Trains.com

international passenger news

63648 views
428 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 28, 2018 8:19 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH

 

 
blue streak 1

China set to open another 343 kM  ( ~ 215 miles ) HSR line 200kM / hr (125 MPH )  This is getting to be a recurring annoying occurrence compared to the USA !

https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/main-line/china-completes-new-harbin-jiamusi-line

 

 

I suppose that it's one of the advantages of living in an authoritarian state.

 

You don't need to live in an authoritarian state to have high-speed rail as 13 EU member countries as well as Norway and Switzerland in Europe show. In Asia you have Turkey (since a few years on the way to an authoritarian state), Japan, South Korea, Taiwan. Even India and Thailand are currently building a high-speed line.

So please don't use not being an authoritarian state as an excuse why the USA doesn't have high-speed rail.
Regards, Volker

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,480 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, September 28, 2018 6:42 AM

blue streak 1

China set to open another 343 kM  ( ~ 215 miles ) HSR line 200kM / hr (125 MPH )  This is getting to be a recurring annoying occurrence compared to the USA !

https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/main-line/china-completes-new-harbin-jiamusi-line

I suppose that it's one of the advantages of living in an authoritarian state.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,834 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Thursday, September 27, 2018 7:38 PM

China set to open another 343 kM  ( ~ 215 miles ) HSR line 200kM / hr (125 MPH )  This is getting to be a recurring annoying occurrence compared to the USA !

https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/main-line/china-completes-new-harbin-jiamusi-line

 

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,834 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, August 21, 2018 10:06 PM
  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,834 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, August 6, 2018 8:27 PM
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 3, 2018 11:52 AM

charlie hebdo

Some additional information. The on-time performance given in the linked article is for long distance trains only. The punctuality measure is as follows: if the train is less than 6 minutes late it is called on-time. For less than 16 minutes it is about 90%.

I have looked for Amtrak's measures without success. Perhaps someone can help.
Regards, Volker

Edit: After a recurring search I found Amtrak's on-time definitions.

- <250 miles:  max. 10 min. after scheduled arrival
- 251-350 mi:  max. 15 min.
- 351-450 mi:  max. 20 min.
- 451-550 mi:  max. 25 min.
- >550 miles:   max. 30 min

  • Member since
    September 2017
  • 5,547 posts
Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, August 3, 2018 11:10 AM
  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,834 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Thursday, August 2, 2018 1:18 PM

China is still leading in HSR with over 50% of world's total.  China's definition is 200 Km/Hr or higher (125 MPH).  Presently 26859 Km in service end of May ( 16786 miles ).  Expects 38,000 Km by  2022  (23750 miles ) .  Here is some other stats.  Comments ?

https://www.railjournal.com/index.php/high-speed/ten-years-27000km-china-celebrates-a-decade-of-high-speed.html?channel=000  

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 8, 2018 4:16 AM

krtraveler
Another year with two more operators achieving the impossible.

Looks good but the circumstances are very different compared to the USA.

Deutsche Bahn (DB) is a stock corporation completely owned by the German government. The stock is not traded yet though it was planned for a long time.

The German constitution (Grundgesetz §87e) rules that the government has to secure rail transport.

Public transit and regional rail traffic is paid for by the states. The government pays annual subsidies for rail infrastructure, $5.4 billion in 2015.

As the infrastructure is government owned we have open access used by more than 150 operators.
Regards, Volker

 

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • 35 posts
Posted by krtraveler on Saturday, April 7, 2018 5:58 PM

Another year with two more operators achieving the impossible.

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,015 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 10:45 AM

TOKYO — It may have been the most profusely regretted 20 seconds in history.

Living up to Japan’s reputation for being precise as well as contrite, a train company in Tokyo delivered a formal apology on Tuesday because one of its trains left a station just 20 seconds early.

In a country where conductors will beg forgiveness when a train is even a minute late, the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company posted an apology on its website Tuesday for “the severe inconvenience imposed upon our customers” when the No. 5255 Tsukuba Express train left Minami-Nagareyama station in Chiba, a suburban prefecture east of Tokyo, at 9:44:20 a.m., instead of as scheduled at 9:44:40 a.m.

According to the statement, the train arrived at Minami-Nagareyama on time, at precisely 9:43:40 a.m. But when it came time to leave, the overeager crew closed the doors prematurely and pulled out of the station ahead of schedule. According to Metropolitan Intercity, no passengers missed the train or complained about the jump-start.

Photo
 
Passengers at a railway station in Tokyo. A train company apologized to customers after an express left a station early. Yes, you read that right. Credit Behrouz Mehri/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

 

The effusive apology was in keeping with a culture where an ice cream company ran a television advertisement to express regret for raising the price of an ice cream bar by 10 yen last spring.

 

As the foreign news media began to cover the news Thursday, observers abroad expressed envy on Twitter at the trainspotting exactitude.

