Passenger rail news – Page 64
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NewsSGR operating contract to be terminated
KENYA: The government has given notice that it intend to transfer control of operations on the country’s standard-gauge railway to Kenya Railway Corp from May 2022.
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NewsAmerica Rescue Plan funding foreshadows Amtrak’s return to growth
USA: The passage through both houses of Congress of the America Rescue Plan Act in early March has been welcomed by Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn, with the national passenger rail company set to receive $1∙7bn in recovery funding.
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NewsRENFE to take stake in Leo Express in support of internationalisation strategy
EUROPE: Spanish national operator RENFE has announced its intention to acquire a 50% stake in central European open access operator Leo Express. RENFE said it sees a strategic opportunity to develop international business activities as Spain’s domestic market opens to competition. The proposed acquisition announced on ...
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NewsAlstom and Stadler to renew RENFE commuter train fleets
SPAIN: National operator RENFE has confirmed Alstom and Stadler as the winners of two contracts to supply and maintain 1 668 mm gauge high capacity electric multiple-units to replace existing stock on the Madrid and Barcelona commuter networks. The new trains will have a 20% greater ...
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NewsDB to launch Lufthansa SuperSprinters
GERMANY: Non-stop inter-city trains linking Köln with München and Berlin in less than 4 h are to be introduced from the December 2021 timetable change, as part of an expansion of air-rail links announced by DB Fernverkehr and Lufthansa on March 8.
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News‘Relieve, refresh, reload’ concept for station toilets
SPAIN: One Hundred Restrooms has won a tender to lease and operate public toilets at ADIF Alta Velocidad’s most important stations, and says its ‘relieve, refresh, reload’ concept for high quality facilities will ’turn a toilet visit from a necessary evil into a reviving micro break’. ...
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NewsVilnius Connect to create an ‘iconic and globally recognisable’ station for the future
LITHUANIA: The city of Vilnius and national railway LTG have launched an international architectural competition seeking ‘radical’ proposals to create an ‘iconic and globally recognisable’ multi-modal transport terminal and public realm for the capital. ‘Our goal is that any person who arrives in Vilnius by train ...
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NewsRailcoop reaches initial funding target
FRANCE: Not-for-profit co-operative Railcoop confirmed on March 4 that it had achieved its target of raising initial capital of €1∙5m to fund the establishment of an open access freight and passenger operator.
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Rail Business UKSettle & Carlisle ‘Staycation Express’ to run again in 2021
UK: Rail Charter Services has confirmed that it intends to repeat the regular excursion trains it operated last summer over the Settle & Carlisle route through North Yorkshire and Cumbria.
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NewsODEG retains Baltic coast operating contract
GERMANY: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern transport authority VMV has awarded incumbent Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn the next contract to operate Ostseeküste II passenger services along the Baltic Sea coast. The contract awarded to ODEG on March 1 covers the operation of services RE9 Rostock – Stralsund – Sassnitz/Binz and RE10 Rostock ...
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NewsDiscontinuous electrification proposed on Brandenburg regional route
GERMANY: Hybrid battery-electric trains could be running on the Berlin – Neuruppin – Wittenberge route by 2028, according to a study undertaken for the District of Ostprignitz-Ruppin by the Innoverse transport consultancy.
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NewsČD signs framework contract for 160 Pesa regional DMUs
CZECH REPUBLIC: National operator České Dráhy and Polish manufacturer Pesa Bydgoszcz have signed a KC14·5bn framework agreement for the supply of up to 160 regional diesel multiple-units, with a firm order worth almost KC3bn for an initial 33 units. The 120 km/h low-floor DMUs will be ...
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NewsHydrogen train trial to inform electrification thinking
GERMANY: Baden-Württemberg local operator Südwestdeutsche Landesverkehrs is to test an Alstom iLint hydrogen multiple-unit in regular service.
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NewsGermany needs faster electrification, says Allianz pro Schiene
GERMANY: The federal government needs to accelerate significantly the rate of electrification if it is to achieve its target of having at least 70% of the national network wired by 2025, according to the non-profit transport alliance Allianz pro Schiene.
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NewsGrand Est concession attracts ‘good response’
FRANCE: ‘Between four and 10’ companies or consortia have prequalified for a concession to operate a group of branch lines in the Grand Est region, according to the region’s Vice-President responsible for Transport David Valence.
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NewsNew fleet to make Nightjet ‘the best option for travelling between major European cities’
AUSTRIA: The exterior design and first painted carbody for the fleet of coaches which Siemens Mobility is to supply for Nightjet night train services has been unveiled by Austrian Federal Railways. The couchette vehicles will include ‘mini-suites’ offering more privacy for lone travellers. During ...
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NewsBasel – Binz night train planned
GERMANY: Köln-based operator Train4you has opened bookings for an overnight service from southwest Germany to the Baltic beach resort of Binz on the island of Rügen.
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Metro Report InternationalSiemens Mobility to develop Dutch MaaS platform
NETHERLANDS: The RiVier joint venture of national rail operator NS and urban operators HTM in Den Haag and RET in Rotterdam has selected Siemens Mobility subsidiaries Hacon and eos.uptrade to develop a country-wide Mobility as a Service platform.
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Rail Business UKAvanti West Coast introduces ITSO-compliant smartcard
UK: Following a trial, Avanti West Coast has launched its own smartcard scheme. The cards are intended to offer passengers another way to store tickets as part of an industry-wide move to reduce reliance on traditional paper media.
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NewsSwedish ticket offices to close
SWEDEN: National passenger operator SJ is to close its remaining travel centres at the main stations in Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö from March 1. Customer service staff will instead be deployed around the stations to provide information and assist passengers with using ticket machines, digital purchases and rebooking.