India to seek Japanese experts to develop bullet train stations

Indian officials will seek expert Japanese consultation to develop areas surrounding 12 proposed bullet train stations on the 508km Rs1100bn ($14.91bn) Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train route to improve connectivity.

In December last year, India and Japan signed an agreement to cooperate on the development of a high-speed rail corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Japan will provide technical and financial assistance for the project through a soft loan worth Rs880bn ($11.93bn) at a 0.1% interest rate.

Senior officials from Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and Gujarat’s Urban Development and Municipal Commissioners agreed to take consultation from Japanese experts to develop areas around the stations and connect them to bus, metro and other forms of transportation.

The 12 proposed stations include Bandra Kurla Complex, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Baroda, Anand, Sabarmati and Ahmedabad.

Indian Railways will follow a transit-oriented development plan for these stations to ensure they become a commercial hub, as well improve connectivity between the stations and adjoining areas.

The transit-oriented development model focuses on maximising residential, business and leisure space in the vicinity of public transport.

The terminal building will house eateries, foreign exchange counters, malls and parking lots. Passengers will have access to seamless connectivity between the bullet train network and other services such as the metro and bus services.

IANS quoted the official as saying: “Unless the stations are well-connected with neighbouring districts, the bullet train service will not attract the ridership required to make the project viable.”

The introduction of the bullet train service is slated for August 2022 and is expected to reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to about two hours down from seven.

UK’s HS2 launches public consultations on Phase 2b route

HS2 has released detailed design proposals for the high-speed railway between the Midlands and the north of England.

Two public consultations on the Phase 2b route will serve communities between the West Midlands, Manchester, and Leeds.

The company noted that this route will have significant benefits for jobs and business growth.

HS2 launched a ten-week public consultation on its plans to extend the railway north, and has invited communities to formally respond to its designs and proposed mitigation measures for the Phase 2b route.

The consultations will close on 21 December. During this period, HS2 invited public responses on draft its environmental statement, which focuses on the design of the railway and reports on the impacts of its construction and operation, as well as measures to reduce and monitor these impacts.

HS2 will also welcome public response on the working draft equality impact assessment report, which will focus on potential effects of the construction and operation people living nearby.

HS2 consultation and engagement head Leonie Dubois said: “HS2 is coming to the north and it will reap significant benefits as a result. High-speed rail will play a crucial role in re-balancing Britain’s economy; driving business growth, stimulating investment and creating jobs right across the country.

“Through the public consultations, we are providing a more detailed account of how we propose to build the railway and minimise its impacts during construction and operation.”

During public consultations, teams from HS2 will visit locations across the eastern and western legs of the Phase 2b route to discuss the design plans and explain the benefits of the new high-speed railway.

ScotRail to deploy Inter7City train between Aberdeen and Edinburgh

ScotRail is set to introduce the upgraded Inter7City high-speed train (HST) for commercial services in Scotland, UK.

The train is the first of 26 revamped high-speed trains that will connect Scotland’s seven cities. It will initially operate between Aberdeen and Edinburgh from 15 October.

Wider operations are expected to be announced as part of ScotRail’s new timetable from December.

The modernised train will be equipped with additional seats, increased luggage space, seat power sockets, extra toilets, and improved on-board hospitality.

Upgraded with an investment of £2m, the HST is set to reduce journey times between Aberdeen and Edinburgh by ten minutes, reported Scotsman.com.

Scotland Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Passengers have looked forward to the arrival of the fully refurbished HST fleet which will bring significant improvements for travellers on our inter-city routes between Scotland’s seven main cities.

“ScotRail and Wabtec, its supplier, have given assurances they remain focused on ensuring the full fleet is in service as quickly and efficiently as possible, meaning even more passengers will soon benefit from faster trains, which have the latest standard of comfort, accessibility and catering provision.

“The boost in seating provision will help support the overall 23% increase in capacity being delivered during 2019 as rail continues to grow in popularity across Scotland.”

ScotRail intends to deploy the remaining Inter7City HSTs into service by December 2019.

Taiwan’s Kaohsiung underground rail line opens to public

Taiwan’s underground railway line has opened in Kaohsiung for commercial commuter services.

Built over ten years, the line is 15.37km long and runs between Zuoying and Fongshan.

According to Taiwan Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Railway Bureau, the line will remove all ground-level railway tracks in downtown Kaohsiung, seven railway crossings and 16 flying junctions.

Removal of these crossings and junctions is expected to improve the traffic conditions and minimise train-related accidents.

Developed with an investment of around $3.23bn, the project is set to create additional open space in Kaohsiung’s downtown area.

The line links ten railway stations that include Zuoying, Kaohiung, and Fongshan, as well as seven new stops.

Taiwan Presidential Office secretary-general Chen Chu has urged the national and city governments to strengthen their ties in order to complete the rail project’s second phase.

The second phase will see construction of a green corridor on land previously used by railroad tracks and commercial buildings.

The Kaohsiung Railway Station has also been opened along, with the line that passes under the Love River.

Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) and Kaohsiung MRT system will use the new station.

In order to celebrate the underground railway opening along with the new stations, TRA is offering discounted train fares.

ScotRail to deploy Inter7City train between Aberdeen and Edinburgh

ScotRail is set to introduce the upgraded Inter7City high-speed train (HST) for commercial services in Scotland, UK.

