ScotRail confirms Class 222 leasing deal to enable withdrawal of HSTs
UK: ScotRail has confirmed a deal to lease 22 five-car Bombardier Transportation Class 222 inter-city DMUs from Beacon to enable the replacement of its ageing High Speed Train fleet.
Light at the end of the tunnel in HS2’s Euston saga
UK: The launch of a second TBM to drive from Old Oak Common towards Euston offers renewed hope that High Speed 2 will eventually reach its long-planned London terminus. Chris Howe reports.
Baltic passenger operators launch joint procurement of Rail Baltica regional trains
EUROPE: The national passenger train operators of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have launched a joint procurement of 200 km/h electric multiple-units to provide regional services on the future Rail Baltica standard gauge line.
Trenitalia secures depot site to house French and cross-Channel Frecciarossa fleets
EUROPE: Trenitalia has reached an agreement for a depot in Paris which would be the base for trainsets used on routes in France and for planned services through the Channel Tunnel to London.
Nigerian rail freight new entrant granted provisional rail operating licence
NIGERIA: Aspiring new entrant to the rail freight market Traxport Rail Services Ltd has announced the granting of a provisional rail operating and track access licence by state incumbent Nigerian Railway Corp.
Transdev wins Montréal commuter rail operating contract
CANADA: Greater Montréal regional transport authority Exo has awarded Transdev the next contract to operate commuter rail services.
CBTC goes live on Philadelphia interurban tramway
USA: Communications-based train control technology has been deployed on the Media-Sharon Hill interurban light rail network in Philadelphia.
Railcard validation to be trialled
UK: A scheme to check that Railcards are being used properly is to be trialled this year, the Department for Transport has announced.
Consolidated Delay Repay service to include third-party rail ticket retailers
UK: Passengers will in future be able to claim compensation for late trains directly through the third-party retailers who sold their ticket, the Department for Transport has confirmed.
