Passenger rail news – Page 120
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NewsRooftop running in Paris-Nord expansion plan
FRANCE: The refurbishment and expansion of Paris-Nord station took a step forward on July 9 when the management board of SNCF Mobilités selected Ceetrus as preferred partner for exclusive negotiation with Ceetrus to undertake the programme. Ceetrus is the commercial property arm of retail group Auchan, and SNCF said that ...
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NewsHydrogen fuel cell trainset approved for passenger service
GERMANY: Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell multiple-unit was formally approved for passenger service on July 11. The two prototype units are expected to enter pilot service on the Elbe-Weser network with the first scheduled services planned for late summer. ‘Hydrogen is a true low-emission and efficient alternative to diesel’, ...
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NewsCharger locos ordered for Coaster commuter services
USA: The purchase of five Siemens SC-44 Charger diesel-electric locomotives for use on Coaster commuter services into San Diego was approved by the North County Transit District board at its June meeting. The order is worth more than $37m, which will be funded by the state of California. NCTD ...
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NewsBosnian line reopens with through service from Sarajevo
BOSNIA: Railways of the Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina reinstated passenger services on the 47 km Blatna – Bihać route on July 3, following an inaugural train the previous day. Electrification equipment which was damaged or destroyed during the 1992-95 war has been reinstated, with the €1·43m cost split between ...
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NewsFirst Pop EMU ready for testing
ITALY: The first Alstom Coradia Stream electric multiple-unit for Trenitalia is to undergo testing at the Velim circuit in the Czech Republic this month, following its unveiling at the manufacturer’s Savigliano factory. The 160 km/h single-deck 3 kV DC regional EMUs are branded Pop by Trenitalia, which names its regional ...
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NewsBeograd’s historic main station closes
SERBIA: The historic main station in Beograd closed following the departure of the 20.40 train to Budapest on June 30. Most traffic has been transferred to Beograd Centar station in the Prokop area of the capital, except the long-distance service to Bar which moved to Topčider station in the south ...
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Rail Business UKJoint venture to bid for HS2 rolling stock contract
UK: Bombardier Transportation and Hitachi Rail Europe have agreed to submit a joint bid for the contract to supply a fleet of high speed trainsets for High Speed 2, the companies confirmed on July 4. In November 2017 project promoter HS2 Ltd shortlisted Alstom, Bombardier Transportation UK, Hitachi Rail Europe, ...
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NewsÖBB orders Bombardier EMUs
AUSTRIA: National operator Austrian Federal Railways has placed a €188m firm order for 25 six-car Talent 3 regional electric multiple-units, Bombardier Transportation announced on July 3. The is the second order to be placed under a framework agreement for up to 300 Talent 3 units which was agreed in December ...
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NewsHa-Sharon Railway extension opens
ISRAEL: The Ha-Sharon Railway extension running west from the interim terminus at Hod Ha-Sharon/Sokolov station to the new Ra’anana South and Ra’anana West stations opened to passengers with the introduction of national operator ISR’s summer timetable on July 3. Guests including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Transport Minister Israel Katz ...
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NewsČD orders 50 coaches from Siemens and Škoda
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator ČD has awarded a consortium of Siemens and Škoda Transportation a €115m contract to supply 50 Viaggio Comfort locomotive-hauled coaches. Announcing the order on July 3, ČD Chief Executive Pavel Krtek said the order would ‘further strengthen our competitiveness in main line transport, not only within ...
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Amtrak plans Amfleet I replacement
USA: Amtrak has issued a request for information seeking to explore options for ‘all types of rail vehicles including coach cars, trainsets and self-propelled units’ that could eventually replace its Amfleet I coaches. The single-deck coaches supplied by Budd in the 1970s are used primarily on shorter-distance routes east of ...
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NewsRijeka integrated transport agreement signed
CROATIA: An agreement for multimodal transport integration in the city of Rijeka was signed by the local authorities, passenger train operator HŽPP and bus operator Autotrolej on June 12. The agreement defines new ticket prices and timetables, with Autotrolej to revise its bus network to feed the rail services. ...
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NewsQueensland invests in Maryborough upgrade
AUSTRALIA: Visiting the Downer Rail rolling stock plant at Maryborough on June 26, Queensland’s Minister for Transport & Main Roads Mark Bailey announced that the state government is providing a A$10m grant for infrastructure improvements to support work on a range of refurbishment projects for Queensland Rail. The grant is ...
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NewsMälartåg double-deck train on show
SWEDEN: The first of 33 four-car Stadler double-deck EMUs for use on Mälartåg services in the Stockholm region was displayed at Stockholm C station on June 27. Leasing company Transitio ordered the 200 km/h units in June 2015 on behalf of the Mälab joint venture of local transport authorities in ...
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Rail Business UKAccessibility technology projects awarded funding
UK: Seven technology projects which aim to assist passengers with disabilities have been awarded a total of £600 000 of government funding to support development. Accessibility Evaluation Survey for Stations is a tool to help people responsible for station accessibility to identify problems and prioritise improvements.Less Visible Impairments will ...
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NewsSouth African road-rail bus launched
SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng-based manufacturer RailPro is testing a road-rail vehicle intended for passenger transport on a railway line east of Pretoria. State-owned transport group Transnet is working with RailPro on the trials, which are being carried out on a 21 km route between Cullinan and Mamelodi via Rayton. Five ...
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NewsKathmandu rail link accord signed
ASIA: Construction of a trans-Himalayan rail link connecting China and Nepal is expected to be completed within seven years, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries on June 21. No fewer than 14 separate co-operation agreements were signed during a visit to Beijing by Nepalese ...
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NewsBLS exercises EMU option to operate long-distance routes
SWITZERLAND: Regional operator BLS has accepted the Federal Office for Transport's June 12 ruling that it will be granted only two Interregio routes under the long-distance operating concession due to commence in December 2019. It expects to place orders in the next few weeks for eight MUTZ double-deck EMUs to ...
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NewsLEO Express confirms Praha – Kraków launch date
EUROPE: LEO Express is to launch its Praha – Kraków service on July 20, the Czech open access operator announced on June 25. Trains will leave Praha hl n at 16.10 on Fridays and Sundays, serving stations including Ostrava, Bohumín, Katowice and Oświęcim before arriving in Kraków at 23.19. The ...
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NewsFour shortlisted to supply Québec – Windsor trainsets
CANADA: Four companies have prequalified to submit proposals for the supply of trainsets to replace the fleet which national passenger operator VIA Rail currently uses on the Québec city – Windsor corridor. They are Bombardier Transportation Canada, Siemens Canada, Stadler US and Talgo. The shortlist announced on June 18 follows ...