National Express Group secures 1-billion-euro contract for German rail services
National Express Group’s German entity will operate two railway lines in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia for the next 10 years, the UK-based transport provider announced on Monday. The contract carries a value of...Read more
Swedish association asks new government to fund all costs on-board ETCS
Swedish public transport association Svenskkollektivtrafik has drawn up a wish list for the new government with an eye on structural reforms to increase travel via public transport travel. Notable wishes for rail include the funding...Read more
Spain announces free Renfe train tickets for fourth quarter
During the Spanish equivalent of the US State of the Union address, president Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday announced discounts of up to 100 percent for certain Renfe services in the coming period.Read more
Switzerland modifies 2050 rail plan focussing on short distances
Improving rail services primarily on short and medium distances, such as increasing the S-Bahn services, is the new strategy for Switzerland. To this end, the Swiss Federal Council has revised its long-term rail strategy ‘Bahn...Read more
SNCF breaks habit and auctions 12 locomotives
In an unprecedented sale in France, 12 locomotives of SNCF Transilien will be auctioned from June 27 through June 30 2022. They are being replaced by new trains and go under the hammer even though...Read more
Alstom delivers first India-built semi high-speed regional train
Alstom has delivered India’s first semi high-speed regional train. The train set was entirely manufactured in-country, primarily at the company’s Savli-based factory in Gujarat state.Read more
German operator Vlexx gets rid of last diesel trains by battery conversion
Regional German operator Vlexx has received federal funding of almost 7 million euros last week to convert 6 electric trains to battery-powered trains. These will replace the diesel trains running on non-electrified parts of the...Read more
DB Regio orders more FLIRT Akku battery trains from Stadler
DB Regio has ordered 113 trains of the type FLIRT Akku from Stadler. The vehicles for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will go into passenger service from December 2026, and 14 trains will also be used in the north-east...Read more
SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom ready to unveil France’s first hybrid regional train
SNCF Voyageurs and Alstom announced the presentation of the first electric-diesel-battery regional train to be entered into service in France earlier this week. The start of commercial operations is scheduled for the second quarter of...Read more
ÖBB gets more budget to increase capacity on Austrian rail network
Austrian railway manager ÖBB infrastructure will benefit from an additional 700 million euros over 6 years compared to the previous year. The goal is to improve the flow of rail traffic and increase capacity on...Read more
First of series old UK lines to reopen for regular services
For the first time in nearly 50 years, regular passenger services will run on the Dartmoor Line, connecting Okehampton to Exeter. The line will officially reopen for year-round services on 20 November, ahead of schedule....Read more
Sweden gets European loan for new regional trains
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and transport company Transito agreed on a loan to finance 12 new electric double-decker trains. The loan concerns 480 million Swedish kroner, equivalent to 47.3 million euros.Read more
Deutschlandtakt: when Germany wants to synchronise all its trains
Germany has a major project for the full clockface timetable of all passenger trains. The aim would be to synchronise both long-distance and regional traffic, which is not always the case today.Read more