All Policy articles – Page 85
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NewsTiger grants support infrastructure upgrades
USA: Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced the 51 transport projects which have been selected for Tiger grants under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act on February 17. The largest rail grants awarded under the $1·5bn Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery federal stimulus programme went to support rail infrastructure upgrades ...
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NewsChannel Tunnel working group investigates shorter trains
EUROPE: Eurotunnel is in discussions with the Intergovernmental Commission over amendments to the safety regulations which restrict the types of train permitted to use the tunnel, notably the requirement that trains should be capable of being split in an emergency and driven out separately. The company has now set up ...
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NewsLondon - Birmingham starts high speed railway to the north
UK: Transport Secretary Lord Adonis published the government's high speed rail strategy on March 11, setting out details of a planned 400 km/h high speed railway between London and Birmingham which could open by 2026 as the first part of a Y-shaped network serving Leeds and Manchester. The route developed ...
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NewsNetanyahu’s rail expansion plans approved
ISRAEL: The Ministry of Transport & Road Safety announced on February 24 that the government had approved the US$7·2bn first phase of the ‘Israel Ways’ transport investment package, promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Transport Minister Yisrael Katz. The ambitious plan originally envisaged expenditure of US$14bn ...
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NewsDeal cleared
EUROPE: The European Commission has given the go-ahead for Genève-based wagon leasing firm Financière Ermewa to be acquired by SNCF subsidiary Transport et Logistique Partenaires, subject to the condition that the Swiss firm's cereal transport activities are divested. Ermewa was previously owned by TLP and Citerne Invest. TLP is already ...
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NewsNo IEP contract before election, Adonis confirms
UK: A contract to supply the next generation of long-distance trains under the Intercity Express Programme will not be signed before the upcoming general election, it was confirmed on February 26. In a written statement, Secretary of State for Transport Lord Andrew Adonis said that since the programme was launched ...
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NewsNothing rotten in the state aid of Denmark
DENMARK: National railway DSB is not being over-compensated for services operated under public service contracts which the government awarded without tendering, the European Commission announced on February 24. The Commission launched an inquiry into DSB’s 2000-04 and 2005-14 contracts in response to complaints from Gråhundbus and Dansk ...
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NewsCrash investigations underway in Brussels
BELGIUM: Domestic and international train services into Brussels Midi remain severely disrupted as investigations continue into the cause of the fatal train crash at Buizingen during the morning rush hour on February 15. The worst railway accident in Belgium for more than 50 years killed 18 people, including one of ...
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NewsAmtrak plans fleet renewal programme
USA: As part of its annual budget submission to Congress, national passenger operator Amtrak published its long-term fleet renewal strategy on February 15, envisaging total expenditure of around US$23bn over the next 30 years. With the average vehicle age now exceeding 25 years, Amtrak President Joseph Boardman says ‘the need ...
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NewsHigh speed funding package agreed
MOROCCO: An allocation of 20bn dirhams for a high speed line between Tanger and Casablanca is included in the 2010-15 Contract Programme which ONCF Director General Mohammed Rabie Khlie signed with the government on February 1. During a ceremony presided over by King Mohammed VI, Lakhlie also signed an ...
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NewsUIC signs co-operation accord with World Bank
INTERNATIONAL: A co-operation agreement to support railways in developing countries was signed in Washington DC on February 11 by the International Union of Railways and the World Bank Group. Signed by UIC Director-General Jean-Pierre Loubinoux and Jamal Saghir, Director of the Bank’s Energy, Transport & Water Department, in the presence ...
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NewsOpen access operators complain to Europe
POLAND: On February 2, the Federation of Independent Rail Operators ZNPK announced it had filed a complaint with the European Commission alleging that the Polish authorities are infringing the spirit of EU legislation by giving preferential treatment to incumbent freight operator PKP Cargo. ZNPK officials believe that the revised structure ...
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NewsReform gets more cash
THAILAND: At the end of December, the cabinet approved plans for restructuring State Railway of Thailand. It also authorised a further 50bn baht of funding, over and above the 100bn baht for double-tracking, locomotive acquisitions and signalling upgrades which had been approved by the Council of Economic Ministers the previous ...
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NewsObama names inter-city rail projects to share $8bn
USA: President Obama announced the high speed and inter-city rail projects which will share $8bn of federal funding during a visit to Tampa, Florida, on January 28. States and local communities were able to compete for the money which was announced in April 2009 as part of the American Recovery ...
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NewsVR keeps monopoly for now
FINLAND: The Ministry of Transport has signed an agreement giving state railway VR a 10-year monopoly on long-distance passenger services. Local trains are covered by a separate agreement which runs for one year, as liberalisation of this market has not been ruled out. The contracts followed a review of the ...
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NewsLonger franchise allows Chiltern to compete
UK: On January 6 Chiltern Railways applied for Transport & Works Act legal powers for the second phase of its £250m Evergreen 3 expansion project, which will enable the operator to provide services between London Marylebone station and Oxford in competition with the First Great Western route from London Paddington ...
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NewsUS Center for High-Speed Rail launched
USA: The American Public Transportation Association has launched a Center for High-Speed Rail, aiming to 'advance and promote high-speed rail in the United States.' Announced on January 8, this will build on the work of APTA's existing High-Speed & Intercity Rail and Legislative committees. 'With the impending announcement by the ...
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NewsNorth Pole railway extension approved
USA: The Surface Transportation Board has approved Alaska Railroad Corp's plans for the Northern Rail Extension from North Pole, Alaska, subject to environmental mitigation conditions. The single track line will run 130 km southeast to Delta Junction from the current terminus of the Eielson branch near to North Pole south ...
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NewsADB loan for rail efficiency programme
CHINA: Asian Development Bank approved loans of up to US$1bn towards the Chinese government's US$3·24bn Railway Energy Efficiency & Safety Enhancement Investment Programme on December 8. Announced as part of an economic stimulus package in October 2008, the programme is funding the installation of train fault detection equipment and ...
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NewsQR National to be floated in 2010
AUSTRALIA: Detailed plans for the break-up and partial privatisation of QR were announced on December 8 by Queenland's state Premier Anna Bligh. The coal and general freight business, including some network infrastructure, is to be floated on the Australian stock market at the end of 2010. The new company ...