Railway policy news – Page 8
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In depthHigh Speed: The right speed for our planet
More than 1 500 delegates and exhibitors from around the world will be converging on Marrakech this week for the 11th UIC World Congress on High Speed Rail.
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NewsRail secretariat chief appointed
BRAZIL: Minister of Transport Renan Filho has appointed Leonardo Cezar Ribeiro to head the newly-established Secretariat for Rail Transport.
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NewsInspection initiative targets railways with hazardous loads
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration has announced a national initiative to undertake focused inspections on lines which carry high-hazard flammable trains and large volumes of hazardous materials. FRA is to immediately begin work with the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to identify such routes and ...
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News€100bn rail investment pledge in French long-term transport plan
FRANCE: Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has pledged up to €100bn of investment in the rail network as part of efforts to improve the provision of train services, reduce regional inequalities and support ecological transition goals.
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NewsFive priority projects in Swiss long-term spending plan
SWITZERLAND: The Ministry of Transport has set out details of plans to enhance or rebuild key sections of the national rail network under legislation due to be passed in 2026 that will define further stages in the national long-term railway investment programme. Under the proposals announced ...
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NewsUkraine launches railway decolonisation programme
UKRAINE: ‘A comprehensive programme of Ukrainisation, which does not just remove Soviet symbols and Russian names, but fundamentally changes Ukrainian railways’ has been announced by Oleksandr Kamyshin, CEO of national railway Ukrzaliznytsia. To mark the start of the programme, a new zero point for measuring ...
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NewsUSDOT seeks to enhance safety measures following Ohio derailment
USA: Federal Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has called for ‘a three-pronged push’ by regulators, industry and Congress to improve the safety of rail freight operations, following the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals at East Palestine, Ohio.
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In depthFrance: Developing concepts to revive rural lines
France’s policy of abandoning rural lines has been halted and the stage is set for a revival of lightly used or closed routes. Driven partly by efforts to decarbonise the economy, several low-cost operating and maintenance concepts are being developed with state support, reports Reinhard Christeller.
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NewsState aid for wagonload traffic must not distort the market, says ERFA
EUROPE: Financial support for single wagon traffic could play an important role in achieving EU modal shift targets, but it must be focused on last-mile services and avoid distorting the market for services which are viable without support, according to the European Rail Freight Association. ‘The ...
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In depthFrance: Start-ups energise the passenger market
Open access passenger operators have so far had limited success in penetrating the French market, but a medley of ambitious entrepreneurs is now tackling the task. Jérémie Anne reports.
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Rail Business UKRail reform will enhance the role of the private sector, says Harper
UK: Private sector train operators will have a key role to play in the reformed rail structure, Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper told industry leaders on February 7. Presenting the annual George Bradshaw Address hosted by industry association Rail Partners, Harper sought to set ...
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NewsConfusion over clearances delays narrow gauge train delivery
SPAIN: The production of multiple-units for use on metre-gauge lines in northern Spain has been delayed by confusion about infrastructure clearances on the routes and legal technicalities around the design of new rolling stock. On January 23 Euskotren unveiled the first of four Class 940 electric ...
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NewsAmsterdam – Barcelona night train plan
EUROPE: Night train start-up European Sleeper has announced details of its proposed Amsterdam – Barcelona service, which has won the backing of the European Commission. The night train is one of 10 proposals selected for a pilot programme which aims to break down practical barriers to ...
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NewsMinister promises ‘boldest railway programme’ in logistics modernisation drive
BRAZIL: The government of recently-elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has vowed to continue the previous administration’s policy of investing in rail projects and has proposed to establish a national rail secretariat. In a meeting last month with President of the National Transport Confederation Vander ...
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NewsMore rolling stock needed to support passenger market growth, say European associations
EUROPE: The Association of European Rail Rolling Stock Lessors and the AllRail association of independent operators have met to discuss the provision of vehicles to facilitate the launch of new passenger services. Rolling stock availability has provided a stumbling block to ambitions to launch new open ...
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In depthComment: Stations really matter
The opening on January 25 of Long Island Rail Road’s deep-level hub at Grand Central Madison in New York encapsulates the challenges facing station developers, who must balance urban regeneration objectives with operational improvements to rail services. This is no simple task, argues our Executive Editor Nick Kingsley.
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NewsIndian Railways funding boosted to record levels
INDIA: The government will increase funding for the national railway network to its highest ever level in 2023-24 in order to support further capital investment, according to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Presenting the national budget for the financial year from April 1 to parliament on February ...
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NewsBaltic States discuss Vilnius – Riga – Tallinn passenger service and gauge conversion
EUROPE: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are to explore options to launch a passenger service between their capitals using existing 1 520 mm gauge railways, ahead of the completion of the future Rail Baltica 1 435 mm gauge line. The lack of through services between the Baltic ...
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In depthPortugal: National plan to boost rail’s market share
Ambitious plans to connect Portugal’s 10 largest cities by high speed rail form the centrepiece of a comprehensive railway development package unveiled by the Portuguese government late last year. To be completed by 2050, the plan also envisages new suburban corridors and a third bridge over the River Tagus. André Pires reports.
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In depthEurope: Authorising modifications — time to learn from experience
Practical experience suggests that changes to the vehicle authorisation process introduced in the EU’s Fourth Railway Package have clarified the requirements covering the approval of modifications to existing rolling stock deployed in more than one country.