1339i

INTERNATIONAL SUPPLEMENT TO BLN 1339 02 NOVEMBER 2019

BRANCH LINE NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

This newsletter covers the World outside the British Isles from information
supplied by members.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Compilers or of the Society.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS TEAM:-
International Editor (to whom all email and postal contributions should be sent):
Paul Griffin, 7 School Bell Mews, Church Lane, Stoneleigh, COVENTRY, CV8 3ZZ
Email: [email protected]
Deputy International Editor: Derek Woodward, 68 Church Street, Matlock, DERBY, DE4 3BY

_________________________________________________________

On 2 December 1994 a Budapest bound train derailed in Szajol station at 110 kilometres/hr, demolishing part of the
station building, killing 31 people and injuring 52 more. It was the second-worst rail incident in post-World War II
Hungary, after the 1968 Mende rail disaster, which killed 64 people. Human error was to blame.
On 29 June 1996, a memorial to the victims was unveiled at the station next to the rebuilt station building. This is the
white structure in the picture, a plaque being visible on the right hand side.

[399] Austria - Ybbstalbahn to be shortened further
What is left of the Ybbstalbahn starts from the narrow-gauge railway platform opposite the main
standard gauge station at Waidhofen an der Ybbs, where the workshops are located. Until the end of
freight service transhipment from standard gauge to 760mm gauge was performed in this station. The
railway first serves several halts in the city of Waidhofen, crossing the spectacular Schwarzbachviadukt
over the town, until it comes to the station at Gstadt at km 5.468 km. This has been the end of the line
since 12 December 2010. This station used to be the junction for the branch line to Ybbsitz, but the track
has been removed since 2013. Currently the Citybahn Waidhofen, operated by NÖVOG, runs passenger
services from Waidhofen an der Ybbs to Gstadt. This, alas, is going to change.
It is intended to cut back the line by 2.668km to Vogelsang, a major traffic source due to the large school,
leaving just 2.8km in operation with a half-hourly service by an ex ÖBB class 5090 dmu. Sadly it seems
the two stations to be closed, Kreilhof and Gstadt, only contribute an average of 30 passengers each
day. The date of closure is quoted as December 2020 with a footpath/cycleway the likely fate of the
trackbed.

[400] Belgium – New infrastructure plans
Consideration is being given to doubling line 19 from Balen Werkplaatsen to Neerpelt. Infrabel is
receiving €1.8 million for a study into re-instating the second track between Balen and Neerpelt. There
is the possibility that the works for the second track will start between 2021 and 2023.

[401] Czech Republic - Some comments on the next ČD timetable and future projects
JR186 Svojšín to Bor still has a summer dated service operated by GWTR.
JR251 Now shows Tišnov to Vranovice and the reopened and electrified branch to Židlochovice. The
Tišnov to Žďár nad Sázavou non electrified line is now JR256.
Changes after December 2019:
Reopening of Negrelli viaduct in Praha.
Starts 2020? : Electrification work of Brno to Zastávka U Brna
July 2021 : completion of electrification of Šakvice to Hustopeče.
Starts 2021 : electrification of Olomouc to Uničov.
Starts 2021 : Electrification of Otrokovice to Vizovice
August 2022 conversion to AC of Přerov to Staré Mĕsto (more specifically Nedakonice - Říkovice).
Electrification of Kadaň-Prunéřov to Kadaň.
Closure of the old route through Praha Strašnice (JR221) and replacement by a straighter alignment.
Opening of new line Votice to Sudoměřice with speeded up JR220 services.
Opening of new line between České Budějovice and Ševětín with speeded up JR220 services.
Electrification of Týniště nad Orlicí to Solnice (for freight trains).

[402] Denmark – Skanderborg bypass planned
According to an internet posting a new high-speed line from Horsens to Aarhus is being planned
bypassing Skanderborg which would give a 5-6 minute time saving.

The three possible routes are shown. The new line will be 23-24km long, and shorten the distance by about 6km.

