List view / Grid view

Rail Articles

Rail freight transportation offers a green vision for current and future plans

28 January 2010 | By Matej Augustín, Chief Executive Officer, ZSSK CARGO

Železničná spoločnosť Cargo Slovakia, a.s., (ZSSK CARGO) is a strategic rail transportation undertaking in Slovakia with a transported volume market share of approximately 95%. It is a company with the densest network of tariff points within Slovakia and key transhipment whilst pumping through capacities to the border with Ukraine.

Changing the future

28 January 2010 | By László Mosóczi, Member of the Board, Chief Operating Officer, Head of MÁV Infrastructure

Hungarian State Railways Co. (MÁV) is characterised by limited market and financial opportunities which are determined by the obligation to sustain the level of service, the application of obligatory ticket prices, limited budgetary compensations and by limited debt raising opportunities. After a couple of decades, the first years of the…

Making 2010 the year for accomplishments

28 January 2010 | By Branimir Jerneić, President, HŽ Infrastruktura Management Board

Like in the case of all European railways recently, the global recession found its reflection in freight transport volumes, which in 2009 decreased by 24% in comparison with 2008. Passenger transport increased by 4%, but its increase is much smaller than those recorded in recent years, when passenger transport was…

Extending the lifetime of rail infrastructure by proper energy management

28 January 2010 | By Michaël Steenbergen, Academic Researcher in the field of Railway Engineering, Delft University of Technology

Current design philosophies of railway tracks are based on the conception of a railway system as a statically loaded system. This is directly translated into two classical principles: load spreading and stiffness reduction in downward direction. A ‘layered’ track design results in order to transfer the enormous wheel-rail contact stresses…

Maintaining control

12 December 2009 | By Dave Curtis, General Manager, Freightliner Maintenance Ltd (FML)

The decision by UK's Freightliner Group to set up its own maintenance division has yielded transformational improvements to business performance. Maintenance of locomotives and rolling stock is a core necessity to any successful rail operator - one that is not at the forefront of attention, but when it is not…

Major network investments will help reduce UK passenger disruption

12 December 2009 | By Craig Waters, Commissioning Editor

If a railway network is in need of track renewal, it is vitally important that the procedures are carried out to the best possible standards. Network downtime needs to be kept to an absolute minimum and it is therefore essential for infrastructure owners to invest heavily in high-tech track renewal…

Crossrail work gets underway

12 December 2009 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor

One of the biggest public transport projects in the world has started in London. Crossrail will provide welcome work at a time when other parts of the construction sector are experiencing a downturn. London is the poor relation amongst European cities when it comes to cross-city suburban rail links. While…

Security during construction for the Brenner Tunnel North Access Section

12 December 2009 | By Dirk Diederich, General Manager for Project Business, Rhomberg Bahntechnik GmbH

The North Access Section to the Brenner Tunnel is particularly important to rail transport within Europe as part of the TEN 1 - Axis Berlin-Palermo in a north-south direction and as the main east-west traffic artery in the junction with the Lower Inn rail link. Security, in particular, is a…

2009: a new stage for the French Railway Industry Association

12 December 2009 | By Jean-Pierre Audoux, Director General, French Railway Industry Association (FIF)

The environment of the French Railway Industry Association (FIF) members today has become much more complex than it was in the 80s and 90s, because France, like every European country, is currently in a long-term transition phase of its railway system. The end of the 90s marked the transition towards…

RFF – a strategic vision to battle global warming

12 December 2009 | By Sebastien Gourgouillat, Head of Sustainability and Performance, Réseau Ferré de France (RFF)

Enhancing and developing the national rail network to promote rail transport in line with the principles of sustainable development, is the objective set out in the opening lines of the Act establishing Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) in 1997.

Arlanda Express celebrates anniversary with new major investment

26 September 2009 | By Per Thorstenson, President of Arlanda Express and CEO of A-Train AB

Arlanda Express, the Swedish high-speed train between Arlanda Airport and Stockholm City, reported its best financial results ever for 2008. The company is now investing in refurbishing its trains to increase capacity for seated passengers by at least 20%.

Tunnel construction through the Hallandsås Ridge – a world-class project

26 September 2009 | By Per Rydberg, Project Manager for the Hallandsås Ridge tunnel, Banverket

Construction of a tunnel through the Hallandsås Ridge in southwest Sweden has given rise to many emotions over the years and the project has suffered several setbacks. Yet because of, or perhaps thanks to, its history, the tunnel is now one of Sweden's most well-planned construction projects. Today, the project…

SJ meets competition and scores high with improved efficiency and new trains

26 September 2009 | By Claes Broström, Vice President of Fleet Management, Swedish Railways, SJ AB

SJ has been on quite a journey following its conversion to a limited-liability company. In 2002, SJ was an inefficient company on the verge of bankruptcy. Since then, the company has undergone tremendous change and is now market-focused. SJ has identified various customer groups and their needs and then developed…

Attention to detail: creating a modern regional train

26 September 2009 | By Claes Ulveryd, Fleet Manager, Skånetrafiken

Approximately seven years ago, Skånetrafiken began thinking of renewal and completion of its Pågatågen rolling stock. Pågatågen is the name of the regional train service in Skåne - the southernmost county of Sweden. The service is presently performed with 26 X11 EMUs, an ASEA/ABB/ADTranz/Bombardier construction from the 70s, which has…

The shortest way from the centre of Spain to the coast

26 September 2009 | By Santiago Cobo Diego, Director of the Madrid-Levante High-Speed Line, Adif

A double track of UIC European gage designed for maximum speeds of 350km/h will soon link the centre of Spain with the Mediterranean Sea and the Southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. The total length of the line is 940km - with a forecasted investment of €12.365 million - and will…