List view / Grid view
27 November 2012 | By Alain Quinet, Chief Operating Officer, Réseau Ferré de France (RFF)
Railway investment requires long-term funding. Sometimes the State will choose to take direct ownership or may even prefer to transfer all or part of the responsibility and risk to the private sector. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) can offer a highly flexible way of combining public and private funding. These highly flexible…
27 November 2012 | By Jean-Pierre Audoux, Director General, the French Railway Industry Association (FIF)
My article in Global Railway Review Issue 6 2011 outlined the prospect of a French railway system reform. This subject is still at the forefront of discussions within the industry and so constitutes the main topic of this article. This agenda must be viewed against the backdrop of a very…
27 November 2012 | By Craig Waters, Editor, Global Railway Review
Speaking exclusively with Global Railway Review, Jiří Kolář, Director General of the Czech Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC) discusses the operational mission of the organisation, the importance of high-speed lines in the Czech Republic, competition with road transport, and what the future holds. Could you summarise the past and SŽDC’s mission?…
InnoTrans 2012 has set an impressive new record, exceeding figures of the previous event, and thus clearly cementing its position as the world’s leading trade fair for the global rail transport industry...
26 September 2012 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor, Global Railway Review
The railway industry comes in for more than its fair share of criticism. Complaints about punctuality, ticket prices and passenger service are common. Some of it is deserved, but a lot of it is not. Often, it seems our industry is judged by different criteria from others. For example, why…
In this supplement: The Next Generation Train project (Joachim Winter, NGT Project Manager, Institute of Vehicle Concepts, German Aerospace Center (DLR)); Home delivery: a new paradigm in rolling stock testing (Igor Alonso-Portillo, Director for Strategy and Business Development, CETEST); Wheelchair space design in rolling stock to improve occupant crash safety…
20 September 2012 | By Gunnar Malm, Director-General, Trafikverket
According to Trafikverket – the Swedish Transport Administration, one must not overestimate the possibilities of improving the Swedish transport system through expansion. Expansions alone will not solve the capacity deficiencies that were identified in a recent study. The greatest and fastest improvements can be found in our existing system, which…
20 September 2012 | By Lennart Klerdal, Chairman of the Board, SWERIG (the Swedish Rail Industry Group)
SWERIG, the Swedish Rail Industry Group, is often referred to as the ‘Swedish National Team of Rail Competence’. Acting on a fairly limited home market which is extremely open to competition, the Swedish rail industry has, over the years, searched for new business opportunities on the international rail market. For…
20 September 2012 | By Jan Olson, CEO, SJ AB
In the 1980s, air travel captured the market share from rail travel. This is no longer the case as since the 1990s, rail travel has gradually taken back the market share. Between 2000 and 2010, passenger kilometres in Sweden grew by more than 50%, with a particularly robust increase after…
20 September 2012 | By Per Thorstenson, CEO, Arlanda Express
Arlanda Express noted major successes during 2011: trains upgraded with prizewinning interior décor, a robust financial result and a record number of passengers. The journey now continues with a stronger focus on service and passenger care, with all personnel undergoing training in the practical philosophy of hostmanship – the art…
20 September 2012 | By Libor Lochman, Executive Director, CER
Mobility is vital for the European Union’s internal market, for society, and for the quality of people’s lives. Overall, transport infrastructure investments and maintenance have a positive impact on economic growth; they create wealth, jobs, and enhance the mobility of people. Infrastructure networks form the backbone of a modern competitive…
19 September 2012 | By Konrad Bergmeister, CEO, Brenner Basistunnel BBT SE
Construction of the 64km-long Brenner Base Tunnel is in full swing. Two sections of the exploratory tunnel are completed, the access tunnel in Mules now connects the exploratory tunnel with the surface, and two more logistic tunnels are ready for use. The Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) is a straight, flat…
19 September 2012 | By Enrique Verdeguer Puig, CEO, Adif
Since my appointment as CEO of Adif, one of my main strategic priorities has been to drive forward the internationalisation of Spanish railway technology and its companies, and to reinforce the ‘Spanish Brand’ on an international basis. By doing so, the international activity of Adif must be, and is, an…
19 September 2012 | By José Salomão Coelho Benoliel, Chairman, CP
The Portuguese Government recently decided to lease the suburban railway services of Lisbon and Oporto to the private sector, according its Strategic Plan for Transports, approved by the Council of Ministers Resolution Nº 45/2011 of 13 October 2011. The Government intends to define the model for the new private sector,…
19 September 2012 | By Luís Mata, CEO, Ferbritas
Railway infrastructure managers and operators are huge property owners, managing important railway facility and infrastructure territories. Due to the historical background of the railway industry, valuable real estate assets can be found, and there are certain regulations concerned with urban and suburban environments associated with railway lines, stations, logistic terminals…