The train is the first of 26 revamped high-speed trains that will connect Scotland’s seven cities. It will initially operate between Aberdeen and Edinburgh from 15 October.

Wider operations are expected to be announced as part of ScotRail’s new timetable from December.

The modernised train will be equipped with additional seats, increased luggage space, seat power sockets, extra toilets, and improved on-board hospitality.

Upgraded with an investment of £2m, the HST is set to reduce journey times between Aberdeen and Edinburgh by ten minutes, reported Scotsman.com.

Scotland Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Cabinet Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Passengers have looked forward to the arrival of the fully refurbished HST fleet which will bring significant improvements for travellers on our inter-city routes between Scotland’s seven main cities.

“ScotRail and Wabtec, its supplier, have given assurances they remain focused on ensuring the full fleet is in service as quickly and efficiently as possible, meaning even more passengers will soon benefit from faster trains, which have the latest standard of comfort, accessibility and catering provision.

“The boost in seating provision will help support the overall 23% increase in capacity being delivered during 2019 as rail continues to grow in popularity across Scotland.”

ScotRail intends to deploy the remaining Inter7City HSTs into service by December 2019.

EBRD provides funds to upgrade Serbia’s state railways

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided a €22m loan to support the modernisation of Serbia’s state railways.

Funding will be used to upgrade infrastructure, as well as launch a new ticketing system and several measures to increase energy efficiency.

A total of €17m has been allocated to the expansion and modernisation of a railway depot in Zemun in Eastern Serbia.

This investment is expected to convert the depot into a central maintenance site for all trains operated by Serbia’s state railway company, Srbija Voz.

The rail depot will also be responsible for the maintenance of electric trains, which were purchased by the Serbian railways in Switzerland in 2015 with the support of an EBRD loan. Powered by electricity, the train units are equipped with self-propelled carriages.

In December last year, EBRD signed a deal to provide the first instalment of the loan for the development of Zemun depot.

EBRD issued a statement saying: “A second portion of €5m will finance the acquisition of information technology systems to modernise enterprise resource planning, ticket sales and energy management.

“The current systems involve a high degree of manual and paper-based operations.

“However, the new technology will enable more efficient and accurate data storage, improving productivity and cost savings as well as making Srbija Voz more energy efficient.”

Serbian railways will introduce self-service ticket vending machines and sales via handheld devices and online as part of the new upgrade.

The upgrade is expected to improve fare collection processes and to obtain accurate information on passenger numbers.

A new energy management information system will be installed to help Srbija Voz reduce energy consumption.

NZ Transport Agency allocates $62m to upgrade Wairarapa rail line

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZ Transport Agency) has allocated more than NZ$96m ($62.06m) to upgrade the Wairarapa rail line in a bid to improve transportation and tourism in the Wellington region.

The funding forms part of the government’s NZ$16.9bn ($10.93bn) transport investment under the National Land Transport Programme to bolster rail and road network across the country.

New Zealand Minister for Transport Phil Twyford opined that the Wairarapa investment will help to prevent further deterioration and service disruptions on the line.

Twyford said: “Passengers have a right to expect a safe and reliable service, and this investment will ensure the long-term future of this route.

“It also highlights the importance our Government places on public transport.”

The total investment consists of NZ$50m ($32.3m) for track infrastructure works, and NZ$46.2m ($29.9m) for the rail line south of the Rimutaka Hill tunnel as well as for double-tracking works between Trentham and Upper Hutt.

New Zealand’s state-owned agency for rail operations KiwiRail also welcomed the investment.

KiwiRail acting chief executive David Gordon said: “The network is ageing and parts of it are nearing the end of their useful life, which means there have to be speed restrictions and more likelihood of delays.

“This funding will allow KiwiRail to get the network up to standard and make improvements that will allow for more and longer trains.”

Overall, New Zealand allocated a total of NZ$196m ($126.7m) to upgrade rail infrastructure across the Wellington region. Construction at the Wairarapa rail line forms part of this investment and is scheduled to begin in April next year.

Trainline and ticketing agency Real Russia announce partnership

UK-based train and coach platform Trainline has collaborated with ticketing agency Real Russia to expand its presence in Russia.

As part of the collaboration, Trainline customers will have access to various trans-continental journeys provided by Trans-Siberian Express, as well as the high-speed Sapsan trains that operate between Moscow and St. Petersburg or Nizhny Novgorod.

The partnership has enabled Trainline to work with rail and coach companies across 44 countries worldwide.

Furthermore, Trainline could more than double its total carrier partners to more than 200 during the last year.

Trainline’s recent partners included Austria’s national rail operator ÖBB and Japan’s JTB.

Trainline International president Daniel Beutler said: “Following the global excitement of the football this summer, inbound tourism to Russia has picked up significantly and we look forward to helping more visitors experience the wonders of this stunning country by rail.”

Last month, the company launched AI-powered disruption voice alerts for rail journeys.

These alerts can be integrated into Trainline’s voice app, built for the Google Assistant.

Real Russia managing director Chris Watkins said: “We are delighted to partner with Trainline and look forward to working closely on bringing the Russian rail experience to customers in 173 countries around the world.

“Travelling by rail is the best way to experience the beauty and authenticity of Russia.”

Real Russia is primarily involved in creating tailor-made itineraries, especially for the Trans-Siberian routes, as well as arranging visas, accommodation, rail tickets, excursions and transfers.