INTERNATIONAL high-speed operator Thalys enjoyed continued revenue growth in the first half of this year with increasing ridership on its core routes from Paris to Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne and the successful launch of Amsterdam – Lille services in April.

GERMAN Rail (DB) long-distance subsidiary DB Fernverkehr is planning to further restructure its night train and Autozug motor rail services, which have collectively lost more than €20m annually in recent years.

FROM December trains operating on the cross-border link between Zevenaar, the Netherlands, and the German border, will only be able to use ETCS Level 2 signalling with signals along the line and the Dutch ATB-EG automatic train protection system set to be removed.

THE Dutch government has approved funding to increase capacity at Amsterdam Central station and given the go-ahead for electrification and upgrading of the Nijmegen – Roermond line.

THE Netherlands became one of the first countries to switch completely to contactless smartcard fare collection on July 8, when paper tickets were abolished on the mainline network after 175 years.

THE Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure has allocated €17m for measures to improve international regional services between Groningen and northeast Germany via the Nieuweschans – Leer border crossing, with the aim of extending Groningen – Leer services to Bremen.

THE NEW CEO of Netherlands Railways (NS) Mr Timo Huges, has informed the Dutch secretary of state for infrastructure Mrs Wilma Mansveld that NS will not acquire any new inter-city rolling stock before 2021.

THE municipal government of The Hague and Arriva have abandoned plans to launch an open-access cross-border service linking the Dutch city with Brussels, which was due to begin operating in December 2015.

NETHERLANDS Railways (NS) is to rebrand its NS Hispeed operations NS International from June 15 as the operator seeks to restore the image of its high-speed operations following the Fyra crisis.

ALL traction power for the Dutch railway network will come from wind turbines under a new energy contract signed on May 15 between power company Eneco and Vivens, an energy procurement joint venture which includes Netherlands Railways (NS), Veolia, Arriva, Connexxion and railfreight operators.