All Policy articles – Page 45
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NewsOperators oppose long-distance concession plans
SWITZERLAND: Regional operator BLS is contesting the plans announced in April by the Federal Office for Transport (BAV) for the 10-year concession to run long-distance passenger services from December 2019. Under the proposals national operator SBB would run all Intercity routes and most of the so-called Basic Network, but the ...
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Rail Business UKUK railway news round-up
On May 23 the Department for Transport said that ‘tackling poor performance’ at the Northern franchise was its ‘top priority’. A combination of factors, stemming largely from delays to Network Rail electrification work in northwest England, has caused a surge in delays and cancellations as Northern struggled to train drivers ...
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Rail Business UKKeolisAmey selected as Operating & Development Partner in Wales
UK: In a written statement issued on May 23, the Welsh government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy & Transport Ken Skates announced the award of a contract for KeolisAmey to ‘operate and develop the Wales & Borders rail service and the South Wales Metro’. The contract will begin on June 4 ...
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Rail Business UKUniversity alliance to promote high speed rail
INTERNATIONAL: The International Union of Railways has moved to strengthen its nascent network of academic institutions which are intended to work together to promote the development of high speed rail. UIC first announced plans for its alliance of universities at the World Congress on High Speed Rail in Tokyo in ...
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NewsSpanish regulation in breach of EU rules, Commission says
SPAIN: The European Commission has sent a letter of formal notice to Spain saying it has failed to correctly transpose Directive 2012/34/EU establishing a single European railway area. The Commission said on May 17 that it believes that Spain’s regulatory framework is in breach of provisions of the directive concerning ...
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NewsGermany told to fully transpose EU safety legislation
GERMANY: On May 17 the European Commission sent a reasoned opinion requesting that Germany fully comply with Directive 2004/49/EC. This requires EU member states to establish an independent safety authority, an independent accident investigation body and coherently allocate safety responsibilities. The Commission said Germany had failed to ensure that its ...
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Rail Business UKA 'fresh approach' to transport in northern England
UK: The Transport for the North partnership of 19 local authorities, Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, Highways England and industry leaders is aiming to take ‘a fresh approach to transport’ in northern England now it has been formally launched, CEO Barry White told the All-Party Parliamentary Rail Group on May 15. ...
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Rail Business UKGovernment terminates Virgin Trains East Coast franchise
UK: The current InterCity East Coast franchise held by a joint venture of Stagecoach Group (90%) and Virgin Holdings (10%) will be terminated on June 24, Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling informed the House of Commons on May 16. From that date, DOHL, a government-owned ‘operator of last ...
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NewsCompetition is key as high speed rail keeps growing
Global ridership has surged by 40% in the three years since UIC last staged its World Congress on High Speed Rail. Yet operators and policymakers must work hard to keep the rail mode ahead as competition grows both in and for the market. Benjámin Zelki reports from the latest summit ...
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NewsFunding package to boost TasRail infrastructure
AUSTRALIA: The federal government has allocated A$59·8m for the Tasmanian Freight Rail Revitalisation ProgrammeAs part of its latest budget, matching a similar commitment from the state. The A$119·6m Tranche Two of TasRail’s Infrastructure Investment Fund is intended to support infrastructure rehabilitation and enhancement works over a four-year period from June ...
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NewsHerzog to provide short line PTC
USA: Herzog Technologies is to make its Positive Train Control support and hosting services available to smaller freight railroads under an agreement with the American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association announced on May 10. ‘The implementation of PTC is one of the most complex and challenging projects to be ...
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News‘Root and branch’ reform of UK rail fares proposed
UK: The Rail Delivery Group is to undertake public consultation ahead of producing proposals for how it could work with government to implement a ‘root and branch reform’ of fare and ticket regulation. The current regulatory structure for ticketing in Great Britain was fixed at the time of privatisation ...
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NewsEU budgets €30·6bn for transport in 2021-27
EUROPE: A total spending envelope of €30·6bn has been allocated for transport investment as part of the European Commission’s 2021-27 budget proposals presented to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on May 2. Describing its proposed Multiannual Financing Framework as ‘pragmatic and modern’, the Commission put forward plans for a total ...
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NewsCambodia reinstates Sisophon – Battambang railway
CAMBODIA: The reopening of a further 69 km of main line railway was celebrated on April 29 when an inaugural train ran from Sisophon to Battambang carrying Transport Minister Sun Chanthol. The reopening of this section of the country’s northern main line between Phnom Penh and the Thai border marks ...
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NewsAmtrak should focus on medium-distance corridors, says Anderson
USA: Amtrak should focus on its medium-distance operations and prioritise investment in a network of corridors across the country of between 200 km and 1 000 km, where the greatest ridership can be achieved, believes its new Chief Executive Richard Anderson. Outlining his vision for the future of the ...
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NewsEU funding supports ETCS on LGV Sud Est
FRANCE: The European Union is to provide €117m from the Connecting Europe Facility to support the installation of ETCS Level 2 on LGV Sud-Est between Paris and Lyon, under a financing agreement signed on April 25 at the TEN-T Days conference in Ljubljana, attended by European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc ...
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NewsChina and Gulf states discuss OTIF accession to support international freight
INTERNATIONAL: China and the Gulf Co-Operation Council member states are discussing accession to the COTIF convention, which provides a legal framework for the operation of international rail traffic. China’s interest is related to the growth of east-west freight traffic to and from Europe. Its accession would be politically significant ...
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NewsCompetition authority reviews open access bid
SPAIN: The National Commission on Markets & Competition has decided to resume work on reviewing the application by Air Nostrum subsidiary Intermodalidad de Levante SA to launch the country’s first open access high speed services, despite a legal challenge from the Ministry of Development. ILSA is hoping to launch a ...
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NewsCompetition comes to Swiss long-distance network
SWITZERLAND: The Federal Office for Transport has decided to split the concession to operate long-distance passenger services on the national network, although Swiss Federal Railways will continue to be responsible for all but two routes. BAV announced on April 19 that it expects to award a concession to SBB to ...
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NewsEuskotren planning high speed commuter services
SPAIN: Basque regional operator Euskotren is planning to launch high speed commuter trains over the 1 435 mm gauge ‘Basque Y’ high speed network linking San Sebastián, Gasteiz-Vitoría and Bilbao. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Metro & Light Rail Congress in Bilbao on April 19, Euskotren Chief Executive ...