Passenger rail news – Page 3
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Rail Business UKSign language translation to be tested at London Overground stations
UK: London Overground operating concessionaire Arriva Rail London is to test technology that translates digital passenger information into British Sign Language which can be accessed through a smart device via a personalised digital avatar. The Luna platform supplied by GoMedia uses translation technology from Signapse. Trials ...
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NewsDublin – Belfast boost in Irish timetable recast
IRELAND: National railway Iarnród Éireann is planning a major uplift in its inter-city and inter-regional services in the second half of the year, including a boost in frequency to the cross-border Enterprise service linking Dublin and Belfast.
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NewsKoleje Mazowieckie orders more Flirts
POLAND: Regional operator Koleje Mazowieckie has signed a 3·2bn złoty framework agreement with Stadler for the supply of 50 five-car Flirt electric multiple-units. A firm order has been placed for an initial batch of 25. The deal includes the provision of maintenance for 18 years, as ...
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NewsTraction innovations on show in Ostrava
CZECH REPUBLIC: One of the 18 Flirt electric multiple-units being supplied to Serbia formed the centrepiece of the Stadler presentation for the Rail Business Days 2024 trade fair at Ostrava’s Trojhalí Karolina centre.
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Rail Business UKHeathrow Express access rights extended
UK: Heathrow Express announced on June 24 that it had secured a track access agreement covering its non-stop services between London Paddington and the airport terminals until June 2028.
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NewsFlytoget eyes an open access future
NORWAY: Airport express operator Flytoget has applied to the national railway authority Statens Jernbanetilsyn to launch open access passenger services on the Sørlandsbanen between Oslo and Kristiansand from December 2027.
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NewsChinese coaches enter service in Montréal
CANADA: Montréal regional transport authority Exo put its first CRRC-built double-deck commuter rail coaches into revenue service on the Saint-Jérôme route on June 25, following a launch run on June 21.
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NewsČD orders more Škoda BEMUs as first trainset is unveiled in Ostrava
CZECH REPUBLIC: The first Škoda battery-electric multiple-unit for state operator České Dráhy was officially unveiled at the Rail Business Days trade fair in Ostrava on June 11.
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NewsAlmetalbahn reopening would be viable, study finds
GERMANY: The benefits of reopening the Almetal railway from Paderborn to Büren and Brilon Stadt would exceed the costs, a feasibility study commissioned by Westfalen-Lippe transport authority NWL has found. The cost of reopening the 52 km route is put at €306m to €314m. Daily ridership ...
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NewsLow-cost high speed train operator Ouigo aims to double ridership
FRANCE: National passenger operator SNCF Voyageurs is aiming to double ridership at its low-cost subsidiary Ouigo to 50 million passengers/year by 2030, and to increase Ouigo’s share of the domestic high speed rail market from 20% to 30%.
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Rail Business UKTrain ticket and taxi apps link up
UK: Rail ticketing app Seatfrog and private hire taxi platform Veezu have announced a strategic partnership to link train journey and taxi network data. Passengers will be able to book taxi rides connected automatically to their rail departure and arrival times, so they can step out ...
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NewsBusiness travel leaders say European train operators are missing an opportunity
EUROPE: Senior figures from the business travel sector have expressed frustration at the difficulty of incorporating rail options into corporate travel systems, saying the sector is failing to respond to demand as companies look for alternatives to flying.
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NewsFlirt DMUs enter service in Azerbaijan
AZERBAIJAN: National railway ADY put its Stadler Flirt diesel multiple-units into service on the Baku – Ağstafa route on June 14. In November 2019 ADY placed a €115m order with Stadler for 10 Flirt trainsets: four inter-regional DMUs designated DŞ1, three EMUs also configured for inter-regional services ...
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NewsBologna launches cross-city suburban service
ITALY: Regional operator Trenitalia Tper has introduced cross-city suburban services in the Bologna area with effect from June 9. Route SFM1 linking Porretta in the southwest with Pianoro to the southeast has been established by the extension of the existing Porretta – Bologna Centrale service to ...
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NewsEFE launches Curicó – Talca – Linares regional service
CHILE: National operator EFE has introduced regional passenger services between Curicó, Talca and Linares, as part of a government programme to enhance regional train services. President Gabriel Boric announced in June 2023 that local services would be introduced in three regions under the Trenes de Cercanía ...
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Rail Business UKInterview: ‘Open access works in Europe and it works here’
UK: Martijn Gilbert, head of FirstGroup’s Lumo and Hull Trains businesses, says the open access model is a proven success, and makes the case for further expansion whatever rail reforms may lie ahead.
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NewsUzbekistan signs South Korean high speed train order
UZBEKISTAN: Hyundai Rotem’s first order to export high speed trainsets was amongst several co-operation agreements signed during South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on June 14. Plans for the 270bn won order for Hyundai Rotem and South Korean operator Korail ...
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NewsTanzania launches electric passenger train services
TANZANIA: Passenger services on the 201·8 km electrified standard gauge railway from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro were formally launched on June 14. President Samia Suluhu Hassan paid the fares for the 1 400 passengers on the first trip. The journey time is less than 2 ...
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NewsSurvey finds perceived cost deters rail travel
TER train. FRANCE: A survey of rail passengers and potential users has found that national train services are perceived as too expensive and too inflexible. Carried out by market research group IFOP for the National Federation of Transport User Associations (FNAUT), the survey also determined that ...
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NewsSNCF Voyageurs plans to launch open access high speed train services in Italy
ITALY: French national passenger operator SNCF Voyageurs has announced plans to launch open access high speed train services within Italy from 2026, with the target of obtaining a 15% market share by 2030. SNCF Voyageurs Italia has applied to infrastructure manager RFI for access rights for ...