Railway policy news – Page 11
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News
Czechs urge high speed rail promoters to focus on released capacity benefits
EUROPE: High speed rail investment should place greater focus on the benefits of releasing capacity on existing lines, a group of Czech policymakers and industry leaders told a summit in Brussels on July 11.
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News
California high speed starter section set for completion as state funding finalised
USA: The state of California appears finally to be on course to complete the Initial Operating Section of its high speed rail network between Bakersfield and Merced after the programme was allocated $4·2bn in the annual state budget on June 30.
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News
Cross-border links backed as €5·4bn in grants awarded at Connecting Europe Days
A total of €5·4bn in transport investment funding was announced at the Connecting Europe Days in Lyon on June 29. Toma Bačić reports from Lyon.
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In depth
South Africa: PRASA revival hangs by a thread
Infrastructure theft and vandalism brought South Africa’s passenger railways to their knees during the pandemic lockdown of spring 2020. Restoration of PRASA’s Western Cape suburban services is now offering hope for the future, but in populous Gauteng the outlook seems bleak, with many routes rendered inoperable. Benjámin Zelki visited in early 2022.
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News
Western Balkan railways need better integration and more maintenance, conference hears
EUROPE: Planned major projects, available financing mechanisms, and the need for international integration of railways including the expansion of the Trans-European Transport Network were discussed at the Connecting the Western Balkans to the EU rail market through investment and reform conference. The online event was ...
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In depth
Comment: No time to delay
The rail industry is emerging from the pandemic facing an urgent need to prioritise investment and ensure tangible operational, productivity and technological benefits are delivered within the next five years, argues our Executive Editor Nick Kingsley.
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News
Smart & Affordable High Speed Services in the EU study planned
EUROPE: Railway industry associations have signed memorandum of understanding to undertake a study into ‘Smart & Affordable High-Speed Services in the European Union’, in order to demonstrate the benefits of a ‘radical transformation’ of the rail network to provide high speed services linking all major continental ...
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News
Consultation starts on Swiss Bahn 2050 programme
SWITZERLAND: The Federal Council has put forward proposals for a further long-term programme of investment in the national rail network. Enhancement of the existing network to allow more intensive use is now seen as preferable to starting more major infrastructure projects.
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News
COTIF uniform rules applied across Estonian network
ESTONIA: The Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail’s CIV rules for international passenger traffic and the CIM equivalent for freight apply to the entire Estonian network with effect from June 16. Estonia acceded to the COTIF convention in January 2009, the last of the then EU ...
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News
Go-Ahead condemns quality of rail infrastructure in southern Germany
GERMANY: Private operator Go-Ahead Deutschland has issued a strongly-worded statement criticising DB Netz for the quality of the railway infrastructure in Bayern and Baden-Württemburg, where the company has train operating contracts.
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In depth
South Korea: Medium speed network takes shape
Development of a ‘medium high speed network’ is now in full swing in South Korea, along with the upgrading of other corridors for both high speed and suburban traffic. Benjámin Zelki investigates.
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In depth
European policy: Capacity directive could be game-changer
With legislation being considered to enhance capacity on Europe’s rail network, Murray Hughes asks Forum Train Europe Managing Director Edgar Schenk and Senior Project Manager Sebastián Čarek how this would improve rail’s ability to compete against road and air.
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In depth
High speed: New line plans revisited as Macron promises more
President Macron has promised ‘a decade of the TGV’ in the 2020s, and work is due to start soon on three more high speed lines. Toma Bačić investigates.
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News
Freight shippers call for rail reforms to encourage containerisation in Kazakhstan
KAZAKHSTAN: Freight forwarders, operators and wagon owners have called for reforms to facilitate the increased use of containers for domestic and international rail freight traffic. Following a recent rail industry meeting held in Almaty, logistics group PTC Holding said containerisation is a global trend, but is ...
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Rail Business UK
Government consults on rail reform legislative changes
UK: The government has begun consultation on the legislative changes required to implement the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail. This includes the creation of Great British Railways, a new governance framework, and reform of wider industry structures and processes. The consultation opened on June 9 and closes ...
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News
Incumbent train operators may have colluded against new entrant, European Commission says
EUROPE: The European Commission has sent Czech and Austrian national operators ČD and ÖBB a statement of objections setting out its preliminary view that they may have colluded to prevent new entrant RegioJet acquiring second-hand passenger rolling stock for use on competing services. The European Commission ...
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In depth
Interview: Korail goes in search of market share
Better on-board services and improved post-pandemic hygiene rank high among passengers’ demands, Korail President & CEO Na Hee-Seung tells Benjámin Zelki.
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Rail Business UK
Scotland: Setting priorities for a new era
The return of passenger services to public control, along with government targets for decarbonisation and freight modal shift, promise a positive future for Scotland’s rail network. Tony Miles talks to Transport Scotland and Scotland’s Railway about the benefits and challenges of renationalisation.
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News
DB Netz targets faster project approval and digital capacity boost
GERMANY: DB Netz Chairman Frank Sennhenn says the infrastructure manager is targeting a 30% gain in capacity on existing lines ‘depending on the exact traffic mix’ from digitalisation including traffic management, automation and the roll-out of ERTMS. Speaking at the opening of the IAF track technology ...
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News
Ukrainian standard gauge railway plan
UKRAINE: Announcing a range of infrastructure and regulatory measures to more closely integrate Ukraine with EU transport networks, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine would begin phased construction of railway tracks to European standards. This would start with hubs and large cities, and then gradually expand ...