RAIL TRANSPORTATION

DEFINITIONS

 High-speed rail:
 Express – Frequent, express service between major population centres 200-600 miles
apart, with few intermediate stops. Top speed of at least 150 mph on completely
grade-separated, dedicated rights-of way.
 Regional – Relatively frequent service between major and moderate population centres
100-500 miles apart, with some intermediate stops. Top speed of 110-150 mph, grade-
separated, with some dedicated and some shared track.
 Rapid transit: a transit system that uses steel wheeled passenger rail cars operating
singly or in trains on fixed steel rails in inclusive rights of way in underground tunnels, on
elevated structures, in open cuts, or at surface level with very few, if any, grade crossing
using a third rail power source or overhead catenary and that generally serves one
contiguous urban area. Sometimes referred to as metro. (Glossary of Transport Statistics,
2009)
EXPRESS HIGH-SPEED RAIL

SHINKANSEN

Running at speeds of up to
320 km/h, the shinkansen
is known for punctuality
(most trains depart on
time to the second),
comfort (relatively silent
cars with spacious, always
forward facing seats),
safety (no fatal accidents in
its history) and efficiency.
EXPRESS HIGH-SPEED RAIL

CSR Qingdao Sifang high speed

train for the Hong Kong - Shenzhen -
Guangzhou Express Rail

Designed to operate at up to 350 km/h, although

they will be limited to 200 km/h on the section of the
ERL within Hong Kong which will be entirely in
tunnel
EXPRESS HIGH-SPEED RAIL

speeds up to 220 miles per

hour (350 km/h)
RAPID TRANSIT
RAPID TRANSIT
DEFINITION

 Light rail: a mode of transit service (also called streetcar, tramway, or trolley) operating
passenger rail cars singly (or in short, usually two-car or three-car, trains) on fixed rails in
right-of-way that is often separated from other traffic for part or much of the way. It is
typically driven electrically with power being drawn from an overhead electric line via a
trolley or a pantograph; driven by an operator on board the vehicle; and may have either
high platform loading or low level boarding using steps (APTA, 2011)
 Specialty: monorail, cable-propelled, aerial tramway, gondola, cable car, rack or cog
railway, narrow gauge railway
LIGHT RAIL

STRASBOURG TRAMWAY

Operate in the city

of Strasbourg in Alsace, France
LIGHT RAIL

BOMBARDIER –
MARSEILLE
TRAMWAY
Operated in Paris
CABLE-PROPELLED
CABLE-PROPELLED
AERIAL TRAMWAY

SNOWBIRD (UTAH)
THE ROLE OF RAILWAYS IN TOURISM

 Railway played major role in the provision of tourist transport throughout

first half of the last century
 Railways still play important role in bringing domestic tourists from major
cities to main resorts area in Europe
 Packages using rail network proved to be popular for short break market
especially London
 Rail travel received great loss when tourists revert to car
 Effort were made to sustain the uniqueness of travelling by train –
especially using famous old steam engines
 Unlimited travel tickets were implemented to attract tourists using the
service
EUROPEAN RAIL SERVICE

 Very popular and known for speed and punctuality

 3 main categories of trains
 long distance
 local or region train
 international service
 Services include
 first class
 second class
 sleeping accommodation
 dining and cafeteria (buffet car)
 no frontier stops for customs, wide range of special fares and passes
NORTH AMERICA RAIL SERVICE

 Mostly for transporting goods

 Transcontinental services (Canada – via Rail Canada, US – Amtrak)
 Services include; 1st class coach, coach class, sleeping/couchette F&B
facilities
RAIL SERVICES IN MALAYSIA

 History began with first railway track in 1885 linking Taiping to Port Weld
 1913, connection linking Padang Besar in Perlis and Singapore completed. East
Coast sector (Gemas-Tumpat) up to Hadyai completed in 1930
 First steam locomotive in 1885 changed to diesel engine in 1958. In 1995, KTM
Komuter was introduced
 Core business; freight services, passenger services and commuter services. Non-
core; on board advertising
 Services available; berth, international express berth, concessions for government
pensioners, student, handicapped person, and senior citizen. Others include;
tourist pass, holiday packages, customized planned journey for tourists
PORT WELD, KUALA SEPETANG, PERAK
Rail Land Transportation
• Railway Assets Corporation
• Ensure optimum returns
Government
Singapore Kunming Rail Link (SKRL)
• 6,617.5 km that connects 8
countries
• To promote and enhance trade,
tourism and travel
 Roles of Malaysia Railways Act
- Part IX: Offences and Penalties -
STANDARD FOR RAIL TRAVEL

