Railway policy news – Page 27
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Metro Report InternationalCall for 2022 to be the European Year of Rail & Public Transport
EUROPE: With plans to celebrate 2021 as the Year of Rail having been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, five European transport associations have jointly called on the European Union to extend and expand the concept and make 2022 the European Year of Rail & Public Transport. ...
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In depthTurkey: Canal plan puts brakes on rail projects
Turkey’s plans to build a ship canal connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara are being carefully monitored by the European Commission in case the scheme interferes with the project to upgrade Turkey’s main line link to Bulgaria and the rest of Europe. David O’Byrne reports.
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Rail Business UKWe need a simpler, sustainable and more user-centric railway, says Network Rail Chief Executive
UK: ‘This is a fantastic time to look at reshaping the industry, as we come out of Covid’, says Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines. ‘The government is committed to growing the railway’ and to decarbonisation, and ‘there is no appetite to use Covid as an excuse to shut the railway.’
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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.
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NewsLegal settlement restores almost $1bn in California high speed rail funding
USA: The federal government has agreed to return $929m in grants to the California High Speed Rail Authority following the settlement of legal proceedings with the state of California.
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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.
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In depthFrance: Report presages night train renaissance
A detailed report on the revival of domestic and international overnight passenger services on the French network indicates a potential market of 5∙7 million trips a year.
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NewsAmtrak raises concerns over CSX-Pan Am deal
USA: National passenger operator Amtrak has raised concerns over the proposed acquisition of New England regional railroad Pan Am Railways by CSX Corp.
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NewsEU transport ministers call for modal shift, so rail can grow faster than the wider economy
EUROPE: Meeting virtually on June 3, EU transport ministers gave unequivocal backing to rail’s role at the heart of sustainable mobility by adopting two sets of EU Council conclusions.
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NewsPassenger organisations demand better TER services
FRANCE: Passenger lobbying and campaign group FNAUT, consumer association UFC-Que Choisir and cycling lobby federation FUB are calling for improvements to regional passenger services across France ahead of the regional elections due to take place on June 20 and 27.
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NewsArriva eyes night trains to Schiphol
NETHERLANDS: Arriva Netherlands has applied for rights to operate open access night trains linking Maastricht and Groningen to the Randstad region and Schiphol airport, challenging the current NS monopoly of the core national network.
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Metro Report InternationalDriverless train study required under latest Transport for London support deal
UK: The Department for Transport has agreed a further funding package for Transport for London, with government conditions including studies for the possible conversion of two Underground lines to driverless operation. The deal reached on June 1 covers the period from May 29 to December 11. ...
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NewsOperating contract tender cancelled after incumbent submits only bid
SLOVAKIA: The Ministry of Transport has cancelled a public tender for the operation of passenger services on the 95 km Bratislava – Komárno line, after the only bidder was national passenger operator ZSSK which offered a price that far exceeded the ministry’s expectations. A direct award ...
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Rail Business UKGreat British Railways to provide ‘united, accountable leadership’ for the rail sector
UK: Replacing ‘a quarter-century of fragmentation’ with ‘single, accountable national leadership’ is at the core of the government’s Williams-Shapps Plan for reform of the railways in Great Britain, with passenger services to be provided by private sector concessionaires under contract to a new public body Great British ...
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Rail Business UKLIVE: Rail sector responds to the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail
Live blog with the latest updates and reactions to the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail published on May 20 2021, the UK government’s white paper based on the Williams Review of the future structure of the rail industry.
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NewsTEE 2.0 Letter of Intent signed at third Rail Summit
GERMANY: Agreement to take forward plans for a European network of high speed day and overnight inter-city services was reached on May 17 when European transport ministers signed a Letter of Intent for the Trans-Europ-Express 2.0 programme at the third Rail Summit staged by Germany’s Federal Ministry ...
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NewsVia Vindobona deal promises 4 h Berlin – Wien timing
GERMANY: Plans for a dramatic acceleration of inter-city passenger services between the capital cities of Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria were outlined at the third German Rail Summit held virtually on May 17. Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer highlighted plans agreed by the three countries in ...
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NewsDOT backs return of Gulf Coast passenger trains
USA: The Department of Transportation has endorsed efforts to revive inter-city passenger train services on the Gulf Coast route east of New Orleans, which were suspended following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Writing to the Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board Martin Oberman on May 10, DOT ...
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NewsConnecting Europe Express to tour 26 countries in 36 days
EUROPE: Marking Europe Day on May 9 and the EU Year of Rail, the European Commission has confirmed the programme for its Connecting Europe Express exhibition train. Intended to demonstrate ‘the power of rail to connect people and businesses’, the project will also celebrate the cultural, economic ...
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NewsNew Zealand’s 10-year Rail Plan prioritises resilience and reliability
NEW ZEALAND: The government has published a 10-year Rail Plan, setting out its ambitions for a ‘resilient and reliable’ rail network and outlining its investment priorities. The plan does not provide a definitive list of investments or funding commitments, but is intended as a sign of ...