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Rail Articles

DB’s continual programme of investments and developments

11 April 2012 | By Craig Waters, Editor, Global Railway Review

Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) was founded in 1994 and is now one of the world’s leading passenger and logistics companies. Operating in 130 countries, approximately 290,000 employees, of which about 190,000 are located in Germany, are committed to ensuring that customers are provided with effective and efficient mobility and…

Focused on highquality services

11 April 2012 | By Bernard M. Kemper, CEO, Abellio Rail NRW GmbH

Abellio was established in 2003 as a subsidiary of ‘Essen Verkehrs AG’ (EVAG), the local public transportation service for the city of Essen. The purpose was to profit from opportunities of a liberalised traffic market and to utilise more than 100 years of experience. The company’s bus and rail service…

Open-access between Hamburg and Cologne

11 April 2012 | By Eva Kreienkamp, CEO and Carsten Carstensen, COO, Hamburg-Köln-Express (HKX)

In 2012, the Hamburg-Köln-Express (HKX) will start operations, thus breaking new ground for open-access operators in Germany. With three six-wagon trainsets, HKX will provide space and comfort combined with modern services on the long-distance route between Hamburg and Cologne. Although the railway sector deregulation in Germany started as early as…

Working together to find adequate solutions

11 April 2012 | By Dr. Libor Lochman, Executive Director, CER

he Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) brings together more than 70 European railway undertakings, infrastructure companies and vehicle leasing companies, including long-established bodies, new entrants, and both private and public-sector organisations. In EU, EFTA and EU accession countries, CER members represent approximately 75% of the rail network…

2012: the most exciting year yet for Crossrail

11 April 2012 | By Andy Mitchell, Crossrail Programme Director

2012 is going to be the most exciting year yet for the £14.8 billion Crossrail project with construction moving up a few gears as we enter our tunnelling phase. The year has started with great expectations and excitement for the project not just within Crossrail but also amongst Londoners who…

Turkey’s continuing developments

11 April 2012 | By Süleyman Karaman, Director General and Chairman of the Board, Turkish State Railways (TCDD)

The history of railways in Turkey can be analysed in four periods. First was the Ottoman Period between 1856 and 1922 when foreigners were granted concessions and 4,136km of railway lines were constructed. Second was the Republic Period between 1923 and 1950 when developments were fast and bright and 3,764km…

“The railway will be the transport mode of the 22nd century”

6 February 2012 | By Etienne Schouppe, State Secretary for Mobility, Belgium

“The railway will be the transport mode of the 21st century, if it survives the 20th.” I had to use this phrase on numerous occasions during my time as Chief Executive of the Belgian National Railway Company in the 1990s, in order to make my colleagues aware of the necessity,…

Infrabel is putting the finishing touches to its Diabolo project

6 February 2012 | By Luc Lallemand, CEO, Infrabel

Infrabel, the manager of the Belgian railway infrastructure, is currently putting the finishing touches to Diabolo – the new direct rail link to and from Brussels Airport. With four months before the rail link goes into service, Luc Lallemand, Infrabel’s CEO, exclusively tells Global Railway Review the most important achievements…

BGN 1.3 billion to be invested in Bulgarian railway infrastructure by 2014

6 February 2012 | By Milcho Lambrev, Director General, National Railway Intrastructure Company (NRIC)

The State Enterprise ‘National Railway Infrastructure Company’ (NRIC) has been established by the Law on Railway Transport – a law which came into force from 1 January 2002. The company is with a statute of a state-owned entity as per the meaning of the Trade Act. The company is registered…

Raising the profile of the SEETO Comprehensive Rail Network

6 February 2012 | By Nedim Begovic, Railway Expert, SEETO

The European Commission’s proposal on new TEN-T guidelines adopted on 19 October 2011 was welcomed by the Regional Participants, since it includes important achievement of South East European regional cooperation. For the first time, the SEETO (South East Europe Transport Observatory) Comprehensive Network was included in the TEN-T Comprehensive Network…

Detection of wheel-rail contact conditions for improved train control

6 February 2012 | By Professor T X Mei, School of Computing Science and Engineering, Salford University, UK

The contact between wheels and track is fundamental to railway operations, but the contact conditions are affected by often unpredictable external sources of contamination such as fallen tree leaves, snow and rain which can substantially reduce the level of adhesion of the track that is essential to the delivery of…

Adjusted rail profile makes Dutch rail virtually free from Head Checks

6 February 2012 | By Dr Rolf Dollevoet, System Expert Track, ProRail

Since 2006, infra-manager ProRail has been keeping the Dutch rail free from Head Checks by grinding the rails in an Anti Head Check profile. Head Checks (HC) are rail defects that are created by wheel-rail contact. These can be serious safety threats. I obtained my doctorate in 2010 with the…

Creating a fair and open rail market to compete with road and aviation is key

6 December 2011 | By Nicolas Petrovic, CEO, Eurostar

Over the coming weeks and months, EU policy-makers will lock horns in earnest over new rules to ensure fair and open competition in the European rail market, both freight and passenger. On economic grounds alone it is critical that the right rules are in place but it is equally important…