[403] Germany/Switzerland - More on infrastructure in Switzerland owned by the German state
The item dealing with this in BLNI 1337.382 prompted one reader to write in with more information,
mainly on Germany, as follows.
The relationship between the two countries was not always as cordial as the item suggests; in the late
19th, or early 20th, century, probably after the Franco-Prussian War and certainly before the Great War,
the Swiss informed the Kaiser that, due to their famous (or notorious!) neutrality, no military traffic of
any sort would be allowed to travel through Schaffhausen or its locale. In consequence, to be able to
deliver military supplies to the area near the French border north of Basel - and, incidentally, to the
ultimate benefit of enthusiasts - the Germans had to build a line avoiding Switzerland, which ran, and
still runs along the Wutach river valley, called, naturally, the "Wutachtalbahn". It connected with the
main network at Immendingen in the north and Lauchringen in the south. South of Zollhaus-Blumberg,
it was obliged to use several spirals, viaducts and tunnels to gain and lose height, nearly as many in fact
as on the "ramps" of the Gotthard "high line", although at a lower level! Military use obviously ceased
after 1945, but, praise be, the more scenic section between Blumberg and Weizen is now the home of
a glorious enthusiast-run steam line called the Sauschwänzlebahn, which translates as the "(Little) Pig's
Tail Railway" because, no doubt, of all the loops and spirals. When the steam railway operates there are
connecting services from main line stations at the north and south ends, enabling the gricer to ink it all
in apart from a gap of about a foot or two. Our member has travelled the line twice, nearly 30 years
apart! The first time was in 1979 or 1980, behind a BR86 tank, and the second time in 2008, behind a
BR50 2-10-0 "Kreigslok". As a result of the later visit, he feels obliged as a G Scale collector, to acquire a
(huge) model class 50 when PIKO produces it later in the year, or early next year!"

[404] Germany - A report on the IBSE Saarbrücken area railtour
This railtour was arranged at short notice, partly because class 628 DMUs are due to finish in Saarland
at the December timetable change, and partly because the driver who helped organise the tour (and
drove it on the day) had a pregnant wife who was due to give birth in November! So six members joined
the IBSE regulars at Saarbrücken station on Saturday 12 October 2019 for a very sociably timed
departure at 09:40. The first destination was the branch to Fürstenhausen. This is the remaining part of
line 3232, the Rosseltalbahn, which used to run along the south bank of the Saar before crossing it to
join the Saarbrücken to Trier line at Bous. The eastern 9.8km was retained to serve a coking plant just
beyond Fürstenhausen station, now derelict.

The site of Fürstenhausen station is now covered with vegetation. Only the sign (visible above the buffer stops)
indicates its presence.

Returning towards Saarbrücken, the Saar bridge is crossed again and then a freight curve diverges west
to join the line to Dillingen. This was taken and a reversal at Burbach station saw the tour taking the
goods lines which bypass Saarbrücken station to the north, and these were followed on the most
northerly track past the yard to reach the station of Dudweiler. All the timings were very generous and
there was no trouble keeping to time. More goods lines through the yard and past the depot, where no
less than three British class 66 were present, to reach Saarbrücken station for a reversal. Down the main
line now to Homburg where a most interesting freight branch diverges between the main line and
Neunkirchen line.
According to the provisions of the Versailles Treaty of 1919 customs barriers were established in 1925
between the Saarland (then French) and the German Reich. The Mannheim-Saarbrücken railway line
crossed the border between Eichelscheid and Vogelbach (NE of Homburg), so a customs station
(Vollbahnhof) for clearance of goods was built on a loop off the main line west of Homburg near the

Altstadt (old Town). To stabilise the soft ground, blast furnace slag and tailings from coal mines were
brought in. An unintended consequence of this is that the area now has a great range of flora and fauna
and is locally important for biodiversity.
At that time a passenger station was also built on the main line from Homburg to Saarbrücken, which
bore the name Homburg West. This was used mainly by the employees of the customs station and the
track ‘warehouse’ as well as the residents of the nearby towns of Beeden and the Altstadt. It closed in
the 1960s. In the Nazi era railway employee Eduard Buschlinger and his wife Carola provided shelter to
political refugees smuggled in via the customs station from 1933 to 1935. Carloads full of anti-fascist
propaganda were also smuggled into the Reich with goods trains that were dispatched through the
customs station. Following the annexation of the Saarland to the Reich in 1935, the customs station lost
its function and was used for movement of troops and material. During WW2 the yard was often
bombed by Allied aircraft.

Map copyright of openrailwaymap contributors.

Today the ‘Gleisbauhof Homburg’ is severed at the western end. The 2.3km branch is used by Bahnlog
GmbH for reception and dispatch of permanent way materials (including steel), and also as a small
container terminal. At one point old sleepers are piled high on either side of the track. These are crushed
on site to provide aggregate for reuse.

The tour train poses by a pile of old sleepers brought in by rail and destined to be crushed.

