Passenger rail news – Page 130
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NewsCroatian passenger service reinstated
CROATIA: On February 5 national passenger operator HŽPP reintroduced services on the 95·9 km Banova Jaruga – Daruvar – Pčelić line, which links the Zagreb – Vinkovci and Koprivnica – Osijek routes. The poor state of the infrastructure had led to passenger trains being replaced by buses from April 24 ...
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NewsAlstom to join South Eastern franchise bidding
UK: Stagecoach Group announced on February 5 that Alstom Transport UK Ltd would be joining its shortlisted bid for the next South Eastern passenger franchise, subject to formal consent from the DfT. The intention is that Alstom would hold 20% of the share capital of the train operating company if ...
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NewsVirgin Trains directly awarded new InterCity West Coast franchise
UK: The directly awarded franchise which will see incumbent Virgin Trains continue to operate InterCity West Coast passenger services until the start of the West Coast Partnership contract has now been agreed, Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling announced on February 5. ICWC services have been operated by the ...
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NewsSouth Moravia tenders passenger services
CZECH REPUBLIC: The South Moravia regional government has launched a competitive tendering process to select the future operator of all subsidised train services in the region, which surrounds the country’s second city of Brno. The five-year contract would start on January 1 2020, when the current 10-year deal with national ...
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NewsCapacity enhancement at hubs is spending priority, says infrastructure council
FRANCE: Enhancing capacity at key rail hubs is one of several priority measures outlined by the Conseil d’Orientation des Infrastructures on February 1. The council was established in September 2017 by Transport Secretary Elisabeth Borne, and its work builds on the conclusions of the Mobilité 21 commission issued in 2014. ...
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NewsRussian Railways orders EMUs
RUSSIA: Transmahsholding subsidiary Demikhovsky Engineering Plant has signed a 5bn rouble contract to supply 22 four-car Class EP3D electric multiple-units to Russian Railways from February. Four of the 25 kV 50 Hz units are to be allocated to Privolzhskaya Railway’s for use in Volgograd, and 18 to Severo-Kavkazskaya Railway for ...
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NewsIndian budget trebles railway investment
INDIA: A major increase in Indian Railways’ capital expenditure to Rs1 485bn in the 2018-19 financial year was announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as part of the national budget unveiled on February 1. This is almost three times the Rs540m allocated for capital works in 2013-14. Jaitley said improvements ...
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NewsInter-city EMU procurement approved
DENMARK: Proposals to order a fleet of 150 electric multiple-units have been approved by the Danish parliament, Transport Minister Ole Birk Olesen announced on February 1. These would replace DSB’s troubled AnsaldoBreda IC4 DMUs which are all due to be phased out from 2024 and the older ABB-built IC3 units ...
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NewsDB hosts ‘smart scrubber’ robot cleaning competition
GERMANY: In order to demonstrate the potential for the automation of routine station cleaning tasks, DB hosted a ‘smart scrubber’ event at Berlin Hbf on January 30. The Automated Cleaning Challenge organised by DB Services and the DB Mindbox digital innovation lab pitted cleaning machines from four international manufacturers ...
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NewsTransmashholding buys stake in Moscow commuter operator
RUSSIA: Demikhovsky Engineering Plant’s 2·3bn rouble purchase of Moscow oblast’s 25% plus one share stake in Central Suburban Passenger Co has been approved by the federal anti-monopoly service. Founded in January 2006, Central PPK is the largest commuter and regional train operator in Russia. It is also the largest customer ...
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NewsYeongdeok – Pohang line opens
SOUTH KOREA: The 44·1 km Pohang – Yeongdeok section of the Donghae Line which is being developed to run from south to north parallel to the east coast was opened with a ceremony on January 25. The single-track extension is designed for 150 km/h operation. It is initially being used ...
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NewsStadler multiple-units for Greater Anglia under construction
UK: The bodyshells for the first of the Class 755 Flirt electro-diesel multiple-units which Stadler is to supply for Greater Anglia's local services have been delivered from the manufacturer's Szolnok factory in Hungary to the Bussnang plant in Switzerland where they will be fitted out.Stadler signed a £600m contract in ...
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NewsChongqing – Guiyang line opens
CHINA: A more direct Chongqing – Guiyang line which is suitable for 200 km/h operation opened on January 25, reducing the journey time between the cities from 10½ h to 2 h. Construction of the 347 km line had been launched on December 22 2010. The total cost of the ...
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NewsPNR orders Indonesian DMUs
PHILIPPINES: State railway PNR has ordered two diesel-electric multiple-units from Indonesian rolling stock manufacturer PT Inka to boost its Manila suburban service between Tutuban and Alabang. The 485m pesos deal was signed on January 22 by PNR General Manager Junn Magno and PT Inka President Budi Noviantoro, at a ceremony ...
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NewsRENFE launches high speed to Castelló
SPAIN: National operator RENFE began operating high speed services between Madrid and Castelló de la Plana on January 23. Running over the high speed line from Madrid Atocha to Valencia and then on the 1 668 mm gauge Mediterranean Corridor to Castelló where a third rail has been laid on ...
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NewsSitarail modernisation underway
AFRICA: Ceremonies were held in December to mark the formal start of work on a long-awaited project to rehabilitate the 1 260 km metre-gauge railway linking Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire with Ouagadougou in neighbouring Burkina Faso. Announced in mid-2015, the project was dependent upon renegotiation of the concession under which ...
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NewsAdelaide electrification contract awarded
AUSTRALIA: Electrification of the 40 km Adelaide – Gawler suburban route is set to resume in the coming weeks, following the award of a contract for the first phase of the A$615m project. The South Australia state government announced on January 18 that it had selected Lendlease to complete 25 ...
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NewsTravel Support Cards to assist passengers with hidden disabilities
UK: Govia Thameslink Railway is introducing sets of Travel Support Cards to support passengers with hidden disabilities who need help with communication, such as those who are hard of hearing or have language or learning difficulties. The card has a ‘how you can help me’ space which is filled in ...
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NewsDMUs ordered for California’s Arrow commuter service
USA: California’s San Bernardino County Transportation Authority has issued Stadler with a notice to proceed with the design and supply of three Flirt diesel multiple-units for the Arrow commuter service which is to be launched in 2021 under the Redlands Passenger Rail Project. The services will use ...
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NewsKoleje Mazowieckie signs framework for up to 71 EMUs
POLAND: A framework agreement for Stadler Rail to supply up to 71 Flirt electric multiple-units to voivodship-owned regional passenger operator Koleje Mazowieckie was signed in Warszawa on January 17. Stadler said the deal was potentially worth 2·2bn złoty, which would make it the highest valued tender for regional trains ever ...