Passenger rail news – Page 86
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Rail Business UKSettle & Carlisle ‘Staycation Express’ to run again in 2021
UK: Rail Charter Services has confirmed that it intends to repeat the regular excursion trains it operated last summer over the Settle & Carlisle route through North Yorkshire and Cumbria.
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NewsODEG retains Baltic coast operating contract
GERMANY: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern transport authority VMV has awarded incumbent Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn the next contract to operate Ostseeküste II passenger services along the Baltic Sea coast. The contract awarded to ODEG on March 1 covers the operation of services RE9 Rostock – Stralsund – Sassnitz/Binz and RE10 Rostock ...
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NewsDiscontinuous electrification proposed on Brandenburg regional route
GERMANY: Hybrid battery-electric trains could be running on the Berlin – Neuruppin – Wittenberge route by 2028, according to a study undertaken for the District of Ostprignitz-Ruppin by the Innoverse transport consultancy.
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NewsČD signs framework contract for 160 Pesa regional DMUs
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator České Dráhy and Polish manufacturer Pesa Bydgoszcz have signed a KC14·5bn framework agreement for the supply of up to 160 regional diesel multiple-units, with a firm order worth almost KC3bn for an initial 33 units. The 120 km/h low-floor DMUs will be ...
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NewsHydrogen train trial to inform electrification thinking
GERMANY: Baden-Württemberg local operator Südwestdeutsche Landesverkehrs is to test an Alstom iLint hydrogen multiple-unit in regular service.
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NewsGermany needs faster electrification, says Allianz pro Schiene
GERMANY: The federal government needs to accelerate significantly the rate of electrification if it is to achieve its target of having at least 70% of the national network wired by 2025, according to the non-profit transport alliance Allianz pro Schiene.
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NewsGrand Est concession attracts ‘good response’
FRANCE: ‘Between four and 10’ companies or consortia have prequalified for a concession to operate a group of branch lines in the Grand Est region, according to the region’s Vice-President responsible for Transport David Valence.
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NewsNew fleet to make Nightjet ‘the best option for travelling between major European cities’
AUSTRIA: The exterior design and first painted carbody for the fleet of coaches which Siemens Mobility is to supply for Nightjet night train services has been unveiled by Austrian Federal Railways. The couchette vehicles will include ‘mini-suites’ offering more privacy for lone travellers. During ...
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NewsBasel – Binz night train planned
GERMANY: Köln-based operator Train4you has opened bookings for an overnight service from southwest Germany to the Baltic beach resort of Binz on the island of Rügen.
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Metro Report InternationalSiemens Mobility to develop Dutch MaaS platform
NETHERLANDS: The RiVier joint venture of national rail operator NS and urban operators HTM in Den Haag and RET in Rotterdam has selected Siemens Mobility subsidiaries Hacon and eos.uptrade to develop a country-wide Mobility as a Service platform.
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Rail Business UKAvanti West Coast introduces ITSO-compliant smartcard
UK: Following a trial, Avanti West Coast has launched its own smartcard scheme. The cards are intended to offer passengers another way to store tickets as part of an industry-wide move to reduce reliance on traditional paper media.
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NewsSwedish ticket offices to close
SWEDEN: National passenger operator SJ is to close its remaining travel centres at the main stations in Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö from March 1. Customer service staff will instead be deployed around the stations to provide information and assist passengers with using ticket machines, digital purchases and rebooking.
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NewsSaudi Arabia approves merger of railway companies
SAUDI ARABIA: The merger of Saudi Railways Organization and Saudi Railways Company has been formally approved. The combined entity will be responsible for all inter-city railways in the country, and will use the Saudi Railways Company name, abbreviated SAR. The merger and associated legislative changes would ...
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NewsIntroduction of Dutch services postponed
NETHERLANDS: National passenger operator NS has postponed by at least a year its plans to introduce a fast IC Direct service from the southwest to the northeast of the country via Rotterdam Central, Amsterdam Zuid and Almere. The service had been expected to launch in December ...
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NewsFrench night train network renaissance
FRANCE: Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djébbari has said his ambition is ‘to have about 10 overnight train services in 2030’. Speaking to Le Parisien after visiting the technicentre at Périgueux with SNCF President Jean-Pierre Farandou to see the first of 60 couchette coaches that are being refurbished, ...
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NewsAutomation of rural branch line trains to be studied
GERMANY: A study into the potential automation of rural passenger train services has been awarded funding, with a branch line in Oberfranken selected for testing.
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NewsSteepest rack railway launches modernisation programme
SWITZERLAND: The world’s steepest rack railway is to introduce new rolling stock and modernise its stations to enable an increase in services. Pilatus Bahnen has ordered eight passenger railcars and a freight vehicle for its 800 mm gauge line, which uses the Locher rack system to ...
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NewsSerbia calls tenders for 200 km/h EMUs
SERBIA: The Ministry of Construction, Transport & Infrastructure has called tenders for the supply of three 200 km/h electric trainsets for use on the Beograd - Novi Sad - Subotica route. The trainsets are required to be around 100 m long with a minimum of 300 ...
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Rail Business UKPassenger Experience and Economics, Policy & Operations rail research centres planned
UK: The UK Rail Research & Innovation Network has called on academic institutions to express interest in establishing two centres of excellence. The Inclusive Passenger Experience centre would focus on topics such as inclusive design, digital connectivity, future passenger preferences, and demand and performance metrics. The ...
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NewsHamilton – Auckland connector is ready to roll
NEW ZEALAND: The long-planned regional passenger service connecting Hamilton and Auckland will launch on April 6, Waikato Regional Council announced on February 10.