Passenger rail news – Page 7
-
NewsFlytoget eyes an open access future
NORWAY: Airport express operator Flytoget has applied to the national railway authority Statens Jernbanetilsyn to launch open access passenger services on the Sørlandsbanen between Oslo and Kristiansand from December 2027.
-
NewsChinese coaches enter service in Montréal
CANADA: Montréal regional transport authority Exo put its first CRRC-built double-deck commuter rail coaches into revenue service on the Saint-Jérôme route on June 25, following a launch run on June 21.
-
NewsČD orders more Škoda BEMUs as first trainset is unveiled in Ostrava
CZECH REPUBLIC: The first Škoda battery-electric multiple-unit for state operator České Dráhy was officially unveiled at the Rail Business Days trade fair in Ostrava on June 11.
-
NewsAlmetalbahn reopening would be viable, study finds
GERMANY: The benefits of reopening the Almetal railway from Paderborn to Büren and Brilon Stadt would exceed the costs, a feasibility study commissioned by Westfalen-Lippe transport authority NWL has found. The cost of reopening the 52 km route is put at €306m to €314m. Daily ridership ...
-
NewsLow-cost high speed train operator Ouigo aims to double ridership
FRANCE: National passenger operator SNCF Voyageurs is aiming to double ridership at its low-cost subsidiary Ouigo to 50 million passengers/year by 2030, and to increase Ouigo’s share of the domestic high speed rail market from 20% to 30%.
-
Rail Business UKTrain ticket and taxi apps link up
UK: Rail ticketing app Seatfrog and private hire taxi platform Veezu have announced a strategic partnership to link train journey and taxi network data. Passengers will be able to book taxi rides connected automatically to their rail departure and arrival times, so they can step out ...
-
NewsBusiness travel leaders say European train operators are missing an opportunity
EUROPE: Senior figures from the business travel sector have expressed frustration at the difficulty of incorporating rail options into corporate travel systems, saying the sector is failing to respond to demand as companies look for alternatives to flying.
-
NewsFlirt DMUs enter service in Azerbaijan
AZERBAIJAN: National railway ADY put its Stadler Flirt diesel multiple-units into service on the Baku – Ağstafa route on June 14. In November 2019 ADY placed a €115m order with Stadler for 10 Flirt trainsets: four inter-regional DMUs designated DŞ1, three EMUs also configured for inter-regional services ...
-
NewsBologna launches cross-city suburban service
ITALY: Regional operator Trenitalia Tper has introduced cross-city suburban services in the Bologna area with effect from June 9. Route SFM1 linking Porretta in the southwest with Pianoro to the southeast has been established by the extension of the existing Porretta – Bologna Centrale service to ...
-
NewsEFE launches Curicó – Talca – Linares regional service
CHILE: National operator EFE has introduced regional passenger services between Curicó, Talca and Linares, as part of a government programme to enhance regional train services. President Gabriel Boric announced in June 2023 that local services would be introduced in three regions under the Trenes de Cercanía ...
-
Rail Business UKInterview: ‘Open access works in Europe and it works here’
UK: Martijn Gilbert, head of FirstGroup’s Lumo and Hull Trains businesses, says the open access model is a proven success, and makes the case for further expansion whatever rail reforms may lie ahead.
-
NewsUzbekistan signs South Korean high speed train order
UZBEKISTAN: Hyundai Rotem’s first order to export high speed trainsets was amongst several co-operation agreements signed during South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on June 14. Plans for the 270bn won order for Hyundai Rotem and South Korean operator Korail ...
-
NewsTanzania launches electric passenger train services
TANZANIA: Passenger services on the 201·8 km electrified standard gauge railway from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro were formally launched on June 14. President Samia Suluhu Hassan paid the fares for the 1 400 passengers on the first trip. The journey time is less than 2 ...
-
NewsSurvey finds perceived cost deters rail travel
TER train. FRANCE: A survey of rail passengers and potential users has found that national train services are perceived as too expensive and too inflexible. Carried out by market research group IFOP for the National Federation of Transport User Associations (FNAUT), the survey also determined that ...
-
NewsSNCF Voyageurs plans to launch open access high speed train services in Italy
ITALY: French national passenger operator SNCF Voyageurs has announced plans to launch open access high speed train services within Italy from 2026, with the target of obtaining a 15% market share by 2030. SNCF Voyageurs Italia has applied to infrastructure manager RFI for access rights for ...
-
NewsBangladesh Railway orders Indian coaches
BANGLADESH: Indian Railways’ engineering consultancy RITES has been awarded a contract to supply 200 coaches to Bangladesh Railway. Signed in Dhaka on May 20, the US$111·3m contract is being funded by the European Investment Bank, and follows a global competitive tender. It provides 36 months for ...
-
NewsLong-distance trainset for Malaysia unveiled
MALAYSIA: The first of 10 ETS3 long-distance trainsets for national railway KTMB’s electrified west coast corridor was rolled at CRRC Zhuzhou’s factory in China on June 7. The contract was awarded in 2020. The first two trainsets are to be manufactured in China, and the rest ...
-
NewsBUND calls for DB to retain non-digital fare options
GERMANY: Environmental association BUND has called for Deutsche Bahn to ensure people can access all products including reduced fares, BahnCard discounts and seat reservations without creating an online account. This follows DB’s decision that BahnCards would only be issued digitally and not as physical plastic cards. ...
-
NewsArenaways selects Fairtiq ticketing platform
ITALY: Arenaways is to use Fairtiq’s mobile pay-as-you-go ticketing system on the Cuneo – Savigliano and Ceva – Ormea routes which it is to operate from January 2025 under a 10-year PSO contract awarded by the Piemonte region. Swiss company Fairtiq said this would be its ...
-
NewsBLS undertakes Lötschberger mid-life refurbishment
SWITZERLAND: BLS has returned to service the first of its RABe535 Lötschberger electric multiple-units to undergo mid-life refurbishment at its Bönigen works. The 25 four-car EMUs were supplied by Vevey Technologies and then Bombardier Transportation in 2008-12. The SFr17m refurbishment programme running to 2027 aims to ...