Railway policy news – Page 9
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NewsFunding deal clears the way for Germany’s €49 monthly ticket
GERMANY: The federal government reached agreement with the Länder on November 2 to fund a nationwide monthly public transport ticket priced at €49, with January 1 2023 being set as the target launch date.
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NewsInfra SA to manage long-term planning
BRAZIL: Major infrastructure projects will in future be managed by Infra SA, a public company formed by the merger of state-owned railway business Valec with Empresa de Planejamento e Logística SA.
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NewsSNCF fined over Brétigny derailment
FRANCE: A court has found national operator SNCF guilty of homicide and involuntary injury following the derailment on July 12 2013 of a Paris Austerlitz – Limoges locomotive-hauled Intercités service.
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NewsANTT signs off five more railway construction projects
BRAZIL: The Ministry of Infrastructure and the National Land Transport Agency have authorised five more projects authorising private sector companies to build new railways in three states totalling more than 1 000 route-km.
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NewsStandard gauge to Ukraine and Moldova could benefit the whole world, says EIB
EUROPE: The European Investment Bank has begun a pre-feasibility study looking at the development of standard gauge cross-border links to connect the Ukrainian and Moldovan rail networks with the Trans-European Transport Network.
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NewsBolsonaro backs private rail investment
BRAZIL: Outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro has approved changes to railway legislation aimed at encouraging greater private sector investment in new railway projects.
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NewsAustralian National Rail Manufacturing Plan funded
AUSTRALIA: The 2022-23 federal budget includes A$14·2m over four years to establish a National Rail Manufacturing Plan ‘to ensure more trains are built in Australia, support skilled manufacturing and expand the local rail industry’. An Office of National Rail Industry Co-ordination will be formed within the ...
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NewsJoint vision for international rail capacity management
EUROPE: A common vision for capacity management, process harmonisation and IT support to create a ‘European, digital, flexible and secure’ system enabling train operators to book capacity in line with their business models and customer needs has been set out by three industry associations. Forum Train ...
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Rail Business UKRail reform legislation delay confirmed
UK: Delays to the legislation needed to enact reform of the rail sector including the creation of Great British Railways have been confirmed.
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NewsEuropean Commission closes ČD pricing investigation
CZECH REPUBLIC: The European Commission has closed its investigation into alleged predatory conduct by national passenger operator ČD, after concluding that the evidence did not confirm its initial concerns. On November 10 2016, the European Commission opened an investigation to assess whether ČD had charged prices ...
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In depthEastern Europe: War and supply chain turmoil put rail growth at risk
A deal which closed in January to create a joint venture with Slovenia’s state railway to run the SŽ-Tovorni Promet freight business is the latest in a series of expansionist moves by Czech private operator EP Logistics International. But future growth is under threat as the market outlook worsens, Executive Director Zbigniew Klepacki explains to Nick Kingsley.
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NewsTEN-T revision must go further, says CER
EUROPE: A clear strategy and implementation timescale are essential for delivery of an expanded TEN-T rail network over the next two decades, according to Dominique Riquet, Co-Rapporteur on the TEN-T revision proposals for the European Parliament’s Transport & Tourism Committee.
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NewsProgramme backs ‘green’ rolling stock
BRAZIL: The government has launched a programme to encourage investment in motive power and rolling stock that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Frota Ferroviária Verde project was announced in the Official Gazette of the Union on September 30 and the regulation came into force on ...
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NewsCall for flexibility on train driver language requirements
EUROPE: The European Rail Freight Association has called on the European Commission to introduce greater flexibility in its language requirements for cross-border train drivers. In response to public consultation on the revision of the Train Drivers Directive, ERFA says it accepts the overall requirements for language ...
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NewsSpain extends free local rail offer until the end of 2023
SPAIN: The national government has announced that it is to extend its free travel pass offer covering local and regional trains from December 31 through to the end of 2023.
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In depthViewpoint: Institutional fragmentation has undermined Rail Baltica
On paper Rail Baltica is a perfect match for the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility programme. But three issues need to be addressed, argues Kaspars Briškens, who recently stepped down as Head of Strategy & Development at the standard gauge railway project.
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In depthEurope: Overcoming the language barrier
Developed by UIC and RailNetEurope with funding from the Shift2Rail joint undertaking, the Translate4Rail tool offers hope that the thorny problem of drivers and dispatchers speaking different languages on cross-border routes in Europe can finally be resolved. Toma Bačić explains.
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NewsDeutsche Bahn sells Arriva businesses to private equity holding company
EUROPE: Deutsche Bahn has reached agreement to sell its Arriva local transport activities in Denmark, Poland and Serbia.
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In depthGermany: Farm shop concept spurs freight tram revival
Initially developed as a student project, a mobile ‘farm shop’ retail and freight service using a converted tram-train is being proposed for use on the regional rail network around Karlsruhe. This in turn could offer a more viable business model for other cargo tram initiatives.
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NewsLallemand to step down as head of SNCF Réseau
FRANCE: Luc Lallemand is to leave his role as President & Director-General of infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau, the transport ministry confirmed on September 28.