The end of the ‘Gleisbauhof’ branch is used for loading steel products, though the big piles of aggregate and loaded
wagons attest to other uses.

The tour now proceeded through Neunkirchen to Merchweiler where it took the 4km freight only branch
to Göttelborn Grube. This was once one of the most important coal mines in the Saarland, but closed in
2000. The coal went by conveyor to the nearby Weiher power station, sited nearby. Since the closure of
the mine coal has been brought in by rail. Weiher 1 and 2 units closed in 1973 and 2001 respectively,

leaving only Weiher 3 which is equipped with flue gas desulphurisation. The by-products of fly ash, boiler
sand and gypsum arising from coal-fired power generation are marketed by a subsidiary of STEAG GmbH.
Presumably some at least leave by rail.
The owner, STEAG, has twice requested permission to close the plant, but these have been denied by
the transmission company, Amprion, as the grid cannot currently do without it. One year extensions
were required, the latest of which expires April 2020. This may well see the end of the branch, so the
visit was timely. The tour got 3km down the branch, passing under the loader to reach the site of the
former coal washer. One IBSE member commented on how much infrastructure in the form of sidings
and buildings has disappeared since his previous visit.

The IBSE tour is at the site of the former coal washer, now demolished. Only a single line remains where there used to
be extensive sidings.

The final objective of the day, and very much the star attraction, was the industrial line to Dillingen-
Röderberg. To get there meant returning to Saarbrücken, taking the freight only curve which avoids the
station, and up the main line to Trier as far as Dillingen station.

The tour reversed here and headed south to the triangular junction which gives access to a vast industrial
area, the line passing through the middle of this. To the north is the steelworks of Dillingen Hütte, where
torpedoes were observed being moved by industrial locos. South is the Zentralkokerei Saar GmbH coking
plant. At Dillingen abzw. Ford, the line splits in three, the northern entering the steelworks and the
middle line continuing as line 3211 to Limbach. This did not look well used.

The non-electrified branch to Dillingen- Röderberg serves a large distribution warehouse. Unloading equipment is just
about visible inside the building, and a modern industrial locomotive for shunting purposes is also present behind the
grey door.

The line taken by the tour turns south to reach Dillingen Abzw Ford/Röderberg where electrified tracks
continue into the Ford Works. The parallel, non-electrified track is line 3216 and soon curves left to reach
the warehousing facilities, complete with their own shunter, at Röderberg. The tour got to the buffer
stops, then for good measure reversed down another siding which runs parallel with 3216. Over 6 km
of freight line, and a worthy end to the day.
[405] Germany – Little used curve at Frankfurt gets trains for almost two months
The curve in question allows trains to travel from Raunheim Caltex  Raunheim Brunnenschneise,
which probably means nothing to most people!
It is a north to east curve allowing trains to run between the Köln - Frankfurt Schnellfahrstrecke (High
Speed Line) and the old main line between Mainz and Frankfurt. Some trains are diverted over the curve
between 26 October and 14 December 2019 and are the first significant passenger use of the route since
the Schnellfahrstrecke opened. Trains can be readily distinguished in timetables by omitting the normal
stop at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof. For those not inclined to pore through the timetables
a list of diverted trains can be found on EGTRE, entry DE19/534.
[406] Hungary – Observations from the PTG Clearly Hungary Railtour
This six day tour was meant to cover the lines identified as threatened in a leaked MAV memo as well
as a number of freight lines. At the time of writing (late October 2019) there has been no official mention
of the lines involved actually closing at the December timetable change, but with elections coming up it
may be politically inexpedient to do so. The following may be of interest regarding the freight lines
covered by the tour.

West of Győr is the triangle giving access to the former Győr GySEV station, still retained for freight
though there is no platform.

The branch from Zalaegerszeg to Rédics has timber loading at Csömödér-Páka, so presumably if the line
does close to passenger services it will remain open at least this far for freight.
The branch from Tapolca to Zalahaláp remains open serving a factory making wooden floors.
Former passenger line 37 from Balatonmáriafürdő to Somogyszob is open, but locomotive hauled trains
are limited to 20km/h. The only source of traffic appears to be at Marcali where there are no less than
four separate sidings, all in use, with the one serving the grain silo probably the major source of traffic.
The locomotive sported an impressive collection of leaves and twigs on arrival at Somogyzsob, so clearly
vegetation control is not considered a priority.
In the far south, close to the border with Croatia is the threatened branch from Villány to Mohács. There
are two separate branches at Mohács, one to the docks on the Donau (Danube), the other, longer,
branch to a wood products factor at Mofa on which the tour was allowed to travel 2 km to the MAV limit
at a small road crossing. By the station at Mohács is a short spur very evidently still in use for timber
loading.
Line 62 used to run 101km from Villány to Barcs via Sellye until passenger services ceased in 2006. The
eastern end of the line continues in use as far as Beremendi Cementmű, where the line now continues
south on a former freight only line to the cement works at BCM Gyártelep. The tour was able to get to
within a short distance of the end of the line, which is apparently now only used by occasional traffic. Of
the three locomotives present two are broken, but the third was operational and performed the shunt
to the end of the line.

