Franchising is ‘set to continue’ according to industry chiefTHE future of franchising is likely to change, but not be scrapped, according to Abellio UK managing director Dominic Booth. His company took over the East Midlands franchise on Sunday and held an official launch yesterday, and the contract may be the

I AM a driver with a UK train operator and raised the issue of the state of the lineside about eight years ago with Network Rail, citing the points that both The RM and David Nattress made.   Their answer?  “We and our contractors clean-up after every job and we recovered

SLOVAKIA: The ALLRAIL group of new entrants to the rail market has expressed concerned about tender for the operation of passenger services on the Žilina – Rajec line, saying it believes that the process favours state incumbent ZSSK and ‘it seems that real competition is not wanted’. The tender published by

INDIA: The government has approved the construction of a 108 km rail link between Kolhapur and Vaibhavwadi, for completion in 2023-24 at an estimated cost of Rs34·4bn. Connecting Central Railway’s current Shri Chhatrapati Shahumaharaj terminus at Kolhapur with Vaibhavwadi Road station on the Roha – Madgaon section of the Konkan Railway, the

EUROPE: Citing a significant increase in demand for international passenger services during the first half of 2019, Swiss Federal Railways announced on August 19 that it intended to strengthen its long-term co-operation with Austria’s ÖBB and expand the provision of both daytime and overnight trains. Suggesting that increased awareness of climate

AUSTRALIA: Public Transport Authority of Western Australia announced on August 19 that it had selected Alstom Transport Australia as preferred bidder to supply the next generation of electric multiple-units to operate on the Transperth network serving the state capital. Details of the A$1·6bn contract are expected to be finalised by

UKRAINE: ArcelorMittal has awarded Czech manufacturer CZ Loko a contract to supply four 1 520 mm gauge EffiShunter 1600 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives for heavy shunting at its Kryvyi Rih steelworks. The order is being financed by OTP Leasing, with delivery scheduled for the second half of 2020. The locos will have CAT

SRI LANKA: The Asian Development Bank has approved its first loan to Sri Lanka’s railway sector, providing US$160m towards the US$192m Railway Efficiency Improvement Project. The government is to provide the remaining $32m for the project, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2024. Noting that Sri Lanka Railways

Demolition of former Great Western Railway sheds at Old Oak Common, in west London, was completed in July. Originally built in 1906, the 280-metre long sheds were once part of the vast Old Oak depot site. Much of the site was cleared in 2011 to make way for

West Highland Line re-opens after flooding. Photo: Network Rail Network Rail has announced that the West Highland Line has fully re-opened for start of service today, after repair works finished following flash floods. The line had been closed by ‘wash-aways’ and landslips at multiple locations around Crianlarich and Tyndrum as