 

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Old Sarum (UK)
  • 98 posts
Posted by cogloadreturns on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 10:04 AM

schlimm
 
Buslist
Just to put things into perspective here is a list of enhancements that the train operator (JREast and others in this case) to win the Midlands Franchise.

 

That's a lot of investment cost.  No wonder operators drop out.

 

 

The majority of which is underwritten by the taxpayer. Especially the rolling stock.

"Windy Militant leads his Basque like corn grinders to war.........." HMHB - Trumpton Riots.
  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,834 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, October 13, 2017 9:22 PM

International passengers operators that use Kobe steel products may have quality concerns because of Kobe specification false certifications.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/12/business/kobe-steel-japan-trains.html?emc=eta1&_r=0

 

  • Member since
    July 2010
  • From: Louisiana
  • 2,290 posts
Posted by Paul of Covington on Monday, October 2, 2017 1:46 PM

daveklepper

Europe's second largest railroad station building, a ghost station, on the French - Spanish boarder, is going to re-open.

Pull up the website:  www.bbc.co.uk/news/maga

 

   I sure hope they succeed in the resurrection.   It's always sad to see a beautiful building die from neglect.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-41445860

_____________ 

  "A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,015 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Monday, October 2, 2017 6:34 AM

Europe's second largest railroad station building, a ghost station, on the French - Spanish boarder, is going to re-open.

Pull up the website:  www.bbc.co.uk/news/maga

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,834 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Thursday, September 28, 2017 9:41 PM

Apppepars Network rail ( UK) is replacing some variable tension CAT with constant tension CAT ?

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/uk-railway-news-round-up-30.html

 

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,834 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, September 15, 2017 8:52 PM
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 9,610 posts
Posted by schlimm on Friday, August 11, 2017 8:07 PM

Buslist
Just to put things into perspective here is a list of enhancements that the train operator (JREast and others in this case) to win the Midlands Franchise.

That's a lot of investment cost.  No wonder operators drop out.

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,834 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, August 11, 2017 5:38 PM

Any information about the Egyptian RR passenger train that rear ended another pass train ?

  • Member since
    November 2013
  • 1,097 posts
Posted by Buslist on Friday, August 11, 2017 9:30 AM

schlimm

 

 
Buslist

Trenitalia pulls out of bidding for a U.K. franchise. It tends to reinforce my feelings that the problem with the franchises is the process and conditions. I have been trying to articulate this in my U.K. situation write up. But having worked mostly on the infrastructure side my observations on the operators may be less spot on. I'll get it finished one of these days.

http://m.railjournal.com/index.php/main-line/trenitalia-pulls-out-of-south-eastern-franchise-contest.html

 

 

 

Given the nature of GB, that sounds like another Herculean task for you. But I would like to read that if you undertake it.

Is it possible operators appear to underestimate costs or some deliberately makes low-ball bids, thinking they will get some 'help' later?

 

Don't know that I've ever seen them deliberately underestimate costs. (The franchasie proposal review process ought to catch that). But they do seem to overestimate revenue that includes increases from enhancements to both infrastructure (shorter trip times) and new rolling stock. Not sure any of them got "help" in the sense we might mean it. Remember for the major franchises the usually is a payment to the govt. for the privilege of running the trains.

Just to put things into perspective here is a list of enhancements that the train operator (JREast and others in this case) to win the Midlands Franchise.

 

The new franchise runs from December 2017 until March 2026. ‘We will be investing nearly £1bn into the network, delivering new trains, better stations and a whole host of other benefits for passengers’, said Abellio UK Managing Director Dominic Booth. This will include:

  • 100 new coaches for Birmingham's Cross-City Line and 80 for the Snow Hill Line by 2021. Discussions are currently underway to select a supplier. The Cross-City Line would have 'metro style services' using high-capacity vehicles similar to those used on London Overground with wide doors and a focus on standing room. 
  • 225 new vehicles for London services by 2021, with others to be refurbished; 
  • 'Modern trains' for the St Albans Abbey line; 
  • An extra 20 000 extra rush-hour seats in Birmingham, and 10 000 extra seats and standing room for 5 000 more passengers in London; 
  • Various additional services, including on Sundays; 
  • Free wi-fi on all main line services by the end of 2019; 
  • Mobile and laptop charging points on all London services by May 2021; 
  • Smart ticketing with 'better value tickets for part-time workers', and smart cards for the Northampton - London and St Albans Abbey lines; 
  • Refunds of 25% for delays of more than 15 min, as well as the current 50% for 30 min and full refunds after 60 min; 
  • Improved services for passengers requiring assistance; 
  • Live capacity information via mobile devices; 
  • A closer partnership between the operator and infrastructure manager Network Rail; 
  • £70m investment in new and existing depots; 
  • £60m of station improvements including additional parking spaces for 1 000 cars and 2 500 bicycles, and a cycle hire scheme; 
  • 800 real-time information screens at 150 stations; 
  • Feasibility studies for new stations in the West Midlands.
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 9,610 posts
Posted by schlimm on Thursday, August 10, 2017 11:47 AM

