Passenger rail news – Page 73
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Metro Report InternationalDenver opens North Metro Rail
USA: Denver’s Regional Transportation District formally inaugurated the first phase of its North Metro Rail commuter service to Thornton on September 21, with a ceremony attended by RTD General Manager & CEO Paul Ballard, Chair Angie Rivera-Malpiede and local authority representatives. Developed by ...
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NewsTrans-Europ-Express renaissance proposed
EUROPE: A network of international long-distance high speed passenger services spanning much of western Europe could be launched by 2025 if proposals announced by Germany’s Federal Minister for Transport Andreas Scheuer at a virtual conference of Europe’s transport ministers on September 21 are taken forward. The proposals ...
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NewsStaff invited to design TGV M livery
FRANCE: With the first SNCF’s next-generation TGV M power cars and trailers taking shape at Alstom’s factories in Belfort and La Rochelle respectively, the operator and its supplier have invited their staff to come up with a design for the livery of the two test trains.
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Rail Business UKUK government announces the end of rail franchising
UK:·The government has announced the end of rail franchising, with Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps saying ‘the model of privatisation adopted 25 years ago has seen significant rises in passenger numbers, but this pandemic has proven that it is no longer working’.
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NewsKeolis Downer to run Adelaide suburban network
AUSTRALIA: Keolis Downer has been awarded an A$2·1bn contract to operate the 122 km Adelaide Metro suburban rail network for eight years from the end of January 2021, with an optional four-year extension.
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NewsWarszawa – Vilnius passenger service to launch next year
EUROPE: A letter of intent for the launch of a Warszawa – Vilnius passenger service was signed by the Lithuanian national railway’s passenger business LTG Link and its Polish counterpart PKP Intercity on September 17. The service is expected to start in late 2021, offering a journey ...
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NewsMonterrey commuter rail study
MEXICO: The state of Nuevo León’s strategic projects agency FIDEPROES has awarded SENER Engineering a contract to undertake technical studies for a proposed commuter rail service linking Mariano Escobedo Airport and García in the Monterrey area. This would use 62 km of existing tracks and serve 27 ...
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In depthNGOs propose five policies for climate-friendly European rail renaissance
A group of European climate NGOs has proposed five policies to encourage modal shift to rail in support of EU greenhouse gas reduction targets. Lena Donat, Policy Advisor Low-Carbon Mobility at development and environment organisation Germanwatch, explains what is needed
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NewsZentralbahn to take over Meiringen-Innertkirchen-Bahn
SWITZERLAND: Metre-gauge operator Zentralbahn is to purchase the 5 km Meiringen-Innertkirchen-Bahn from hydroelectric power company Kraftwerke Oberhasli, which has decided to pull out of rail operations because of growing regulatory requirements for what is not part of its core energy business. The MIB connects with the Zentralbahn ...
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Metro Report InternationalSeoul inaugurates Suin line connection
SOUTH KOREA: The Suin and Bundang lines in Seoul have been connected with the opening of an 18·8 km link between Hanyang University at Ansan and Suwon. Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young, Minister of Land, Infrastructure & Transport Kim Hyun-mi and Gyeonggi province Governor ...
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NewsGerman branch line reopening rejected
GERMANY: Reopening an out-of-use part of the former Gersprenztalbahn route east of Darmstadt is not economically viable, a feasibility study has concluded. Improvements to existing bus and Odenwaldbahn services have been deemed more cost effective. The study into reopening 3·1 km of the Gersprenztalbahn from Reinheim to ...
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NewsBLS unveils ‘modern, innovative, compact, all-round’ trains
SWITZERLAND: The first of 58 electric multiple-units ordered by BLS was unveiled at Stadler’s Erlen commissioning centre on September 9. The latest members of the Flirt multiple-unit family have been branded MIKA, meaning Moderner, Innovativer, Kompakter Allroundzug (modern, innovative, compact, all-round train). Two ...
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Rail Business UKGrand Central drops plans for Blackpool – London open access service
Rail Business UK understands that after months of work exploring all options, it had become clear that the service would not be financially viable until at least 2024.
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NewsGovernment told to appoint permanent Prasa board as ridership decline continues
SOUTH AFRICA: Badisa Matshego was appointed as the de facto head of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa by the national finance ministry on September 1, joining the embattled passenger operator from airport management company ACSA. Matshego arrived as Accounting Officer following the annulment of the appointment ...
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Rail Business UKClass 730 EMU for Birmingham’s Cross-City Line revealed
UK: One of the Bombardier Transportation Class 730 Aventra electric multiple-units which West Midlands Trains has ordered for its Cross-City Line services through Birmingham has been unveiled at the manufacturer’s Derby factory. ‘Designed and built in Derby they really are made in the ...
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Rail Business UKClass 230 variants approved for passenger service
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has given authorisation for battery and diesel-battery versions of Vivarail’s Class 230 D-Train multiple-units to be used in passenger service. Battery set No 230 002 is a demonstrator trainset powered only by batteries which was completed in 2018 and is ...
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NewsBLS CEO steps down after Federal Audit Office finds flaws in accounting processes
SWITZERLAND: The country’s second largest railway has an overly complex accounting process which needs improvement, according to an investigation of flawed reporting for public funding by BLS which was published by the Federal Audit Office on September 3. Following the publication of the report, BLS announced that ...
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NewsRegioJet takes on MÁV-Start by offering intra-Hungarian fares
RegioJet’s Hungarian service links Budapest with Wien twice daily. HUNGARY: RegioJet has begun selling tickets for journeys within Hungary on its Praha – Wien – Budapest services, becoming the first private operator to challenge incumbent MÁV-Start on domestic journeys. On August 26 the open access operator began ...
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NewsAmtrak works with Reckitt Benckiser to increase cleaning
USA: Amtrak is to work with cleaning, health and household products manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser to strengthen its disinfection protocols for trains, stations and lounges. RB is to supply disinfection equipment for use across high-touch and high-traffic areas, including products which Amtrak said were proven to be effective ...
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NewsThree prequalify for large Swiss train contract
SWITZERLAND: Three manufacturers have prequalified for a contract to supply a total of 194 electric-multiple units in a procurement process which is being run by Swiss Federal Railways and its local operating joint ventures Thurbo in Thurgau and RegionAlps in Valais. The shortlisted bidders announced on September ...