List view / Grid view
Welcome to the Spring/Summer issue of 2025! As always, thank you to the expert voices across the rail industry who continue to contribute their insights and vision to Global Railway Review. Your work drives the conversations and innovations that are shaping the future of rail.
22 September 2011 | By Cristóbal Pérez Monjardín, Director of Financial Planning and Budget, Spanish Railway, Infrastructure Administrator (ADIF)
In 2010, the Infrastructure Extraordinary Plan (Plan Extraordinario de Infraestructuras (PEI)) of the Ministry of Public Works began, with expected tenders in the region of €17,000 million – the equivalent to 1.7% of Spanish GDP – which meant a turning point in the model used up until then in Spain…
22 September 2011 | By James Erwin, ‘New Trains Two’ Programme Manager, Translink NI Railways
Rail travel in Northern Ireland is a huge success story. More-and-more people are choosing to take the train following service enhancements in recent years and the introduction of 23 Translink NI Railways Class 3000 trains in 2005. These developments have brought enormous benefits to passengers, greatly improving levels of reliability…
22 September 2011 | By Bart Vantorre, President, Bombardier Transportation, Bogies Business Unit
If you had told me that after graduating as an electromechanical engineer, I would spend most of my career in the railway sector, I would have been surprised but immediately attracted by the prospect. Rolling Stock products are fascinating and quickly evolving products. The rail sector is an industry where…
4 August 2011 | By Peter Füglistaler, Director of the Federal Office of Transport, Switzerland
No country has better train and bus services than Switzerland. But recent increases in passenger numbers are stretching the system to its limits, especially at peak travel periods. Switzerland has therefore set clear priorities for future rail expansion: to increase capacity through longer, more frequent trains. Reductions in journey times…
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has the densest rail network in the world in terms of the number of trains per kilometre per day – and the number is still rising. This is a challenge that must be met without compromising on safety. Trains must therefore be monitored and scheduled with…
4 August 2011 | By Renzo Simoni, CEO, AlpTransit Gotthard Ltd
On 23 March 2011, between Faido and Sedrun in Switzerland, miners excavated the last metres of rock of the Gotthard Base Tunnel. Both single-track tubes are therefore now continuously bored over their full length of 57 kilometres. In the Ceneri Base tunnel, the main drives from the Sigirino intermediate heading,…
4 August 2011 | By Stefan Rameder, System Integration Officer for the ÖBB ETCS Programme, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG
After years of preparation and comprehensive calls for tenders from suppliers, Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has placed all orders for the implementation of the European Train Control System (ETCS). In February 2010 the final purchase order was placed, concerning system integration. During the past two years, a company-wide programme group…
4 August 2011 | By Janusz Wellman, Vice President of the Board, Rail Polska
Rail Polska was established in November 1999 by Mr. Edward Burkhardt, the founder and the only owner of Rail World Inc., registered in Chicago. Mr. Burkhardt successfully privatised railways in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Estonia. The original aim of the company was to take part…
4 August 2011 | By Michele Mario Elia, CEO, Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI)
My last contribution to Global Railway Review was back in Issue 4 2008, when I was interviewed about the then current status and view of high-speed operations in Italy. Since then Italy has changed a great deal where infrastructure is concerned. The Italian High-Speed/High-Capacity (HS/HC) network Today, Italy is a…
8 June 2011 | By Michel Clement was interviewed by Craig Waters, Editor
With a market share of 52% of the GSM-R global market, measured in kilometers of railway tracks covered by GSM-R railway infrastructure, Kapsch CarrierCom is the number one supplier worldwide. In an interview for Global Railway Review, Kapsch CarrierCom’s Vice President of GSM-R, Michel Clement, tells us what railway operators…
31 May 2011 | By Uldis Augulis, Minister of Transport, Republic of Latvia
Latvia has historically been on the crossroads of European transport routes. Its geographical location allows the country to be a considerable player in cargo transportation and logistics, serving significant cargo volumes from our Western partner countries (in the EU) and other places to the east – countries such as Russia,…
31 May 2011 | By Antti Jaatinen, Senior Vice President of Passenger Services, VR-Group Ltd and Maarit Haavisto-Koskinen, Head of International Marketing, VR-Group Ltd and Mika Heijari, Head of External Communications, VR-Group Ltd and Tiina Nieminen, Managing Director, Avecra Oy
The high-speed Allegro rail service between Helsinki in Finland and St. Petersburg in Russia began operating on 12 December 2010. The service cuts the journey time between the two cities by more than two hours to three and a half hours. The Allegros have a top speed of 220km/h and…
31 May 2011 | By Elisabeth Enger, Director General, Jernbaneverket
2011 will be an exciting year for Norwegian railways. The past year was unfortunately marred by widespread service disruption and much criticism from passengers, the media and politicians. Our goal at Jernbaneverket, the Norwegian National Rail Administration, is that 2011 should be the turning point where we begin to see…
31 May 2011 | By Arvo Smiltinsh, Member of the Management Board – Infrastructure Director, AS EVR Infra
Whilst the other Baltic countries are still considering whether to start work on the Rail Baltica project and discussing how extensive it should be, Estonia will soon be completing the reconstruction of the southbound railway line. The group of undertakings under Eesti Raudtee was established on 14 January 2009, when…
31 May 2011 | By Claus Nymark, Manager, Engineering Team of the Signalling Programme, Banedanmark
The Danish parliament Manager, Engineering Team of the Signalling Programme, Banedanmark has decided to fund a €3.2 billion replacement programme of renewing all Danish railway signalling before 2021. The programme is unique in Europe both in size and in its approach of focusing on economies of scale and creating a…