The tour locomotive, 628-116, runs round the train in the empty sidings at BCM Gyártelep. The cement plant did not
seem to be in use, and when a shunting locomotive took the train to within a hundred metres of the end of the line,
the loader was observed to be disconnected.

The original line 62 route from Beremendi Cementmű to Harkány was refused to the tour and observed
to be red-flagged with vegetation starting to encroach.

Another threatened line runs from Szentlőrinc to Sellye. Again, stubs of the former line 62 are in use.
Heading west is Sellye to Drávafok, and heading east is Sellye to Vajszló. The latter has one train a week
for timber transport.
Vámosgyörk to Újszász is also threatened. This single track, non-electrified line has the MAV FKG track
maintenance base just south of Jászkisér. A short branch, quickly splitting into multiple sidings is widely
separated from the main line, but all the tracks appeared to have old stock on them. The PTG tour
propelled into sidings parallel with the main line where track machines are stabled awaiting work or
repair.
A highlight of the tour was a visit to the 2.6km branch which runs south of Szajol (which is east of Szolnok)
to the MOL oil storage and distribution facility, possibly a first for a passenger train. No smoking or
photography whilst on the branch, and even the restaurant car generator was turned off. The tour
entered the site through a gate and got to within 130 metres of the end of the line, which is shorter than
shown on Maps ME by a similar amount. Train crew and employees took plenty of pictures.....hopefully
they might appear on the internet.
The secondary line from Szeged to Békéscsaba is currently being rebuilt at its western end for train tram
operation. Hódmezővásárhely to Szeged has been rebuilt but is not quite completed, so bus replacement
is still in operation. Hódmezővásárhely to Orosháza will be next. The scheme will see a new connection
off the railway just north of Szeged-Rókus allowing train trams to join tram line 1 at Szeged Plaza and
run through the town centre to the railway station loop.
At Hódmezővásárhely train trams will leave the railway at Hódmezővásárhelyi Népkert and travel on
new build railway through the town centre to terminate outside Hódmezővásárhely station. The map at
http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/hu/szeged/szeged.htm makes this clear.
The Újszeged – Makó – Mezőhegyes – Kétegyháza – (Békéscsaba) line only has two train pairs daily, and
track condition between Újszeged and Makó was rather poor. The former passenger line from Makó to
Hódmezővásárhely (the southern end of line 130) was timed just over an hour to do 40 km, so another
rather slow line. The few sidings on the line were all out of use, so it is a mystery what traffic keeps the
line in use. Seasonal sugar beet traffic loaded by the lineside maybe? The line must have a future as an
engineering possession to replace some rails was put back several hours to allow the PTG train to pass.
But when it came to slow running, the threatened line from Orosháza to Szentes was a clear winner, the
PTG train being restricted (by local staff on the day) to 20 km/h, and losing a lot of time accordingly.
Information given on the train was that the line dates from 1905 and some of the rails not only date
from this time, but were second hand when laid. The 23 kg/m rails and jointed track, coupled with an
absence of maintenance is the reason for the low speeds and this line has been on the threatened list
for almost two decades. At one station teachers brought their young pupils to wave at the train as it
slowly passed by. Apparently it was a day when children are afforded the opportunity to look at things
which may shape their future careers. It was quite charming to see the children, some of whom were
waving Union Flags.
At Szentes a single coach from the train was taken to the depot, getting to the depot doors. This is the
centre for maintenance of the Russian-built class 416 DMUs. Almost a third of the fleet were present,
many very obviously never going to move again. The small railway museum has a preserved MdMOT
power car and two BcMOT railcars as well as a plinthed steam locomotive. A small railway themed park
also had a short narrow gauge line which does most of a loop. The four seater hand car saw plenty of
action during the brief visit!

