Autonomous lightweight rail inspection system tested in Norway
Norwegian researchers are testing a prototype for a lightweight, autonomous rail inspection system, set to slash maintenance costs. Part of the EU-funded IAM4RAIL project, the AI-powered prototype, equipped with LiDAR and high-resolution cameras, has been mounted on a service train and is now operational on Norway’s Sørland Line. Currently, Norway relies on a single, highly […]
European Sleeper adds Hamburg stop to Paris-Berlin night train, boosting Scandinavia connections
European Sleeper, the community-owned night train operator, will extend its Paris-Berlin service to Hamburg from July 13, 2026. The new stop at Hamburg-Harburg station will strengthen Hamburg’s role as a key international rail hub and offer travellers connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Subscribe to gain access to all news Already have a subscription? Log […]
RailTech.com Tunnel blaze shuts Transpennine Route for days
A serious fire inside the Standedge Tunnel complex has forced the closure of one of the UK’s busiest east–west rail corridors. The incident is causing severe disruption to passenger services across northern England. The Transpennine Route is not expected to reopen before this Thursday, 29 January. The incident occurred late on Sunday, 25 January, inside […]
Irish Rail orders nearly 70 new maintenance wagons
Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) has ordered 68 new infrastructure maintenance wagons from UK manufacturer W.H. Davis, in a deal valued at approximately €23 million, as it moves to renew an ageing engineering fleet dating back more than half a century. The wagons will be built at W.H. Davis’s manufacturing facility in Nottinghamshire and will be […]
Türkiye taps UK expertise to develop its own hydrogen train
Türkiye has signed a cooperation protocol with the UK to support the development of its first domestically made hydrogen-powered train, with state-backed manufcaturer Türasaş leading the work as Ankara pushes to boost its rolling stock export portfolio. The protocol was signed in Ankara at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure by Türasaş General Manager Selim […]
South West main line cut again as Storm Ingrid overwhelms Devon coastal defences
The UK main line railway to Devon and Cornwall has suffered a blockage once again. Storm damage to the railway at Dawlish left the tracks strewn with rubble over a two-mile length (3.2km). The exposed line runs directly along the coast and is subjected to the worst of the Atlantic storms – including Storm Ingrid, […]
Alstom, SNCF blamed for France’s persistent train delivery delays in ‘vitriolic’ report
From the delays to France’s new TGV M high-speed trains to the MI20 trainsets set for Paris, French rail giant Alstom and the state-backed rail company SNCF have been identified as the primary contributors to chronic rolling stock delivery delays in France. That’s according to the conclusions of an unusually blunt expert report commissioned by […]
Submit your innovation for the RailTech Innovation Award
Submissions for the RailTech Innovation Award are open again! The prize for the most promising innovation in rail will be awarded at the international exhibition and conference RailTech Europe 2026, on 4 March in Utrecht, the Netherlands. During previous editions of the RailTech innovation award, there were various categories, each with a winner. This year, […]
Data deepdive: EU rail megaprojects see costs double, average delay now 16 years
The EU’s most critical rail megaprojects are facing further delays and soaring costs. The average delay is now at 16 years, four years worse than in 2020, a new report of the European Court of Auditors reveals. An in-depth look at the costs and delay figures. Subscribe to gain access to all news Already have […]
how FS turned a Channel Tunnel setback into a France-based play for wider Europe
After losing out on access to the UK’s only Channel Tunnel-ready depot, Italy’s state rail group FS has not stepped back from the race to launch mainland-to-London services; it has just changed tack. Here, the company lays out to RailTech its Plan B for taking on Eurostar through the Tunnel by 2029: A “France-centred operating […]