CER - The Voice of European Railways
|
| |
The Council of the European Union formalised the adoption of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Guidelines and its related financial instrument Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), today. The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) welcomes this adoption as it represents a key step toward the realisation of an efficient and effective European Single Railway Area.
| |
The main focus of the new TEN-T Guidelines is to improve the interoperability and interconnections between modes. The multimodal Core Network Corridors will increase the coordination between Member States and stakeholders in the planning and investment of corridors. CER welcomes this approach as it is expected to enable efficiency gains for the rail sector in the long run.
The new technical requirements, which go beyond the current Technical Specifications for Interoperability for Infrastructure, will help the railway sector in achieving the ambitious modal shift targets set out in the Transport White Paper; CER therefore strongly supports them as enablers needed to make rail more efficient.
The CEF has a budget of EUR 23.2 billion in order to co-finance these ambitious projects. It is now up to Member States to respect the TEN-T implementation deadlines and create a highly resource efficient and interconnected infrastructure network in Europe at the benefit of all transport users.
CER Executive Director Libor Lochman said: “I am very delighted with this final adoption. I want to warmly thank the European institutions for having achieved such a comprehensive agreement that will bring added value to the European railway sector and stimulate economic growth across Europe.”
 ORR chief tells Future of Rail conference: Spend wisely on renewing the railways today to ensure long-term safety and sustainability of network
5 December 2013
Richard Price, Chief Executive of the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), today gave a keynote speech at the Future of Rail Conference in London. He highlighted that demand for Britain’s railways continues to boom with 8% more trains on the network compared with five years ago. Further growth is predicted over the next five years as passenger numbers are set to rise by another 14% and freight by 22%. He spoke about ORR’s work to put passengers at the heart of plans for Britain's railways over the next five years, improving safety practices and setting tougher targets to improve the day-to-day management of the railways to reduce disruption on the network. He said: "Spending the right amount of money, in the right place, at the right time, will reduce delays, bring down costs and secure a safe and sustainable railway now, and for the future." To read the speech in full, visit: http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/future-of-rail-speech-2013-12-05.pdf Regulators welcome Government cross-sectoral study
A joint statement from the CAA, Ofcom, Ofgem, ORR and Ofwat
5 December 2013 The UK’s economic regulators today welcomed the Government’s study to identify ways in which cross-sectoral approaches and collaboration across regulators could improve outcomes for consumers. It aims to build on UK’s strong track record of independent regulation, which has delivered better value, more choice and improved service quality for consumers over the last three decades. Announcing the study, the Government restated its commitment to the model of independent economic regulation, recognising its important contribution in securing better value and quality for consumers as well as establishing a stable environment for cost effective investment. The economic regulators have taken steps to work closer together on issues of cross-sectoral significance and in learning lessons across industries which help to improve regulation and the promotion of competition in order to secure better outcomes for consumers. The regulators themselves will undertake work to assess the overall affordability of infrastructure on customer bills; lessons from each sector on empowering consumers to get the best deals and how, working together, they can help to improve the environment for efficient investment in UK infrastructure. The study, which will be conducted with expert input from the regulators, will focus on the way the regulators work together and with government on issues related to cross-sector infrastructure delivery. To this end it will consider:
Issued jointly by the CAA, Ofcom, Ofgem, ORR and Ofwat 5 December 2013 International Railway Journal MILAN metro operator ATM has commissioned a new €11.5m centralised traffic control centre, which supervises the operation of all lines except the driverless Line 5. GERMAN Rail's (DB) long-distance passenger division, DB Fernverkehr, has issued a call for tenders to fit European Train Control System (ETCS) to its ICE1 fleet of high-speed trains. STADLER Rail announced on December 2 that it has signed a contract with Voith to acquire the company's Dutch train maintenance subsidiary Voith Rail Services (VRS) for an undisclosed sum. VEOLIA Transport Sweden is set to continue operating the Swedish section of the Øresund network beyond December 2014 after it was awarded a five-year contract by Öresundståg AB, the joint company owned by six regional transport authorites which is responsible for tendering the services. THE European Investment Bank has agreed to lend Poland's largest railfreight operator PKP Cargo €47m to help finance the modernisation of its locomotive and wagon fleets. www.progressiverailroading.com US News
Siemens wins rail signalling systems installation contract from PRASA Siemens has won a €180m contract from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to install new rail signalling systems and protection systems in the regions of Gauteng Province, South Africa. Huawei launches first urban rail transportation solution for Zhengzhou Metro Information and communications technology solutions provider Huawei has launched the first urban rail transportation solution featuring enterprise LTE (eLTE) for Zhengzhou Metro in China. UK government approves funding to replace Sheffield Supertram tracks The UK government has approved £5m funding to replace the tracks on the Sheffield Supertram light rail system. Stadler Rail to acquire Voith Rail Services Swiss locomotives maker Stadler Rail has signed an agreement to acquire Voith Rail Services, a subsidiary of Voith in the Netherlands, to expand its rolling stock maintenance activities. Shedmaster Railway News Spanish passenger market to open up in 2014 - Railway Gazette Full settlement for Railroad Development Corp in Guatemala dispute - Railway Gazette Siemens awarded Gauteng signalling contract - Railway Gazette World Heritage & Railway News 
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Tell us your Railway News!