Passenger rail news – Page 180
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NewsBanknote processor reinvented
SWITZERLAND: Swiss engineering company CI Tech has unveiled its next-generation banknote processing unit. Developed over the past three years, the CI Note Line is intended to replace the supplier’s BIM and Lobby 90 designs, with a specific focus on ticket vending machines in the transport market, as well as retail ...
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NewsOsaka Loop trains
JAPAN: JR West announced on December 8 that it is to procure 21 eight-car electric multiple-units for the Osaka Loop Line. The Class 323 trains are to replace the older Class 103 and Class 201 EMUs. The Class 103 EMUs, delivered in 1964-84, are to be withdrawn completely from the ...
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NewsWellington rail operating contract shortlist announced
NEW ZEALAND: Greater Wellington Regional Council announced the shortlisted bidders for a contract to operate the capital’s suburban rail services on December 22. The tender forms part of a programme to procure ‘performance-based partnering contracts’ for all of Wellington’s public transport services The shortlisted bidders are: A joint venture of ...
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NewsChangsha – Huaihua high speed line opens
CHINA: The Changsha – Huaihua Passenger-Dedicated Line in Hunan province opened on December 16. Construction of the 416 km route with nine stations began in 2010. The alignment is designed for 350 km/h operation, but trains are currently limited to 300 km/h giving an end-to-end journey time of 1 h ...
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NewsWork starts on Chuo maglev
JAPAN: Central Japan Railway officially marked the start of work on the first phase of its Chuo Shinkansen superconducting maglev line between Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka with ceremonies at the Shinagawa and Nagoya station sites on December 17. According to JR Central, construction work on the 286 km between Tokyo ...
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NewsVoivodship-owned operator Koleje Małopolskie launched
POLAND: Koleje Małopolskie operated its first passenger service at 05.10 on December 14, with a day of free travel marking the launch of regular services by the latest voivodship-owned local train operating company. KMŁ has a fleet of 10 two and three-car EMUs from Pesa’s Acatus Plus family, developed as ...
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NewsPolish Pendolino launches 200 km/h operation
POLAND: PKP Intercity launched its Express Intercity Premium services on four routes radiating from Warszawa with the timetable change on December 14. The trains are operated with a fleet of 20 non-tilting Pendolino trainsets certified to operate at up to 250 km/h. The seven-car Class ED250 trainsets have been supplied ...
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NewsBorcad supplying Genio seats
CZECH REPUBLIC: Unveiled earlier this year, Borcad’s Genio seat is intended for both regional and inter-city applications. Derived from the manufacturer’s previous Regio+ model, Genio is being fitted to the Siemens Desiro Cityjet EMUs for ÖBB and the Škoda-built NIM Express trainsets for DB Regio, which use both the first ...
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NewsŚląskie voivodship announces second direct award
POLAND: Śląskie voivodship has announced that it intends to directly award national regional passenger train operator Przewozy Regionalne a contract to continue to operate local services which connect with other regions. The contract is to run for three years from the December 2016 timetable change, and cover the following routes: ...
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NewsVilnius - Minsk electric train order
LITHUANIA: Czech rolling stock manufacturer Škoda Vagonka has won a KC750m contract to supply three three-car Class 575 double-deck electric multiple-units to Lithuanian national operator LG for use on cross-border services between Vilnius and Minsk in Belarus. LG and its Belarus counterpart BC plan to reduce the journey time ...
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NewsNS plans Stadler Flirt order
NETHERLANDS: National passenger operator NS has revealed plans to order ‘around 60’ Stadler Flirt electric multiple-units to meet its short term capacity requirements. NS announced the planned order on December 5, when it confirmed that following the regulatory standstill period it had signed a firm contract worth more than €500m ...
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NewsSeat innovation on test
UK: The H series seating for Hitachi Rail Europe's AT200 regional EMU family has been developed by the Quantum Seating joint venture of Automotive Trim Developments and GRM Consulting. The seats have been derived from Quantum's M100 design, which harnesses automotive technology including lightweight aluminium construction to keep the weight ...
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NewsSwiss border link inaugurated
SWITZERLAND: The first section of the FMV cross-border rail link will open for revenue service on December 15, following a formal dedication on November 27 attended by representatives from canton Ticino, the federal government, SBB and TILO, the cross-border transport operator for Ticino and Lombardia. Partially funded by the federal ...
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NewsKorail EMU order announced
SOUTH KOREA: National railway operator Korail has ordered a batch of 22 regional EMUs from Hyundai Rotem at a cost of 154·4bn won, the company announced on December 1. Due for delivery from April 2016 onwards, the trains are intended to operate on two lines which are currently under construction. ...
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NewsPrivately-funded US commuter service planned
USA: Plans for the USA’s ‘first privately-funded passenger rail service in almost 100 years’ have been announced by Boston Surface Commuter Railroad Co. This would operate over the Providence & Worcester Railroad between the eponymous cities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, offering a reliable alternative to unpredictable road journey ...
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NewsAMT launches Train de l’Est commuter service
CANADA: Montréal commuter rail operator Agence Métropolitaine de Transport finally began revenue service on its 52 km Train de l’Est route from Montréal Central to Mascouche on December 1, around three years later than previously anticipated. Serving a region with around 700 000 inhabitants, the route had been expected to ...
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NewsAccess the Park
CANADA: VIA Rail Canada has introduced accessible sleeping compartments for two people on its flagship Toronto – Vancouver Canadian service as part of a programme to refurbish its 1950s-built stainless-steel coaches. Four of the Park series observation cars are being modified, following experience with accessibility improvements to the Renaissance coaches ...
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NewsÖBB tests regional seats
AUSTRIA: Austrian passengers have been invited to test possible new seats for regional and local trainsets, as part of a €50m programme to refurbish 250 Talent and Desiro multiple-units used by around half a million passengers each day. In 2011 ÖBB undertook an initial survey to identify passengers’ main criteria ...
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NewsNational Express Talent 2 EMU rolled out
GERMANY: The first Talent 2 electric multiple-unit for National Express was ceremonially rolled out at Bombardier Transportation's Hennigsdorf plant on November 28, watched by guests including the UK Ambassador to Germany Sir Simon McDonald. The 160 km/h units are to be deployed on two routes which a consortium of the ...
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NewsGolden Jubilee Express
ZAMBIA: Transnet Engineering has delivered a 16-coach rake of reconditioned, air-conditioned coaches for ZR's Livingstone - Kitwe Golden Jubilee Express. The train includes one business class, six economy class, two standard and two sleeper coaches, with kitchen, television screens, showers, and a restaurant. A second set is being ...