Category: Railroad News (Page 2 of 24)

Hyatt Unbound Collection debuts Hotel Fluela Davos in the Swiss Alps

December 25, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Chicago, Illinois – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H), one of the world’s fastest-growing hospitality brands, announced today the opening of Hotel Flüela Davos, marking the latest development in Hyatt’s portfolio growth in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and the newest addition to The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand. Hotel Flüela Davos joins three existing Hyatt hotels in Switzerland and signals Hyatt’s continued commitment to growing its luxury brands in sought-after destinations in Europe.

Located in the heart of Davos, and against the backdrop of the majestic “Magic Mountain,” the hotel is a story-worthy symbol of Swiss heritage. Built at a time when stagecoaches were the primary mode of travel for merchants and postal services, Hotel Flüela extended its hospitality to weary travelers – a tradition that endures to this day. For 155 years, this cherished landmark has been an essential part of Davos’ journey from a secluded Alpine village to a world-renowned mountainside health resort and spa town, and eventually to a thriving global hub for business and leisure. Today, Hotel Flüela Davos offers worldly independent travelers Swiss Alpine comfort in a captivating luxury setting.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Major Wellington rail projects to take a leap forward this Christmas

December 17, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

December 18, 2023 – KiwiRail will make significant progress on several major rail projects around the Wellington region this Christmas, taking advantage of the annual network shutdown to work without interruption.

The Wellington region’s rail network will be closed to commuter trains from 26 December 2023 to 7 January 2024, with the Wairarapa Line staying closed until 14 January. Nearly 1,000 people will work on rail maintenance and projects across the network, with several sites operating 24/7 to maximise productivity.

KiwiRail Chief Capital Planning and Asset Development Officer David Gordon says that while important maintenance will be carried out during the shutdown, most of the planned activity relates to the Wellington Metro Upgrade Programme – a $700 million programme of works to upgrade existing rail infrastructure and build capacity to support Greater Wellington Regional Council’s plans for rail.

The complex re-signalling work at Wellington Railway Station will continue, alongside much-needed work on various tracks, foundations and platforms. This project is a major step towards modernising Wellington’s rail network and will improve safety in what is New Zealand’s most complex railway junction.

Round-the-clock work on the Kapiti Line will see the completion of the last major portion of the Plimmerton Station upgrade project. The upgrade, which includes adding a third track and platform at the station, will allow commuter trains that currently run from Wellington to Porirua to be extended to Plimmerton, helping with capacity at peak times. Bridge 23 (just north of Paekākāriki) will also be replaced.

KiwiRail will conduct maintenance on the Hutt Valley Line, largely between Ava Station and Taitā Station.

On the Wairarapa Line, renewal work will begin inside the Maoribank and Remutaka Tunnels to update the original track from 1955, and the old wooden bridge (Bridge 56) near Matarawa will be replaced. Capacity-building upgrades will start with work on a new passing loop at Woodside Station and the Fitzherbert St level crossing in Featherston.

Union Pacific announces fourth quarter 2023 earnings release date

December 15, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Omaha, Nebraska, December 15, 2023 – Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) will release fourth quarter 2023 financial and operating results on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at 7:45 a.m. ET. The company’s management team will host a conference call and live webcast at 8:45 a.m. ET.

Parties interested in participating via teleconference may dial 877-407-8293. International callers may dial 201-689-8349. A live webcast of the presentation and materials will be available in the investor relations section of Union Pacific’s website at www.up.com/investor. A replay of the audio webcast will be available shortly thereafter.

Forward-Looking Statements

Ryanair announces corporate travel agreement with SAP Concur

December 15, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Dublin, Ireland, December 15, 2023 – Ryanair Holdings PLC (Dublin: RYA), Europe’s No. 1 airline, has today announced a ground-breaking new agreement with SAP Concur (NYSE: SAP), the world’s leading brand for travel, expense, and invoice management, to integrate Ryanair’s low fares and unrivalled network of over 3,300 daily flights to over 230 destinations across 36 countries directly with Concur Travel, further expanding access to Ryanair’s fares and network for corporate travellers.

This exciting new partnership means that corporate customers can now access Ryanair’s industry leading low fares, network of key city connections across Europe with regular morning and evening flights to ensure convenient low-cost corporate travel conveniently through the market-leading Concur Travel online booking tool as well as a dedicated Concur TripLink booking flow on Ryanair’s website/app.

Corporate customers who book Ryanair flights directly through this state-of-the-art travel solution will benefit from significant efficiencies, including automated expense management and the convenience of their booking details being fed into SAP Concur solutions, reducing any unnecessary admin. Through this agreement, registered users will not have to complete Ryanair’s customer verification making their travel experience even more seamless.

