All Policy articles – Page 51
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NewsSaudi Arabia invites interest in operating its rail network
SAUDI ARABIA: The national Public Transport Authority has invited international railway operators and investors to express interest in forming a long-term partnership to operate the country’s rail network. The process forms part of the Saudi Vision 2030 programme, which aims to increase the role of the private sector in the ...
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NewsSNCF opens two high speed lines in one day
FRANCE: More than 500 km of new high speed line were officially opened on July 1, when SNCF operated special trains on LGV Sud Europe Atlantique and LGV Bretagne – Pays de la Loire, ahead of the start of commercial services the following day. Taking part in the events were ...
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NewsA ticket to ride
‘The complex reality of managing the back office processes of the modern passenger railway can sometimes be overlooked’, suggests Nick Kingsley.
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NewsCharles-de-Gaulle Airport rail link funding model approved
FRANCE: The proposed financing mechanism for the construction of the CDG Express dedicated rail link between Paris Est station and Charles-de-Gaulle Airport has been approved by the European Commission. Under the current proposals, the 32 km link is to be built and operated by a 50:50 joint venture between SNCF ...
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NewsHŽ Cargo debt cancellation approved by European Commission
CROATIA: The European Commission announced on June 21 that it had approved the government’s provision of state aid worth 975m kuna to national freight operator HŽ Cargo. In May 2015 the government decided to convert HŽ Cargo’s debt to the state into equity, providing the operator with relief from repayment ...
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NewsGibb report into improving Southern performance published
UK: A report providing recommendations for improving the performance of train services across the Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern franchise was published by the Department for Transport on June 22. The report was commissioned last year from Network Rail non-executive director and career railwayman Chris Gibb, following the sustained ...
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NewsRail sector responds to the Queen's Speech
UK: The rail sector responds to the Queen's Speech given at the state opening of parliament on June 21, which outlined the government's policies and proposed legislative programme for the new parliamentary session. [View the story "Rail sector responds to the Queen's Speech 2017" on Storify]
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NewsEBRD agrees €290m loan for Egyptian locomotive order
EGYPT: A €290m loan agreement to support Egyptian National Railways’ planned acquisition of up to 100 diesel locomotives through a supply and maintenance contract was signed by the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development on June 19. EBRD said the acquisition of new locomotives maintained by a private-sector partner would ...
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NewsAlliance drops Pendolino plan as Southampton paths identified
UK: Open access passenger service promoter Alliance Rail Holdings has dropped plans to procure Alstom Pendolino trainsets for its proposed London Euston – Blackpool North service. The Arriva subsidiary reports that it is now discussing with leasing company Eversholt the use of Class 91 locomotives and MkIV coaches which are ...
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State aid for Greek and Bulgarian railways approved
EUROPE: The European Commission has decided that financial support being provided by Greece and Bulgaria for their national railways is compatible with EU state aid rules. The Commission said its decisions showed that state aid controls are able to address ‘problematic issues’ around debt levels at some incumbent operators, helping ...
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NewsSNCB seeks to develop BeNeRail distribution partnership
EUROPE: Speaking on the sidelines of the Amadeus Rail Innovation Forum in Praha on June 13, SNCB’s Manager for International Sales Paul Geyssens indicated that the Belgian national operator is planning to expand its collaboration with travel software specialist Amadeus through the BeNeRail distribution joint venture of SNCB and Dutch ...
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NewsSNCB does not expect DB to run to London
EUROPE: Deutsche Bahn has effectively deferred its high-profile plan to run direct high speed trains between Germany and London. Reports in the French press last week had quoted Birgit Bohle, Managing Director of DB Fernverkehr, suggesting that the German operator had no desire to compete directly with its French counterpart ...
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NewsShift2Rail project grants awarded
EUROPE: Another 17 research projects with a combined value of €110·9m have been selected for financing under the 2017 Call for Proposals, the Shift2Rail joint undertaking announced on June 14. These will share up to €60·1m of EU co-financing under the multi-year research programme. The call for proposals had been ...
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NewsGo east, young people
INTERNATIONAL: Later this year, the EU Gateway programme is to organise its first ‘market scoping mission’ to Japan specifically aimed at the rail sector. Timed to coincide with the Mass-Trans Innovation exhibition in Chiba at the end of November, the trip will include briefings, site visits and an opportunity to ...
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NewsContract awards mark Corridor IV upgrading progress
ROMANIA: Infrastructure manager CFR SA signed contracts for a 78 km route modernisation project with a consortium of Astaldi, FCC, SALCEF and Thales on May 23.The work covers a section of the Arad – Deva main line between Km614 (near Cicir), Bârzava and Ilteu, which is part of pan-European Corridor ...
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NewsKiwiRail and CRL funded in NZ$1bn budget allocation
NEW ZEALAND: The government has allocated almost NZ$1bn for rail investment as part of its annual budget unveiled by Finance Minister Steven Joyce on May 25, including support for national operator KiwiRail and a first tranche of capital investment for construction of Auckland's City Rail Link. The government has agreed ...
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NewsSeeking future rail megatrends
EUROPE: Late May saw the launch of an interactive forum on the Near 2050 project website aimed at enabling rail users, operators and specifying organisations to comment on their experience of the sector and predict how the rail mode might evolve over the next 35 years.Near2050 is being co-ordinated under ...
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NewsONCF hosts African safety summit
AFRICA: Senior industry leaders from railways in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia gathered in Rabat on May 15 for an 11-day training summit hosted by Moroccan national railway ONCF.The safety training summit is the fifth such event to be held in Rabat ...
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NewsCaltrain electrification funding confirmed
USA: The Federal Transit Administration confirmed on May 22 that it would execute a Full Funding Grant Agreement worth $647m for electrification of the Caltrain commuter rail corridor between San Francisco and San Jose.Caltrain had agreed contracts in July last year with Balfour Beatty and Stadler for electrification work and ...
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NewsTrump urged to intervene in ‘emergency’ at New York Penn Station
USA: Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State, wrote to President Donald Trump on May 21 requesting that the federal government treat the ongoing infrastructure and operational difficulties at New York Penn Station ‘as an emergency situation’ and provide funding for short- and long-term enhancements of the station.Two derailments within ...