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Passenger Transportation Services
Commuter train derails near Barcelona, driver dead, 20 injured
According to a Catalonia Regional Government source and several local media outlets, the commuter train derailment occurred on Tuesday after a containment?wall?fell onto the track due to heavy 'rain near the Spanish City of Barcelona. The driver was killed, while around 20 other people were injured. The accident occurred just two days after the high-speed collision and derailment that killed 42 people near Adamuz, in southern Cordoba Province. Emergency services officials said that twenty ambulances and 38 firefighter units were dispatched along with the site in Gelida, on the outskirts Barcelona. The suburban train derailed in a region that has
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Passenger Transportation Services
Singapore Airlines offers 10-year notes worth $390 Million at a rate of 2.70%
Singapore Airlines Ltd., the 'national carrier of Singapore,' has priced S$500,000,000 ($390,000,000) in 10-year Singapore Dollar senior notes at 2.70%. This is a reduction from its initial price guidance of around 2.95%. According to the sheet, the?notes will be issued as part of its multi-currency, medium-term, multi-currency?note program, which is a programme worth?S$10 Billion. The sheet stated that proceeds will be used to finance aircraft purchases, related payments and general corporate or working-capital purposes, as well as refinancing existing borrowings. The bonds are semi-annually repaid, with the first coupon due on July 30, 2026. They mature January 30, 2036. DBS,
Passenger Transportation Services
Passenger Transportation Services
Spain's deadliest train disasters
In the worst rail accident to hit Spain since 2013, a high-speed derailment and collision with another train near Adamuz in the province Cordoba on Sunday night killed at least 39 people. According to?emergency medical services, 122 people were?injured in the collision, 48 of whom are still hospitalized and 12 in intensive-care units. The most recent train accidents in Spain are listed first. SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (2013 ) A high-speed eight-car train veered onto a sharp curve near the city of Santiago de Compostela in the northwest of Spain, crashing into a wall of concrete and bursting into fire. The...
Passenger Transportation Services
IndiGo shares increase as investors shrug off record $2.45 Million fine
IndiGo shares rose up to 3.8% Monday, as investors shrugged off a $2.45m fine, which Jefferies analysts called a relatively modest penalty in light of the mass cancellations last month. The airline cancelled 4,500 flights during the first weeks of December. This left tens and thousands of passengers stranded across the country, and highlighted concerns about the lack of competition in 'the fastest-growing aviation industry in the world. Indigo's share price plummeted 14.2% in October, the steepest drop since?October 2020. Jefferies stated in a report that "Fines look modest, probably?because of regulatory caps." "Focus shifts now to DGCA’s subsequent guidance...
Passenger Transportation Services
Committee approves bill to allow Uber and Lyft in Israel
A committee of Israeli ministers approved on Sunday a law allowing shared ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft in Israel to operate in an effort to reduce taxi fares. The Transportation Ministry has proposed a reform that would allow "technology-based transport operators" to use models used successfully globally. However, this law still requires full approval from the Parliament. The Ministry noted that the Shared Transport Law, approved by the "Ministerial Committee for Legislation", would allow companies like Uber and Lyft to offer services via smart apps that connect private drivers and passengers. It was said that the move would...
Passenger Transportation Services
In Thailand, crane accident kills 32 people
The regional governor reported that a train derailed on Wednesday in northeastern Thailand after a crane fell onto two of its wagons. At least 32 people were killed and 66 injured. The accident happened in the 'Sikhio' district of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, 230 km northeast of Bangkok. It was on a train bound for Ubon Ratchathani. In a press release, Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stated that there were 195 passengers aboard the train. He also said he ordered an investigation. The crane, which was working on high-speed rail construction project collapsed when it hit a passing train. This caused the...
Passenger Transportation Services
India fines IndiGo $2.45Million for December cancellations
IndiGo was fined a record amount of?222 millions Indian rupees (2.45 million dollars) by India's aviation regulator on Saturday for "poor roster planning" that resulted in mass cancellations of flights in December. The regulator issued warnings for senior staff, including Chief Operating Officer Isidre?Porqueras, and Jason Herter, Senior Vice?President of Operations Control Centre, with instructions to IndiGo to relieve Herter?of "current operational responsibilities". According to a government source, the fine was the highest ever. IndiGo has been ordered to provide a $5.51m bank guarantee in favor of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. This is "to ensure compliance with the...
Passenger Transportation Services
FAA warns airlines flying to Central and South America about possible military actions
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a series warnings on Friday to airlines to be cautious when flying over Central America and parts of South America. It cited the risk of possible military activities and GPS interferance. The FAA has issued Notices to Airmen for Mexico, Central America, Ecuador, Colombia, and certain portions of the eastern Pacific Ocean. The agency said that the warnings will begin on Friday and last for 60 days. These warnings are coming amid increased tensions in the region between the United States, and other regional leaders, after the Trump administration?mounted a large-scale buildup of military...