Forward-Looking Statements

Study commission for Margarethen platform access and new Margarethen Bridge

December 12, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

On December 12, 2023, the SBB and the canton of Basel-Stadt announced a selection process for the further development of the “Margarethen Platform Access” and “New Margarethen Bridge” projects. The teams that win the contract should find a convincing solution for the two structures in coordination with SBB and the canton. The final juried results should be available in spring 2025.

The Swiss government, canton and SBB want to expand access to rail and urban transport to the west of Basel SBB station. On the one hand, the SBB is moving the train stops more to the west on behalf of the federal government, thereby also relieving pressure on the main passerelle. On the other hand, the canton of Basel-Stadt wants to create an interchange for public transport near the market hall. This allows passengers to quickly and conveniently transfer from the train to the tram – and vice versa. This should also relieve pressure on Centralbahnplatz in the medium term.

Two major projects are being planned and will combine these two goals: the Margarethen platform access and a new Margarethen Bridge. The Margarethen platform access accesses all platforms with a passenger bridge parallel to the Margarethen Bridge, some of which are extended for this purpose. The new Margarethen Bridge creates the necessary conditions for the expansion of tram traffic and a better separation of bicycle and road traffic.

Click the link below to read the full story!

Study commission for Margarethen platform access

Newest Nightjet train service now connects Berlin, Brussels and Paris

December 12, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Now passengers can enjoy relaxed overnight travel to major European cities while saving on hotel accommodation. Starting today, the night train alliance of DB, ÖBB, NMBS/SNCB and SNCF is offering night train service from Berlin to Brussels and Paris.

The Nightjet (NJ) runs three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The trains return from Paris and Brussels to Berlin on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The first NJ was seen off on its trip from Berlin this evening by the German, Belgian, French and Austrian transport ministers and the CEO’s of the four participating rail companies.

The new service is the latest milestone in a successful partnership between the European railways, which in 2020 had set themselves the goal of establishing environmentally friendly night train connections.

Also new since the December 10, 2023 timetable change is daily service with sleeping cars and seated coaches on the Munich–Vienna–Warsaw line. In December 2022, the partners added the Zurich–Prague night train line and extended the Munich–Venice/Rijeka/Zagreb/Vienna–Budapest night train by adding Stuttgart as a departure and destination station.

By steadily growing its selection of night trains, the alliance is making an important contribution to achieving the EU climate targets agreed in the Green Deal.

Tickets for the night train connections from Berlin to Brussels and Paris are available from EUR 34.90 per person and route for seated coach, from EUR 49.90 for couchette coach, and from EUR 79.90 for sleeping car. Nightjet and EuroNight tickets are available at all DB Travel Centres and agencies, and from bahn.de and the DB Navigator app. For more information on night train offers, visit bahn.de/nighttrain or nightjet.com.

Rolls-Royce extends sponsorship of Technology Lab in Friedrichshafen

December 6, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Friedrichshafen, Germany, December 6, 2023 – Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (London: RR) is to prolong its sponsorship of the Friedrichshafen Wissenswerkstatt e.V. (technology lab) and has committed to continuing funding for another five years. That means that the Wissenswerkstatt Friedrichshafen will benefit from a total of 250,000 euros up to 2028. It offers technology courses for children and teenagers from the age of five to eighteen at two locations in Friedrichshafen.

The courses given in the Wissenswerkstatt are not just designed to impart knowledge, but to highlight the enjoyable side of technology. In a relaxed atmosphere, the participants, working in groups of up to 14 or individually, engage in practical projects such as ‘Voltage from Veg – the Potato Battery’, or ‘The Internal Combustion Engine’s, or ‘Robotics – When Machines Do What I Say’.

One contribution Rolls-Royce Power Systems already made to the Wissenswerkstatt is an mtu Series 1600 engine on which participants learn about how an internal combustion engine is structured and works.

The general members’ meeting of the Wissenswerkstatt voted for Martin Stocker, head of training at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, to take up a seat on the board of the organization, which he will be retaining voluntarily in the future.

Forward-Looking Statements

Air Canada makes Europe easy to explore by adding rail booking

December 5, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Montreal, December 5, 2023, CNW – Air Canada (Toronto: AC) today announced new air-to-rail booking options for customers to connect at European airports with four major passenger rail systems, making it convenient to explore the continent. Through new railway and distribution partnerships, Air Canada customers, when purchasing flights, can now also easily book onward rail trips to a multitude of destinations throughout France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria to create a seamless travel itinerary.

With the launch of Air Canada’s European intermodal initiative, customers can now, while purchasing an Air Canada flight, at the same time book rail travel from European airports. Through the airline’s partnership with Lufthansa Express Rail Product and new collaborations with AccesRail & WorldTicket, customers can use a streamlined booking process to create a seamless travel itinerary that connects their flight with trips on trains operated by France’s TGV-SNCF Voyageurs, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, Swiss Federal Railways or ÖBB, the national railway of Austria.

