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Issue #2 2015 – Digital version
In this issue: Northern Europe regional profile, Bogies / Wheelsets supplement, Germany profile, Track Systems supplement, and much more...
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Issue 2 2015
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Track Systems supplement
In our latest free-to-view Track Systems Supplement, Chris Eady from the Institute of Rail Welding explains the topic of broken rails and rolling contact fatigue, plus experts from Graz University cover the challenges in railway asset management in order to implement a preventive, condition-based maintenance and renewal strategy...
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Bogies / Wheelsets supplement
In our latest free-to-view Bogies / Wheelsets Supplement, we have articles from Bombardier to give an update on the latest developments at their Bogies Technical Centre, plus experts from Loughborough University (UK) explain mechatronic bogies and their benefits and risks...
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The future of Germany’s railways – intermodal and digitally interlinked
7 April 2015 | By Alexander Dobrindt, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Germany
In international comparisons, Germany is a world leader in terms of infrastructure, logistics and connectivity, writes Alexander Dobrindt, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Germany. This safeguards our competitiveness as an exporting nation, thereby securing growth, prosperity and jobs. Linked with this is a continuous growth in the demand…
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The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel: From vision to reality
7 April 2015 | By Johnny Restrup-Sørensen, Contract Director, Railway at Femern A/S
The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel will become the world’s longest immersed tube tunnel for combined road and rail traffic. It will provide a double-track railway and four-lane highway connection between Puttgarden on the German island of Fehmarn and Rødbyhavn on the Danish island of Lolland. After years of detailed investigations, the planning…
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Upholding high safety levels on the Estonian railway network
7 April 2015 | By Heigo Saare, Head of the Railway Infrastructure Department, National Safety Authority (NSA) for Estonia
The Technical Regulatory Authority in Estonia is an agency working under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications with a broader objective to help implement national economic policies through the improvement of safety, organising sensible use of limited resources and increasing the reliability of products in the fields of manufacturing…
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Finland concentrates on rail network development
7 April 2015 | By Kari Ruohonen, Director General of Projects at the Finnish Transport Agency
The greatest challenge in Finland is an insufficient amount of maintenance funds which have resulted in maintenance backlogs in both railway and road infrastructure management. In a report completed in autumn 2014, the parliamentary working group under the Minister of Transport and Local Government proposed an additional annual appropriation of…
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Scandinavian rail freight: Time for change
7 April 2015 | By Gottfried Eymer, CEO, DB Schenker Rail Scandinavia A/S
National governments have to create level playing fields between rail and road, writes Gottfried Eymer, CEO of DB Schenker Rail Scandinavia A/S. Driven by globalisation and changes within manufacturing industries, the demand for freight transportation is increasing to levels never seen before. Various things like raw materials, consumer goods and…
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Competition strengthens German rail sector
7 April 2015 | By Burkhard Bastisch, Managing Director, NWL
Since access to the German rail market was open to all rail operators, competition for services has strengthened the railway’s ability to compete with other modes of transport. Burkhard Bastisch, Managing Director of NWL – the transport authority for the Westphalia-Lippe region – explains NWL’s responsibilities and policies and how…
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Germany: Huge infrastructure modernisation project continues after signing of new Agreement
7 April 2015 | By Frank Sennhenn, CEO of DB Netz AG
Success of financing rail infrastructure in Germany is now in its second round. The second Performance and Financing Agreement (Leistungs- und Finanzierungsvereinbarung, ‘LuFV II’) between the government of the Federal Republic of Germany and Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) was signed at the beginning of January 2015. The conclusion of…
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Investment in rail in Britain’s industrial areas
7 April 2015 | By Paul Johnson, Research and Lobbying Assistant, the Industrial Communities Alliance
The Industrial Communities Alliance is the all-party association representing more than 60 local authorities in the industrial areas of England, Scotland and Wales. In October 2014 the Alliance published proposals for investment in rail in Britain’s industrial areas in a document called ‘Tracks to Work’. Paul Johnson, Research and Lobbying…
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Mechatronic bogies: The benefits of adoption and how to reduce risks
The School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering with the Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering at Loughborough University (UK) are undertaking innovative research that is exploring concepts and issues associated with mechatronic railway vehicle bogies. In particular, it considers how the reported benefits of these sub-systems, such as reduced…
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An update on Bombardier’s Bogie Technical Centre
Heiko Mannsbarth, Head of Engineering, Products & Customer Support and Guido Bieker, Head of Structural Mechanics and Tests at Bombardier's Business Unit Bogies, focuses on the current status in terms of staffing, product development and testing facilities at the BTC.
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How are high levels of rail integrity achieved?
11 March 2015 | By
Chris Eady, Executive Director of the Institute of Rail Welding, takes a look at the topic of broken rails and rolling contact fatigue and, with quotes from Brian Whitney at Network Rail, explains why it is necessary to repeat the importance of rail integrity management.
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From track data to asset management
Reactive rather than preventive maintenance is valuable for in-house as well as outsourced maintenance execution. In order to achieve these goals, the current conditions of the assets, as well as their development over time, have to be considered. Hence, one of the main challenges in railway asset management is to…