All Policy articles – Page 44
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NewsEU audit condemns ‘ineffective patchwork’ of high speed lines
EUROPE: A lack of cross-border co-ordination between member states has reduced the effectiveness of European Union investment in high speed rail, according to a report published by the European Court of Auditors on June 26. Suggesting that ‘there is no European high speed rail network’, the report concludes that there ...
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NewsKathmandu rail link accord signed
ASIA: Construction of a trans-Himalayan rail link connecting China and Nepal is expected to be completed within seven years, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries on June 21. No fewer than 14 separate co-operation agreements were signed during a visit to Beijing by Nepalese ...
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NewsBLS exercises EMU option to operate long-distance routes
SWITZERLAND: Regional operator BLS has accepted the Federal Office for Transport's June 12 ruling that it will be granted only two Interregio routes under the long-distance operating concession due to commence in December 2019. It expects to place orders in the next few weeks for eight MUTZ double-deck EMUs to ...
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NewsNew South Wales transport budget
AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales government has allocated A$14·4bn towards public transport in its state budget for 2018. Maintenance of the Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Intercity networks has been allocated A$1·5bn, and signalling and train control upgrades are in line for A$880m. Fleet procurement funding includes A$496m for the ...
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NewsOpen access operator SagaRail suspends services
SWEDEN: Private open access passenger operator SagaRail announced on June 20 that it had suspended the Stockholm – Linköping service which it had launched in February. The company said it was not viable to operate the service without being able to sell tickets through state incumbent SJ’s online channels. SagaRail ...
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NewsLithuanian Railways restructuring approved
LITHUANIA: National railway LG is to be restructured with effect from September 1, following government approval last month of proposals drawn up by the Ministry of Transport & Communications. LG will be reorganised into separate passenger, freight and infrastructure divisions, all controlled by a 100%-state owned holding company. Minister of ...
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Rail Business UKCross-border upgrade plan
EUROPE: North-south rail services between Belfast and Dublin could be upgraded over the coming years, under a three-stage development strategy agreed by Irish national operator Iarnród Éireann and its Northern Irish counterpart Translink. Launched in Belfast as part of Northern Ireland’s Bus+Train week initiative, the plan envisages investment in ...
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NewsSNCF reform legislation adopted
FRANCE: The consolidated version of the government’s railway reform legislation was formally adopted by the Sénat in a 245:83 vote on June 14, having been approved by the Assemblée Nationale 452:80 on the previous day. The text had been agreed by a joint committee of MPs and senators on ...
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NewsSwiss long-distance concession split confirmed
SWITZERLAND: The Federal Office for Transport announced on June 12 its final decision to split the concession to operate long-distance passenger services from the December 2019 timetable change. Most routes and the whole of the inter-city network will be run by incumbent SBB, but BLS will operate Interregio services on ...
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Rail Business UKDraft determination calls for more Network Rail spending on reliability and safety
UK: On June 12 the Office of Rail & Road issued its draft determination setting out its initial opinions on Network Rail’s £34bn strategic business plan for Control Period 6, which the infrastructure manager had published in February. The draft determination is a key stage in the Periodic Review 2018 ...
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NewsLast train to Le Tréport
The cessation of passenger trains over the branch from Abbeville to Le Tréport has reignited debate over the future of France’s secondary lines within the ongoing railway reform programme. Jean-Paul Masse reports.
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NewsEuropean Commission notified of planned Siemens-Alstom merger
INDUSTRY: Siemens and Alstom jointly filed an application for merger control clearance with the European Commission on June 8. The two companies said the processes to obtain regulatory approval for the planned merger of Alstom with Siemens’ Mobility business was ‘advancing in all relevant jurisdictions’. However they cautioned that ‘extended ...
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Rail Business UKEast Midlands franchise tenders invited
UK: The invitation to tender for the next East Midlands passenger franchise was issued by the Department for Transport on June 7, with bids to be submitted by September 5. The franchise covers the operation of Midland Main Line inter-city services linking London St Pancras with Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and ...
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NewsSénat approves French rail reforms
FRANCE: A revised version of the government’s draft legislation to reform the national rail sector was formally adopted by the Sénat on June 5, by 240 votes to 85. The legislation retains the core principles of the government’s proposed reforms, which had been adopted by the Assemblée Nationale in April. ...
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Rail Business UKElectrification and train-trams in ambitious Wales franchise
UK: Investment of £1·8bn in three new train fleets, electrification of commuter routes radiating from Cardiff and station modernisation across the 1 623 route-km Wales & Borders network is envisaged under the 15-year Operations & Development Partner contract awarded to KeolisAmey by the Welsh government on June 4. Described by ...
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NewsBourgogne-Franche-Comté agrees operating contract with SNCF
FRANCE: A target of 22% growth in TER ridership has been set by the région of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté as part of an operating agreement with SNCF Mobilités running until 2026. The contract with the incumbent operator was announced by the regional authority on May 25, although it applies retrospectively from January ...
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NewsAgreement in principle to revive Hudson Bay Railway
CANADA: Agreement in principle has been reached for the transfer of ownership of the Hudson Bay Railway and the reinstatement services to Churchill in northern Manitoba by winter 2018, the federal government announced on May 30. Short line group OmniTRAX purchased the 1 300 km HBR from Canadian National in ...
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NewsMinisters urge that Rastatt lessons are learnt
EUROPE: Transport ministers have issued a Declaration calling for rapid implementation of measures to mitigate the effects of a major incident such as the seven-week closure last August of the Rhein Valley main line between Basel and Karlsruhe in Germany following a tunnel collapse beneath the alignment at Rastatt. The ...
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NewsVästlänken construction launched in Göteborg
SWEDEN: Construction of the Västlänken cross-city tunnel in Göteborg was officially launched on May 30, with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Mattias Landgren, State Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Trafikverket Director General Lena Erixon, Johnny Magnusson, Chairman of Västra Götaland region and the leader of Göteborg City Council ...
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NewsKuala Lumpur – Singapore high speed project faces cancellation
ASIA: Recently elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad vowed on May 28 to cancel the Kuala Lumpur – Singapore high speed rail project, with the Chinese-backed East Coast Rail Link also set to be dropped. Mahathir told local media that a number of major projects would come under immediate review ...