Passenger rail news – Page 84
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NewsRail and air associations to co-operate on ticketing
INTERNATIONAL: The International Union of Railways and the International Air Transport Association have signed a memorandum of understanding covering co-operation in standard setting and interoperability, with a focus on data exchange to support intermodal travel. Areas for co-operation include: journey planning; reservations; ticketing, including irregular operations ...
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Rail Business UKMerseyrail Class 777 arrives in Liverpool
The first of the Stadler Class 777 EMUs to renew the Merseyrail suburban fleet is now on test. Tony Miles reports from Kirkdale.
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NewsNew Zealand government announces investment in commuter capacity and freight
NEW ZEALAND: Rail has been allocated a NZ$1·1bn share of a NZ$6·8bn package of transport infrastructure funding announced by the government on January 29. Transport Minister Phil Twyford said the rail investment was targeted at getting lorries off the roads and improving passenger services, particularly at busy ...
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NewsSão Paulo state studies Sorocaba passenger concession
BRAZIL: According to state minister for transport Alexandre Baldy, São Paulo suburban operator CPTM is studying options for tendering of passenger services to Sorocaba. The move is part of the state government’s proposal to introduce regional passenger services linking São Paulo with surrounding cities. The state plans ...
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Rail Business UKNo immediate changes to follow Northern nationalisation
UK: The Northern franchise which is currently held by Arriva will be nationalised on March 1, Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps confirmed in a widely-anticipated announcement on January 29. This follows severe performance problems. Last year the Secretary of State requested proposals for the franchise ...
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Metro Report InternationalCost, time, convenience and carbon emissions to be included in journey planner
NORWAY: National train operator Vy Group has appointed SkedGo to build a multimodal journey planner covering Scandinavia. Users will be able to tailor their trips according to personal preferences, emphasising cost, time, convenience or lowest carbon emissions. It will be possible to make searches based on addresses, ...
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NewsStagecoach Group joins new market entrants’ association ALLRAIL
EUROPE: Public transport operating group Stagecoach has joined the ALLRAIL association of new entrants to the European rail market. ‘As a major operator of rail services in the UK for over two decades and with significant experience of operating public transport services across Europe, we are pleased ...
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NewsLying not flying, as Nightjet sleeper train reaches Brussels
EUROPE: Under the slogan ‘lying not flying’, Austrian Federal Railways launched its twice-weekly Wien – Brussels Nightjet overnight train on January 19. The ceremony at Wien Hbf was attended by Austria’s Minister of Climate Protection, Environment, Mobility, Innovation & Technology Leonore Gewessler as well as members of ...
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NewsMetrolink marks $32m modernisation of Van Nuys station
USA: California commuter operator Metrolink has held a ceremony to mark the $32m rebuilding of Van Nuys station in Los Angeles under a two-year project which is nearing completion. The station is on Metrolink’s Ventura Line, a Union Pacific route which is also served by Amtrak passenger ...
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NewsFarandou reshapes SNCF leadership team
FRANCE: A new management structure for the ‘unified’ SNCF group was unveiled by President & CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou on January 16, following the first board meeting of the national railway group since the 2018 reforms came into effect on January 1.
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NewsMalmö – Köln suggested as first route for a network of night trains
EUROPE: Swedish transport agency Trafikverket has suggested that Malmö – Köln could be the first route to be launched as part of a proposed network of overnight trains connecting Sweden with other European countries, and that a start data as early as 2022-23 could be possible. ...
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Rail Business UKGreater Anglia’s first Class 720 commuter EMU delivered for testing
UK: The first of the Class 720 Aventra electric multiple-units which Bombardier Transportation’s Derby factory is supplying for Greater Anglia’s London commuter services has been delivered to Ilford depot ahead of testing. Entry into passenger service is planned for spring this year, with the entire fleet expected ...
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NewsBarcelona – Valencia trains accelerated as Vandellòs cut-off opens
SPAIN: Commercial services began using a 46·5 km cut-off between Camp de Tarragona and Vandellòs on January 13, when ADIF completed a further section of upgrading on the Barcelona – Valencia Mediterranean Corridor.
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NewsCzech region orders its own EMU fleet
CZECH REPUBLIC: Jihomoravský has become the first regional authority to order its own rolling stock, placing a contract for Škoda Transportation to supply 37 RegioPanter low-floor 160 km/h electric multiple-units between spring 2021 and the end of 2022. Škoda Transportation was the only bidder to remain in ...
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News‘The wow effect is coming’ as German government signs €86bn rail programme
GERMANY: The €86bn LuFV III railway operating and financing agreement running to 2030 was signed by Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer, Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz and Board Member for Infrastructure Ronald Pofalla on January 14, at a ceremony attended by Federal Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz.
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NewsNarrow gauge operator orders EMUs
SWITZERLAND: Chemin de Fer Nyon-Saint-Cergue-Morez has awarded Stadler a contract to supply six two-car electric multiple-units. Deliveries are scheduled between late 2021 and early 2022. The 1·5 kV DC EMUs will be similar to four Abe4/8 units which Stadler supplied to the 27 km long metre-gauge line ...
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Rail Business UKNorthern franchise is no longer viable, says Shapps
UK: The current Northern rail franchise is no longer financially viable and will have to be replaced by some form of management contract, Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps confirmed in a written statement to the House of Commons on January 9.
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Rail Business UKGreater Anglia’s first Stadler inter-city trainset enters service
UK: The first of the Class 745/0 Flirt inter-city trainsets which Stadler is supplying for Greater Anglia’s Norwich – London Liverpool Street main line route entered service on January 8. All 10 are expected to be in traffic by mid-April. The 12-car 25 kV 50 Hz ...
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NewsHigh speed rail wins market share
ITALY: Evidence that high speed rail competes effectively against air was presented to Terrapinn’s World Rail Festival in Amsterdam by Serafino Lo Piano, Head of Sales, Long-Distance Rail, at Trenitalia. Since the launch of the Frecciarossa brand 10 years ago, he said, rail’s share of the market ...
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Rail Business UKAvanti West Coast Pendolino refurbishment and maintenance contract awarded
UK: Operator Avanti West Coast and leasing company Angel Trains have awarded Alstom a £642m, seven-year contract to overhaul and maintain the 56 Class 390 Pendolino tilting trainsets which entered service on the West Coast Main Line from 2003. Alstom said the £127m refurbishment element of the ...