The Mercedes car factory south of Kecskemét is a major source of traffic, most of which heads north
towards Budapest. Main line congestion means that some of this traffic travels via Lajosmizse and line
142. To avoid reversal of these trains at Kecskemét the Kecskemét avoiding line has been recently re-
instated, and the tour duly did this curve.
[407] Hungary – Újszeged station, a story of decline
The Szeged to Timișoara railway of the Austro-Hungarian State Railway was opened 15 November 1857
and the section between Szeged, Újszeged and Szőreg was double track. World War 1 saw an end to
this railway route as the Trianon Peace Treaty left only 15 kilometres of the railway (Szeged-Újszeged-
Szőreg-Óbéba) in Hungary. The rest of the railway was in what is now Serbia and Romania and cross
border services were soon discontinued. Újszeged was on the Szeged- Mezőhegyes – Kétegyháza –
Békéscsaba - railway, opened in 1912, but this too came to an end during World War 2 when the Tisza
river bridge linking Szeged and Újszeged was destroyed by Allied bombing in 1944 and never rebuilt.
Újszeged was now a terminus, but nevertheless remained reasonably busy in the Communist era when
workers were expected to use the railway wherever possible. Since the fall of Communism the familiar
story of increasing car ownership and increased bus services has seen ridership fall dramatically.
Újszeged station is today a rural backwater with a run-down station on the wrong side of the river from
the major station of Szeged. Only two train pairs a day run Újszeged  Békéscsaba. The stations
fortunes may change for the better if proposals for a renewed rail link to Szeged actually come to pass.
Reconstruction and reopening of the Szeged to Timișoara railway has been regularly on the agenda since
the 1990s. On the Hungarian side, the aim would be to strengthen Szeged's international railway
connection to Timisoara and Arad. The key is the rebuilding of another bridge over the Tisza and this is
currently being built as part of the Szeged-Makó Tram-train project. However no project for the
proposed connection to Újszeged has been announced yet.

Újszeged station and station building are a picture of decay and neglect.

[408] Luxembourg – Free travel next year but tram extension delayed
From chronicle.lu is seems as though free travel will be a reality in Luxembourg on and from 1 March
2020 but it means that a number of stations are to lose their booking offices. Whether they will become
unstaffed halts remains to be seen.
Also due to delays with adjoining building works in Luxembourg city centre it looks like the extension of
Luxtram to Gare Centrale will not now be happening until the end of 2020 rather than the scheduled
date of June 2020.

[409] Poland – Katowice Airport and Zegrze branch reopening schedules
It was announced on 10 October 2019 that the works for the Tarnowskie Góry - Katowice Pyrzowice
Airport - Zawiercie line is now scheduled for 2020-2022. At the eastern end the reinstatement of the
curve avoiding Zawiercie inches forward as pre-design documentation should be completed by the
beginning of 2020, but it has been decided that it will be a new single-track line with a length of about
2 km along the course of a long closed line. As part of the project construction of a new station called
Zawiercie Wschodnia is planned in the area of connecting the points to line 72.
The reopening of the 3.5 km branch north of Warszawa from Wieliszew to Zegrze is planned to be
completed in 2022. The project "Works on the railway line No. 28 Wieliszew - Zegrze" is applying for
funding from the Regional Operational Program of the Masovian Voivodeship for 2014-2020.

[410] Poland – Reopening of Jelenia Góra to Karpacz?
In September 2016 Dolny Śląsk adopted a resolution to take over the disused lines from Jelenia Góra to
Mysłakowice, Mysłakowice to Kowary (both line 308) and Mysłakowice to Karpacz (line 340). Passenger
traffic between Jelenia Góra and Karpacz ended in 2000 with complete closure on 1 January 2007. The
line had the most severe gradient in Poland with the section from Miłków towards Karpacz being over
46 ‰. The intention was to reopen both to passenger services with renovation of the stations en route
and a date of 2020 was envisaged for reopening.

Mysłakowice station, pictured a few years ago, was going to rack and ruin.

Since then a trawl of the internet suggests no further progress, indeed the introduction of a seasonal
express coach connection Jelenia Góra  Karpacz connecting to/from long distance trains seems rather
discouraging. So the announcement that a Lausitzer Dampflok Club special train is planned to visit
Karpacz in September 2020 is something of a surprise, suggesting more has happened behind the scenes
than the internet would suggest.

