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Rail Articles

Partial productivity measurement in rail freight transport

6 April 2011 | By Ulrich Weidmann, Professor for Transport Systems and Stephan Moll, PhD Student, Institute of Transport Planning and Systems, ETH Zürich, Switzerland

Rail freight transportation in Europe is a challenging business, characterised by low margins and high fixed costs. In this context, an efficient and effective use of production resources, such as locomotives, freight wagons or engine drivers, is a fundamental requirement for the financial success of freight railways.

CODE24: One corridor – one strategy!

6 April 2011 | By Jörg Saalbach, Representative of European Affairs for the Regional Planning Authority Rhein-Neckar

The trans-European railway axis (TEN-T) no. 24, also called ‘Corridor 24’ is the major North-South freight corridor in Europe connecting the international harbours of Rotterdam and Antwerp to the Mediterranean port of Genoa. Corridor 24 covers a number of the most important economic regions in Europe. The major European North-South…

Track21: Railway track research for the 21st century

6 April 2011 | By William Powrie, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton and Tony Leyland, Project Coordinator for Track21 and Secretary of the Rail Research UK Association (RRUK-A)

Track21 is a major new research programme funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) with the aim of developing the fundamental science needed to bring about a step-change improvement in the performance of the UK’s railway track system. Led by Professor William Powrie of the University of…

Lessons learned from INNOTRACK

6 April 2011 | By

The EU co-funded INNOTRACK project has been a joint response of the major stakeholders in the rail sector – infrastructure managers (IM), railway supply industry and research bodies – to further develop a cost-effective highperformance track infrastructure by providing innovative solutions towards significant reduction of both investments and maintenance related…

Understanding our key elements to become… A competitive industry player

6 April 2011 | By Goran Brankovič, General Manager, Slovenske železnice (SŽ)

Slovenske železnice have a long and respectable tradition. It has been more than 160 years since the first train arrived in Slovenia and since then our railway system has undergone many changes. Today we are proud to be a vital part of Slovenia’s freight transport system. We are the largest…

Turkey storms ahead with developments and investments

6 April 2011 | By Süleyman Karaman, Director General and Chairman of the Board, Turkish State Railways (TCDD)

When the worldwide and European Union transportation policies of the last 30-years are analysed, it will be observed that some radical changes have taken place elevating railways to a prioritised position so that the share of railways in the transportation sector increases and a balance between the transportation modes is…

The developing maintenance markets – a trend for the future

6 April 2011 | By Jan Steinkohl, Public Affairs Manager, UNIFE

Over the past years, a market for maintenance has developed and this market is becoming more-and-more vibrant, leading to astonishing cost savings and efficiency gains. The industry welcomes this development and calls up on the legislator to put in place the right framework for the future. For decades, the maintenance…

New trains for old? Rolling stock maintenance and replacement in the UK

6 April 2011 | By Jeremy Candfield, Director General, Railway Industry Association (RIA)

Governments, passengers and freight customers have rising expectations and aspirations for the rail system. There is a constant pressure to drive up availability and reliability, and to drive down costs, while assuring and improving safety. At the same time, users want improved service levels, with increasing demands for better information…

Luxembourg’s strong position…

15 February 2011 | By Claude Wiseler, Minister for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Luxembourg

Transportation by rail plays a critical role in the economic and social development and is instrumental in sustainable development policy making. It is also a key factor in environmental preservation and in the improvement of the quality of life of citizens. The governmental programme of 2009 foresees concrete measures in…

Infrabel’s client oriented strategy in a liberalised railway market

15 February 2011 | By Luc Vansteenkiste, Director General Rail Access, Infrabel

Infrabel, manager of the Belgian railway infrastructure, has developed a variety of products and services for railway operators and its industrial clients. This initiative fits into the strategy of a client-oriented account management that caters to all individual needs. In an interview with Global Railway Review, Luc Vansteenkiste, Director General…

14 trains per hour on a 2-track rail section? The Dutch prove that it ISpossible!

15 February 2011 | By Erik Sigger, NS and Peter van Waveren, ProRail

Imagine: six intercity trains, six regional trains and two freight trains per hour in the morning and evening peak hours. In September 2010, the Dutch rail industry carried out a unique test named ‘Each ten minutes a train (ETMET)’ on a mainly two-track route. In a special interview for Global…

CFL: the railway network in the centre of Europe

15 February 2011 | By Alex Kremer, CEO, CFL

Strategically placed in the centre of Europe, Luxembourg’s railway network attracts, through the combined efforts of CFL and its freight subsidiaries CFL cargo and CFL Multimodal, important quantities of both passenger and freight traffic. Concerning freight transport, Luxembourg was no stranger to the effects the financial crisis had on the…

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transport sector: A perspective from UNIFE

15 February 2011 | By Judit Sándor, Sustainability and Environment Manager, UNIFE and Max Obenaus, Head of Communications, UNIFE

The European transport sector is facing a serious challenge. While other European industry sectors have managed to reduce emissions in recent years – those of the transport sector are still growing. Today, transport accounts for almost a fifth of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (see Figure 1 opposite). It is…

CleanER-D puts diesel propulsion on the right track

15 February 2011 | By Enno Wiebe, Manager Research Programmes and Projects, UIC, and Judit Sándor, Sustainability and Environment Manager, UNIFE

The European railway network is the densest in the world and features the highest percentage of electrification – nearly 50%. Approximately 80% of total transport volume is hauled on the electrified part of the network. Nevertheless, diesel traction plays an important role in providing rail services and serves as the…

SBB’s commitment to ecological sustainability

15 February 2011 | By Birgit Elsener, Project Manager, SBB Rail Environmental Centre

SBB adopted a comprehensive sustainability strategy in 2010. Nine Group targets drawn from SBB’s corporate strategy in 2009 represent the economic, social and ecological aspects of sustainability. SBB’s aim is to create sustainable added value for its customers, the company, the environment and society. SBB has agreed clear objectives for…