Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa 1000 trainsets begin testing in Germany and Austria
EUROPE: Trenitalia’s Hitachi Rail-built Frecciarossa 1000 trainsets are undergoing an extensive authorisation programme in Germany and Austria ahead of the planned launch of direct services from Italy to München in summer 2027. The testing is being carried out in co-operation with Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB. In Germany, Frecciarossas are running on the Berlin – München […]
Indra awarded Spanish high speed line control systems support contract
SPAIN: Infrastructure manager Adif has awarded Indra a contract to support and maintain equipment at its high speed line control centres for a further four years. This includes the Da Vinci integrated train and infrastructure management system which was developed by Indra in partnership with Adif. Indra said this provides operators with a ‘unique and […]
Iryo adds to its fleet as it targets major service expansion in 2027
SPAIN: High speed operator Iryo is to expand its service offering by 13.8% in 2027, the company announced on August 31 as it confirmed that its trains can now be booked a year in advance. The company said that over the next year, it will add three more Hitachi-built ETR1000 trainsets to its fleet, enabling […]
Velvet secures French operating licence ahead of 2028 launch
FRANCE: Velvet has obtained its Railway Undertaking licence from France’s Directorate-General for Infrastructure, Transport & Mobility, marking the first major regulatory approval on its path to launching high speed services between Paris and western France in 2028. Announced on September 1, the licence allows the French start-up to move ahead with preparations for commercial operations, […]
Spain’s Renfe targets Portuguese rail market
PORTUGAL: Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente has announced that national train operator Renfe is to seek authorisation for the use of its Talgo Series 106 Avril and S107 trainsets in Portugal. This follows unsuccessful attempts to get the S106s authorised for use on international services between Spain and France. On August 18 Puente said Renfe’s […]
Global suppliers selected to support development of Australian high speed rail plans
AUSTRALIA: Following a competitive process, the High Speed Rail Authority has selected groups of international suppliers to provide early contractor involvement services for the Trains, Systems & System Integration and Tunnelling & Construction elements of the Newcastle – Sydney high speed line project. The ECI process aims to finalise the cost, scope, design and approvals […]
Poland: CPK shifts focus from ‘hub and spoke’ to integrated network
A changing geopolitical and policy landscape in Poland means the Port Polska high speed rail programme is now being seen as the cornerstone for a much broader transport investment strategy. Mike Bent reports. Long heralded as one of Europe’s most significant infrastructure programmes, the Port Polska scheme to develop a new hub airport for Poland […]
Chongqing’s Yangtze River tunnel completed
CHINA: An 11.9 km tunnel has been completed to carry the Chongqing – Xiamen high speed rail corridor under the Yangtze River in the centre of the Chongqing conurbation. Celebrations were held on July 24 to mark the formal completion of the Caiyuanba Yangtze River Railway Tunnel, which passes under two districts in the heart of […]
A break in the trend: understanding Spain’s high speed rail dip
SPAIN: High speed rail ridership growth stumbled in early 2026, with ridership falling for the first time since the Covid pandemic. While the drop is being attributed to a slew of factors including the Adamuz crash, line closures and weather impacts, Renfe has accused the market regulator of burying data that favours the national operator. […]
Korail to replace TGV-derived KTX-I fleet with more EMU-320 trainsets
SOUTH KOREA: National operator Korail has completed preliminary assessments for a planned procurement of 49 EMU-320 high speed trainsets from Hyundai Rotem at an estimated cost of 5tr won. Korail expects to place an order for an initial batch of 28 trainsets in 2027, with the first trains entering service from 2032. The procurement is […]