Passenger rail news – Page 236
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NewsStuttgart S-Bahn changes
GERMANY: After 18 months of construction, the extension of Stuttgart S-Bahn route S1 from Plochingen to Kirchheim unter Teck entered service on December 13, as rail timetable changes took effect across Europe. The €32·5m project involved electrification of the section between Wendlingen and Kirchheim and upgrading of track and signalling ...
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NewsDouble-decker debut
CANADA: The first trainset composed of double-deck cars made its inaugural trip on Montréal's Mont-Saint-Hilaire commuter line on November 23. The Québec government awarded a C$386m contract for 160 coaches to Bombardier Transportation in December 2007, and the first unit was unveiled at Bombardier's La Pocatière plant on August 21. ...
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NewsCommission to review Eurostar failures
EUROPE: The Eurostar board announced on December 21 that it had commissioned an independent review of the train failures which brought its cross-Channel rail services to a halt on the night of December 18-19. Responding to a demand by French transport minister Dominique Bussereau, Eurostar said the review would ...
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NewsA star is born
BELGIUM: Ceremonies on December 8 at the Dutch-Belgian border near Noorderkempen and outside Brussels Midi station marked the completion of the Belgian high speed network, which forms a star of four lines. Planning for the first line from the French border to Brussels began back in 1988. From December 13, ...
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NewsAuckland train procurement begins shortly
NEW ZEALAND: KiwiRail is call tenders early in the New Year for the supply of up to 114 electric multiple-unit cars for Auckland, following the cabinet's approval of a NZ$500m loan on November 24. The first of the 1 067 mm gauge EMUs will enter service on the Eastern ...
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NewsItalian north-south high speed line completed
ITALY: Celebrations were held in Milano on December 5 to mark the completion of the final sections of the north-south high speed rail corridor, which opens for revenue service with the timetable change on December 13. Completion of the Novara – Milano, Bologna – Firenze and Napoli – Salerno links ...
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NewsQR National to be floated in 2010
AUSTRALIA: Detailed plans for the break-up and partial privatisation of QR were announced on December 8 by Queenland's state Premier Anna Bligh. The coal and general freight business, including some network infrastructure, is to be floated on the Australian stock market at the end of 2010. The new company ...
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NewsCool in the desert
SAUDI ARABIA: To cope with desert temperatures of up to 55°C, the eight 200 km/h trainsets which Saudi Railways Organisation ordered from Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF in July 2008 are to be fitted with a comprehensive cooling system from Voith Turbo. The push-pull trainsets will have five coaches ...
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News'Bloody slaughter' beckons
GERMANY: Whilst the past decade has seen a steady expansion of competitive tendering for the operation of regional services, Deutsche Bahn's monopoly of long-distance services has remained largely intact. Competition has been limited to a token daily InterConnex service between Leipzig, Berlin and Rostock and the locally-supported Alex inter-regional routes ...
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NewsDSB wins Krösatågen operating contract
SWEDEN: Jönköpings Länstrafik has selected Danish state railway subsidiary DSB Småland to run Krösatågen services on five routes around Jönköping and Nässjö from December 12 2010. The 10-year contract is worth SKr800m and covers the operation of 2·1 million train-km a year using 14 local authority-owned Bombardier Itino and Y1 ...
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NewsRegulator calls for train information code of practice
UK: In an effort to encourage a competitive market in the provision of live train-running information, the Office of Rail Regulation has asked the Association of Train Operating Companies to publish a code of practice setting out criteria against which it will assess applications for access to its 'Darwin' database ...
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NewsPKP PR rebrands
POLAND: National regional train operating business PKP PR is being renamed Przewozy Regionalne, reflecting the transfer of ownership from state railway PKP to the 16 voivodships. 'We wanted to emphasize our separateness from the PKP Group, and also indicate the effects of restructuring to passengers through a new ...
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NewsChina may be next Desiro customer
CHINA: Working in partnership with a local company, Siemens Mobility is hoping to secure an order for around 50 suburban trainsets in Guangzhou, having tendered a version of its Desiro product platform. Of major interest to Siemens and rival bidders are options that could see up to 1500 further ...
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NewsRFF to launch Perpignan – Montpellier study
FRANCE: Following a public consultation between March and July 2009, infrastructure manager RFF announced on November 26 that it is to launch formal design studies for the high speed line between Montpellier and Perpignan. According to RFF, the public consultation led to the emergence of a ‘preferred corridor’ in terms ...
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NewsNomad to supply inter-city wi-fi
NETHERLANDS: Train operator NS has awarded an initial five year contract to Nomad Digital and T-Mobile for the installation of 3G broadband services on its services. Under what the supplier describes as one of its largest transport awards, Nomad Digital will deploy its R3500 mobile broadband gateway on 187 inter-city ...
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NewsDB places firm order for DMUs
GERMANY: DB Regio has placed the first firm order for Alstom Coradia Lint 41 diesel multiple-units within the terms of a 2008 framework agreement for up to 180 units. The €40m order announced on November 26 covers 16 two-car units, designated VT648.4 by DB, for use on regional services ...
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NewsHong Kong high speed approved
CHINA: Construction of the Hong Kong section of the planned 142 km Express Rail Link from West Kowloon to the Shibi railway hub in New Guangzhou is set to get underway by the end of this year, after the Special Administrative Region’s Executive Council approved the XRL project on October ...
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NewsWien Hauptbahnhof construction contract awarded
AUSTRIA: ÖBB Infrastruktur has awarded the €220m contract to build Wien’s new Hauptbahnhof to a consortium led by Strabag. The first stage will be ready by 2013 and the overall project in 2015. The redevelopment will incorporate around 100 shops and restaurants and 600 car parking spaces. Later phases will ...
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NewsTickets go on sale as Sapsan aims to beat the planes
RUSSIA: Russian Railways announced on November 20 it had begun selling tickets for Sapsan services between Moscow and St Petersburg which will start on December 18. There will initially be three trains each way, with simultaneous departures from each city at 06.45, 13.00 and 19.00 and a best journey ...
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NewsDB Regio wins Swedish contract
SWEDEN: Östgötland transport authority ÖstgötaTrafiken has selected DB Regio Sverige to operate local services for 10 years from December 12 2010, with an option for a four-year extension. Five new Coradia Lirex X61 EMUs are due to enter service with the 2010 timetable change, permitting the operation of a ...