Railway policy news – Page 3
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NewsCheaper rolling stock financing predicted as Luxembourg protocol comes into force
INTERNATIONAL: A global treaty designed to make it easier and cheaper for the private sector to finance railway rolling stock came into force on March 8. The Luxembourg Rail Protocol to the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment is a treaty under the ...
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NewsRail sector welcomes step towards emissions calculation standardisation
EUROPE: The European Parliament’s Environment and Transport committees have jointly adopted a draft report on a proposed EU Regulation which would establish a common methodology to enable fair comparisons of the greenhouse gas emissions from different modes of transport. This was welcomed by the Community of ...
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NewsMexican passenger rail reform plans unveiled
MEXICO: A package of 20 proposals for legislative reforms intended to support the restoration and development of passenger services on the existing rail network has been presented to the Chamber of Deputies. The proposals announced in February would give the government the power to grant concessions to ...
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Rail Business UKTransport Committee invites feedback on draft rail reform bill
Source: Mary R Smith/Pixabay UK: The House of Commons Transport Select Committee has launched its pre-legislative scrutiny of the government’s draft Rail Reform Bill, inviting experts to share their views. The Committee will examine the draft bill’s proposals and make recommendations to the government on how ...
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NewsEuropean Commission investigates whether CRRC received market-distorting subsidy
BULGARIA: The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation into whether a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned rolling stock group CRRC received unfair subsidy enabling it to submit a low bid for a contract. The investigation announced on February 16 is the first under the Foreign Subsidies ...
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Rail Business UKUK government publishes Draft Rail Reform Bill
UK: The government has published its Draft Rail Reform Bill, to give parliamentarians and the industry an opportunity to provide feedback. Legislation is needed to implement the government’s rail reform proposals, including the creation of Great British Railways. However, a bill is unlikely to pass before ...
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In depthMiddle East: Visions of an inter-continental corridor
Proposals for the development of an India – Middle East – Europe ‘economic corridor’ were announced at the G20 summit in September 2023, but many questions remain about how the project might be implemented. Raghu Dayal investigates.
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NewsFour-pronged strategy to develop Pakistan Railways
PAKISTAN: A four-pronged strategy for financial autonomy, governance and growth, private sector participation and leveraging technology at Pakistan Railways has been set out by Railways Board Chairman Syed Mazhar Ali Shah. Financial Autonomy Shah said Pakistan Railways’ statutory position as a government ...
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NewsIndian government boosts rail spending again ahead of elections
INDIA: Presenting the Indian government’s Interim Budget on February 1 for 2024-25 ahead of elections due in April and May, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that a further increase in capital expenditure of 11·1% to reach Rs111tr or 3·4% of GDP. This in turn will boost ...
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NewsFrench regions warn track access charge increase would hurt rail growth
FRANCE: Transport authorities from seven régions and the Greater Paris area’s Ile-de-France-Mobilités have asked the Conseil d’Etat, the supreme court for administrative matters, to reduce a planned increase in track access charges. Infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau’s access charges are calculated on a three-year cycle. Its proposal ...
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NewsConcerns over PSO contracts directly awarded before tendering rule change
EUROPE: Concerns have been raised over the signing of directly awarded train operating contracts in several countries, shortly before the expiry of a provision in the Fourth Railway Package regulation on competitive tendering.
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NewsVioleta Bulc named European Rail Champion as concerns over skills and diversity grow
EUROPE: Former European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc and Danish national operator DSB were the winners of the two annual awards handed out by trade associations CER and UNIFE at the European Railway Award in Brussels on January 29.
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NewsRail projects awarded EU military mobility funding
EUROPE: Rail freight facility development and capacity enhancement projects are included in 38 schemes to upgrade transport infrastructure for dual civilian and defence purposes which have been selected to receive €807m of Connecting Europe Facility funding.
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NewsIncoming Polish government announces audit of CPK high speed rail and airport project
POLAND: The recently elected government has announced an audit of the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny railway, road and hub airport programme, along with leadership changes at the project promoter. On January 17 Maciej Lasek, the new Secretary of State for Development Funds & Regional Policy and the ...
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NewsTaiwan Railway restructured as state-owned corporation
TAIWAN: Control of the national rail network has been transferred to a newly established Taiwan Railway Corp, as successor to the former Taiwan Railway Administration. Transformation of the railway from a government department into a state-owned corporation had been under discussion since 2002, but was given ...
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NewsRENFE ticket sales competition commitments made legally binding
SPAIN: Commitments which national train operator RENFE made to address the European Commission’s concerns regarding the supply of data to rival ticketing retailers have been made legally binding under EU antitrust rules. ‘Today’s decision opens up competition in online rail ticketing services in Spain’, said Margrethe ...
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NewsChanges to EU lorry regulations could hit rail freight
EUROPE: European Commission proposals to revise the Weights & Dimensions Directive covering lorries could have ‘disastrous consequences’ for the rail sector, according to industry associations CER, ERFA, UIC, UIP and UIRR. The Commission has proposed allowing zero-emission lorries and lorries carrying freight which is moved using ...
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NewsDeutsche Bahn’s financial recovery remains elusive
GERMANY: Rail services in Germany were badly disrupted by industrial action over pay by the train drivers’ trade union GD during the week commencing January 8. On January 10 Deutsche Bahn said that about 20% of long-distance passenger services were running, with the number of regional ...
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In depthBrazil: National Railway Plan will reset project agenda
Government efforts to inject fresh impetus into the rail business and increase its share of the freight market continue, but reliance is being placed on the private sector to fund new projects. Murray Hughes reports.
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NewsChinese task force to draw-up TAZARA revitalisation plan
AFRICA: China Civil & Engineering and Construction Corp has sent a task force to undertake a comprehensive business and technical inspection of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, having being appointed to negotiate a potential deal for a Chinese operator to revitalise the line which was built with Chinese ...