Beyond B100: SNCF’s ‘PlaneTER’ strategy for greener rail operations
Following the successful implementation of rapeseed-based biofuel B100 in Normandy, SNCF Voyageurs is also looking into Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), batteries and hydrogen. RailTech.com sat down with Stéphane Chwalik, head of decarbonisation efforts for the...Read more
Dutch Railways considers banning Interrail from ICEs to Germany this summer
Due to overcrowded trains last summer, Dutch Railways (NS) is considering banning Interrail passengers from ICE trains to Germany this summer. The direct Amsterdam-Berlin intercity remains unaffected. “We cannot prevent a lot of people boarding...Read more
Liverpool spellbound by new metro trains
The rollout of new metro trains on the Merseyrail network in the Liverpool City Region continues unabated, with commuters on an increasing number of lines seeing the Stadler-built rolling stock for the first time. The...Read more
Belgium commits to phasing out diesel-powered rolling stock
Belgium is dedicated to finding alternative to the remaining diesel-powered rolling stock in Flanders, federal minister for Mobility Georges Gilkinet said in response to questions by a member of parliament this week. Battery-electric trains are...Read moreSNCF hits 3.5 million kilometres travelled on biodiesel
Trains on the Paris-Granville line in Normandy have recently hit a milestone of 3,5 million kilometres covered on B100, a biofuel entirely made from French rapeseed, instead of running on diesel. This makes the tests...Read more
Talgo to supply LE TRAIN with high-speed trains
LE TRAIN, the first private train operator to offer a high-speed service, dedicated to regional and inter-regional travel in France, will be receiving a fleet of Avril high-speed trains from the Spanish manufacturer Talgo.Read more
Four French entrepreneurs want to operate trains differently
AnalysisLaunching your own trains in France is not easy, yet four entrepreneurs are trying to put private trains on the rails where the SNCF has abandoned services. They all have a different business model and...Read more
Switzerland to Ponteland: Newcastle’s metro fleet starts journey
Destined for the city centres and suburbs of North East England, new Stadler-built metro trains have been spotted in the Swiss Alps. The trains are at the start of their long journey to acceptance and...Read more
RFI names suppliers for ETCS onboard equipment in Italian trains
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) named Hitachi, MERMEC STE of France, Caterpillar subsidiary ProgressRail and Alstom earlier this month as the four companies to supply and install ETCS onboard equipment for rolling stock using Italy’s SCMT...Read more
SJ begins countdown to new Stockholm-Berlin night train
Swedish operator SJ will extend its existing EuroNight service to Berlin starting from the end of March. While it could not yet confirm all the details of the service, it did say that the problems that plagued...Read more
DB reaches HVO biofuel target two years earlier
With 17 million litres of the biofuel HVO, Deutsche Bahn is using twice the amount of biofuel in its diesel locomotives at the start of 2023 as originally calculated. Their volume target of the use...Read more
Czech railways launches battery train tender
Czech Railways (České dráhy) has issued a tender for the supply and service of 15 trains powered by batteries as well as catenary. The trains should have a range of at least 80 kilometers in...Read more
SBB kicks off 2023 with overhaul of Astoro train sets
Swiss railway operator SBB will be working to renovate and upgrade its fleet of 19 Astoro train sets in the coming five years. The first train arrived at the Bellinzona maintenance centre on Monday, having...Read more