Railway policy news – Page 2
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NewsConcerns over PSO contracts directly awarded before tendering rule change
EUROPE: Concerns have been raised over the signing of directly awarded train operating contracts in several countries, shortly before the expiry of a provision in the Fourth Railway Package regulation on competitive tendering.
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NewsVioleta Bulc named European Rail Champion as concerns over skills and diversity grow
EUROPE: Former European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc and Danish national operator DSB were the winners of the two annual awards handed out by trade associations CER and UNIFE at the European Railway Award in Brussels on January 29.
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NewsRail projects awarded EU military mobility funding
EUROPE: Rail freight facility development and capacity enhancement projects are included in 38 schemes to upgrade transport infrastructure for dual civilian and defence purposes which have been selected to receive €807m of Connecting Europe Facility funding.
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NewsIncoming Polish government announces audit of CPK high speed rail and airport project
POLAND: The recently elected government has announced an audit of the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny railway, road and hub airport programme, along with leadership changes at the project promoter. On January 17 Maciej Lasek, the new Secretary of State for Development Funds & Regional Policy and the ...
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NewsTaiwan Railway restructured as state-owned corporation
TAIWAN: Control of the national rail network has been transferred to a newly established Taiwan Railway Corp, as successor to the former Taiwan Railway Administration. Transformation of the railway from a government department into a state-owned corporation had been under discussion since 2002, but was given ...
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NewsRENFE ticket sales competition commitments made legally binding
SPAIN: Commitments which national train operator RENFE made to address the European Commission’s concerns regarding the supply of data to rival ticketing retailers have been made legally binding under EU antitrust rules. ‘Today’s decision opens up competition in online rail ticketing services in Spain’, said Margrethe ...
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NewsChanges to EU lorry regulations could hit rail freight
EUROPE: European Commission proposals to revise the Weights & Dimensions Directive covering lorries could have ‘disastrous consequences’ for the rail sector, according to industry associations CER, ERFA, UIC, UIP and UIRR. The Commission has proposed allowing zero-emission lorries and lorries carrying freight which is moved using ...
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NewsDeutsche Bahn’s financial recovery remains elusive
GERMANY: Rail services in Germany were badly disrupted by industrial action over pay by the train drivers’ trade union GD during the week commencing January 8. On January 10 Deutsche Bahn said that about 20% of long-distance passenger services were running, with the number of regional ...
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In depthBrazil: National Railway Plan will reset project agenda
Government efforts to inject fresh impetus into the rail business and increase its share of the freight market continue, but reliance is being placed on the private sector to fund new projects. Murray Hughes reports.
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NewsChinese task force to draw-up TAZARA revitalisation plan
AFRICA: China Civil & Engineering and Construction Corp has sent a task force to undertake a comprehensive business and technical inspection of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, having being appointed to negotiate a potential deal for a Chinese operator to revitalise the line which was built with Chinese ...
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NewsGlobal logistics groups will reshape intermodal rail freight market
EUROPE: The emergence of global logistics groups as major players in international rail freight provision is poised to shake up the sector, according to a study by SCI Verkehr.
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NewsChange in safety rules opens door to more cross-Channel operators
EUROPE: Eurotunnel is working with rolling stock suppliers and safety authorities to simplify the standards that apply to cross-Channel rail traffic as part of its aim to double the number of high speed passenger trains using the Channel Tunnel by the end of 2033.
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In depthJapan: Attracting traffic to rural lines
Imaginative initiatives are helping to ensure the survival of lightly used railways in rural Japan. Mike Bent reports.
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In depthComment: Freight’s miserable year
According to UIRR, the European rail freight industry is facing a downturn. Our Executive Editor Nick Kingsley highlights the critical importance of intermodal transport for the future of rail freight and the need for policy support to decarbonise global supply chains.
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In depthViewpoint: French lessons from North America
Radical changes to France’s state-owned rail freight sector are needed following the threat of punitive action from the European Commission. Iker de Luisa, General Manager of the Mexican railway industry association, asks what lessons can be learnt from America.
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NewsERA authorises Nightjet coaches for international operation
EUROPE: An initial batch of Siemens Mobility-built Nightjet coaches ordered by Austrian Federal Railways has been approved by ERA for use in Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.
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NewsDate set for Luxembourg Rail Protocol to enter into force
INTERNATIONAL: The Luxembourg Rail Protocol to the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment is to enter into force in contracting states on March 8 2024, the intergovernmental ratification task force has announced.
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In depthAustralasia: Investment pipeline promises ‘golden age of rail’
Rail has a critical role to play on the path to net zero in Australia and New Zealand, but key issues including a lack of interoperability between networks and jurisdictions need to be urgently addressed.
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NewsInfrastructure manager established ahead of South African rail network opening
SOUTH AFRICA: National railway and logistics group Transnet has established an interim rail infrastructure manager as part of plans to open the network to third party train operators in 2024. Vertical separation forms part of the government’s National Rail Policy which aims to facilitate private sector ...
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In depthSafety: Railways must report, learn and improve
The EU Agency for Railways is continuing its campaign to develop a risk-based safety culture across Europe’s rail networks, as Executive Director Josef Doppelbauer explains to Chris Jackson.