Europe timetable change: New lines open and new operators take over
THE Europe-wide timetable change on December 15 saw new lines open (or reopen) in several countries, and as is now routine in some central European countries, several major operating contracts changed hands, especially in Germany and the Czech Republic.
In Germany GoAhead and Abellio both started new contracts around Stuttgart, although following problems experienced by both operators with new train fleets in June they have started the new contracts with a mix of new and hired-in trains.
Abellio has suffered from late delivery of ‘Talent 2’ EMUs being built by Bombardier, with only six of 25 trains delivered on time, which has led to former operator DB Regio leasing trains instead, and in some cases operating them.
GoAhead received all its fleet of Stadler-built ‘FLIRT’ EMUs, but chose to not introduce all of them until they were fully tested.
As a result services on the Stuttgart to Nuremberg RE90 route are being operated by a mixture of private operators – until March or April – using modern ‘Traxx’ Class 145/185 freight locos and hired DB Class 111s.
In the Czech Republic established open access operators took over several contracts: RegioJet began operating contracted regional services around Ústí nad Labem, initially using a fleet of secondhand DB Class 628 DMUs.
New EMUs are on order from Polish manufacturer Pesa for use from 2021.
Regiojet also started an eight-year contract to operate services on the R8 semi-fast route between Brno and Bohumín, with 17 train pairs per day using a fleet of seven leased ‘Vectron MS’ electric locomotives, hauling trains formed of refurbished former Austrian or Swiss inter-city coaches.
Leo Express began operating its first regional contracts in the Pardubice region on the Ústí nad Orlicí to Mlýnický Dvůr route using a variety of modern Alstom ‘LINT’ DMUs (11x two-car and four single units) previously used in Germany.
DB subsidiary Arriva Vlaky started a three-year contract to operate semi-fast services on four non-electrified routes from Prague to Tanvald, Rakovnik and České Budĕjovice (via Písek) using a fleet of 27 x Class 845 DMUs (refurbished ex-DB Class 628 DMUs).
These trains have replaced a mixture of loco-hauled and DMU- operated trains previously operated by national operator České dráhy (ČD).
Go-Ahead also started rail operations in Norway on December 15 taking over services on the Oslo to Stavanger Sørlandsbanen route, initially using the current fleet of trains and employees.
Cross-border
The biggest new line opening was the cross-border railway connecting Geneva with Annemasse in France to be used by a network of inter-regional services operated as Léman Express.
The project dates back to an agreement between France and Switzerland in 1881, although economic recessions and two world wars delayed progress for more than a century!
The new line – known as
CEVA (Cornavin–Eaux-Vives– Annemasse) – is largely in tunnel and connects two previous branch lines.
The new section has two underground stations, while the short Annemasse to GenèveEaux-Vives section that was actually built in the 1880s has now been placed underground in a cut-and-cover trench with new stations to replace those that existed on the surface.
The CEVA line cost around 1.8billion Swiss Francs (£1.42bn); the 14km section (not all of which is new) in Switzerland cost 1.6bn CHF.
Unfortunately, because of long-running strikes in France (concerning government pension reforms) the full Léman Express service did not start on December 15, although
Swiss drivers operated some trains between Geneva and Annemasse. Services began properly in late-January as the French strikes were ‘paused’ by the unions involved.