Passenger Transportation Services
European regulator warns airlines against flying in Iranian airspace
After simmering tensions arose over the 'deadly crackdown' on Iranian protests, and U.S. threats of 'intervention', the European Union's aviation regulator recommended that airlines in its bloc'stay out' of Iran's 'airspace'. In a bulletin, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency stated that "the presence and potential use of a variety of weapons and air defence systems combined with unpredictable responses from states... creates high risks for civil flights at all levels and altitudes." The protests began in Iran on December 28 due to economic hardships. They grew into large demonstrations demanding the end of the clerical regime, which culminated in...
Passenger Transportation Services
Musk and Ryanair CEO clash about cost of Starlink Wi-Fi
Elon Musk called Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary on Friday an "utter idiot", who should be fired. The spat began when?the airline chief refused to install Musk's Starlink?internet on Ryanair planes. O'Leary dismissed on Wednesday the idea of equipping Ryanair's 600+ jets with Musk's Starlink. Citing the fuel cost impact from the drag caused by the antenna, O'Leary estimated that the service could cost the airlines as much as $250 million per year. Musk replied on his social media platform X by claiming that O'Leary had been "misinformed", and arguing Ryanair didn't know how to measure?fuel consumption of Starlink equipment. During...
Passenger Transportation Services
WestJet will no longer offer non-reclinable seats in its economy class after complaints
WestJet Airlines announced on Friday that it would eliminate non-reclinable seats in economy class on a number of Boeing 737 aircraft. This decision was made after a slew complaints and 'videos posted on social media of passengers with their knees pressed against the seat ahead. After reviewing data from operations and the feedback of travelers, the Canadian carrier announced in a press release that it would return to its previous standard economy seat configuration. WestJet's decision to reconfigure seats in its planes last year?to allow for larger premium seating at the front?was widely seen as a test on the limits...
Passenger Transportation Services
Air India and Singapore Airlines have agreed on a 'cooperation frame' to strengthen their relationship
Air India and Singapore Airlines have agreed on a framework of cooperation that could allow them to expand their routes, reduce the overlap, and enhance collaboration more generally, they announced on Friday. The two airlines have described the agreement as "commercial cooperation framework". It follows a Pakistani airspace ban announced in April, which forced Air India from India to discontinue certain routes?towards the U.S. The airlines stated that the agreement may include 'expanding corporate travel programmes for both carriers, a source of high-yield revenues for the airlines. The airlines said that the agreement is subject to regulatory approvals as well...
Passenger Transportation Services
Air India and Singapore Airlines will deepen their ties through a 'cooperations framework'
Air India and Singapore Airlines announced on Friday an agreement to "improve cooperation" between the two 'flag carriers. This is a step toward offering more routes, aligning schedules, and expanding the scope of the collaboration outside their home markets. The agreement, described as a "commercial framework agreement" by the two airlines, comes as Air India is facing a financial blow from an airspace ban imposed by Pakistan. This has forced the airline to stop some routes from India to the U.S. According to the airlines, this agreement could expand 'both carriers' corporate travel programs. This is a major source of...
Transportation
After a train accident, Greece ordered safety improvements by Italian-owned rail
Hellenic Train, an Italian-owned railway company, is required to invest 420 millions euros ($487.41) in new trains and maintenance nearly three years after Greece's worst rail disaster. The amendments to the '2017' state contract with Hellenic Train, approved late Thursday by the parliament, contain these requirements. "For the very first time the contract contains a clause that allows for a termination. The statement stated that if the trains aren't delivered and in service by 2027 the state may terminate the contract. On February 28, 2023 a passenger train from Athens collided with a freight train from Thessaloniki, near the town...
Ground Transportation
Amtrak, the US passenger rail company, sets a record for ridership and cuts losses
Amtrak, the U.S. passenger rail company, said Tuesday that it had set records for revenue and ridership in a single year. It also cut its losses by 15 percent to $598 millions and is aiming for profitability by 2028. Amtrak is a major effort in rehabilitating the infrastructure of the Northeast corridor between Boston, Massachusetts and Washington. It is expanding service throughout the United States by purchasing new Acela trains with higher speeds and replacing regional trains from next year. Amtrak reported that in the twelve months ending September 30, it had 34,5 million trips made by customers, an increase...
Whaleboat sinks into river in Congo, killing at least 107 people
According to a government internal report viewed by us on Friday, at least 107 people died when a whaleboat caught blaze in the west of Democratic Republic of Congo. In a memo, the Ministry of Social Affairs stated that 146 people were missing after the boat, which was a narrow double-ended open vessel, caught fire near Malange Village in Lukolela Territory on Thursday night. The note stated that rescue teams recovered 209 survivors after the vessel burnt and drifted downriver. The fire destroyed the cargo and 15 riverside houses. The search operations continued Friday, with community volunteers and naval personnel...
As inventories shrink, premiums for copper contracts on the nearby LME soar.
The premiums for copper contracts near London Metal Exchange have increased to their highest level since October 2022 due to low inventories, large cash contracts and warrants held by traders. The title document that confers ownership on metal is a warrant. Tom-next, also known as the premium or backwardation that is charged for purchasing copper tomorrow and then selling it the next day, is currently trading at above The price of a metric tonne is $48. This compares to a $2 discount at the beginning of the week. The premium for the cash Copper Contract over the Three-Month Forward It...