transport Canada said the process to select a ...
-
NewsBattery-hybrid Venture trains in $3·4bn Amtrak inter-city fleet renewal order
USA: Amtrak has awarded Siemens Mobility contracts to supply 73 trainsets including electro-diesel and diesel-battery hybrid vehicles to operate medium-distance inter-city routes. ‘These new trains will reshape the future of rail travel by replacing our ageing 40 to 50 year old fleet with state-of-the-art, American-made equipment’, ...
-
NewsMEPs urge faster ERTMS rollout
EUROPE: The European Parliament has called for expedited deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System in order to reduce the ‘fragmentation’ of the European rail sector and achieve the EU’s climate and digital transition objectives.
-
NewsILSA trains take shape as Spain’s high speed competition hots up
SPAIN: The first of 23 ETR1000 trainsets being built for future high speed operator Intermodalidad de Levante are nearing completion at Hitachi Rail Europe’s Pistoia factory in Italy.
-
NewsLhasa – Nyingchi line inaugurated
CHINA: The first electrified railway in Tibet was inaugurated on June 25, with ceremonies in Lhasa to mark the start of operations on the Lhasa – Nyingchi section of the Sichuan - Tibet railway. Diverging at Xierong from the Lhasa – Xigatse line opened ...
-
NewsBattery trains and more frequent services specified in Brandenburg operating contract
GERMANY: The use of battery trains on non-electrified routes and a 30% increase in services are included in the next Netz Ostbrandenburg operating contract, which Berlin-Brandenburg transport authority VBB has awarded to incumbent Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn following a competitive tendering process. A total ...
-
NewsErzgebirge operating contract extended
GERMANY: Having received no expressions of interest from other potential operators, central Sachsen transport authority VMS has directly awarded DB Regio’s Erzgebirgsbahn an extension to its contract to operate Dieselnetz Erzgebirge passenger services. The contract runs for 36 months from June 13, and covers three services ...
-
In depthPassenger Rolling Stock: Getting ready for Wi-Fi 6E
Measures to expand the available spectrum for free-to-air wi-fi present an opportunity for railways to improve onboard connectivity, but will require the adoption of forward-compatible components.
-
NewsRail reopenings to support climate-friendly transport
GERMANY: Infrastructure manager DB Netz has identified 20 lines totalling 245 route-km which it intends to reactivate for both freight and passenger services by 2030 as part of an initiative to provide environmentally friendly transport alternatives.
-
NewsSlovakian forest railway takes delivery of Swiss railcars
SLOVAKIA: As part of ambitious plans to provide year-round passenger services on a 760 mm gauge former forestry railway, non-profit heritage organisation Čiernohronská Železnica has taken delivery of a fleet of electric railcars formerly used on Switzerland’s Waldenburgerbahn. The Čierny Hron valley revitalisation project, which has ...
-
NewsUkrainian Railways orders 100 sleeping cars
UKRAINE: National railway Ukrzaliznytsia has awarded KVSZ a contract to supply 100 sleeping cars. The order includes 51 coaches with four-berth compartments, 12 with two-berth compartments and 37 with facilities for passengers with reduced mobility, including 17 with a train manager’s compartment. All are due to ...
-
NewsSwiss narrow gauge railways merge
SWITZERLAND: Metre gauge railway operators Appenzeller Bahnen and Frauenfeld-Wil-Bahn have merged following approval by their respective boards on June 11 and June 17. The two companies in northeast Switzerland have co-operated closely for almost 20 years, and began to explore a merger at the beginning of ...
-
Rail Business UKGovia Thameslink Railway contract extended to March 2022
UK: The Department for Transport has extended Govia Thameslink Railway’s Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement from September 20 2021 until March 31 2022 on the existing terms, and laid the ground for a directly-awarded contract which could run up to a further six years. Govia Thameslink Railway ...
-
NewsNight train start-ups European Sleeper and Moonlight Express join forces
EUROPE: Night train start-up companies European Sleeper and Moonlight Express have decided to join forces rather than develop competing initiatives to launch overnight services from Belgium and the Netherlands. On June 16 the companies said they would work together under the European Sleeper brand to launch ...
-
NewsGerman operating contracts awarded
GERMANY: Rhein-Main-transport authority RMV has awarded Hessische Landesbahn a contract to operate Lahntal, Vogelsberg and Rhönbahn regional passenger services for 15 years from December 10 2023, and with its Rheinland-Pfalz Nord counterpart has awarded VIAS the next contract to operate Rheingau services. The Lahntal, Vogelsberg and ...
-
NewsCommercial services begin on Lagos – Ibadan standard gauge railway
NIGERIA: Nigerian Railway Corp launched full commercial services on the 157 km Lagos – Ibadan standard gauge line on June 15, President Muhammadu Buhari having attended an inauguration ceremony on June 10. The President said the government’s aim is to revitalise the ...
-
Rail Business UKWelsh rolling stock strategy evolves as three-phase post-pandemic recovery envisaged
UK: TfW Rail has again revised its fleet strategy as it seeks to ensure passenger services can be improved despite the financial constraints caused by Covid-19, Managing Director Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde tells Rail Business UK.
-
In depthEurope: Reviving the overnight network
An array of revived and new overnight services is planned across western and central Europe. Murray Hughes provides an overview of the latest developments.