CPK signs agreement with Spanish high-speed rail expert ADIF
Central Transport Hub (CPK), building an integrated transport hub with new high-speed railway lines in Poland, has signed an agreement with Spanish railway infrastructure manager ADIF. The objective is to enhance strategic collaboration between the...Read more
High-speed train popularity skyrockets in Spain, says market authority
The number of high-speed passengers in Spain grew by 76 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year, reaching 23.7 million, according to a new study by the Spanish National Markets and Competition Commission...Read more
Finland explores competition in passenger rail after 2030
With the current passenger rail service contracts expiring in 2030, publicly funded passenger rail traffic in Finland will need to be reorganised in 2031 to meet the European Union’s agreed-upon goals. The Finnish ministry of...Read more
AllRail warns Belgian government for sustaining SNCB monopoly
AllRail, the European interest group for independent passenger rail companies, is threatening to file a complaint against the Belgian government with the European Commission. It warns that the plans to give a direct award for...Read more
Spanish Iryo takes off with inaugural journey
The 21st of November was a major milestone for the Spanish high-speed rail competition, as the inaugural train of operator Iryo took off. There are only a few days left before 25 November, when the...Read more
France seems to welcome competition on the rails, yet new services keep getting postponed
AnalysisOnly one competitor to the state-owned railways SNCF currently runs trains on the French network. This is Italy’s Trenitalia, which has been running on the Paris-Lyon-Milan axis since 2020. Although there are quite some plans...Read more
Finland’s first open-access rail operator prepares operations, what did their journey look like?
InterviewNewly founded operator Suomen Lähijunat Oy (Finland Commuter trains) has big plans in Finland. “We chipped away at the existing monopoly in Finland on the bus side, and we could very well be at a...Read more
AllRail warns Dutch parliament of NS concession violating EU market regulation
In an urgent letter, the European interest group ALLRAIL has sounded the alarm about “extreme tunnel vision” at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure regarding a new private concession to Dutch Railways (NS). In doing so,...Read more
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
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
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