Passenger rail news – Page 71
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NewsNigerian standard gauge network takes shape
NIGERIA: The 1 435 mm gauge north-south railway linking Itakpe, Ajaokuta and Warri has been formally opened for commercial operation, following an inauguration ceremony at Agbor in Delta state.
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NewsSWEG unveils DMU ahead of timetable revision
GERMANY: One of 18 Alstom Lint 54 diesel multiple-units ordered by the Land of Baden-Württemberg’s rolling stock body SFBW for use on Hohenzollerische Landesbahn services was unveiled by locally-owned operator SWEG on October 15. The 140 km/h two-car DMU has a capacity of 150 passengers, and is ...
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Rail Business UKScientific study to improve understanding of Covid-19 transmission on trains and buses
UK: A study has been launched to develop a better understanding of the risks of Covid-19 transmission on public transport and to identify the best control measures.
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NewsFull electrification in record infrastructure spend
AUSTRIA: ‘More than €17bn is being spent on railway projects across the whole country’, said Federal Minister for Climate Protection Leonore Gewessler on October 16, announcing with Austrian Federal Railways CEO Andreas Matthä ‘the biggest railway investment package that the Republic has ever seen’.
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NewsOuigo adds digital infotainment portal
FRANCE: Passengers travelling on Ouigo low-cost high speed services between Paris and Lyon are now able to access a wide range of information and entertainment options thanks to a partnership between the operator and digital services company Moment.
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NewsAmsterdam – Wien sleeper train testing
NETHERLANDS: Trial running has been completed for the operation of Nightjet sleeper trains between Amsterdam and Wien from the December timetable change, when Amsterdam will rejoin the network of European overnight trains for the first time since 2016. Following a tender, Dutch national passenger operator NS has ...
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NewsLNVG awards Niedersachsen Mitte diesel operating contract
GERMANY: Niedersachsen transport authority LNVG has awarded DB Regio a contract to operate a bundle of local passenger services on non-electrified routes for eight years from December 2021. The Niedersachsen Mitte contract combines the previous Heidekreuz contract, held by Erixx and covering services RB37 Bremen Hbf – ...
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NewsLong-distance fleet renewal recommended
NORWAY: Working with leasing company Norske Tog and infrastructure manager Bane NOR, the national railway directorate has recommended the purchase of a single type of passenger train to replace the country’s entire long-distance fleet over the next decade.
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Rail Business UKNew CrossCountry contract includes capacity, accessibility and environmental improvements
UK: The Department for Transport has directly awarded incumbent Arriva a new contract to operate CrossCountry services for a further three years. CrossCountry Managing Director Tom Joyner tells Rail Business UK about the operator’s plans, saying ’the good thing is the longevity, which CrossCountry really needs as it gives us a real chance to do some serious planning for the future.’
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NewsSAFRA awarded first contract to refurbish TER trainsets
FRANCE: SNCF has awarded SAFRA a contract to refurbish 12 three-car multiple-units used in the Midi-Pyrénées area and seven four-car sets used in Languedoc-Roussillon. There is an option for a further 10 trains. SAFRA said the 26-month contract announced on October 15 marks its entry into a ...
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NewsDB awarded Donau-Isar operating contract
GERMANY: Bayern railway agency BEG has awarded DB Regio the Donau-Isar contract covering the operation of a group of regional passenger services for 12 years from December 2024. The contract is split into two phases, to enable a restructuring once the second cross-city S-Bahn tunnel through München ...
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NewsArriva and ČD win long-distance contracts
CZECH REPUBLIC: Arriva Vlaky has been awarded a seven-year contract to operate PSO-supported inter-regional services on routes R14A and R14B from Liberec to Pardubice and Ústí nad Labem with effect from December 13. The Ministry of Transport announced on October 5 that Arriva’s bid was KC302m lower ...
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NewsEU track access rebates approved
EUROPE: A regulation permitting European Union member states to waive or defer track access charges in order to support the rail sector through the coronavirus pandemic has been formally adopted by the EU Council and European Parliament.
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NewsSouthern Java double-tracking inaugurated
INDONESIA: The completion of double-tracking work on the majority of PT KAI’s 1 067 mm gauge southern Java main line was marked by a ‘soft launch’ ceremony at Solo Balapan on October 8, attended by Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi. Work began in 2015 on upgrading ...
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NewsChicago – Minneapolis enhancements funded
USA: Plans to launch a second daily inter-city service between Chicago and Minneapolis-St Paul are set to move forward following the award of federal funding under the Consolidated Railroad Infrastructure & Safety Improvement grant programme.
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NewsInterrail passes go digital
EUROPE: Eurail and Interrail Global Passes are now available on a mobile phone app which can be used in 33 countries. Users can add journeys from the app’s travel planner to their mobile pass before boarding, removing the need to record each journey in the paper travel ...
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NewsBang Sue hub opening pushed back to 2021
THAILAND: Opening of Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand Station has been delayed until late 2021, with State Railway of Thailand saying this is largely a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which has prevented Japanese contractors from visiting the site for several months.
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NewsFirst TILO Flirt 3 enters service
SWITZERLAND: The first of five Stadler Flirt 3 electric multiple-units ordered by Swiss Federal Railways to work TILO cross-border services began running in Switzerland on September 29. Designated as Class RABe 524/3, the five six-car EMUs were ordered in 2017 to work local services linking the southern ...
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NewsAuckland awards P2P electrification contract
NEW ZEALAND: KiwiRail has awarded the eTRACS joint venture of John Holland and McConnell Dowell an early contractor involvement contract to develop the southern extension of Auckland’s suburban electrification from Papakura to Pukekohe. The NZ$371m P2P Electrification Project will see the installation of 25 kV 50 Hz ...
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NewsCall for booking platforms to be given access to train operators’ data
EUROPE: The ALLRAIL association of independent passenger train operators and retailers has called on EU member states to ensure that market-dominant incumbent operators share their data with third party journey planning and ticket selling platforms. Commenting on calls by EU stakeholders for the creation of a rail ...