All Policy articles – Page 27
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NewsAlstom proposes divestments to obtain approval for Bombardier Transportation acquisition
INTERNATONAL: Alstom has put forward proposals for a number of product and factory divestments as part of the process of gaining European Union regulatory approval for its planned acquisition of Bombardier Transportation. The European Commission was formally notified of the proposed transaction on June 11. After initial ...
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NewsAgreements signed to allow direct Amsterdam – London trains
EUROPE: Eurostar is set to launch direct services between Amsterdam and London later this year, following the signing on July 7 of four-country agreements covering the legal and security arrangements. A date for the start of through services has not yet been finalised, the high speed train ...
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Rail Business UKFranchise support to be extended by 18 months
UK: The government is preparing for a further 18 months of financial support for passenger train operators once the existing Emergency Measures Agreements expire on September 20, industry insiders have confirmed. A formal decision is expected to be announced by Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps ...
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NewsFrench regulators formalise co-operation ahead of market opening
FRANCE: National transport regulator ART and rail safety authority EPSF have agreed to strengthen their co-operation in preparation for opening up of the domestic rail market to competition, the two organisations announced on July 7.
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NewsIndian Railways invites bids to run private passenger trains
INDIA: Confirming its intention to work with private operators to address a shortfall in passenger capacity, the Indian Railway Board issued requests for qualification on July 1 for 35-year concessions to operate private trains on the national network from 2023. IR currently operates around 13 500 ...
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NewsTrains replace planes on Wien – Salzburg route
AUSTRIA: Inter-city rail travel will replace domestic flights between Wien and Salzburg, Austrian Airlines announced on July 2.
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NewsGerman government commits to rail at national summit
GERMANY: The federal government underlined its commitment to investment in the rail sector to enable a significant increase in market share during a Rail Summit hosted by the Federal Ministry of Transport & Digital Infrastructure in Berlin on June 30.
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NewsPowerHaul locos arrive in Finland as Operail expands outside Estonia
FINLAND: Wabtec announced on June 26 that the first two of nine broad gauge PowerHaul diesel locomotives had been delivered to the port of Hanko in Finland for use by the local arm of Estonian state-owned operator Operail. The 1 524 mm gauge locomotives are being assembled ...
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In depthComment: Getting back on track
An essential first step will be to overcome the perception that public transport is dangerous, and emphasise that the risks can be managed. As well as putting the appropriate processes in place, it is vital to get the messaging right, and that needs to start now.
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Rail Business UKRestoring Your Railway Fund could provide a toolkit for town transformation
UK: The Department for Transport launched the Restoring Your Railway Fund in January to support the development of proposals to reopen closed railway lines and stations. The introduction of this new stream of funding for the rail industry ...
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NewsStudy finds uncertainties in rail to bus conversion
Source: Lokaltog DENMARK: Conversion of the Østbanen local railway in eastern Sjælland into a busway could be a viable alternative to renewing the life-expired rail infrastructure, a study has suggested. The infrastructure rail renewals which are required are expected to take 2½ years and cost at least ...
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NewsHow the rail sector fought Covid-19
INTERNATIONAL: The International Union of Railways’ coronavirus task force has published its third document on the sector’s response to the crisis, focusing on how the rail industry fought Covid-19 during lockdown periods and looking at the mitigation measures put in place to stop the spread of ...
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Rail Business UKDisqualification of non-compliant franchise bids was lawful, High Court finds
UK: The Department for Transport’s disqualification of non-compliant bids for the East Midlands, South Eastern and West Coast Partnership franchises was lawful, Mr Justice Stuart-Smith said when handing down judgment in the High Court on June 17. In April 2019 the then Secretary of State for Transport, ...
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Rail Business UKFace coverings now mandatory on trains in England
UK: It became mandatory for public transport passengers in England to cover their nose and mouth on June 15. Government advice remains to avoid public transport where possible, however mandating the use of face coverings is intended to help prevent infected people from spreading coronavirus as lockdown ...
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NewsCo-operative group seeks to launch Lyon – Bordeaux open access service from 2022
FRANCE: Nascent open access operator Railcoop lodged a formal application with the Autorité de Régulation des Transports on June 9 to launch a Bordeaux – Lyon inter-city service using the conventional route via Périgueux and Montluçon. Photo: Christophe Masse A direct Lyon - Bordeaux service could be revived ...
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NewsCoronavirus crisis offers lessons for rail freight policy
EUROPE: The European Rail Freight Association says lessons about the key success factors for rail freight can be learned from the significant improvement in performance which has occurred as a direct consequence of the drastic reduction in passenger traffic during the coronavirus pandemic. Shippers have long been ...
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NewsReliability focus and capital investment in NJ Transit strategic plan
USA: Reconstruction of Hoboken Terminal to improve flood resilience and a trial of battery-electric trains are among the rail projects identified in the NJT2030 10-year strategic plan unveiled by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and NJ Transit President & CEO Kevin Corbett on June 8.
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NewsAlliance targets doubling of freight market share
FRANCE: Plans to relaunch the rail freight business are now being finalised in preparation for formal presentation to the government by the end of this month. Drawn up by the Fret Ferroviaire Français du Futur alliance (4F), the proposals aim to double rail’s share of the freight ...
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NewsEuropean coalition to improve international rail travel
EUROPE: A willingness to co-operate to increase rail’s share of the international passenger market is a set out in political statement signed by a ‘coalition of the willing’ comprising all EU member states except Croatia, Estonia, Cyprus and Malta (the latter two having no railways) and including ...
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NewsAssociations emphasise importance of public transport in tackling climate change
EUROPE: The International Union of Railways, International Association of Public Transport and European railway suppliers’ association UNIFE have called for ‘a new sense of urgency’ in developing a more sustainable transport mix, arguing that decision makers need to look beyond the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath and not forget that ‘the rising danger’ of climate change ‘has not stopped during the crisis’.