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Rail Articles

Development progress and a cautiously optimistic outlook

31 May 2010 | By Uģis Magonis, Chairman of the Board, Latvian Railways (LDz – Latvijas dzelzceļš)

It might be a daring statement in the light of current events, but the last two years have been a great success for Latvian Railways (LDz) – in 2008 it transported a record amount of cargo and in 2009 was spared a significant reduction of volumes and continued with extensive…

Focusing on customers to deliver 21st century services for the 21st century passenger

31 May 2010 | By Thomas Eybye Oester, Commercial Director, Arriva Skandinavien

Arriva, one of Europe’s leading transport operators, is radically changing the travel experience for its customers in Denmark. Passenger information tailor-made to the needs and demands of the individual passenger. That is what Arriva Skandinavien is set to introduce through MyArriva – an innovative new concept which was part of…

A total renewal of the Danish signalling infrastructure

31 May 2010 | By Craig Waters, Editor, Global Railway Review

In January 2009, the Danish parliament decided to fund a €3.2 billion replacement programme of renewing all Danish railway signalling before 2021. The programme is one of its kind in Europe both in size and being unique in its approach of focusing on economies of scale and creating a competitive…

A dedicated forum for the Scandinavian region

31 May 2010 | By Craig Waters, Editor, Global Railway Review

High-speed railways, major infrastructure projects, development and investment plans and market liberalisation were just some of the important topics highlighted and assessed during Global Railway Review’s recent conference – Scandinavian Rail Development 2010. Held in the stunning city of Stockholm, Sweden, at the Operakällaren, Global Railway Review welcomed over 120…

Positive ETCS deployment progress for the Spanish network

31 May 2010 | By Juan Hernández, Planning and Functional Coordination Direction, Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF)

The aim of this article is to present the current situation of the ETCS deployment on the Spanish network managed by the Spanish Infrastructure Manager (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias – ADIF). It covers the situation in the newly built High-Speed Network (UIC gauge) and the deployment over the existing conventional…

ERTMS/ETCS: A new age in Railway Signalling Engineering

31 May 2010 | By David Sanz García Global Product Line Manager ERTMS Invensys Rail Dimetronic

The ERTMS/ETCS system currently being deployed on high-speed lines in Spain is the latest state-of-the-art signalling system, and in consequence the most complex signalling system available on the market. The complexity of the ERTMS system requires a great deal of effort to test and validate all application data, much more…

The deployment of ETCS: an important test case for Europe

31 May 2010 | By Emmanuel Brutin, Senior Public Affairs Manager, UNIFE

ERTMS, and more specifically its rail component ETCS, is arguably the technology that has caused most controversy and emotional debate amongst the railway community during the past decade. In many ways, this grand project, coordinated by the European Union, is now reaching a new and important phase in its history.…

Solving signalling problems on Insulated Block Joints

31 May 2010 | By Herman Treurniet, General Manager, P&K Rail BV

Metal particles, caused by train wheels grinding against the rails and at points, are a source of faults and delays on the railway. These particles adhere to the rails, which are magnetised by voltage spikes and return currents. On tracks equipped with Insulated Block Joints, short circuits occur between the…

Delivering first-class products and services for ERTMS/ETCS development

31 May 2010 | By Patrick Deutsch, Technical Director, ERSA SARL

European Rail Software Applications (ERSA), a member of the DeltaRail Group, has a long and successful background in the field of ERTMS/ETCS development. We encapsulate ERTMS know-how into value-adding software, technology and services to deliver value for our customers. Our innovative, cost-effective solutions answer the challenge of maximising availability, reliability…

Russia’s role in increasing international rail transportation

31 May 2010 | By Vladimir Yakunin, President, Russian Railways

The issue of increasing the role of international rail transportation between Europe and Asia has recently been growing in significance. Countries of the Asia-Pacific region, primarily China, are maintaining positive economic growth trends despite the global recession, and potential for boosting their foreign trade, including with European Union countries. Russia,…

Combining capacity with track-friendly technology: FLEXX Tronic WAKO and ARS from Bombardier

31 May 2010 | By Dipl. Ing. Richard Schneider, Vice President of Product Engineering Integrity, Bombardier Transportation

The demand for capacity is on the increase across all areas of transportation. Due to its flexibility as a mass transportation system and its environmental performance, rail transport in particular is gaining in significance. As a consequence, many countries are making major investments to meet future demand and for systems…

High quality railway infrastructure should lead to increased competition

31 May 2010 | By Jan Komárek, Director General, SŽDC (the Railway Infrastructure Administration)

SŽDC, the Czech Railway Infrastructure Administration, is responsible for the modernisation and development of the railway network in the Czech Republic. We put great effort into enhancing the quality of our railway infrastructure and, together with carriers, we offer reliable services to both passengers and freight transport. In my opinion,…

Discussing demand & opportunities for Poland’s rail network

31 May 2010 | By Craig Waters, Editor, Global Railway Review

On 11 and 12 of May 2010, Global Railway Review organised Polish Rail Development 2010 – a comprehensive event for industry personnel to gather in one place to learn and discuss the most important issues surrounding the development of the railway market in Poland. Held in the vibrant and historic…

Customised Air Spring Systems for rail vehicles

31 May 2010 | By Friedrich Hoppmann, Head of ContiTech Railway Engineering, ContiTech AG

Innovative suspension technology for modern rail vehicles for urban, mainline, or high-speed rail services; this is what ContiTech Railway Engineering is all about...

Application of technology improves wheelset performance

31 May 2010 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor

The wheel/rail interface is one of the most critical parts of an entire railway operation. Through a contact patch the size of a small coin, all the forces between the moving element (the train) and the static element (the track) are transmitted. These forces are immense, and if not properly…