Passenger rail news – Page 45
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Metro Report InternationalState-wide contactless ticketing deployment gets underway in Queensland
AUSTRALIA: Contactless payment is now available on Brisbane’s Ferny Grove suburban rail line, as a trial ahead of a large-scale deployment across Queensland’s rail, bus and ferry services under transport agency Translink’s A$371m Smart Ticketing project.
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NewsEBRD financing to keep Ukrainian trains moving
UKRAINE: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development has signed an agreement repurposing €50m of a previously-agreed infrastructure enhancement loan to provide urgent liquidity to enable national railway Ukrzaliznytsia to keep essential services running following the Russian invasion. EBRD originally agreed to lend €150m to for ...
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NewsManila South Commuter Railway financing packages approved
PHILIPPINES: The Asian Development Bank has approved a US$4·3bn loan package to finance construction of the South Commuter Railway between Manila and Calamba. Future services will offer a journey time of around half the 2½ h taken by road. The US$1·75bn first tranche is to be ...
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Rail Business UKTrain instead of plane as Welsh government ends Anglesey – Cardiff flights
UK: Publicly-supported flights between Cardiff and Anglesey will not resume, the Welsh government has announced, with rail offering a viable alternative and the funding to be used to improve public transport in North Wales. The twice-daily flights operated by Eastern Airways under a Public Service Obligation ...
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NewsACC M to refurbish trains for French open access start-up Railcoop
Jérémie Anne visits the factory where ACC M is to refurbish diesel multiple-units for use by open access operator Railcoop.
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In depthInterview: Korail goes in search of market share
Better on-board services and improved post-pandemic hygiene rank high among passengers’ demands, Korail President & CEO Na Hee-Seung tells Benjámin Zelki.
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NewsCaltrain budgets approved
USA: The board of San Francisco to San Jose commuter rail operator Caltrain has approved the operating and capital budgets for the 2023 financial year starting on July 1 2022. The $179.2m operating budget includes $46.5m in farebox revenues, and for the second year in a ...
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Rail Business UKScotland: Setting priorities for a new era
The return of passenger services to public control, along with government targets for decarbonisation and freight modal shift, promise a positive future for Scotland’s rail network. Tony Miles talks to Transport Scotland and Scotland’s Railway about the benefits and challenges of renationalisation.
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NewsThird India – Bangladesh passenger train launched
ASIA: A third India to Bangladesh passenger train was launched on June 1, as cross-border services resumed following a two-year break caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The diesel hauled Mital Express runs twice a week on a 595 km route from New Jalpaiguri in India to ...
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NewsConsortium to provide rolling stock options as French passenger market opens
FRANCE: Leasing company Akiem and Banque des Territoires have formed the TerriTrains consortium to offer rolling stock financing and management services to public authorities and train operators as the French passenger market is opened to competition. Akiem said the national government and regions spend more than ...
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NewsDB Netz targets faster project approval and digital capacity boost
GERMANY: DB Netz Chairman Frank Sennhenn says the infrastructure manager is targeting a 30% gain in capacity on existing lines ‘depending on the exact traffic mix’ from digitalisation including traffic management, automation and the roll-out of ERTMS. Speaking at the opening of the IAF track technology ...
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NewsPeter Köhler becomes Leo Express CEO again
EUROPE: Shareholder RENFE has announced the appointment of Peter Köhler as CEO of central European open access and contract passenger operator Leo Express, a return to the position he held until the end of 2019. Pavel Spilka was appointed CEO in early 2020, since when Köhler ...
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NewsDB Regio wins Niederrhein-Münsterland operating contract
GERMANY: The Rhein-Ruhr and Westfalen-Lippe transport authorities have selected DB Regio for a contract to operate five of the seven Niederrhein-Münsterland-Netz services. The authorities announced on May 25 that DB would replace Transdev’s NordWestBahn on services RE44, RB31 and RB36 in December 2025 and RE14 December ...
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Rail Business UKIndustry responds to launch of cross-London Elizabeth Line
UK: Organisations from the across the rail sector have commented on the opening of London’s Elizabeth Line on May 24. Politics Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps said ’the Elizabeth Line is a beacon of British success, not just for this marvel of engineering but ...
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Rail Business UKLondon’s Elizabeth Line opens at last
UK: Elizabeth Line services began running on the Crossrail core route across central London on May 24, with an initial 12 trains/h linking Paddington station in the west to Abbey Wood in the southeast.
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In depthFrance: Newcomers still face market entry hurdles
With France’s passenger market finally open to competition, a report from regulatory body ART finds that various barriers still hinder access for new entrants. Jérémie Anne asks ART President Bernard Roman what lessons have been learnt and what lies ahead.
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In depthJapan: Facing a rural railway conundrum
Population decline, urban migration, rising car ownership and better local roads mean that traffic on many of Japan’s rural railways is falling. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism is addressing the issue and an action plan is to be drawn up by July. Mike Bent investigates.
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Metro Report InternationalSEPTA looks globally to inform Reimagining Regional Rail development strategy
USA: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is seeking feedback on options for the long-term development of passenger services around Philadelphia, which it says are currently focused on traditional suburban commuters but could be used to create a ‘lifestyle transit network’ of frequent all-day and all-week rail and ...
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NewsVIA Rail President & CEO steps down
CANADA: Cynthia Garneau resigned as President & CEO of VIA Rail with effect from May 20. Chief Commercial Affairs Officer Martin Landry has been appointed to ‘ensure business continuity’ at the national passenger train operator. ‘After three wonderful years of diverse achievements, exciting challenges, and enriching ...
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NewsStreet-running railway goes underground
SWITZERLAND: Chemin de fer Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher’s 1 km tunnel from the underground Lausanne-Flon terminus to Lausanne-Chauderon has been extended by 1·7 km to Union-Prilly, replacing a street-running section of single track line along Avenue d’Echallens. The double-track tunnel has been built to increase ...