Swiss Federal Railways targets London as it seeks more cross-border high speed trains

EUROPE: Swiss Federal Railways is looking at ordering up to 40 high speed trainsets for use on international services to Italy and France, and ‘potentially for other destinations such as Barcelona and London’.

SBB is planning to expand the number of cross-border services it offers to meet growing demand, ‘in co-operation with its partner railway companies’. It will also need to replace the older trainsets in its existing international fleet in the medium term; its Alstom Pendolino ETR610 Astoro sets are expected to be retired in the second half of the 2030s. SBB is contemplating trainsets that could run at 300 km/h or more in other countries, though no routes in Switzerland are approved for such speeds.

Portugal to request use of broad gauge for Porto – Lisboa high speed line

PORTUGAL: National infrastructure manager IP has commissioned a cost-benefit analysis and an interoperability study to assess the gauge choice for the future Porto – Lisboa high speed line, for which procurement has started.

IP says the studies will be used to support a request to the European Commission to build the line to the Iberian gauge of 1 668 mm, rather than the 1 435 mm standard gauge set out in European regulations. The planned line has numerous connections to the existing north-south main line, which would be used to serve stations including Aveiro, Coimbra and Leiria.

Virgin seeks partners to launch cross-Channel train service

EUROPE: Virgin Group is seeking partners to invest in its planned launch of international high speed train services through the Channel Tunnel.

A Virgin Group spokesperson told Railway Gazette International that ‘the cross-Channel route is ripe for change and would benefit from competition. We think Virgin is the right brand to deliver this, given its award-winning experience in the train industry, and track-record for building globally successful travel companies.’

All of these stories and more can be found at Railway Gazette’s high speed rail news hub.