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In-Depth Focus: Rail Asset Management
As rail networks modernise and expand, the role of intelligent, resilient asset management has become more vital than ever.
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Rail Articles
Improving Melbourne’s metropolitan train system one step at a time
3 August 2010 | By Andrew Lezala, CEO, Metro Trains Melbourne (Metro)
Six months in to its contract as operator of Melbourne’s metropolitan train network, Metro’s focus is firmly on improving asset reliability, simplifying the timetable and making every minute count. In 2009, the Victorian Government selected a new contractor to operate Melbourne’s metropolitan rail services. The network assets, which are Government-owned…
NoBo’s – providing competent, independent and impartial assessments for the railway industry
3 August 2010 | By Jean-Marc Dupas, Chairman of NB-Rail and Managing Director of Belgorail
Former Railway Interoperability Directives (96/48/EC and 2001/16/EC and their amendments) have been repealed on 19 July 2010 by the Directive 2008/57/EC on the interoperability of the rail system within the Community. These directives have changed the way that fixed railway infrastructure, the rolling stock that runs on it and certain…
More than signals and sleepers
3 August 2010 | By Nelson Ogunshakin, Chief Executive, ACE (Association for Consultancy and Engineering)
Rail transport is essential to the UK’s economy. The Eddington Transport Study of 2006 found a clear link between transport capacity and economic performance, and noted that transport was an enabler of economic growth rather than a creator of growth in itself. Crossrail, for example, is expected to generate around…
High-speed in Italy and liberalisation
3 August 2010 | By Mauro Moretti, CEO, Ferrovie dello Stato Group
The FS Group (Italian State Railways) is the largest company in Italy, which has helped boost the Country’s growth, thanks also to the recent launch of the high-speed service. The Group has successfully completed a process of internal reorganisation that has turned it into a modern and efficient reality, up-to-date…
The kick-off for Italo has been set
3 August 2010 | By Giuseppe Sciarrone, Managing Director, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori S.p.a. (NTV)
NTV, the first Italian private high-speed operator, will start commercial service in September 2011. We officially announced the kick-off date in a press conference we held in Rome at the end of May 2010. We therefore have 15 months of tough work ahead to complete the necessary steps to ultimate…
Ready for the challenges
31 May 2010 | By Juhan Parts, Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications, Estonia
Steering the global recession to an upswing assumes new ideas and solutions from all economic sectors, and a well-functioning transportation system is one of the most important success factors in this process – we can accelerate growth of the economy only with efficient logistics.
Norway’s tough winter challenge and double-track progress
31 May 2010 | By Elisabeth Enger, Director General, Jernbaneverket
The past winter was unusually tough and challenging for Norwegian railways. Almost three months of continuous cold weather took their toll on ageing and well-worn infrastructure, resulting in record low punctuality and a large number of train cancellations. Never before have we experienced such poor punctuality over such a prolonged…
Public Private Partnership to be used in a Finnish second track project
31 May 2010 | By Mikko Asikainen, Project Manager, Finnish Transport Agency & Antti Haapalahti, Project Manager, Partner, CC Infra Oy
In a large-scale project of the Finnish Transport Agency, a 76.5km second track will be built between Kokkola and Ylivieska. To fund the project, a Public Private Partnership will be used for the first time in the Finnish railway network. It is also desirable to have foreign competitors for the…
Estonian Railways quickly adapts to changing economic circumstances
31 May 2010 | By Kaido Simmermann, Managing Director, Estonian Railways
With its 140-year history, Estonian Railways has been a bright example in illustrating how to adapt to circumstances and successfully cope with them in the rapidly changing economic environment of recent years. 2009 represented an important year for Estonian Railways, when it carried out several significant changes concerning its tariff…
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…
