All Policy articles – Page 50
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NewsLogistics bodies urge action after Rastatt ‘disaster’
EUROPE: ‘The European system of rail logistics is about to collapse’, warned more than 20 trade bodies on September 4 in an open letter to European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc and German Federal Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt. The letter was copied to seven other transport ministers and Josef Doppelbauer, Executive ...
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NewsTrafikverket unveils 12-year investment plan
SWEDEN: Transport infrastructure authority Trafikverket formally launched its 2018-29 national plan on August 31, submitting its spending proposals to the government and starting a three-month public consultation process. Formal adoption of the plan is expected in the spring of 2018. The national plan covers state-owned infrastructure for all modes, including ...
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NewsEgyptian National Railways plans to form stand-alone freight business
EGYPT: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development has invited expressions of interest in a contract to assist Egyptian National Railways with the planned conversion of its freight business into a stand-alone subsidiary company. The intention is that this would have managerial independence and operate through commercial relationships with the ...
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NewsGood times ahead as Tazara and ZRL sign open access freight agreement
AFRICA: Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority and Zambia Railways Ltd have signed an open access agreement intended to facilitate the seamless movement of freight trains across each other’s infrastructure. Tazara hopes to gain an additional 200 000 tonnes of freight in the first year of the agreement. ‘In the past, Tazara and ...
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NewsState aid for Slovakian depots approved
SLOVAKIA: Government support of €96·5m which would enable national operator ZSSK to build three light maintenance workshops has been approved by the European Commission. The workshops at Nové Zámky, Zvolen and Humenné would undertake routine work on passenger rolling stock including cleaning, refilling the water tanks and minor repairs. ...
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NewsFinland sets out plans for passenger rail tendering
FINLAND: The government’s plans to open the domestic passenger market to competition and bring the country into line with the EU’s Fourth Railway Package were set out by Transport & Communications Minister Anne Berner on August 9. The model which has been chosen is similar to that adopted by Norway, ...
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NewsTermination of Rift Valley Railways concession agreed
KENYA: The termination of Rift Valley Railways’ concession to operate the Kenyan section of the metre gauge Kenya – Uganda railway network has been agreed ‘by joint consent’ after the high court in Nairobi backed Kenya Railways’ attempts to end the contract. KR had sought to end the concession in ...
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NewsPacific concession could revert to state
COLOMBIA: During the course of a public hearing held on August 3, national infrastructure agency ANI declared the concession held by Ferrocarril del Pacífico SAS to have lapsed. The concession covers the upgrading, maintenance and operation of freight services on the Buenaventura — Cali, Cali — La Felisa and Zarzal ...
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NewsFrench regions prepare for market opening
FRANCE: Plans for the progressive introduction of competitive tendering in the regional passenger market have been confirmed by the government, and the proposals will be included in transport legislation due to be published in the first half of 2018. The organisation which represents the regions of France has told the ...
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NewsNetwork Rail announces ‘sweeping’ reform to attract private sector participation
UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail announced ‘sweeping new reforms’ on July 31 which are intended to enable third parties to become ‘heavily involved’ in delivering railway investment projects. At the same time it published the Unlocking rail investment – building confidence, reducing costs report commissioned from Professor Peter Hansford in ...
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NewsTGV resurgence in SNCF first half results
FRANCE: The SNCF group reported a €119m net profit in the first six months of 2017, driven by strong growth in high speed ridership.Amid concerns about the competitive threat facing the French national operator from long-distance buses and ride-sharing apps, SNCF reported on July 28 that overall group revenue was ...
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NewsRegions lobby for direct Berlin – Wrocław train
EUROPE: A special train service ran from Berlin to Wrocław on July 15 to highlight the desire of city and regional authorities on both sides of the German-Polish border to see the reintroduction of regular through services. The EuroCity service between the cities was withdrawn in December 2014. Jürgen Murach, ...
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NewsStudies still underway for trans-Pennine electrification
UK: No decision has been taken on the scope of the project to electrify the trans-Pennine route from Stalybridge near Manchester to Leeds, York and Selby, the Department for Transport told Railway Gazette on July 24. Network Rail’s electrification programme has seen significant cost overruns, and on July 20 the ...
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NewsHigh Level Output Specification for Control Period 6 published
UK: On July 20 Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling published the High Level Output Specification setting out what the government wants the railway to achieve in Control Period 6, which runs from April 1 2019 to March 31 2024, as well as the initial Statement of Funds Available. ...
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NewsSheffield, Swansea and Windermere electrification cancelled
UK: The government confirmed on July 19 that it had cancelled the planned 25 kV 50 Hz electrification of the Midland Main Line between Kettering, Nottingham and Sheffield, the Cardiff – Swansea route and the Oxenholme – Windermere branch. ‘Rapid delivery of passenger benefits, minimising disruption and engineering work should ...
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NewsBi-mode trains in prospect as HS2 northern routes confirmed
UK: Transport Secretary Chris Grayling issued a Command Paper on July 17 confirming the planned routes for the northern sections of High Speed 2, which would link London and Birmingham with Leeds and Manchester, including connections to the existing East Coast and West Coast main lines.The ‘majority’ of the route ...
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NewsHigh speed infrastructure manager issues €600m dark green bond
SPAIN: High speed rail infrastructure manager ADIF Alta Velocidad has issued a €600m ‘green bond’ via a syndicate of banks BBVA, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole and Santander. The bond has a six-year term at a 0·8% rate of interest. Green bonds must be used to finance or refinance environmentally ...
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NewsEU funding for Skopje – Sofia link
EUROPE: Two international rail projects in the Western Balkans region are to benefit from European Union funding as part of a package of transport investment agreed at a summit in Trieste on July 12. Under the Transport Community Treaty, the EU has agreed to co-fund seven projects with a combined ...
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NewsUK Railway Research & Innovation Network awarded funding
UK: A partnership of rail industry suppliers and eight universities has been awarded public funding towards a £92m programme aimed at establishing a world-leading centre of railway excellence. The Higher Education Funding Council for England is contributing £28·1m from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund to support the newly-created UK ...
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NewsCautious welcome for EU-Japan rail accord
INTERNATIONAL: European railway suppliers’ association UNIFE has welcomed the political agreement between the European Commission and the Japanese government on EU-Japan free trade, announced during a visit to Brussels by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 6. With the key points now agreed, the text is expected to be ...