BRITAIN's infrastructure manager Network Rail (NR) has issued the Wessex Route Plan, a blueprint for the future of passenger and freight services from London Waterloo to the south and the west of England over the next 30 years.
DELAYS in delivery of Stadler Flirt EMUs for the new Nordbahn service, which is due to commence on Schleswig-Holstein's central network from Hamburg to Itzehoe and Wrist on December 14, is putting the start of operations in doubt.
FRENCH transport minister Mr Alain Vidalies announced on November 20 that the government will form a commission of politicians and industry experts to develop proposals for the future development of the country's loss-making network of conventional Intercity services.
The opening of the Czech long-distance market has resulted in a three-way battle for market share on the country's busiest inter-city line, with two new entrants vying for business with incumbent Czech Railways (CD). However with huge pressure to offer the lowest fares, ridership growth has not translated into profitability, as Keith Barrow and Quintus Vosman discover.
THE North West Rail (NWB) subsidiary of Veolia Verkehr, Germany, has won a 10-year concession from the transport authorities of Lower Saxony, Bremen, and Westphalia Lippe to operate the Weser-Ems rail network.
THE Chinese government has agreed a soft loan for the construction of standard-gauge double-track lines in Thailand, which currently has a metre-gauge rail network.
IN the run up to the election on November 29 in the Australian state of Victoria, the Liberal/National coalition government has promised to invest $A 3.9bn ($US 3.4bn) in new rolling stock for the state's suburban, regional and light rail networks, should it be re-elected.
SIEMENS has rolled out the first Desiro ML train for Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) which has branded the EMU fleet Cityjet.
THE Czech Republic's minister of transport, Ing Antonín Prachar, has dismissed the CEO of Czech Railways (CD), Mr Daniel Kurucz, after serving only nine months in office. CD's new CEO is Mr Pavel Krtek who was previously chief financial officer.
BELARUS Railways (BC) opened a rail link between Minsk Passazhirskiy in the city centre and Minsk National Airport on November 7.
