Passenger rail news – Page 162
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NewsFirst order for ScreeneX glass-embedded LCD passenger information screens
EUROPE: Oran Safety Glass has won its first contract to supply its ScreeneX glass-embedded high-resolution LCD screens. The order has been placed by CN-Consult, which will incorporate ScreeneX into 170 InnoScreen overhead displays which are to be installed this year at stations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. ScreeneX ...
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NewsIndian Railways unveils refurbished coaches
INDIA: A initial 24 coaches which have been fitted with new interiors, colour schemes and passenger amenities as a ‘model rake’ for a mid-life refurbishment programme were unveiled at Delhi’s Safdarjung station on January 11. Indian Railways said it was ‘committed with renewed vigour to improve upon the interior furnishing ...
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NewsFive shortlisted for Merseyrail train replacement
UK: Transport authority Merseytravel announced the five shortlisted bidders for a contract to supply around 50 new electric multiple-units for the Merseyrail suburban network centred on Liverpool on January 11: Bombardier;CAF;Mitsui in a consortium with Alstom and East Japan Railway’s rolling stock manufacturing business J-TREC;Siemens;Stadler. Tender documents are scheduled ...
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NewsČD to run newly-electrified Železnice Desná services
CZECH REPUBLIC: The local authorities which own the 19·3 km Železnice Desná line linking Šumperk with Kouty nad Desnou have directly awarded national operator ČD a contract to operate passenger services for 10 years from June 2016. The route was taken over by the local authorities after ČD declined to ...
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NewsGovernment approves Czech station ownership transfer
CZECH REPUBLIC: A long-planned deal which would see national operator ČD sell 1 574 station buildings and related premises to infrastructure manager SŽDC was approved by the cabinet on December 21. Transferring ownership of the stations to SŽDC would enable public and EU funding to be used for ...
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NewsPortugal's CP to lease Spanish trainsets
PORTUGAL: Subject to government approval, national operator CP plans to lease four or five CAF Class 120 four-car 250 km/h trainsets from RENFE while its fleet of Alfa Pendular trainsets undergoes a €19m half-life inspection and refurbishment programme which is to be undertaken by EMEF. CP uses the 10 ...
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In depth$3bn Penn Station PPP to create Empire Complex by 2019
USA: Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State, lent renewed impetus to the redevelopment of Penn Station in New York City on January 6 by suggesting the $3bn project could be completed within three years. Overall space for passengers to circulate would be increased by 50%, creating a ‘holistic and ...
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News€300m loan to finance Italian regional trains
ITALY: A €300m corporate bond subscription agreement which will finance the acquisition of new passenger rolling stock for regional routes was signed by the European Investment Bank and national railway FS on December 23. The bond is guaranteed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments, and according to EIB is ...
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NewsBoomerang delivery service trialled on Eurostar
EUROPE: High speed train operator Eurostar is running a three-month trial with Boomerang, an online platform which puts people in Paris and London in touch with each other to deliver products from across the Channel. Eurostar says users can connect to request ‘small but much-loved things they can’t get ...
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NewsHakodate Liner is ready to roll
JAPAN: JR Hokkaido has unveiled the first of its Series 733-1000 EMUs for the Hakodate Liner shuttle service, which will be introduced on March 26 to coincide with the opening of the first phase of the Hokkaido Shinkansen. Four three-car sets are being built to operate the shuttle which will ...
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NewsCentral Suburban Passenger Co orders GTW+ DMU
RUSSIA: Central Suburban Passenger Co announced on December 28 that it had ordered a Type DP-M diesel multiple-unit from Transmashholding subsidiary Metrowagonmash for use on the Golutvin – Ozyory line south of Moscow. This follows the granting of approval for series production of the DP-M design, which has a separate ...
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NewsHigh speed station opens in Shenzhen
CHINA: A further 15 km section of the Guangzhou – Shenzhen – Hong Kong high speed line was opened for revenue service on December 29, when China Railway Corp extended its high speed services from Shenzhen North to Futian, close to Shenzhen’s central business district and the border with the ...
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NewsDetroit connection to speed passenger services
USA: Amtrak’s Wolverine passenger trains between Chicago and Detroit have begun using a new curve at West Detroit Junction, which has been built in conjunction with the upgrading and double-tracking of the former NS route now owned by Michigan Department of Transportation. Completed in late December, the US$15·8m curve was ...
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NewsTransmashholding presents EP2D electric multiple-unit
RUSSIA: Transmashholding’s Demikhovo plant has unveiled the EP2D electric multiple-unit, developed to the specification of Moscow commuter operator Central Suburban Passenger Co which is DMZ’s largest customer. The first unit is to undergo trials at the Shcherbinka test circuit with certification expected in 2016. Central Suburban Passenger Co said ...
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NewsPolish passenger information consolidated
POLAND: In an effort to integrate, standardise and simplify the provision of passenger information across the country, with effect from the December timetable change more than 300 staff from seven companies have been transferred to PKP Utrzymanie, a dedicated company which is independent from the train operators and infrastructure manager. ...
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NewsRobot station attendants introduced
ROBOT: Keikyu Railway has deployed a 1200 mm high humanoid robot attendant to greet passengers at Tokyo Haneda Airport station, while SNCF has deployed similar robots at three stations in the Pays-de-la-Loire region under a pilot programme running until March. The robots are from the Pepper range developed by ...
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NewsThailand – Malaysia DMU service launched
ASIA: A twice-daily cross-border passenger service between Hat Yai in Thailand and Padang Besar in Malaysia was inaugurated by officials from State Railway of Thailand and KTMB with a ceremony at Hat Yai on December 21. Regular services began the following day. The services on the 60 km route are ...
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NewsSouth Tirol operating contract signed
ITALY: The South Tirol government and Trenitalia signed a new contract for the operation of local passenger services on December 21, saying the new deal focused on quality, reliability and lower costs. The decision to retain Trenitalia as the operator of the four routes when the previous contract expired was ...
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NewsGreat Western AT300 trainsets to be built in Italy
UK: Hitachi announced on December 22 that the AT300 trainsets ordered for Great Western Railway are to be manufactured at Hitachi Rail Italy’s plant at Pistoia in Italy. GWR and leasing company Eversholt Rail signed the £361m contract for the trainsets in July, before Hitachi’s acquisition of AnsaldoBreda was completed ...
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NewsSiemens selected to supply Moorgate suburban EMU fleet
UK: Passenger franchisee Govia Thameslink Railway announced on December 22 that it had selected Siemens as preferred bidder for a contract to supply 25 six-car electric multiple-units for use on Great Northern suburban services from Welwyn Garden City, Hertford, Stevenage and Letchworth into London's Moorgate station from 2018. The ...