Category: Light Rail News (Page 3 of 12)

Alstom and partners celebrate Edmonton Valley Line Southeast LRT

November 6, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

November 6, 2023 – Alstom SA (Paris: ALSO), global leader in smart and green mobility, celebrates the November 4 launch of the new Edmonton Valley Line Southeast LRT. This project was delivered by TransEd, a consortium comprised of Alstom, along with Bechtel, EllisDon and Fengate, contributing to the enhanced connectivity of Edmonton’s residents today and for the future. The city is expecting it to serve about 30,000 riders per day.

Under this partnership, Alstom played a pivotal role in the design, supply, installation and testing and commissioning of the LRVs, signalling, communications, power supply and distribution, overhead catenary system, and related depot equipment. This Turnkey project is a Public-Private Partnership (P3) that includes a now completed Design-Build stage, and an operation and maintenance (O&M) commitment extending until 2050.

Alstom also assumes a majority share in the joint venture responsible for the O&M of the system for TransEd. This includes maintaining the complete fleet, tracks, catenary, stations, maintenance facility and all other elements of the system, as well as all aspects of operating the fleet including crew training and dispatching, control room management, customer service and passenger experience. A team of more than 125 experts is devoted to delivering exceptional services to the Edmontonians. Notably, this represents the first LRT system where Alstom is involved in the complete O&M scope of the system.

The 26 Flexity LRVs, each capable of carrying up to 275 passengers along the 13 km system, offer a 100 per cent low-floor design, ensuring easy access and a comfortable ride for all passengers. Step-free boarding is an important part of this enhanced passenger experience for persons with reduced mobility, wheelchairs, mobility aids and strollers.

Alstom takes pride in designing and assembling these vehicles in Canada, creating good-paying Canadian jobs. With 4,500 employees in Canada, including those in Edmonton, Alstom is committed to delivering safe and reliable mobility solutions while actively fostering local supply chains and regional economies.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release 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.

SWISS to introduce new service to Rotterdam, Netherlands

October 29, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) plans to further expand its route network in the coming 2023-24 winter schedules. The airline will offer its first ever nonstop services between Zurich and Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The Dutch port city will be served six times weekly from January 22, 2024.

Rotterdam is the Netherlands’ second-largest city and a lively major port. The city itself is famed for its skyline and for such iconic structures as the Erasmus Bridge and the Cube Houses. Its impressive port is among the biggest in the world, and strongly colours the city’s character and feel. Rotterdam also boasts a varied arts scene, top-notch museums such as the Boijmans Van Beuningen and a wide range of shopping and nightlife options. The city is a cultural melting pot, too, and offers a unique blend of the past and the future that makes it a truly fascinating destination.

In adding Rotterdam to its network, SWISS is expanding its connections with the Randstad conurbation in the Western Netherlands. So in addition to its existing Amsterdam flights, SWISS will now offer a further attractive air travel option to and from the country’s economic and cultural center.

Short transits, good connections

The flight between Zurich and Rotterdam takes an hour and 30 minutes. The city’s modestly-sized airport is quick and easy to negotiate. The city centre is around ten minutes away by car traffic permitting, or 20 minutes by public transport. Rotterdam is about an hour’s drive from Amsterdam and half an hour from The Hague. Swift public transport services are also available to and from both cities.

Alpha Trains adds 12 new Stadler EURO9000 locomotives to fleet

October 28, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Alpha Trains and Stadler Rail AG (Swiss: SRAIL) have signed a contract for the purchase of 12 EURO9000 locomotives. This is the first order of this latest generation of six-axle hybrid multi-system locomotives by Alpha Trains. Scheduled for delivery in 2025 and 2026, these state-of-the-art locomotives will be built at Stadler’s factory in Valencia, Spain.

The project is funded with a total of 15 million Euros by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) as part of the BMDV’s rail funding guideline. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).

The multisystem electric EURO9000 locomotives are also equipped with diesel power units. They enable rail freight operations on AC and DC electrified lines and on non-electrified track sections, even on international routes with mixed traffic. With their advanced traction capabilities and their high-performance, they are ideal for a wide range of freight services and perfectly complement Alpha Trains’ large and diverse portfolio. By investing in efficient and innovative alternative propulsion vehicles, Alpha Trains is helping to reduce diesel consumption and thus improves the sustainability of rail freight.

