Spanish communities call for reopening of north-south ‘Ruta de la Plata’ railway
It has not been operational for nearly forty years: the railway line in Western Spain connecting the northern region Asturias with Andalusia in the South, through Extremadura. People in more than 8 towns demonstrated for...Read more
Full migration to standard gauge out of the question for Finland
The costs of migrating the whole Finnish TEN-T rail network from 1,524 mm gauge to the European standard are far greater than the possible benefits, deeming such a shift unfeasible. A viable alternative would be...Read more
What does the European TEN-T revision mean for rail?
BackgroundThe Transport and Tourism Committee of the European Parliament unanimously adopted its position regarding the revision of the TEN-T regulations last week. What has been decided in this revision, and what does it mean for...Read more
Polish and Czech rail infrastructure managers discuss investments and cooperation
Polish railway infrastructure manager PKP PLK and its Czech counterpart Správa železnic have agreed to strengthen their cooperation during a joint meeting in Warsaw. The talks included the exchanging experiences in investment implementation and a...Read more
RFI kicks off tunnel excavation for Napels-Bari high-speed line in Italy
Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) formally set in motion the tunnel excavation works for a section of the Napels-Bari high-speed line in Southern Italy on Wednesday. Present at the launch were minister of Infrastructure and Transport...Read more
Why new legal requirements are necessary for better cyber security in rail
BackgroundFor most of its history, rail has been a sector rather closed to new technologies. In terms of its operation to date, the key aspect emphasised both at legislative and executive level has been security...Read more
From patchwork to true European high-speed rail network: the costs and benefits
Current high-speed rail (HSR) lines in Europe are like islands, scattered across the continent. But what would a fully interconnected European high-speed network look like? What would it cost, and what benefits would it bring?...Read more
The progress of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel after two years
From dredging works and track tender preparations to controlled explosions, work on Europe’s largest infrastructure project is in full swing. From 2029 onwards, the Fehmarnbelt tunnel will connect Germany and Denmark, taking a shortcut right...Read more
Plans for standard gauge in all EU member states to be ready by 2025-26
The European Commission wants all new railways be built to the standard European gauge, and member states have been given until 2025-26 to come up with a plan to adopt the 1435 mm gauge. That...Read more
Changing to European track gauge? ‘Not just different width, a different philosophy’
The EU is currently assessing the possibility of extending the standard gauge of the European railway network to Ukraine and Moldova, as part of its effort to better integrate the countries in the European transport...Read more
The status of the Mediterranean Corridor development works in Spain
Adif, the Spanish infrastructure manager, provided data on the development of the Mediterranean Rail Freight Corridor since 2018 for the four regions it will cross: Andalusia, Murcia, Valencia, and Catalonia. Once completed, the Mediterranean Corridor...Read more
“Greater interest in rail travel, but obstacles in cross-border travel remain”
The transport ministers of the EU countries talked about the development of high-speed rail lines in different parts of Europe at an informal meeting in Prague on Friday. Currently having the presidency of the Council...Read more
EU Parliament throws weight behind alternative fuels infrastructure for railway
The European Parliament on Wednesday approved a report on the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). This heralds the next step for Brussels in setting up a new legal framework for the rollout out of infrastructure...Read more