Ouigo Spain marks its first anniversary after succesful year
SNCF subsidiary Ouigo Spain marks its first anniversary this week. Since its launch on 10 May 2021, the company has carried more than 2 million passengers between Madrid, Zaragoza, Tarragona and Barcelona, where it competes...Read more
10 years of Italian high-speed rail liberalisation: lessons and future steps
AnalysisThe rail liberalisation process that occurred on the Italian high-speed network is considered by many a successful example of competition in the rail market. The 28th of April marks the tenth anniversary of the introduction...Read more
First two Spanish Iryo train services will launch in November
The first two Iryo train services will start in November on the lines Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona and Madrid-Valencia, ILSA president Carlos Bertomeu told Spanish news agency EFE on Tuesday. The trains will compete with both Spanish operator...Read more
Railcoop postpones its first passenger train again, facing barriers
New operator Railcoop has postponed the launch of its Bordeaux – Lyon passenger service for the second time. The launch of Railcoop’s first passenger line was scheduled for 11 December 2022, but has been postponed...Read more
How Getlink wants to clear a hurdle for new operators to run trains through the Channel Tunnel
Eurostar has been the single passenger railway operator in the Channel Tunnel since the opening in 1994, but the tracks are significantly underused. That to the dismay of tunnel manager and operator Getlink. To make...Read more
Finnish VR Group takes over Arriva Sweden
VR Group from Finland is acquiring Swedish bus and railway company Arriva Sweden, previously owned by Deutsche Bahn. With the takeover of Sweden’s third largest train operator, VR Group wants to grow and strengthen its...Read more
The critical issue of un-unified European railways
OpinionThe objective which should unite the European railways is to break the chains of national rules, which keep railways essentially locked in their home countries.Read more
Agreement with SNCF sets timeline to open French Intercity’s to competition
A new agreement for the operation of French TET Intercity trains has been signed by SNCF Voyageurs and the French Transport Ministry. The gradual opening up of the TET lines to competition is also set...Read moreFlixTrain: a change of strategy?
AnalysisThings are moving fast for the privately owned Munich-based firm FlixMobility, which has been running FlixTrains since 2017. The acquisition of the American bus icon Greyhound in 2021 has shown a change in strategy for...Read more
Delayed arrival of new operators Madrid-Andalusia: the link to old signalling
The arrival of new competitors in Spain between Madrid and Córdoba and Málaga in the southern region of Andalusia will not be this summer, and probably not this year, as planned. The delay in operating...Read more
ILSA gains third shareholder with Globalvia and plans to compete for Galicia
New Spanish railway operator ILSA has gained a third shareholder next to Trenitalia and Air Nostrum with infrastructure investment group Globalvia, the Expansión daily reported on Tuesday. The company also announced that it aims to...Read more
SNCF sets out goal: 200 million TGV InOui passengers by 2030
The French state railways SNCF has set its ambition to reach 200 million passengers on their TGV InOui high-speed trains by the year 2030, the company announced at the start of a new campaign this...Read more
Mobile apps: how incumbent railways can dominate
OpinionGetting a single ticket on a journey made up of various rail parts still is out of reach in 2021. Even though ease of choice and payment could be the number one reason for people...Read more