Amtrak customers now benefit from more flexible and affordable fares

October 27, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Washington, D.C. – Based on extensive customer research, and in an effort to better meet customer needs, Amtrak has introduced a new, simplified fare structure with more flexible and affordable options. The simpler fare structure launched this week and builds on other recent improvements Amtrak has made to the booking experience.

The new fare structure reduces fare types from three categories to two and serves to provide a more consistent booking experience with fare types that are clearly differentiated and easy-to-understand:

Flex: For customers who want a more flexible travel option, these tickets are fully refundable if canceled, and can be changed without fees before departure[1].
Value: For customers who know their travel plans and want a more affordable option, these tickets are at a lower price than Flex tickets, non-changeable and receive a 75% refund if canceled.

In addition to simplifying the fare structure, benefits of the new approach also include:

Flex fares will often be available starting at lower prices than previously offered.
Occasional sale fares at an even deeper discount (these will be non-changeable and receive a 50% refund if canceled).
Any refunds of credit card purchases will be made to the original form of payment, rather than as an eVoucher.[2]

These changes to Coach and Acela Business tickets make it easier for Amtrak customers to choose the ticket type that best fits their travel needs. Non-Acela Business and First Class tickets were already fully refundable and changeable with no additional fees. Tickets purchased prior to the launch of the new simplified fare structure remain subject to the fare rules and conditions that were in effect when the ticket was purchased.

SBB connects Geneva Airport to the Swiss Air Rail route network

October 24, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Swiss International Air Lines AG, the flag carrier of Switzerland and a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group (Xetra: LHAG), and SBB is expanding the Air Rail route network and adding Geneva Airport. Swiss passengers traveling via Lausanne, Freiburg or Bern train stations now have the choice between connecting to Zurich Airport or Geneva Airport. You can now book and use the new connection to or from Geneva Airport. For example, you can travel directly and comfortably from New York via Geneva to Lausanne, Freiburg or Bern. In addition, both companies are taking another important step in the technical integration of their system landscapes and will in the future provide Swiss Tickets with an SBB QR code. The aim is to improve boarding pass control and customer service. Since establishing their strategic partnership in October 2019, Swiss International Air Lines (Swiss) and the Swiss Federal Railways SBB have been continuously working to expand their joint service and product portfolio.

Travel comfortably with Swiss Air Rail

With this further step in the expansion of the intermodal offering, the Swiss Air Rail network now includes two airport stations and a total of 11 destinations. These include Geneva (main station), Freiburg, Bern, Interlaken, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, Bellinzona and Basel in Switzerland as well as Munich in Germany and Bregenz in Austria. As with all Swiss Air Rail destinations, customers also benefit from the option of booking the entire trip in one step for connections to/from Geneva Airport. The train ticket is included in the Swiss flight price and can be booked online and at any travel agency. Passengers only need to check in once and receive all boarding passes directly from Swiss.

Click the link below to read the full story!

Swiss and SBB connect Geneva Airport

KiwiRail’s next stage of upgrades focused on reducing commuter disruptions

October 8, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

The next stage of KiwiRail’s network rebuild in Auckland will be a lot less disruptive than the previous stages. Since the start of 2023, KiwiRail has had to fully close rail lines in Auckland for work to upgrade and prepare the metro rail network for the more frequent metro trains to come when the City Rail Link opens.

Auckland Transport’s Executive General Manager Public Transport Services Stacey van der Putten says the reduced disruption for Stage 3 will come as welcome news to Auckland’s rail passengers.

During the rebuild period, Western Line trains will run on a single track affecting service frequencies, and timetables will be confirmed in due course.

Details of alternative public transport options will be available on the AT website www.AT.govt.nz/RailRebuild

Maersk launches rail offering from Barcelona, Spain to Southern France

October 8, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Barcelona, Spain – AP Moeller-Maersk AS (OTC: AMKBY) is launching a new rail product from the Port of Barcelona to Southern France especially designed to cut transit times of ocean cargo destined to the areas Toulouse, Bordeaux and Lyon by using Barcelona as an alternative gateway. Starting early November there will be three weekly direct block trains between Barcelona and Toulouse as well as one weekly connection between Barcelona and Lyon. Via Toulouse the solution also connects cargo to Bordeaux seamlessly by using a partner network. Furthermore, it is intended to extend the connectivity on the Spanish side by rail to the areas of Tarragona and Zaragoza.

