FRANCE: FlixMobility GmbH has lodged an application with rail regulator Arafer to launch five inter-city routes from January 1 2021.The FlixTrain-branded services would cover four domestic routes as well as one international route. The proposed services are seven return trains per day between Paris Nord and Brussels Nord via St Quentin,

South Western strikes beginTHE first of five days of strikes has begun on South Western Railway, after new talks last week failed to reach agreement over on-train staffing and the role of guards. The walkouts have closed the Shepperton branch, and trains on the Hampton Court branch will run only

HUNGARY: A US$2·078bn contract to implement a major modernisation of the Hungarian section of the Budapest – Beograd route was signed on June 12.  The scope includes doubling-tracking the 150 km route from Budapest Soroksár to the border at Kelebia, installing ETCS Level 2 and work to permit 160 km/h operation. The

GERMANY: Technology designed to automatically detect anomalous behaviour which could lead to train services being disrupted is to be tested at Berlin-Südkreuz station from June 18. The project is being undertaken by Deutsche Bahn, the federal police and technology suppliers IBM Germany, a consortium of Hitachi, Conef and MIG, and Funkwerk

EUROPE: The European Union Agency for Railways has taken on responsibility for vehicle authorisation, safety certification and ERTMS trackside system approval with effect from June 16, opening what it called ‘a new era of single and simplified authorisation and certification processes in Europe’. This forms part of the technical pillar of

NORWAY: The SJ Norge subsidiary of Sweden’s national passenger operator has been selected for the Lot 2 Nord operating contract, national railway agency Jernbanedirektoratet announced on June 17. The contract covers long-distance passenger services on the Dovrebanen and Nordlandsbanen routes from Oslo to Trinbdheim and Bodø, as well as the Rørosbanen,

FIVE days of strikes are set to go ahead on South Western Railway from tomorrow, after new talks failed to reach agreement over on-train staffing and the role of guards.The walkouts will close the Shepperton branch, and trains on the Hampton Court branch will run only when passengers will be

Arriva biddersTHREE potential bidders for Deutsche Bahn subsidiary Arriva have emerged. Arriva, which was a British company until 2010, operates the Chiltern Railways, Northern and CrossCountry franchises and also a number of bus companies. The companies who are reported to have shown an interest are investment bank Goldman Sachs, private

NEW ZEALAND: KiwiRail has completed rehabilitation of the 115 km Napier – Wairoa line, which was mothballed in December 2012 following severe storm damage. The project was supported with NZ$6·2m from the Provincial Growth Fund. ’Our next focus is to establish a log-hub in Wairoa so we are ready to begin