For added convenience, customers can check in for all segments of their trip prior to departure, avoiding the need to obtain a train ticket at the station. As well, customers experiencing any flight disruption will have both their air and rail segments rebooked to provide peace of mind.

Wing-to-Rail Connections

France: Sold under codeshare on SNCF Voyageurs, customers can purchase a single ticket that connects them at France’s Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris to up to 22 SNCF Voyageurs high-speed rail destinations across France, including Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille and Strasbourg.
Germany: Air Canada is building on its existing intermodal rail connections with Lufthansa Express Rail which provides access to up to 24 stations on Star Alliance intermodal partner Deutsche Bahn within Germany from Frankfurt airport. With today’s announcement, customers now have expanded options to reach more than 5,600 railway stations across the country using Deutsche Bahn’s Rail and Fly products from Frankfurt and Munich. As of August 2022, Deutsche Bahn became an Intermodal Partner of Star Alliance, the first non-airline partner of any of the major alliances., and Air Canada plans to launch codeshare on the German rail in 2024 via the Lufthansa express rail product, offering customers added benefits.
Switzerland: Customers flying to Zurich or Geneva on Air Canada can now connect at the airport to Swiss Federal Railways trains and reach up to 11 stations throughout Switzerland, including such popular destinations as Basel and Lucerne.
Austria: ÖBB services are now also available from Vienna airport to up to nine railway stations across Austria, including Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck.

Additional details, including about the simple booking process, available routings and destinations, and other important information are available at www.aircanada.com.

Deutsche Bahn is getting into the UEFA EURO 2024™ spirit

December 3, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Berlin, Germany, December 1, 2023 – Deutsche Bahn (DB) is getting into the football spirit. Thanks to special offers and more trains for Football European Championship matches, all fans and the 24 national teams will be able to travel by climate-friendly train during the upcoming UEFA EURO 2024™. DB will offer nearly 10,000 additional seats each day on ICE and Intercity trains around match days.

EUR 29.90 DB Ticket EURO 2024 to travel to UEFA EURO 2024™ matches

Anyone with a ticket to a match and traveling within Germany can purchase discounted tickets for the journey to the match and back. The DB Ticket EURO 2024 will cost EUR 29.90 per trip and can be booked at bahn.de/db-fussball-ticket beginning January 17.

For the first time, a special offer will be available to ticket holders from other European countries, too. Fans can purchase an Interrail Pass discounted by 25% for UEFA EURO 2024™, which is good for travel between Germany and 32 countries. Customers can choose from a set number of travel days on which to use the pass for travel to and from the destination as well as for unlimited travel within Germany on those days. The Interrail Pass EURO 2024 will also go on sale on January 17. More information will be available in the UEFA Event Guide as of December 2: uefa.com/euro2024/event-guide

10,000 additional seats per day

DB is expecting tens of thousands of additional passengers on trains to the venues. As part of its Strong Rail strategy, DB set the course for its fleet expansion well in advance. Thanks to these efforts, it now has a modern ICE fleet, which will grow to over 400 trains in the coming months. DB is significantly expanding its timetable during the championship period. It will use longer ICE trains and offer trains on additional days, for example. What’s more, 14 special EURO trains will run daily. 10,000 additional seats are already firmly planned into the timetable in the days around the matches. Even more will be added once the results of the EURO Final Draw for the group stage are known and the routes requiring additional capacity are identified. Additional special trains will then be planned at short notice for the final.

The additional capacity is primarily intended for late evening and overnight connections in order to offer many travel options for departures from the matches. During the tournament, DB will nearly double the number of travel options after 11 pm from the 10 venues to the 20 busiest long-distance stops.

All of the information about Deutsche Bahn’s efforts in conjunction with the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship can be found here: bahn.de/em2024.

Union Pacific announces new Phoenix Terminal connecting Southwest Markets with Southern California

December 1, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Union Pacific Railroad announced plans today to open a new international intermodal terminal in the heart of Phoenix, providing customers a sustainable rail option between ocean ports in the Los Angeles Basin and the nation’s fast-growing Southwest region.

The new terminal, owned and operated by Union Pacific, is expected to open in the first quarter of 2024. It will be established in Union Pacific’s downtown rail yard, with capacity to grow to meet customer demand.

The new facility will open with drayage support provided by Duncan & Son Lines, a family-owned logistics firm in Buckeye, Arizona, that primarily focuses on international container drayage from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

The new terminal further expands Union Pacific’s intermodal footprint, which is the largest in North America with the most direct services from coast to coast.

About Union Pacific

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at www.up.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

About Union Pacific

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