 A safe, punctual and reliable train service

 Clean station, clean trains
 Friendly and efficient service
 Clean and up to date information
 A fair and satisfactory response if things go wrong
(BR Passenger Charter, 1992)
 CHARACTERISTICS OF RAIL TRANSPORT
 Specialized form of way
 Consists of two parallel and continuous strips of steel to give a smooth hard surface – distance between known as gauge
 Railway must provide own permanent way, stations, signalling and all necessary apparatus to ensure safe passage of trains
 Large part of their capital expenditure is spent on the provision of the way
 Railway management has complete control of all movement along the lines
 Eminently suitable for medium and long distance traffic, but it’s a bulk carrier and its expensive equipment must kept
constantly employed if the service is to be viable
 Competitive in both speed and comfort
 Larger units enable the provision of more elaborate passenger amenities (e.g restaurant cars, sleeping cars, luggage
accommodation and toilet facilities)
 Very suitable for meeting the heavy surges of traffic for special events and concentrated morning and evening peak hours in
large towns
 Railway fulfils an important social function
PARALLEL AND GAUGE

Parallel

Gauge
KTMB AIMS FOR RM1 PROFIT

Utusan Malaysia,
18th February 2009
TRAIN TRAVEL AS UNIQUE TOURISM
PRODUCT
 India and China still operate steam engine trains to attract tourists and tour
operator
 Modern rail has a great improvement, but people still attracted to the nostalgic
day trip using old steam trains
 Some of rail services providing strong competition for short haul air service,
particularly in major business routes
 To meet people
 To experience the environment
 To “travel back in time”
 To “conquer” bad weather
MAIN DETERMINANTS OF THE
ADVANTAGES OF RAIL TRAVEL
 Speed, high speed passenger rail business
 Cost
 Comfort
 Convenience
 Access to stations
 Image of the service
(Potter, 1987)
THE FUTURE OF RAIL AND HIGH SPEED
TRAINS
United Kingdom – future are subject to certain factors include:
 Railtrack has announced an investment programme aimed at reducing delays and
expanding the network
 Worsening road congestion if accompanied by improved rail service levels, could
lead to changed passenger perceptions
 Investments are being made in new rolling stock which should improve service
quality
NEW DRIVERLESS PODS UNVEILED AT
HEATHROW
RAIL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS

 Seat-back videos
 Music channels
 Socket for laptop computers
 Children play areas and baby-change facilities
 ‘Silent’ cars
 Loyalty schemes
 Child escorts
Lesley Pender, 2001
THE CHANNEL TUNNEL

 Operated since 1994

 Providing alternative modes of travel between the UK and the Continent
 Provided a link for both the road and rail networks of the UK and continental
Europe
 Eurotunnel – owns and operates the physical infrastructure
 Eurostar – offers rail connections via the tunnel
 ‘Le Shuttle’ – provides a vehicle-carrying rail service operation
THE CHANNEL TUNNEL
THE CHANNEL TUNNEL
LE SHUTTLE

Services provided by Le Shuttle:

 Freight shuttle
 Service carries lorries in semi-open wagons
 Drivers are accommodate in a separate club coach
 Double-decker tourist shuttles
 Provided for cars and other vehicles up to 1.85m in height
 Single-decker tourist shuttles
 Accommodates coaches, caravans, and other vehicles over 1.85m in
height
LE SHUTTLE
LE SHUTTLE
LE SHUTTLE
LE SHUTTLE (INSIDE – CAR)
LE SHUTTLE
LE SHUTTLE (INSIDE – CARAVAN)
LE SHUTTLE (INSIDE – COACH)
LE SHUTTLE (INSIDE)
LE SHUTTLE
EUROSTAR

 Services started in 1994

 Operate by London and Continental Railway (LCR)
 Electrically powered train, with pneumatic suspension, travel at speed up to 186
miles per hour
 Has eighteen air-conditioned coaches split into First and Standard class
accommodation
 Have to bar/buffet coaches and trolley service
EUROSTAR ROUTE
EUROSTAR
EUROSTAR STANDARD CLASS
EUROSTAR STANDARD PREMIER
EUROSTAR BUSINESS PREMIER
EUROSTAR RATES (2022)
ASSOCIATIONS OF RAIL TRANSPORTATION

 Union International de Chemin de Fer (UIC)

 European Railway Agency (ERA)
 Rail Forum Europe (RFE)
 Union des Industries Ferroviaires Européennes (UNIFE)
 The Association of American Railroads (AAR)
DEMAND OF RAIL TRANSPORTATION

 Demand increase was driven at least partly by development of the high-speed

sector
 High-speed trains increase route capacity and reduce travel time, which in turn
can lead to increased demand
 Rail operators must look beyond ‘smooth operations’ and focus on travellers’
needs, utilizing market segmentation strategies to cater to differentiated group
SUPPLY OF RAIL TRANSPORTATION

 Cable-propelled rail systems also play a significant role within tourism

transportation as a form of transportation or as an attraction in and of themselves
 Cable-propelled systems are an integral part of many tourism products;
 Transportation for skiers furing the winter season
 Transportation for hikers and mountain bikers during the summer season
 Provide scenic and enjoyable transportation to several touristic sites
 Luxury trains also constitute an important segment within tourism – represent a
vacation experience in and of themselves al well
 Luxury trains may provide the possibility of accommodation with a washroom,
certain amenities and amusement on board, including standard services