This new offering can shorten transit times for import and export cargo in the areas Toulouse, Bordeaux and Lyon by up to 12 days (7 days on average) compared to traditional routings via French or North European ports. Thanks to shorter transport distances and the utilisation of electrified trains it can also be a more environmentally friendly routing. The block trains can also be booked for intra-continental cargo between Spain and France.

Maersk is operating this new end to end service via its own company APM Spain Railways and cooperates for the trains with the partners Captrain and Naviland.

Thanks to brand new interoperable locomotives, the block trains neither have to stop to change the locomotive or replace wheel-sets at the Spanish-French border for seamless operations and best-in-class reliability.

Alstom to present Italy’s first hydrogen powered train at EXPO Ferroviaria 2023

October 1, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

28 September 2023 – Alstom SA (Paris: ALSO), global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, will be present at EXPO Ferroviaria 2023, the exclusive B2B exhibition in Italy dedicated to the railway industry, taking place from 3rd to 5th of October 2023 at Fiera Milano Rho. Throughout the event, Alstom will showcase a wide range of solutions and technologies to consolidate its position as a leader in smart and sustainable mobility.

At 12:45 p.m on October 3rd, during the event’s opening day, Alstom and FNM will hold an official ceremony attended by key institutions, customers and partners. During this event, both companies will together unveil the hydrogen-powered Coradia Stream, a hydrogen train with zero direct carbon emissions equipped with fuel cells. This train is set to enter commercial service in Valcamonica, running along the non-electrified Brescia-Iseo-Edolo line operated by Ferrovienord and Trenord. This marks the train’s debut appearance in Italy.

Additionally, on the event’s first day, at 3 p.m., visitors can join Alstom and Infra.to at the Alstom booth n°E48 located in the EXPO Ferroviaria venue, for the official presentation of the new Metropolis train for Line 1 of the Turin Metro. This presentation will also showcase the state-of-the-art Urbalis driverless radio signalling system.

VIA Rail increases Ontario service between Ottawa and London this fall

September 10, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Montreal, Quebec, Canada, September 7, 2023 – VIA Rail Canada Inc. (VIA Rail) is pleased to announce the reintroduction of two round trips between Toronto and Ottawa and one round trip between London and Toronto, starting this October.

Returning frequencies

Passengers can start booking their trips on train 82/83 as of today and on the other returning frequencies over the next week.

Route	Schedule	Resuming date
82 London – Toronto	1 daily trip, every day but Sunday	Tuesday, October 24
83 Toronto – London	1 daily trip, every day but Saturday	Tuesday, October 24
644 Toronto – Ottawa	1 daily trip on Friday, Saturday, Sunday	Friday, October 27
646 Toronto – Ottawa	1 daily trip on Thursday, Friday, Sunday	Thursday, October 26
43 Ottawa – Toronto	1 daily trip on Monday, Friday, Sunday	Friday, October 27
647 Ottawa – Toronto	1 daily trip on Friday and Sunday	Friday, October 27

*To accommodate those changes, the Saturday trip on train 44 will be cancelled starting October 28.

KiwiRail announces changes to avoid repeat of Wellington rail disruption

September 4, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

September 3, 2023

KiwiRail has welcomed the Government’s rapid review into its handling of disruptions to passenger services in Wellington earlier this year and has already moved to change its systems.

Improvements made include:

Use of the TEC to achieve network compliance is now part of a wider Infrastructure Integrated Plan, with a longer-term (12 month) plan around its use nationally. While there have been detailed operating plans for each area the TEC assesses, this change introduces a national level of oversight, linked into when track safety cases expire.
Developing robust processes and procedures around the escalation, prioritisation and approvals required where the TEC schedule cannot be met.This is an important backup if it is looking unlikely the TEC will be able to carry out required work in time. The issues that resulted in the Wellington disruption were escalated too late for KiwiRail to take effective action to avoid the speed restriction being put on the Kāpiti Line.
Developing better resilience around the TEC, through a review of the tasks needed to ensure its successful operation – including a review of existing staff resourcing and formalising training processes. This is to ensure the TEC is able to operate effectively.
Reviewing the maintenance programme for the TEC. The TEC is 41 years old and will be replaced in FY2027. A procurement process for a new vehicle is well underway. The maintenance programme review, and any changes that come from it, will help ensure the TEC can continue operating reliably until the new vehicle arrives.

General Manager Metros Jon Knight says KiwiRail has made a huge commitment to the local commuter rail network, and will work hard to deliver on the Government’s investment.

Travel comfortably with Swiss Air Rail

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