Railway policy news – Page 6
-
In depthSweden: Investment volte-face exposes fragility of EU rail vision
The decision last December by the incoming Swedish government to scale back radically the national high speed rail programme and remove the routes from the pan-European TEN-T network has raised profound questions about the country’s commitment to EU rail ambitions, as Nick Kingsley explains.
-
In depthEuropean Policy: Making the case for cross-border rail
As part of the vision for a Single European Railway Area, a coalition of member states and European institutions is pushing to revitalise and expand cross-border passenger services as a key element in driving modal shift to rail and decarbonising the EU transport sector. Chris Jackson investigates.
-
NewsGoiás seeks private investors in rail schemes
BRAZIL: Goinfra, the agency responsible for infrastructure and transport within the state of Goiás, has put forward legislation designed to facilitate the construction of rail projects by private sector companies. The draft bill was unveiled at a workshop on railways held on March 8 in Goiânia ...
-
In depthComment: Greek train crash highlights a tragic system failure
A horrific head-on collision at Evangelismos on the Athens – Thessaloniki main line raises many questions about investment in railway safety and the human factors implications facing front-line employees.
-
Rail Business UKDerby selected as Great British Railways headquarters
UK: Derby has been selected to host the national headquarters of Great British Railways, with the Department for Transport saying it had come top in both the assessment process and the public vote. There were 42 expressions of interest in being the home of GBR, and ...
-
NewsKururi Line closure plan fuels fears for Japan’s rural railways
JAPAN: East Japan Railway has confirmed that it is to launch consultations for the partial closure of the 32·2 km Kururi Line east of Tokyo.
-
NewsSTB approves Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern merger with conditions
NORTH AMERICA: The US Surface Transportation Board has approved the application from Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern to merge their two railways.
-
In depthCompetition and co-operation in the spotlight as high speed rail sector recovers from Covid
With many railways seeing a rapid return in traffic post-Covid, the latest UIC World Congress on High Speed Rail in Marrakech on March 8-11 focused on questions of on-rail competition and co-operation with aviation. Benjámin Zelki reports from Morocco.
-
In depthHigh Speed: Keeping track of new line costs
Bane Nor and Civity have conducted econometric research into the factors influencing how far high speed rail project costs can be kept under control, with a view to learning lessons for future major rail schemes in Norway and elsewhere.
-
In depthPoland: Airport scheme catalyses high speed network plan
Government plans to build a central airport and make it the hub of a revamped passenger network for Poland will require the construction of 1 981 km of new lines, almost half of which will be dedicated high speed corridors. Work on the Warszawa – Łódź route is due to start next year. Benjámin Zelki reports.
-
In depthComment: Money alone is not enough
The Indian government is pouring money into rail investment in record quantities, but cash alone will not be enough to ensure that policymakers’ ambitious aims for railway development are achieved.
-
In depthHigh Speed: The right speed for our planet
More than 1 500 delegates and exhibitors from around the world will be converging on Marrakech this week for the 11th UIC World Congress on High Speed Rail.
-
NewsRail secretariat chief appointed
BRAZIL: Minister of Transport Renan Filho has appointed Leonardo Cezar Ribeiro to head the newly-established Secretariat for Rail Transport.
-
NewsInspection initiative targets railways with hazardous loads
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration has announced a national initiative to undertake focused inspections on lines which carry high-hazard flammable trains and large volumes of hazardous materials. FRA is to immediately begin work with the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to identify such routes and ...
-
News€100bn rail investment pledge in French long-term transport plan
FRANCE: Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has pledged up to €100bn of investment in the rail network as part of efforts to improve the provision of train services, reduce regional inequalities and support ecological transition goals.
-
NewsFive priority projects in Swiss long-term spending plan
SWITZERLAND: The Ministry of Transport has set out details of plans to enhance or rebuild key sections of the national rail network under legislation due to be passed in 2026 that will define further stages in the national long-term railway investment programme. Under the proposals announced ...
-
NewsUkraine launches railway decolonisation programme
UKRAINE: ‘A comprehensive programme of Ukrainisation, which does not just remove Soviet symbols and Russian names, but fundamentally changes Ukrainian railways’ has been announced by Oleksandr Kamyshin, CEO of national railway Ukrzaliznytsia. To mark the start of the programme, a new zero point for measuring ...
-
NewsUSDOT seeks to enhance safety measures following Ohio derailment
USA: Federal Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has called for ‘a three-pronged push’ by regulators, industry and Congress to improve the safety of rail freight operations, following the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals at East Palestine, Ohio.
-
In depthFrance: Developing concepts to revive rural lines
France’s policy of abandoning rural lines has been halted and the stage is set for a revival of lightly used or closed routes. Driven partly by efforts to decarbonise the economy, several low-cost operating and maintenance concepts are being developed with state support, reports Reinhard Christeller.
-
NewsState aid for wagonload traffic must not distort the market, says ERFA
EUROPE: Financial support for single wagon traffic could play an important role in achieving EU modal shift targets, but it must be focused on last-mile services and avoid distorting the market for services which are viable without support, according to the European Rail Freight Association. ‘The ...