Buslist

Trenitalia pulls out of bidding for a U.K. franchise. It tends to reinforce my feelings that the problem with the franchises is the process and conditions. I have been trying to articulate this in my U.K. situation write up. But having worked mostly on the infrastructure side my observations on the operators may be less spot on. I'll get it finished one of these days.

http://m.railjournal.com/index.php/main-line/trenitalia-pulls-out-of-south-eastern-franchise-contest.html

 

Given the nature of GB, that sounds like another Herculean task for you. But I would like to read that if you undertake it.

Is it possible operators appear to underestimate costs or some deliberately makes low-ball bids, thinking they will get some 'help' later?

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

  • Member since
    November 2013
  • 1,097 posts
Posted by Buslist on Thursday, August 10, 2017 8:47 AM

Trenitalia pulls out of bidding for a U.K. franchise. It tends to reinforce my feelings that the problem with the franchises is the process and conditions. I have been trying to articulate this in my U.K. situation write up. But having worked mostly on the infrastructure side my observations on the operators may be less spot on. I'll get it finished one of these days.

http://m.railjournal.com/index.php/main-line/trenitalia-pulls-out-of-south-eastern-franchise-contest.html

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,834 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, August 7, 2017 9:17 PM

Gotthard base tunnel passenger traffic up 30% since opening to traffic.  Also freight traffic up but is restricted since other tunnel not complete.

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/europe/strong-start-for-gotthard-base-tunnel.html?channel=537

 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 9,610 posts
Posted by schlimm on Friday, August 4, 2017 11:53 AM

Buslist

 

 
schlimm

As I was saying, maybe there is something inherent in the UK that makes rail a struggle?

 

 

 

And the fact that SNCF was not broken up into more than 130 companies as was BR. That and its vertical disintegration has been minimal. I thought I read somewhere that the EU is not happy with them because of insufficient separation of infrastructure and operating companies. Open access seems to be almost nonexistent.

 

Note that just now the French are preparing to contract out some local services which the Brits have been doing for about 15 years and the Germans 5-10(?).

 

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/regions-prepare-for-market-opening.html

Working on a summary of my thoughts on the U.K. situation, will post in a day or 2.

 

 

I'm looking forward to it.  

German private operations are not just local but quite regional in scope in some cases. There are many and most seem well run.

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

  • Member since
    November 2013
  • 1,097 posts
Posted by Buslist on Friday, August 4, 2017 12:39 AM

schlimm

As I was saying, maybe there is something inherent in the UK that makes rail a struggle?

 

And the fact that SNCF was not broken up into more than 130 companies as was BR. That and its vertical disintegration has been minimal. I thought I read somewhere that the EU is not happy with them because of insufficient separation of infrastructure and operating companies. Open access seems to be almost nonexistent.

 

Note that just now the French are preparing to contract out some local services which the Brits have been doing for about 15 years and the Germans 5-10(?).

 

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/regions-prepare-for-market-opening.html

Working on a summary of my thoughts on the U.K. situation, will post in a day or 2.

 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 9,610 posts
Posted by schlimm on Thursday, August 3, 2017 10:29 PM

As I was saying, maybe there is something inherent in the UK that makes rail a struggle?

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • 35 posts
Posted by krtraveler on Thursday, August 3, 2017 9:56 PM
  • Member since
    November 2013
  • 1,097 posts
Posted by Buslist on Wednesday, August 2, 2017 3:32 PM

azrail
Network Rail (the company that controls the tracks and infrastructure) is gov't controlled. It would have been better to split up BR back to the Big 4 railways (GWR,LMS,LNER,Southern)
 

 

"December 2013, the ONS announced that from September 2014, Network Rail will be classified as a "government body". This resulted in the company's debt of £34 billion being added to the national debt."

 

"Network Rail is effectively a subsidiary of the Government-controlled SRA."

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • 594 posts
Posted by azrail on Wednesday, August 2, 2017 2:48 PM
Network Rail (the company that controls the tracks and infrastructure) is gov't controlled. It would have been better to split up BR back to the Big 4 railways (GWR,LMS,LNER,Southern)
  • Member since
    November 2013
  • 1,097 posts
Posted by Buslist on Wednesday, August 2, 2017 1:09 PM

VOLKER LANDWEHR

 

 
Buslist
Since then National has totally exited the rail scene.

 

National Express operates commuter (regional) lines in Germany.
Regards, Volker

 

Correction, exited the U.K. rail scene with the sale of the C2C franchise.

In Europe its Germany only, with 2 active and 2 more to come on line in the future. They are also eyeing the Spanish market.

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy