Passenger rail news – Page 95
-
NewsDSB starts driverless S-bane train procurement
DENMARK: State operator DSB has launched a market sounding exercise in preparation for the procurement of a fleet of driverless trains to operate the København S-bane. Building on work now underway to equip the S-bane with CBTC, the government decided in December 2017 to convert the stand-alone 1·5 kV ...
-
Rail Business UKSheffield City Region rail vision launched
UK: An ‘ambitious’ Integrated Rail Plan for the Sheffield City Region was launched by Mayor Dan Jarvis on July 18. The plan was produced by the region’s local authorities supported by organisations including Transport for the North. The proposals include a Barnsley Dearne Valley station in Goldthorpe on the ...
-
NewsFlixTrain raises funding for expansion
INTERNATIONAL: FlixMobility has completed a Series F funding round co-led by growth equity firms TCV and Permira, with long-time investor HV Holtzbrinck Ventures also participating through a joint investment with the European Investment Bank. In the rail sector, the company plans to use the equity raised to support the growth ...
-
Rail Business UK
Alstom completes first Class 175 DMU refurbishment
UK: Alstom's Technology Centre at Widnes has rolled out the first of 27 Class 175 long-distance 160 km/h regional diesel multiple-units to be refurbished in a £6·7m programme which is being undertaken for Transport for Wales. The Alstom-built Class 175 has received TfW’s exterior branding, with interior changes including ...
-
NewsElectrification, batteries and hydrogen trains should replace DMUs, says study
GERMANY: Electrification, battery power and fuel cells are the most sensible options for replacing diesel multiple-units, according to an environmental and value-for-money study undertaken by the Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies. The Alternatives to DMUs in Rail Passenger Transport study was undertaken by VDE with ...
-
NewsGautrain success foreshadows expansion
SOUTH AFRICA: Outline plans to extend Gautrain to serve more of the Gauteng region have been drawn up as part of an assessment of the project’s economic and social impact. About R110bn could be allocated for construction of extensions and 19 new stations, plus R24∙4bn on improvements to the existing ...
-
News
DB buys Westbahn’s Kiss EMUs
EUROPE: Deutsche Bahn has signed an agreement to acquire Austrian open access operator Westbahn’s fleet of 17 Stadler Kiss double-deck electric multiple-units. Announcing the deal on July 22, the German national railway said Westbahn’s four-car and six-car units had ‘achieved the highest levels of customer satisfaction’; some of the ...
-
NewsHigher capacity double-deck coach on test
ISRAEL: National railway ISR has reconfigured three of its Bombardier Transportation double-deck coaches with a revised interior layout designed to provide a 20% increase in capacity per vehicle In order to accommodate more standing passengers, the seats and tables have been removed from the lower deck and replaced with the ...
-
NewsNational control centre approved
IRELAND: The construction of a €135m National Train Control Centre to manage the entire Iarnród Éireann network was approved by the Irish government on July 17. The new centre is to be delivered by IÉ, with government funding provided through the National Transport Authority as part of Project Ireland ...
-
NewsFuzhou Changle airport lines approved
CHINA: The National Development & Reform Commission has approved the construction of two railway lines to provide access to Fuzhou Changle International Airport in Fujian province. The Fuzhou – Changle airport line will be 58 km long, running from Fuzhou’s main station to Changle Airport via Nantaidao, Changle, and ...
-
NewsElectrification goes live in northern Portugal
PORTUGAL: Prime Minister António Costa and Housing & Infrastructure Minister Pedro Nuno Santos attended ceremonies on July 16 to mark completion of two electrification schemes on routes north of Porto. Both projects are part of the government’s Ferrovia 2020 investment plan. A 14·2 km section of the Porto – ...
-
Metro Report InternationalMÁV-Start’s first Kiss rolled out
HUNGARY: Stadler’s factory in Dunakeszi has rolled out the first Kiss double-deck electric multiple-unit for national passenger operator MÁV-Start, which has so far ordered a total of 19 under a 2017 eight-year framework agreement for up to 40. Testing is to be undertaken in Germany and the Czech Republic, ...
-
Rail Business UKWilliams reiterates call for UK franchising changes
UK: Greater accountability and a clear customer focus are the principal requirements for reform of the UK rail sector, according to Keith Williams, the independent chairman of the rail review established by Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling in the wake of the May 2018 timetable change debacle. ...
-
NewsRegioJet to strengthen overnight trains
EUROPE: RegioJet has bought 18 couchette cars from Deutsche Bahn, which it intends to use to lengthen its night trains on the Praha – Košice route to up to 18 vehicles with a capacity of up to 1 000 passengers per train. The fleet expansion follows a successful ...
-
-
NewsIkea furnishing for BDZ sleeping cars
BULGARIA: As part of its onboard advertising programme, national operator BDZ has worked with furniture and household goods company Ikea to fit sleeping cars with ‘colourful accessories giving the compartments home comforts and an additional summer mood’. The cars with Ikea furnishings are now operating on services from the capital ...
-
NewsBulgaria launches fleet renewal plan ahead of market liberalisation
test1 BULGARIA: National operator BDZ needs to focus on service quality, sustainability and long-term performance in order to ‘convince the public that it is developing in an upward trend’ and remain the state’s main passenger service provider when the market is liberalised in 2024, Minister of ...
-
NewsSBB halts court battle with BLS
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways has asked the Federal Administrative Court to suspend its appeal lodged in July 2018 against the decision by the Federal Office of Transport to allocate two routes in the national long-distance passenger service concession to BLS. The Bern – Biel and Bern – Burgdorf – Olten ...
-
Rail Business UKVirgin Trains rolls-out app to keep everyone informed
UK: Inter-city operator Virgin Trains has provided its staff with a mobile app which is designed to enable them to supply passengers with more timely and accurate information during service disruption. Back on Track was custom developed for Virgin Trains by UP3 and ServiceNow, but the operator told a launch ...
-
NewsCPTM plans tourist service to Santos
BRAZIL: São Paulo suburban operator CPTM ran two test trains in late June on the São Paulo – Santos route as part of assessments ahead of the possible launch of a passenger service. The test trains ran on June 18 and 27, and form part of CPTM’s preparations ...