Münster to host international permanent-way technology exhibition

Information about the IAF 2009 exhibition to be held on 21-23 April 2009 in Münster, Germany.

Event: IAF 2009
Date: 21-23 April 2009
Location: Münster, Germany
Website: www.iaf-messe.com

In spring 2009, railtrack, railway and transport experts from around the world will be coming together in Münster, where the 25th International Exhibition of Permanent-Way Technology (the iaf) is being held from 21st to 23rd April. Patrons of the trade fair are the Minister for Construction and Transport of the State of North Rhine Westphalia, Oliver Wittke, and Dr. Volker Kefer, CEO of infrastructure manager DB Netz AG. The initiator of the iaf is the Association of German Railway Engineers (Verein Deutscher Eisenbahn-Ingenieure e. V. – VDEI).

Effective immediately, a new agreement between the Federal Government and Deutsche Bahn governs the financing and maintenance of the railway infrastructure in Germany: the so-called Service and Financing Agreement entered into effect on 1st January 2009. Among other things, it provides for investment of some €2.5 billion in repairs to the existing network.

“This figure alone shows how much work needs to be done to the German rail network to bring it up to scratch,” pointed out Dr.-Ing. Siegfried Krause, Managing Director of the VDEI. He continues, “The Münster trade fair aims to display the new developments that have taken place in the industry over the past several years. The fact is, what technology can offer is of great importance when it comes to making optimal use of available funding.”

Over 110 exhibitors from 15 countries

More than 110 exhibitors from 15 different countries have already booked their stands in Münster, which means that the iaf is filling the 10,000+ square metre exhibition space to capacity.

“And not only that,” said Siegfried Krause. “In addition, there are 3,000 metres of track at the station adjacent to the exhibition halls, and also around 750 metres of temporary track that we shall be installing in order to meet the large demand.”

After the successful previous exhibitions in 2003 and 2006, the organisers are counting on over 23,000 visitors in 2009 as well. With its modern trade fair and exhibition grounds close to the station of the Westphalian State Railway (Westfälische Landeseisenbahn – WLE), Münster is optimally equipped to host an event of this stature.

Railway operators and infrastructure need to boost performance

As in earlier years, visitors to iaf 2009 can once again look forward to seeing numerous new developments in the field of permanent-way technology.

“Policy-makers and industry are very keen to see a shift in freight traffic from road to rail,” explained Dr.-Ing. Siegfried Krause. “For that to work, we need a huge boost to performance on the part of railway operators and the infrastructure. Our aim with the iaf is to help achieve that.”

VDEI Award and Girls’ Day – the iaf supporting programme

In addition, iaf 2009 will feature an extensive supporting programme for exhibitors and visitors. Plans are already well advanced for a variety of lectures and company presentations. As was already the case three years ago at the 24th iaf in 2006, this year the VDEI will once again be honouring young engineers with the VDEI Award for outstanding research work. The awards ceremony will be held on the opening day of the iaf, on 21st April 2009. The prize-winner(s) will then have the opportunity to present their papers to an audience.

In conferring this award, the railway engineers’ association aims to encourage upcoming engineering professionals in the guided transport sector by fostering innovative work by students and young engineers in the German-speaking countries and supporting its practical implementation. At the same time, the VDEI hopes that proposals for modernisation of existing track and equipment will yield new ideas on how to make guided transport modes still more attractive compared to other modes of transport and private motor traffic.

Girls’ Day in April: the IAF helps prepare females for careers in engineering

The third day of the iaf in Münster in 2009 will have a very special theme, as the 23rd of April 2009 will be ‘Girls’ Day’ in the Münsterland Hall. Together with Margret Suckale, Human Resources Director of DB Mobility Logistics AG, females from all over Germany will have the chance to find out more about careers in technology. With its large number of exhibits, the iaf offers an excellent opportunity for this.

New visitor registration procedure

For this year’s iaf in Münster a new registration procedure is being introduced. Upon registering online, all visitors will henceforward receive a confirmation of registration containing a bar code. The bar code can be scanned by a reader at the iaf and will be transferred to the trade fair passes. The bar code on the trade fair pass is then passed through a reader upon entering or leaving the fair. Exhibitors will also be able to use readers to scan the passes of visitors to their stands. The aim behind this innovation is to register visitor flows more precisely so as to be able to plan future trade shows better. The 25th International Exhibition of Permanent-Way Technology will be officially opened at 10a.m. on 21st April 2009 by Oliver Wittke, Dr. Volker Kefer and VDEI President Prof. Dr. Ing. Lothar Fendrich. The halls and outdoor display area are open from 9a.m. to 6p.m. on all three days.

About the VDEI

The Association of German Railway Engineers (Verein Deutscher Eisenbahn-Ingenieure e. V. – VDEI) groups together some 6,000 of the total of 40,000 engineers working for the railways, railway authorities, railway industry and track construction firms in Germany. The VDEI has as its mission to further technical and scientific advances in the guided transport system and to strengthen the position of guided transport in the transport policy framework. In light of the policy objective of ‘shifting traffic to the railways’, the VDEI is calling for the capacity bottlenecks that already exist in the railway network to be removed as quickly as possible.

For more information about the VDEI and iaf 2009, please visit: www.vdei.de and www.iaf-messe.com