Rail & Coach News Page 3
TransPennine Express welcomes new Nova fleet
Stakeholders and dignitaries from across the north were present at the event as the trains were unveiled to the public, accompanied by entertainment from a local brass band and speeches from those involved in the £500 million project.
Maksymyk handed new international sales role with Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer has announced the company’s international sales teams in Australia, the UK and China will be aligned under the newly created role.
Dozens killed in Pakistan train blaze
At least 73 people are now believed to have died after a train caught fire in Pakistan. The train was travelling from the city of Karachi to Rawalpindi when at least three of the carriages burst into flames.
Caledonian Sleeper completes rolling stock rollout
The introduction of the Highlander route this week follows the new carriages making their debut in April on the Lowlander between London and Glasgow/Edinburgh.
South Western Railway to accept PayPal
South Western Railway passengers can now pay for tickets using PayPal on its website and app. PayPal is one of the biggest names in processing online payments for purchasing products and services; offering a fast, convenient and secure way to pay for train tickets online.
HS2 delayed until at least 2028
Phase one of a the HS2 rail link between London and Birmingham has been delayed by up to five years by the British government. With attention diverted by the ongoing Brexit drama, transport minister Grant Shapps revealed it could now be between 2028 and 2031 before the first trains run on the route.
Bombardier to supply new trams to Dresden
Bombardier Transportation and Dresden’s transport authority, Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe, have signed a contract to supply and maintain 30 Flexity trams for the city.
Luton Airport to get first express-style train service
London Luton Airport has announced a new partnership agreement with Abellio, which will operate the East Midlands Railway for the next eight years.
Great Rail Journeys unveils United States acquisition
York-based Great Rail Journeys is to acquire Vacations By Rail, an independent US provider of escorted and independent rail holidays. Great Rail Journeys hopes the deal will position the company as a leading escorted rail company.
American guests drive up passenger numbers at Eurostar
Eurostar has reported solid growth in passenger numbers and sales revenues for the second quarter of 2019. Passenger numbers at the high-speed passenger rail service between the UK and mainland Europe were up by three per cent, to 2.88 million, for the period.
Manchester Airport seeks to maximise HS2 benefits
Charlie Cornish, chief executive of Manchester Airports Group, has met with Mark Thurston, chief executive of HS2, to discuss the potential for the new train line to boost the northern economy.
Robust growth on Chinese railway network
Having grown to become the one of the largest in the world over the past few years, China’s railway network saw steady growth in passenger trips in July. As the summer holidays drove up travel demand, data from the China State Railway Group showed a total of 356 million railway passenger trips were made last month.