Quintus Vosman

FYRA high-speed services linking Amsterdam and Belgium, which were withdrawn on January 17, remain suspended following a ban by the Belgian National Safety Authority (DVIS) on the operation of the V250 emus in Belgium except for testing.

ALL Fyra V250 high-speed services between Amsterdam and Brussels were cancelled on January 17 and again on January 18 as a precaution following damage to the underside of three trains.

THE Czech Republic's newest open-access passenger operator, Leo Express, will offer a full service on the Prague – Ostrava – Bohumin route for the first time from January18, when it will ramp up the number of round trips per weekday from five to eight to provide a service every two hours.

THE BAVARIAN Railway Authority (BEG) and Rhine-Main Transport Association (RMV) have selected DB Regio for the contract to operate regional express services from Frankfurt to Aschaffenburg and Wurzburg via the Spessart line for 12 years from December 2015.

GERMAN regional operator Erfurt Rail (EB) is to further expand its territory after it was selected by the Bavarian Railway Authority (BEG) and Thuringia's ministry of construction, state development, and transport (TMBLV) to run services on non-electrified lines around Schweinfurt for 12 years from December 2014.

GERMANY's Federal Railway Authority (EBA) gave its approval on December 21 for the operation of four out of 16 Kiss double-deck emus supplied by Stadler Rail to East German Railway (Odeg).

THE German state of Bavaria, through its transport authority Bavarian Railways (BEG), has called for bids for the operation of passenger rail services on the Weissenhorn – Senden – Ulm line under a three-year concession.

QUEEN Beatrix of the Netherlands officially inaugurated the 50km Hanze Line at Lelystad station today. The queen then boarded the royal train for Zwolle stopping en route at Dronten and Kampen South.

JUST six days before the first trains were due to run, the Dutch government and Belgian National Railways (SNCB) have finally settled their long-running dispute over the launch of Fyra high-speed services between Amsterdam and Brussels, clearing the way for the launch of commercial operations on December 9.

TWO years and eight months after tunnelling began, TBM Victoria broke through the final section of bored tunnel on Amsterdam's North-South metro line in the early hours of November 30.