Railway policy news – Page 6
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In depthInterview: ‘No limit’ on the potential of French high speed market
While its planned high speed services linking Bordeaux with Rennes and Nantes are still in gestation, French new entrant Le Train believes it can establish itself as the largest private operator in an increasingly crowded domestic market. CEO Alain Getraud and Deputy Chief Executive Catherine Pihan-Le Bars explain their vision to Nick Kingsley.
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News‘Railway Erasmus’ scheme proposed to tackle the sector’s skills shortage
EUROPE: The final report of the Skill Training Alliance For the Future European Rail System project has been issued.
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail to be abolished under rail reforms as Haigh rejects ‘BR reboot’
UK: Great British Railways will ‘will not be British Rail Rebooted or Network Rail 2·0’, Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh has insisted as she gave an update on the rail reform programme.
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Metro Report InternationalFunding gap looms over New York rail and Subway investment plans
USA: Further roll-out of CBTC on the New York Subway and renewal of the rolling stock fleet are core rail elements of New York MTA’s next Capital Plan, covering the transport authority’s investment priorities for 2025-29.
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NewsState railways fined for colluding against open access operator
EUROPE: The European Commission has fined the Czech and Austrian national train operators a total of €48·7m for colluding to prevent new entrant RegioJet from acquiring second-hand rolling stock to support its growth in the Czech Republic and on the Praha – Wien route. ...
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In depthInterview: SBB’s Ducrot prioritises co-operation over competition
Chief Executive of Swiss Federal Railways Vincent Ducrot is keenly aware of the need to keep passenger and freight customers satisfied. Toma Bačić asked how his strategy would achieve that objective.
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Rail Business UKViewpoint: Do not rush UK rail reform
Given the scale of the task, the government should resist the temptation to push through hasty reform of the UK rail sector, argues Dominic Booth, Chief Executive of Transport UK Group.
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NewsSaudi Arabia Railways says its 2035 vision offers ‘excellent investment opportunities’
Saudi Arabia Railways’ updated business strategy running to 2035 includes an 8 000 km expansion of the network, becoming financially self-sustaining and partnering with leading technology suppliers, CEO Dr Bashar bin Khalid Al Malik tells Railway Gazette International.
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In depthComment: Rail must respond to Draghi’s challenge
A recent review by Mario Draghi suggests that rail can play a key role in supporting Europe’s economic competitiveness and addressing environmental challenges, but sector representatives argue that much remains to be done in the next EU legislative period to address outstanding issues.
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NewsRail competition works, says European Commission report
EUROPE: ‘Competition in railways seems to trigger an increase in ridership and brings about significant benefits to society’, according to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility & Transport.
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NewsState aid should be limited and targeted, says European Rail Freight Association
EUROPE: ‘We need to think about the role of public money in rail freight strategically’, European Rail Freight Association President Dirk Stahl said when the organisation set out its position on the European Commission’s proposal to reform state aid rules for land and multimodal transport. ‘There ...
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NewsFrench railway enhancements needed to support European freight modal shift
EUROPE: Combined transport company Hupac says railways in eastern France need to be enhanced to ensure the long-term reliability of north-south European freight services by offering an alternative to routes through Germany. Following three years of preparation, SBB Cargo International, Captrain France, DB InfraGo and SNCF ...
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NewsPassion and technology will support the future of rail, says Germany’s Transport Minister
INNOTRANS: ‘We need to harness people’s passion for railways’, urged Germany’s Federal Minister for Digital & Transport Dr Volker Wissing at the opening ceremony for InnoTrans 2024 in Berlin on September 24. Emphasising the need for a comprehensive modernisation and digitalisation of the country’s ageing rail network, ...
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NewsTrain2InnoTrans highlights the need for cross-border co-operation
INNOTRANS: Around 230 senior European decision makers and rail sector representatives travelled from Brussels to Berlin on a special train on September 23, organised by the Europe’s Rail joint undertaking to demonstrate the benefits of enhancing cross-border rail connectivity. Operated by one ...
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NewsEuropean rail sector responds to announcement of next Transport Commissioner
EUROPE: Apostolos Tzitzikostas of Greece has been named European Commissioner designate for Sustainable Transport & Tourism. A 46-year old member of the New Democracy party, Tzitzikostas was governor of the Central Macedonia region from 2014, President of the European Committee of the Regions in 2020-22 and ...
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NewsEuropean Rail Freight Association sets out priorities
EUROPE: The European Rail Freight Association has issued a 2024-29 manifesto setting three out three broad policy objectives and four issues it believes must be addressed by during the current five-year EU legislative cycle. Its objectives are fixing infrastructure, achieving the Single European Railway Area and ...
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NewsFive steps to boost Belgian rail freight
BELGIUM: Privatised freight operator Lineas has called for Belgium’s national and regional governments to take five steps which it says are needed to improve the competitiveness of rail freight and help address road congestion, climate change and the energy transition. These are: Competitive fairness: the ...
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In depthRegulation: Putting customers at heart of DB InfraGO
In its biennial report published on July 1, Germany’s Monopolies Commission calls for measures governing DB InfraGO to be geared more directly to the needs of rail customers.
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NewsMoldova joins the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail
MOLDOVA: Moldova has become the 52nd Member of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail. Based in Switzerland, OTIF is the intergovernmental organisation which develops a unified legal framework for railways which is applied by countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. Moldova’s application for accession ...
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In depthInterview: Record funding is flowing – but Germany’s railway must deliver
The building blocks to turn round performance on Germany’s national network are being put in place thanks to an unprecedented investment programme, but Deutsche Bahn and infrastructure arm DB InfraGO must deliver on their promises, warns Federal Minister for Digital & Transport Dr Volker Wissing. Murray Hughes put the questions.