List view / Grid view
6 April 2011 | By
The EU co-funded INNOTRACK project has been a joint response of the major stakeholders in the rail sector – infrastructure managers (IM), railway supply industry and research bodies – to further develop a cost-effective highperformance track infrastructure by providing innovative solutions towards significant reduction of both investments and maintenance related…
6 April 2011 | By Goran Brankovič, General Manager, Slovenske železnice (SŽ)
Slovenske železnice have a long and respectable tradition. It has been more than 160 years since the first train arrived in Slovenia and since then our railway system has undergone many changes. Today we are proud to be a vital part of Slovenia’s freight transport system. We are the largest…
6 April 2011 | By Süleyman Karaman, Director General and Chairman of the Board, Turkish State Railways (TCDD)
When the worldwide and European Union transportation policies of the last 30-years are analysed, it will be observed that some radical changes have taken place elevating railways to a prioritised position so that the share of railways in the transportation sector increases and a balance between the transportation modes is…
6 April 2011 | By Jan Steinkohl, Public Affairs Manager, UNIFE
Over the past years, a market for maintenance has developed and this market is becoming more-and-more vibrant, leading to astonishing cost savings and efficiency gains. The industry welcomes this development and calls up on the legislator to put in place the right framework for the future. For decades, the maintenance…
6 April 2011 | By Jeremy Candfield, Director General, Railway Industry Association (RIA)
Governments, passengers and freight customers have rising expectations and aspirations for the rail system. There is a constant pressure to drive up availability and reliability, and to drive down costs, while assuring and improving safety. At the same time, users want improved service levels, with increasing demands for better information…
15 February 2011 | By Claude Wiseler, Minister for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Luxembourg
Transportation by rail plays a critical role in the economic and social development and is instrumental in sustainable development policy making. It is also a key factor in environmental preservation and in the improvement of the quality of life of citizens. The governmental programme of 2009 foresees concrete measures in…
15 February 2011 | By Luc Vansteenkiste, Director General Rail Access, Infrabel
Infrabel, manager of the Belgian railway infrastructure, has developed a variety of products and services for railway operators and its industrial clients. This initiative fits into the strategy of a client-oriented account management that caters to all individual needs. In an interview with Global Railway Review, Luc Vansteenkiste, Director General…
15 February 2011 | By Erik Sigger, NS and Peter van Waveren, ProRail
Imagine: six intercity trains, six regional trains and two freight trains per hour in the morning and evening peak hours. In September 2010, the Dutch rail industry carried out a unique test named ‘Each ten minutes a train (ETMET)’ on a mainly two-track route. In a special interview for Global…
15 February 2011 | By Alex Kremer, CEO, CFL
Strategically placed in the centre of Europe, Luxembourg’s railway network attracts, through the combined efforts of CFL and its freight subsidiaries CFL cargo and CFL Multimodal, important quantities of both passenger and freight traffic. Concerning freight transport, Luxembourg was no stranger to the effects the financial crisis had on the…
15 February 2011 | By Judit Sándor, Sustainability and Environment Manager, UNIFE and Max Obenaus, Head of Communications, UNIFE
The European transport sector is facing a serious challenge. While other European industry sectors have managed to reduce emissions in recent years – those of the transport sector are still growing. Today, transport accounts for almost a fifth of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (see Figure 1 opposite). It is…
15 February 2011 | By Enno Wiebe, Manager Research Programmes and Projects, UIC, and Judit Sándor, Sustainability and Environment Manager, UNIFE
The European railway network is the densest in the world and features the highest percentage of electrification – nearly 50%. Approximately 80% of total transport volume is hauled on the electrified part of the network. Nevertheless, diesel traction plays an important role in providing rail services and serves as the…
15 February 2011 | By Birgit Elsener, Project Manager, SBB Rail Environmental Centre
SBB adopted a comprehensive sustainability strategy in 2010. Nine Group targets drawn from SBB’s corporate strategy in 2009 represent the economic, social and ecological aspects of sustainability. SBB’s aim is to create sustainable added value for its customers, the company, the environment and society. SBB has agreed clear objectives for…
15 February 2011 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor
Cables have applications all across the railway industry. Increasing interest in electrification implies extra demand for cables. Electrified railways are the way forward for the future, as they are cleaner and cheaper to operate than diesel. Another key point is that they are able to draw their power from any…
15 February 2011 | By Costas D. Melissinos, Manager of Railway Telecom & IT Systems Operations & Maintenance, ERGOSE
The preparation, tendering and implementation phases of the GSM-R project in Greece are presented in a descriptive, but mainly explanatory type methodology. The objective was to introduce a new digital telecommunication network to replace the analog system along the main railway axis and provide the necessary interoperability for future roaming…
15 February 2011 | By Kris Przelaskowski, Retired Senior Signalling Engineer
In the past, Poland (with its 23,000km railway network) badly needed a good operational radio communication system. The first simple analogue system started in 1972 connecting the harbours of Gdynia and Gdansk with Silesia. The radio-telephone network has provided good communication between dispatchers and running trains along the whole route…
