Railway policy news – Page 51
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NewsDefence ministry disposes of stake in Wagon Pars
IRAN: The defence ministry has ended its involvement with rolling stock manufacturer Wagon Pars, Defence Minister Amir Hatami said on August 27. He explained that the ministry was divesting its shares in 130 companies including Wagon Pars, but did not state what stake the military holds in the company ...
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NewsFRA awards $204m of PTC implementation grants
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration announced the award of grants totalling $204m to support 28 Positive Train Control deployment projects in 15 states on August 24. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 provided $250m for PTC implementation. FRA invited applications in May and the selection process was completed in just ...
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Rail Business UKPublic sector can bid for Scottish franchises
UK: A public sector body would be able to bid for future Scottish passenger franchises should it wish to do so, Scottish government Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure & Connectivity Michael Matheson confirmed on August 23. Publicly-owned ferry and port operator David MacBrayne Ltd has confirmed its interest in exploring ...
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NewsDutch network ‘almost full’, ProRail warns
NETHERLANDS: The Dutch main line network is ‘almost full’, ProRail warned on August 20. The national infrastructure manager issued the stark assessment in its annual update on proposed path allocations for 2019. ProRail said it was ‘running up against the limits’ of its 7 300 track-km network, pointing out that ...
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NewsExpert team to review MTR Corp project management
CHINA: Following the discovery of problems with construction methods and documentation on the Shatin – Central Link project, Hong Kong’s Transport & Housing Bureau has appointed three retired senior government officers to review MTR Corp’s project management system and recommend additional management and monitoring measures. The expert adviser team team ...
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NewsNJ Transit to invest more as PTC pressure prompts service cuts
USA: On August 8 New Jersey Transit announced that it would be spending $3·8bn in the 2019 financial year as the commuter railroad seeks to address an urgent shortfall in investment. NJT is one of the largest commuter rail operations in the USA, running an extensive network of services which ...
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Rail Business UKRailway Customs Areas proposed to handle Brexit border requirements
UK: The relative reliability and security of rail freight and the availability of spare capacity through the Channel Tunnel could provide shippers with an attractive alternative to road haulage if the introduction of customs requirements causes increasing delays at the UK’s ports of entry following Brexit, according to a report ...
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NewsMTR Corp management shake-up after construction scandal
CHINA: The Hong Kong government announced on August 7 that it would deploy a team of experts to ensure quality and safety assurance on the Shatin – Central Link, following an MTR Corp special board meeting to discuss issues associated with the faulty construction of a platform slab at Hung ...
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NewsUS policymakers seek to restrict procurement from Chinese suppliers
USA: In the clearest sign yet that US policymakers are seeking to clamp down on Chinese involvement in the transport sector, the Senate on July 31 formally adopted measures which would see a one-year ban on any procurement from Chinese state-owned companies using Federal Transit Administration funding. The ban is ...
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NewsFS Group board replaced
ITALY: Recently-appointed Minister of Infrastructure & Transport Danilo Toninelli announced the removal of the board of national railway FS Group on July 25. ‘We are the government of change’ said Toninelli, a member of the right-wing Five Star Movement party. A new board for 2018-20 was named on July 30, ...
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Rail Business UKORR requires four actions following Network Rail timetabling failures
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has required that Network Rail immediately take four actions to improve its timetable planning, after an investigation by the regulator found systemic failings. There are two annual timetable changes, in May and December. The May 2018 change included the biggest service revisions in ...
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NewsState aid for electric train operators approved
GERMANY: The European Commission has approved under state aid rules a scheme which provides the operators of electric trains with federal government funding to cover up to 50% of the costs incurred from measures taken to increase energy efficiency. This can include the acquisition of modern rolling stock, including hybrid ...
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NewsFans take to the rails as RZD reports World Cup success
RUSSIA: According to statistics released by Russian Railways, no fewer than 319 000 football fans were carried on the national railway’s special free passenger trains during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The ‘cluster’ approach adopted by Russia to group football venues in the west of the country favoured rail ...
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Rail Business UKTrans-Pennine upgrade will include electrification, Grayling confirms
UK: The planned Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade will include electrification, Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling has confirmed. In a letter to the Railway Industry Association dated July 12, Grayling said the upgrade of the route between Manchester and York would include ‘both major civil engineering projects and electrification’, and ...
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NewsSBB challenges long-distance concession split
SWITZERLAND: Insisting that ‘legal clarification is necessary’, on July 16 Swiss Federal Railways lodged a formal challenge with the Federal Administrative Court against the decision to split the concession to operate long-distance passenger services. According to SBB, the decision by the Federal Office of Transport to award two inter-regional ...
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NewsCompetition concerns trigger full European Commission review of Siemens-Alstom merger
EUROPE: Following an initial Phase I investigation which raised concerns about competition in the rolling stock and signalling markets, the European Commission confirmed on July 13 that it had opened a Phase II in-depth investigation under the EU Merger Regulation to assess the proposed combination of Alstom with Siemens’ transport ...
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Rail Business UKReview of Network Rail’s tree management launched
UK: Terms of reference for a review of how Network Rail can best ensure the safety of railway operations while also protecting wildlife and preserving trees were published by the Department for Transport on July 12. There are estimated to be more than 10 million trees within 60 m of ...
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NewsHydrogen fuel cell trainset approved for passenger service
GERMANY: Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell multiple-unit was formally approved for passenger service on July 11. The two prototype units are expected to enter pilot service on the Elbe-Weser network with the first scheduled services planned for late summer. ‘Hydrogen is a true low-emission and efficient alternative to diesel’, ...
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NewsBid for Greek rolling stock maintenance business accepted
GREECE: The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund privatisation agency has accepted an ‘improved financial offer’ from FS Group-owned train operator Trainose for EESSTY, the rolling stock maintenance business which was spun out of the former state railway OSE. HRADF has made a number of attempts to sell EESSTY under a ...
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NewsEU audit condemns ‘ineffective patchwork’ of high speed lines
EUROPE: A lack of cross-border co-ordination between member states has reduced the effectiveness of European Union investment in high speed rail, according to a report published by the European Court of Auditors on June 26. Suggesting that ‘there is no European high speed rail network’, the report concludes that there ...