[411] Spain – Changes coming up around Sevilla and Granada
The current service of 4 Media Distancia trains each way between Sevilla and Granada will cease with
the start of new Avant services linking the two. These new services will run initially via Córdoba,
reversing there, and later via a new by-pass line at Almodóvar del Río, construction of which is currently
being contracted. So this will be a Spanish equivalent of the Virgule de Sablé-sur-Sarthe west of Le Mans.
The change will take place at the end of this year or early next year. Assuming all the Sevilla - Málaga
MD trains will then call at Antequera S.Ana to make connections (which seems almost certain), it will
mean the withdrawal of passenger services over one part of EGTRE entry ES19/41, the "Linea actual
Córdoba - Malaga" north of Bobadilla.
The new line between Osuna and Pedrera, replacing the one washed away by last year’s floods and using
the roughly parallel formation of the never opened HSL, is apparently ready and has passed its safety
tests but still cannot be used, solely due to bureaucratic problems: the route (planned and financed by
the Junta de Andalucía) is not "state-owned", and apparently no model exists for RENFE trains to run
over non-state-owned lines. This seems incredible, as surely it was ADIF who suggested use of the new
alignment.

[412] Ukraine – New obscure route discovered
The PTG tour of Moldova ended at Odessa in the Ukraine, and one member did some research on the
railways of the city before the tour, discovering a new obscure route for inclusion in EGTRE as entry
UA19/32.
There are two alternative routes between Odesa-Poizna and Odesa-Zahidna for trains heading between
Odesa-Golovna and Bilgorod - Dnistrovs'kyj and vice versa; a longer route via Odesa-Zastava-1 station,
or a ~5 km shorter route to the south bypassing that station. Examine the Odesa area Suburban Trains
timetables (under 'Schedule of Suburb Trains by Direction', change the 'Choose Direction' drop-down
list item to show 'Odesa - Bil-Dnistrovs'kyj' then click SHOW). This shows which suburban trains run via
which route. It is not known which route is used by the long distance trains on this line.

REST OF THE WORLD

[413] Angola- Final handover of Benguela Railway
Work by a Chinese contractor to rehabilitate the 1,344 km, 1067 mm gauge railway from Lobito to Luau
on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo has been progressing since January 2006 and was
largely complete by 2014. Since then the Chinese contractor has been finishing off work on station
buildings and platforms, bridges, culverts and telecommunications, as well as carrying out staff training
and familiarisation. However, through traffic from Congo has had to await reconstruction of the
connecting 422 km Dilolo – Kolwezi line, which was finished in 2016. In 2018 trains carrying manganese
and copper started. In July this year a Rovos Rail cruise train arrived at Lobito from Dar es Salaam in

Tanzania after a two-week journey. Traffic is ultimately expected to reach 20 million tonnes of freight
and 4 million passengers a year.

[414] Canada - Genesee & Wyoming announces closure of Huron Central Railway
The Huron Central Railway was established in July 1997 to operate a 173-mile (278 km) route leased
from the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and operated
by Genesee & Wyoming Canada. The railway carries steel, forest products and chemicals for Algoma
Steel, Domtar and Eacom. The traffic, however, does not generate enough profit to fund necessary track
and infrastructure works. In 2009 the City of Sault Ste. Marie had to provide funds, and in autumn 2018
the provincial government provided stop-gap funding for a year. Now more money is needed for a five
year program of work to ensure safe operation of the line, but after failing to secure sufficient capital
investment from the government Genesee & Wyoming announced that it would cease operation in early
2020.

[415] Kenya – Nairobi to Naivasha railway opens
In 2017 the new standard gauge line from Nairobi to Mombasa opened - a success with passengers, but
under-utilised for freight. On 16 October this railway was extended to Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley.
To encourage freight it is intended to open an industrial park in Naivasha, though this has been delayed.
There are also concerns that rail is still more expensive than road and there is anger about Government
attempts to force traders to use rail. In April China refused to fund the planned $3.7 billion extension
from Naivasha to the Ugandan border town of Malaba, leading to an announcement that the
government would spend $210 million to rehabilitate the metre gauge colonial-era Malaba line instead.

[416] USA - Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway to end Jim Thorpe rides over entertainment tax dispute
A tax dispute with the local government has prompted the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway (LGSR) to end
passenger train rides out of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania from late November. The LGSR sister railroad and
operator Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad (RBMN) makes its money from freight and
offer passenger excursion rides to local communities as a way of thanking them for their support over
the years and to educate young and old in the role railroads in this region played in the USA’s industrial
revolution. The decision will not affect RBMN passenger operations from other locations to Jim Thorpe,
with a new schedule to come later.