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Rail Articles

SWERIG – growing at home and abroad

18 September 2014 | By Rolf Alm and Magnus Davidsson from SWERIG – the Swedish Rail Industry Group

The passenger and freight traffic utilisation of the Swedish railway is growing fast, and so is the country’s railway industry. The former publicly-run railway sector in Sweden is deregulated and this has created new companies, who – under competition – have developed efficient and reliable solutions. SWERIG – the Swedish…

The European Corridor – bringing cities closer together

18 September 2014 | By unnar Sibbmark, Managing Director of Europakorridoren AB

Europakorridoren AB1 is a company owned by approximately 50 cities in Sweden. The organisation behind the company also has members in Lübeck and Hamburg in Germany. Four cities in southern Sweden – Jönköping, Värnamo, Ljungby and Helsingborg – began the project in 1993 and since then it has grown year-on-year.…

Station Construction: From the fjord and into the mountain

18 September 2014 | By Stine Ilebrekke Undrum – Project Manager at the Norwegian National Rail Administration

Norway is famous for its fjords and mountains – beautiful to look at, but a challenge for road and railway construction. So when construction of a new double-track railway line was decided from Holm to Nykirke, past the town of Holmestrand in southern Norway, both the track and the station…

The Danish Electrification Programme: A huge commitment

18 September 2014 | By Søren Thorpstrup Laursen – Head of the Danish Electrification Programme at Banedanmark

The Danish Electrification Programme was established in November 2012 to carry out electrification works initially on four Danish rail sections. Through the ‘Togfonden DK’ initiative five further sections have since been added to the scope of the electrification works, along with funding for additional optional rail sections and associated services.…

Infrabel tests new infrastructure for the Liefkenshoek Rail Link

18 September 2014 | By Luc Vansteenkiste – Director-General of Asset Management at Infrabel

Infrabel – the Belgian rail infrastructure manager – has been fully-engaged in testing the rail infrastructure for the Liefkenshoek Rail Link since spring 2014. Of critical importance in this are the ETCS and safety tests for the purpose of obtaining permission to officially open this new freight link in the…

Portuguese rail network developments: Challenges and opportunities

18 September 2014 | By António Viana – Director of Strategy and Network Development at REFER

Portugal was affected by the international economic and financial crisis, like the majority of European countries, which determined the request for external help in 2011 and materialised with the Economic and Financial Assistance’s Programme. This context involved a change of strategy regarding public investment in transport infrastructures which became effective…

ARA – building a brighter future for rail in the Australasian region

18 September 2014 | By Bryan Nye, Chief Executive Officer, Australasian Railway Association (ARA)

The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) is the peak body representing 170 passenger, freight, track operators and the wider rail supply industry in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, explains Bryan Nye – the Association’s Chief Executive Officer. Our fundamental purpose is to create an environment that will permit the Australasian rail…

Australia’s biggest public transport project is underway

18 September 2014 | By Gladys Berejiklian – Minister for Transport in the Government of New South Wales, Australia

Australia’s first fully-automated rapid transit rail system – the AU$8.3 billion North West Rail Link is a new direction for rail services – not just for Sydney, but for the entire country. Gladys Berejiklian – Minister for Transport in the Government of New South Wales, Australia, provides more details about…

Investing in the railway system is worthwhile

5 August 2014 | By Doris Bures, the Austrian Federal Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology

The railway system has a tremendous future – if we want to have an economically and environmentally sustainable transport system available to support the ever-increasing mobility of people and goods, then we need to actively promote environmentally-friendly modes of transport, such as the railway system, explains Doris Bures, the Austrian…

Accelerating infrastructure expansion in Austria

5 August 2014 | By Franz Bauer, Director of Infrastructure Provision and Member of the Executive Board at ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG

ÖBB – Austria’s leading railway enterprise – has for some years now been focussing on accelerating expansion of the infrastructure and has pushed investment to a record level. The result brings high-performance rail corridors with excellent connections to the neighbouring EU States, reduced journey times and modern stations which make…

The Brenner Base Tunnel – A railway line for the future

5 August 2014 | By Konrad Bergmeister, CEO at BBT SE

The construction of the 64km-long Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) is in full swing. After the completion of three construction lots in Italy and Austria with an investment of €550 million, the next construction lots are on the way. Konrad Bergmeister, CEO at BBT SE – the company tasked with construction…